In a groundbreaking move for Jamaican volleyball, Aiko Jones has signed a professional contract with the Atlanta Vibe, becoming the first Jamaican-born player to join the Volleyball Pro League in the United States. Jones, a 6-foot-2 opposite hitter, has had an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Louisville in Kentucky and is set to make her mark in the professional arena.
The Atlanta Vibe, a professional indoor volleyball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, competes in the Pro Volleyball Federation. They began their journey in the league's inaugural 2024 season and play their home games at Gas South Arena in nearby Duluth. Jones’ addition to the team is expected to bolster their roster, bringing her extensive experience and dynamic playing style to the professional level.
Jones, born on August 12, 1999, in Kingston, Jamaica, attended Wolmers Girls' School where she excelled not only in volleyball but also in athletics, particularly in field events. Her volleyball journey is a continuation of a family legacy, as her parents, broadcaster Paula-Anne Porter-Jones and Dr Thaon Jon Jones, also excelled in the sport.
"Playing professional volleyball had been a goal of mine since I stepped foot on that court at Marescaux Road. Signing this contract is just another step towards that goal. The work continues and I am ready to continue to give my all," she told Sportsmax.TV.
She first hinted at the development on social media.
“What are the odds I signed my first professional contract in the same stadium I stood in front of #CardNation for the first time?” Jones posted on X on Sunday.
During her tenure with the Louisville Cardinals, Jones developed into a formidable force on the court. In 2023, she earned AVCA All-East Region honors and was named to the All-ACC Second Team. Playing in 112 sets, she recorded 249 kills with a hitting percentage of .260, along with 15 assists, 27 aces, 147 digs, and 86 blocks. Her season-high performance included 13 kills against Florida State.
The previous year, Jones was a key player for the Cardinals, being named to the Final Four All-Tournament team, the All-Louisville Regional team, the AVCA First-Team All-East Region team, and the All-ACC First Team. She played in all 119 sets, amassing 300 kills with a .268 hitting percentage. She led the team with 44 aces and contributed significantly on defense with 108 total blocks, scoring a total of 401 points for the season.
Jones is currently pursuing her master's degree in communications, continuing to balance her academic pursuits with her athletic career. Her signing with the Atlanta Vibe marks a significant milestone for Jamaican athletes, opening doors for future talents from the island to explore opportunities in professional volleyball.
As Aiko Jones embarks on this new chapter with the Atlanta Vibe, the volleyball community in Jamaica and her supporters worldwide will be eagerly watching her progress, cheering for her continued success in the sport.
Carlos Alcaraz has made a winning start to his Wimbledon title defence, defeating qualifier Mark Lajal in a competitive contest.
Opening the 2024 tournament on Centre Court, the Spaniard was broken early in each of the first two sets, but ultimately progressed 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 6-2.
Alcaraz was more dominant in the third set, not offering up a single break-point opportunity to Estonian qualifier Lajal, who can nonetheless reflect on a decent showing on the big stage.
French Open champion Alcaraz, looking to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, will play Aleksandar Vukic or Sebastian Ofner in round two.
Elsewhere on Monday, eighth seed Casper Ruud and 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov both made comfortable starts to the tournament with straight-sets wins over Alex Bolt and Dusan Lajovic respectively.
Denis Shapovalov is also through, with the Canadian knocking out 19th seed Nicolas Jarry in a 6-1 7-5 6-4 triumph.
Frances Tiafoe almost joined Jarry as a seed to crash out on day one, but the American fought back from two sets down to defeat Matteo Arnaldi in five. That dramatic win saw him tee up a round-two clash with Borna Coric.
There was more American success when Brandon Nakashima earned a straight-sets victory over 18th seed Sebastian Baez. He won 6-2 6-3 6-4 and will face Australian Jordan Thompson next.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz up and running
Alcaraz did not have ideal preparation for Wimbledon after losing to Jack Draper in the last 16 at Queen's.
He will therefore be pleased to have got two hours and 23 minutes of competitive court time under his belt against Lajal without his progress ever really looking like it was in jeopardy.
Alcaraz fired 44 winners and lost just nine of the 56 points played on his first serve. He was also adept at the net, winning 26 of his 33 points to make it a smooth start.
