American basketball icon and activist
The US Supreme Court has upheld Idaho and West Virginia laws that bar transgender girls from girls' sports, ruling those bans survive Title IX and equal-protection challenges. The decision preserves similar statutes in roughly two dozen states, hands conservative groups a legal lever, and shifts the next fights to state courts, school boards and athletic bodies.
USA Basketball has announced its 12-player roster for the Berlin World Cup, led by Breanna Stewart and a mix of veterans and first-time World Cup players. Sabrina Ionescu has been left off the squad, a decision that executives say weighs multiple factors as the team shifts toward a post-Olympic era.
LeBron James has teased a partnership with Polymarket, a sports-focused prediction market, in a video that hints at a football-centered campaign. The move follows earlier partnerships with Kalshi and ongoing sports-market deals across leagues.
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig campaign has drawn strong backlash from athletes and fans who say the nude/near-nude ads sexualise women’s sport. The controversy has provoked responses from Hunt, Titmus and others, with Sweeney defending the project and sharing past body-spotlight images.