BASKETBALL

Another company has joined Cooper Flagg’s growing list of sponsors, with Gatorade becoming the latest big name to partner with the basketball phenomenon.

Gatorade announced the partnership Tuesday, making him the first men’s college basketball player to sign with the sports drink giant, according to ESPN.

Flagg was named the Gatorade National Men’s Basketball Player of the Year in March. The deal is just the latest endorsement from the Newport native; New Balance was the first to sign him in Augustand New Era arrived in early September.

Flagg plays his first official college game Monday, when Duke hosts UMaine.

He averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2 blocks in two preseason games.

Flagg told ESPN he tried to stay humble following the endorsements and hype that surrounded his high school career and signing with Duke.

“It’s just about trying to stay grounded and stay where my feet are and focus on the present and where I am,” he said. “Whether it’s a practice day or a class day… Whatever I do, I just try to stay present and focus on the moment.”

Since leaving Nokomis Regional High after guiding the Warriors to the 2022 Class A championship as a freshman, Flagg has seen his profile skyrocket. He thrived at Montverde Academy in Florida, en route to becoming the nation’s No. 1 high school prospect, and was also named USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year after leading Team USA to victory in of the 2022 FIBA ​​U17 World Cup.

He is currently projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which takes place in June.

NBA: Joel Embiid and Paul George are 0 for 4 for the 76ers season.

Embiid and George’s debuts remain on hold for the Philadelphia 76ers, and both players will miss Wednesday’s game against Detroit with knee injuries.

Embiid and George participated in parts of Tuesday’s practice and their playing status will be re-evaluated later in the week.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse declined to elaborate on their health and potential timetable for returning to the lineup.

HOCKEY

PWHL: The Professional Women’s Hockey League, made up of six teams, is launching its expansion process and plans to add up to two franchises for the start of the 2025-2026 season, a league executive announced.

Speaking at the ESPNW Summit in New York, Senior Vice President of Business Operations Amy Scheer said the league will begin sending out requests for proposals to multiple markets as early as next week, while also accepting applications.

Candidates for U.S. expansion include Detroit and Pittsburgh, where the PWHL hosted neutral-site games in its inaugural season last year. Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia are also reportedly considered candidates after both were considered before the league established teams in Boston, New York and Minnesota. Denver and Seattle are also considered potential candidates.

In Canada, where the league has teams in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, Quebec has already announced its intention to be a candidate for an expansion franchise. Calgary would be a potential option, with the city having previously hosted the Inferno from 2011 to 2019, before the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded.

COLLEGES

SOCCER: Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle retires from football after fifth concussion.

Tuttle made the announcement on social media Monday evening, highlighting a series of injuries that have hampered his college career. He said he never fully recovered from ligament damage in his throwing elbow.

• West Virginia fired defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley. Inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz will replace Lesley for the remainder of the season, coach Neal Brown said.

West Virginia’s injury-riddled secondary has struggled all season. The Mountaineers are giving up 9.3 yards per pass, worst in the Big 12, and their 17 touchdown passes allowed are second-worst.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: South Florida introduced Ben Fletcher as interim basketball coach, saying he was the right man to lead the Bulls following the death of Amir Abdur-Rahim.

Fletcher, a close friend of Abdur-Rahim who helped the late coach turn around struggling programs at Kennesaw State and USF, vowed to help grieving players cope with the loss and maintain a new standard of achievement at American Athletic Conference school.

Abdur-Rahim, 43, died Thursday from complications that arose while undergoing surgery at a Tampa-area hospital.

TENNIS

MASTERS OF PARIS: Sixth seed Andrey Rublev lost two tiebreakers and his composure as his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals took a hit.

Facing Francisco Cerundolo in the second round, Rublev lost 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) after a match that lasted more than two hours. Rublev was so frustrated at one point in the second set that he smashed his racket against his left knee at least seven times in a row. Video footage showed the blast left his knee bleeding.

The Russian player occupied the eighth and final qualifying spot in the race for the season-ending ATP Finals and could be overtaken by his rivals this week.

Top seed Jannik Sinner withdrew, citing a virus.

The Italian player, who is guaranteed to end the year in first place, indicated in a message relayed by the organizers that he would not be able to play this week.

SOCCER

MLS: Atlanta United lost midfielder Edwin Mosquera for the remainder of the team’s Eastern Conference first round matchup against Inter Miami following meniscus surgery on his left knee.

Atlanta United faces a must-win game at home on Saturday night after losing 2-1 to Inter Miami on Friday night in the first match of the best-of-three series.

Inter Miami also lost a player to a knee injury in the first match. The team announced Saturday that defenseman Ian Fray will undergo surgery to repair his meniscus.

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