He is now just the seventh player in the Open Era, and the first since compatriot Rafael Nadal, to win all of his first 14 first-round matches in grand slam tournaments.
The Philadelphia 76ers have locked up one of the NBA's top young stars - and in the process have created their own version of a Big Three.
All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204million maximum contract extension with the 76ers on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal was reported hours after Philadelphia and nine-time All-Star Paul George agreed to a reported four-year, $212million maximum contract.
With 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Maxey and George teaming up together, the 76ers will be looking to overtake the Eastern Conference from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Maxey, 23, is coming off a breakout year in his fourth pro season, averaging career highs of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while being named to his first All-Star team. He ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game with an average of 3.0 and was named the league's Most Improved Player.
He stepped up his game in this year's play-offs, averaging 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 40.0 per cent from 3-point range, but the 76ers were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in six games.
The Sixers have been one of the NBA's top teams during the regular season over the last several years, but have been unable to get over the hump in the play-offs.
The team has reached the play-offs in seven straight years but has failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.
Over the last seven seasons, Philadelphia has the NBA's fourth-highest winning percentage during the regular season (.625), but unlike the three teams that have achieved better records in that span - the Milwaukee Bucks (.656), Celtics (.650) and Denver Nuggets (.632) - the 76ers are without an NBA title.
While the Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, the 76ers' chances of dethroning them have seemingly improved with their recent signings.
Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The deal, which was reported Monday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, can't officially be signed until the NBA's moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday.
The move to Philadelphia was reported by multiple sources Sunday after George informed the Los Angeles Clippers his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.
The addition of George to a 76ers team which already includes 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey, now makes Philadelphia a serious contender to compete with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy. The 76ers also reached a deal with Maxey on Monday, giving the sharpshooter a five-year, $204million maxim contract extension.
Philadelphia has found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.
Los Angeles, which had a Big Three of its own in George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, also has a history of setbacks in the play-offs, losing in the first round each of the past two years while missing the post-season entirely in 2021-22.
The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.
George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.
Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury ahead of the first round.
The world number three was due to play Emina Bektas on Monday, but left the practice court early, with the All England Club organisers confirming she would not be participating.
She will now be replaced by Erika Andreeva, who lost to Sonay Kartal in the final round of qualifying.
Sabalenka retired from her Berlin quarter-final in June with the same issue, the first time she has ever done so in a professional match in her career, and later stated she was not "100% fit" or able to serve without pain.
The Belarusian is a two-time Grand Slam winner but has never won at Wimbledon, falling at the semi-final hurdle in both 2021 and 2023.
Sabalenka was looking to put a disappointing clay swing behind her, after suffering final defeats in Madrid and Rome before being knocked out in the quarter-final at the French Open.
Emma Raducanu has been handed an early boost ahead of her first match at Wimbledon after the withdrawal of Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Raducanu, who won the US Open in 2021 but is now ranked outside of the top 100, had been due to face world number 22 Alexandrova on Centre Court on Monday.
However, Alexandrova has withdrawn due to illness, meaning Raducanu will face lucky loser Renata Zarazua instead.
Mexico's Zarazua lost to Mccartney Kessler in qualifying last week, but now has another shot.
But Raducanu will be the big favourite as she aims to build on a solid grass-court swing.
The 21-year-old reached the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open, going down to eventual champion Katie Boulter, before claiming her first top-10 win when she beat Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne.
Raducanu will face Zarazua in the second match of the day on the All England Club's main court, after reigning men's champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Mark Lajal.
Should Raducanu win, she will face either Elise Mertens or Nao Hibino in round two.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 31st home run to back Gerrit Cole’s first victory of the season, and the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 on Sunday to salvage a split in the four-game series.
Judge’s two-run shot in the first inning gave Cole an early lead, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and struck out six over five innings.
It was Cole’s third start after missing nearly the first three months of the season with right elbow inflammation.
Judge, meanwhile, ended another strong month after getting off to a slow start to 2024.
The 32-year-old slugger was hitting .207 with six home runs and 18 RBIs at the end of April before batting .361 with 14 homers and 27 RBIs in May to earn AL Player of the Month honours.
Judge remained red-hot in June, hitting .409 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs.
Rangers rookie Langford hits for cycle against Orioles
Texas Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford hit for the cycle in an 11-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
The 22-year-old Langford, selected by the Rangers with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, hit a triple in the fourth inning, doubled in the fifth, singled in the sixth and blasted a three-run homer in the eighth to complete the first cycle in the majors this season.
Langford became the 12th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle and joined Oddibe McDowell in 1985 as the only Rangers rookies to accomplish the feat.
The defending World Series champion Rangers ended a six-game losing streak and prevented the first-place Orioles from winning a fifth straight contest.
Royals right-hander Lugo beats Guardians to become first in MLB to 11 wins
Seth Lugo pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10 to become the first 11-game winner in the major leagues as the Kansas City Royals beat the AL-leading Cleveland Guardians 6-2.
Lugo improved to 11-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 18 starts in his first season with the Royals.
The 34-year-old right-hander has already set a career high in wins after entering 2024 with a 23-17 record and 4.01 ERA in 64 lifetime starts.
Lugo spent the majority of his first seven MLB seasons as a reliever with the New York Mets before solely being a starter with the San Diego Padres last year.
Kansas City moved to 47-39 after posting the second-worst record in the majors last season at 56-106.
The Royals have not finished over .500 since winning the World Series in 2015.
Paul George has informed the Los Angeles Clippers he will be joining another team, with the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly the leading candidate to land the coveted free agent.
The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying they were informed by George and his representatives of his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.
According to The Athletic, George will meet with the 76ers on Sunday night and is expected to make a decision shortly thereafter, with no other teams believed to be involved in the bidding for the veteran forward.
“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers announced. "Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him.
We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.
“We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve now been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA.
ESPN reports George was seeking a four-year extension and the Clippers were unwilling to budge beyond a contract similar to the three-year, $152 million deal the team awarded to fellow star Kawhi Leonard in January.
The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.
Los Angeles reached the West finals during the 2021 play-offs but was ousted in six games by the Phoenix Suns, and the Clippers have not advanced past the first round in any of the last three seasons.
George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.
Armed with ample cap space, the 76ers are well positioned to make a big splash this off-season and potentially pair George with two other All-Stars, 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and sharpshooter Tyrese Maxey, in an effort to challenge reigning NBA champion Boston in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia has also found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.
Klay Thompson's long and successful tenure with the Golden State Warriors appears to be nearing an end, as ESPN reported Sunday that the five-time All-Star guard will test free agency and is unlikely to re-sign with the team he's spent his entire NBA career with.
Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, is expected to hold meetings with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers in the coming days, according to ESPN.
The Athletic adds that the Warriors have begun discussions on sign-and-trade agreements involving the star sharpshooter.
Golden State has also parted ways with another esteemed veteran, as the Warriors officially placed guard Chris Paul on waivers in a move that will save the team $30 million towards next season's salary cap.
The Warriors had until Sunday to decide whether to guarantee Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25.
Paul turned 39 in May and spent just one injury-plagued season with the Warriors after being acquired from Washington last summer in a trade that sent high-scoring guard Jordan Poole to the Wizards. The 12-time All-Star averaged 9.2 points, the lowest of his 19-year NBA career, and 6.8 assists over 58 games while missing nearly two months with a fractured hand.
Thompson, on the other hand, developed into one of the best players in franchise history after being selected by the Warriors with the 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft.
The 34-year-old's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player, and Thompson also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).
One of the best perimeter shooters of this era, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.
Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.
His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games and shot under 40 per cent from 3-point range for just the second time in his career.
Paul reportedly intends to play a 20th season as he continues his search for the first NBA title of his illustrious career, and the veteran is expected to draw interest as a role player for contending teams.
While the Los Angeles Clippers wait for a decision from one of their star players, another will be returning.
Multiple outlets reported Sunday that the Clippers and James Harden agreed to a two-year, $70 million contract just prior to the start of the NBA's free agency period.
The second year of the deal will be a player option, according to Yahoo Sports.
Harden returns for his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired by the Clippers from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1. Playing alongside the also-accomplished duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the 10-time All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 38.1 per cent from 3-point range over 72 regular-season games.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP helped the Clippers to a 51-31 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference play-offs, though Los Angeles was ousted in six games by the eventual NBA Finals participant Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
Harden's re-signing brings some stability to what could be an uncertain offseason for the Clippers, as ESPN reported Saturday that George has declined his $48.7 million player option for next season to test free agency.
George is planning to meet with the 76ers and Orlando Magic in addition to the Clippers in the coming days, according to ESPN.
Harden is coming off a turbulent offseason of his own following a very public falling out with the 76ers and general manager Daryl Morey last summer, which prompted the 34-year-old to request a trade. After sitting out the early part of last season, Harden eventually had his request granted when Morey dealt the disgruntled point guard to the Clippers, his preferred destination, in a seven-player trade.
Though the three-time NBA scoring champion posted his lowest points-per-game output since 2010-11 last season, he averaged 21.2 points per game during the Dallas play-off series and the Clippers went 46-26 with him on the court during the regular season.
Andy Murray says he wants "a bit of closure" at Wimbledon as he continues a fight to be fit in time for his opening match.
The Brit is due to retire later this year but has previously said either Wimbledon or the Olympics would be a fitting stage to end his career.
However, Murray was forced to retire injured during the Queen's Club Championships in the second round due to a back injury earlier this month, for which he later underwent surgery.
Murray's Wimbledon campaign is due to start on Tuesday against Tomas Machac, but he is still yet to decide whether he will actually be competing in the men's singles event at the All England Club.
"I don't think there's one thing that I'm hoping for. When it comes to the end, I don't know, maybe a bit of closure," the two-time Wimbledon winner, Murray, said.
"I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there, hopefully on Centre Court, and feel that buzz.
"Last year, I wasn't planning on it being my last year on the tour. I wanted to come back and play again, whereas this year I have no plans to do that."
Murray is also due to play in the doubles alongside older brother Jamie, though his chances of competing in both are slim.
He managed to get on the Wimbledon practice courts for the first time on Saturday and, after more training on Sunday, Murray admitted he would wait until the last possible moment to decide on his participation.
"It went pretty well," Murray said after training on Sunday, "but I still don’t have 100% feeling and sensation in my leg.
"It's getting better every single day. I want to give it every single chance that I can to get there.
"I'm going to play another set again [on Monday]. I'm doing some physical testing in the morning to see how far off I am from a physical perspective. Then I will probably make a decision after that."
Carlos Alcaraz will be the Centre Court star at Wimbledon when the Spaniard opens his title defence on Monday.
Alcaraz will be hoping to add to this year's French Open glory when he opens his All England Club campaign against world number 269 Mark Lajal.
The 21-year-old will play in the Centre Court opener as the grass-court major starts, with Alcaraz aiming to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.
World number one Jannik Sinner meets Yannick Hanfmann in his first-round clash on the same day.
Sinner won his maiden grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, and heads to SW19 having won a further three Tour-level titles this year.
Daniil Medvedev reached the semi-final last year for his personal-best performance at Wimbledon before losing to Alcaraz, and the fifth seed faces American Aleksandar Kovacevic in his opener.
As for the women's draw, Emma Raducanu will follow Alcaraz onto Centre Court as one of the home favourites at Wimbledon.
Raducanu reached the last four at the Nottingham Open before claiming her first top-10 victory against Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne, with Ekaterina Alexandrova awaiting in the first round for the Briton.
Aryna Sabalenka has won the opening round in her last 15 grand slam appearances and the third seed will be seeking to extend that impressive record when she clashes with world number 107 Emina Bektas.
Coco Gauff will be another to keep an eye on when she wraps up Monday's Centre Court action with an all-American showdown against Caroline Dolehide.
Reigning US Open champion Gauff will be the youngest player to feature in the women's singles at Wimbledon seeded in the top two since Maria Sharapova in 2007.
Lando Norris admitted he could "lose respect" for Max Verstappen if he does not take the blame for their collision in Austria.
The two were competing for first place when the contact was made on lap 64, leaving the race open for George Russell to win, with Norris forced to retire as a result.
Three laps later, Verstappen was hit with a 10-second penalty after a virtual safety car and eventually finished in fifth.
Norris expressed his frustration at his race being cut short and confessed his friendship with Verstappen could be affected as a result.
"I'm disappointed, nothing more than that, honestly," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "It was a good race. I looked forward to probably, I'd say, just a fair battle, a strong fair battle. But I wouldn't say that's what it was in the end.
"Tough one to take. It was a mistake-free race from my side, and I feel like I did a good job but I got taken out of the race, so nothing more than that.
"I don't know [if their friendship will be affected]. It depends what he says. If he says he did nothing wrong, then I'll lose a lot of respect for that.
"If he admits to being a bit stupid and running into me and just being a bit reckless in a way, then I'll have a small amount of respect for it.
"But it's still a tough one to take when we're fighting for the win and I'm trying to be fair from my side and he just wasn't. That's not what I'm thinking about. I don't care about that now. I'm just gutted for the team."
Verstappen was chasing what would have been a fifth consecutive win in Austria and remains just one podium away from overtaking Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso as the diver with the fourth-highest solo podium finishes.
Asked about Norris' post-race comments, the Dutchman was careful not to take any of the blame without first talking to the McLaren driver.
"I need to look back at how or why we touched. Of course, we will talk about it," Verstappen said to Sky Sports F1. "It's just unfortunate it happened.
"I felt like sometimes he dive-bombed so late on the brakes. One time he went straight. One time I had to go around the sausage otherwise we would have touched.
"I think it's also the shape of the corner provides these kind of issues sometimes. I've had it also the other way around. It is what it is. It's never nice to come together."
George Russell believes Mercedes' persistence finally paid off as he secured their first win of the 2024 season at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Russell began the race in third but benefitted from a collision caused by Max Verstappen, who was hit with a time penalty, with Lando Norris, who was forced to retire.
The Briton took full advantage, speeding past the stricken vehicles to claim just his second career win.
After finishing in the top five in each of the last three races, Russell was pleased to continue building on Mercedes' momentum.
"It's no secret with Red Bull and Max, and McLaren with Lando are still a little bit out in front," Russell said. "But we are always putting ourselves in that third-place position in the last couple of races.
"If anything happens up front, we will then pick it up. What an exciting time for us.
"We are riding a bit of a wave at the moment; these last three races have been incredible. I think realistically we probably could have won the race in Canada, but this makes up for one too many mistakes on my side."
The collision between Verstappen and Norris came on lap 64 of 71, with both drivers vying for the lead, but Russell was not surprised by it.
"[Verstappen and Norris] were going for it. I couldn't believe how close we were to Lando and Max," Russell added. "We were only about 12 seconds behind, and I knew [the collision] was a possibility. You are always dreaming.
"It was a tough fight out there at the beginning of the race just to hold onto that P3 and I saw on the TV Max and Lando getting pretty hard. I knew Lando would be wanting to get that race win.
"The team have done an amazing job to get us into this fight, and you've got to be there to pick it up the pieces and that's where we were."
J. B. Bickerstaff helped transform a fledgling franchise into a contender in his last job.
The Pistons are hoping he can do the same in Detroit.
The Pistons hired Bickerstaff as coach on Sunday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Terms of the deal were not reported.
Bickerstaff becomes Detroit's third coach in as many seasons after Monty Williams was fired on June 19 after going an NBA-worst 14-68 in only season on the sidelines.
The Pistons had given Williams a six-year, $78.5million contract last June after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns following the 2022-23 season.
At the time, the deal was the richest ever for an NBA head coach.
Under Williams, however, Detroit struggled mightily, setting an NBA single-season record by losing 28 straight games after opening 2-1.
The Pistons have finished in last place in the Central Division each of the last four seasons and have missed the play-offs 13 of the last 15 seasons. They haven't won a play-off series since 2008.
Detroit is desperate for a change in direction having been in turmoil for more than a decade, and Bickerstaff recently helped turn a struggling franchise around, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first play-off series win in six years last month.
Despite reaching the second round of the play-offs, the Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff on May 23.
In five seasons in Cleveland, Bickerstaff went 170-159 and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years. He was under contract through 2026.
In 2023-24, the 45-year-old Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.
The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.
The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the future NBA-champion Boston Celtics in five games.
Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.
Bickerstaff now joins a young Pistons team that includes 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the fifth overall pick of this year's draft, Ron Holland II.
Mercedes claimed a huge win at the Austrian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen was hit with a time penalty for causing a crash.
Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen collided with his title rival Lando Norris, who was forced out of Sunday's race, and was penalised 10 seconds for his trouble.
That crash came on lap 64 out of 71, with Verstappen - who had led for much of the race from pole - penalised three laps later after a virtual safety car at Spielberg.
And Russell took full advantage by speeding past the stricken vehicles of Verstappen and Norris to claim his and Mercedes' first race victory of the season.
It marks the Briton's second career win.
It was not all doom and gloom for McLaren despite Norris' crash, with Oscar Piastri clinching second place.
Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium, while Lewis Hamilton took fourth ahead of Verstappen, who was incredibly close to taking a record-setting fifth victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Nico Hulkenberg came in sixth, while Charles Leclerc endured a difficult day and finished 11th.
Data Debrief: Frustration for Lando and Max
Norris had finished in the top four in each of the last six races before this one, as many times as in the previous 15. He is one podium away from equalling John Watson as the 13th-highest British driver with the most podiums in Formula 1 history, but he will now have to wait for that particular feat.
Verstappen, too, was dealt a blow. He remains just one podium away from overtaking Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso as the driver with the fourth-highest solo podium finishes in F1 history.
Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, marked his 250th F1 race with a ninth-place finish.
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
9. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Iga Swiatek's stunning rise to stardom continues at a momentous pace, and she is enjoying a wonderfully successful campaign.
Her clay-court swing was superb, with Swiatek reeling off victories in Madrid and Rome before claiming her third successive French Open title, and fourth overall.
Yet for all her joy in Paris over the past four years, the 23-year-old is yet to taste victory at Wimbledon, with her run to the quarters in last year's event the best she has managed at the All England Club.
But will that run end this year, and what of the other contenders in the women's singles draw?
Swiatek's missing piece of the puzzle
Wimbledon is not the only grand slam title missing from Swiatek's growing collection, but it is the only one she has so far failed to reach at least the semi-finals in.
Swiatek has won 72 grand slam matches since the start of 2020, with Aryna Sabalenka (62) and Ons Jabeur (51) the only other players to surpass 50 in that time.
She is one of three players, along with Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins, aiming to become just the third player since the start of 2020 to win a Tour-level title on grass, clay and hard court in a calendar year, after Ashleigh Barty (2021) and Caroline Garcia (2022).
The Pole is also out to match a couple of Serena Williams feats.
Should she win, she will be the youngest player since Williams in 2002 to triumph at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season, while that would make Swiatek the first player to win successive singles titles at grand slams since Williams won the French Open and Wimbledon in 2015.
Swiatek has been handed a tough start, however. She will face Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, in the first round.
That being said, Swiatek won in straight sets in both of her previous meetings with Kenin (Roland Garros 2020 and this year's Australian Open).
History is also on her side. The player ranked at world number one has won their first-round tie in each of the last 19 women's singles at grand slams – the last time a number one lost in the opening round of a major was at the US Open 2018, with Kaia Kanepi defeating Simona Halep.
Swiatek is also the only woman to appear in all the grand slam events since 2020 without ever losing in the first round in that span (17-0).
Sabalenka racing against time, Gauff's chance to shine?
Sabalenka's tussle with Swiatek was a highlight of the clay-court swing, though the Belarusian has acknowledged she may not be fit enough to feature at Wimbledon as she deals with a shoulder issue.
She has hit 309 winners in grand slam matches this year, the most of any player. Should she play and go all the way, Sabalenka would be just the third player to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year after Williams (2003, 2009-10 and 15) and Amelie Mauresmo (2006).
Sabalenka is looking to become the first player to make the quarter-finals in eight consecutive grand slams since Williams (10 between the US Open 2014 and the Australian Open 2017), while the 26-year-old has won the opening round in her last 15 grand slam appearances.
Should the world number three not make it, then second seed Coco Gauff seems set to be Swiatek's main rival.
It is five years ago since Gauff burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old by stunning Venus Williams.
However, she has never made it further than the last 16 and was knocked out by compatriot Kenin in the first round last year.
Reigning US Open champion Gauff will face Caroline Dolehide in the first round. Their only other Tour-level meeting came at this year's Australia Open.
Gauff will be the youngest player to feature in the women's singles at Wimbledon seeded in the top two since Maria Sharapova in 2007, while she and Swiatek combine to be the youngest seeded number one and two (43 years and 141 days) at the tournament in women's singles since 2003 (Williams and Kim Clijsters).
The main battle for Gauff may well be getting on top of the surface. She has won 66.7% of her WTA main draw matches on grass (18-9); this is her lowest winning percentage on a single surface (72.3% on clay and 68.8% on hard court).
Home hopes
Emma Raducanu enjoyed a remarkable rise to stardom in 2021, impressing at Wimbledon before going on to claim her maiden grand slam title at Flushing Meadows.
But that whirlwind success made way for difficult campaigns in 2022 and 2023, blighted by injuries and poor form.
However, the 21-year-old has hit her stride this grass-court season and reached the last four at the Nottingham Open before claiming her first victory over a top-10 opponent when she beat Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne.
She also reached the quarters in Stuttgart in April, losing to Swiatek, and was unfortunate to be drawn against Sabalenka at Indian Wells before that. Ranked at 135 in the world, Raducanu is certainly a long shot, but she will have the backing of the home crowd, as will Katie Boulter.
Fresh from winning the Nottingham Open, world number 29 Boulter will go up against Tatjana Maria in the first round.
Boulter is the only seeded British player in the women's singles – she is just the third Briton to be seeded at Wimbledon this century after Johanna Konta (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019) and Raducanu (2022).
In the last three years, only Ons Jabeur (22) has won more grass-court matches than Boulter (21, level with Ekaterina Alexandrova), who has also won more matches at Wimbledon (six) than any of the other majors combined.
The 27-year-old also leads the way for winners struck in the grass-court swing so far, with 256, so she is one to watch.
The wildcards
Marketa Vondrousova is the only unseeded player to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon in the Open Era, after her dream run last year.
Vondrousova (42 at the time of last year's tournament) is the lowest-ranked winner of the title in the past four decades. She is one of only two players ranked outside the WTA's top 25 to win the event over that span, along with Venus Williams in 2007.
Now ranked at world number six, Vondrousova will have a target on her back this year, but will some other unseeded players or wildcards fancy their chances?
Four former grand slam champions (Angelique Kerber, Raducanu, Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka) will appear in a women's singles major main draw thanks to wild cards for the first time in the Open Era.
Osaka has only won four matches at Wimbledon, making this her least favourite grand slam, though only Caroline Garcia (10.5) has averaged more aces per match in the majors this season than the Japanese star.
Kerber is the player with the most main draw wins in Wimbledon (38) among those featuring in the tournament in 2024 and is featuring at a major thanks to a wildcard for the first time in her career.
Only Victoria Azarenka (16, including 2024) has more main-draw appearances at Wimbledon than Kerber (15) among those featuring at this year's edition.
Wozniacki will appear in Wimbledon's main draw thanks to a wildcard for the second time in her career, after 2007. She has never reached the quarters at the event.
Max Verstappen said Red Bull made a "good statement" after he secured pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who won the sprint race earlier on Saturday, qualified ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris to take his first pole in four races.
The reigning Formula One world champion was in fine form throughout the session, and will now go for a record-extending fifth Austrian Grand Prix victory.
Verstappen has recorded the most podium finishes (six) and the most fastest laps (four) at the Austrian Grand Prix, and has now also taking the outright most pole positions (four) at the race.
"The whole session went really well. The car was in a better window and I could push a bit more and it was very enjoyable. Every lap I did was feeling good," the Dutchman said.
"It's been a while since we were on pole, and a while since I felt like this in the car, and it's great. The team has been working hard to make the car more competitive and it's a good statement.
"Hopefully it will be a tight battle again but I am not thinking too much about that. I am just thinking about how the car was performing today and hopefully it will translate into race pace."
The Austrian Grand Prix winner has started on the front row on nine of the last 11 occasions (six from pole and three from second).
Norris, who was third in the sprint race, finished ahead of Mercedes George Russell to secure second place behind Verstappen.
He said: "It was as much as we could do. Max was in a league of his own. [He had] more than what we had. Tricky conditions."
Lewis Hamilton secured fifth on the grid, and his hopeful Mercedes can challenge on Sunday.
"All these guys are so quick. It's very close between us all," he said.
"I'm relatively happy with my lap. The middle sector was not as good as I would have liked. If I had got those two perfect would probably have been in the top three but it’s very hard to get a lap.
"We can fight the Ferraris but I don't know if we can fight the McLarens. We'll have to see."
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
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