LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jalen Hill, who played basketball at UCLA for three seasons until leaving last year for personal reasons, has died, according to his family and the university. He was 22.
His family posted on Instagram Tuesday that Hill had died after going missing in Costa Rica. No further details were provided.
&ldquo;We know Jalen has played a part in the lives of so many people,&rdquo; Hill&rsquo;s family wrote in the post. &ldquo;We also acknowledge the role that so many of you have played in his. As we try to navigate this devastating time in our lives, we ask that you please give us time to grieve. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.&rdquo;
UCLA and coach Mick Cronin posted statements on social media Wednesday acknowledging Hill&rsquo;s death.
&ldquo;Our program is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Jalen Hill. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,&rdquo; the school said.
Cronin called Hill&rsquo;s death &ldquo;heartbreaking.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Jalen was a warm-hearted young man with a great smile who has left us far too soon,&rdquo; the coach tweeted.
Hill, a forward-center from Corona, California, averaged 6.5 points and 6.4 rebounds while starting 40 of 77 career games for the Bruins during three seasons.
In April 2021, Hill posted an Instagram video in which he explained his reasons for leaving the program that February. He said he would be retiring from basketball as he dealt with anxiety and depression.
&ldquo;The reason I left had nothing to do with the team or Cronin or coaches, nothing like that. Just so everybody can understand, it was me,&rdquo; he said in the video.
As freshmen, Hill, along with LiAngelo Ball and Cody Riley, were arrested in China in November 2017 for shoplifting during the program&rsquo;s goodwill visit to play a Pac-12 game. UCLA suspended all three players for the entire 2017-18 season.
Ball left school, but Hill and Riley returned to complete their college careers.

According to his family and the university, Jalen Hill has died after going missing in Costa Rica. He was 22 years old.

Former UCLA basketball player Jalen Hill passes away at 22

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; The Boston Celtics have painted Bill Russell&rsquo;s No. 6 in the free throw lanes of their parquet floor as part of a season-long tribute planned for the Hall of Famer, who died this summer.
&ldquo;The team has added the number 6 to both lanes to pay homage to Bill Russell&rsquo;s dominant play in the paint,&rdquo; the Celtics said on Monday.
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Be on the lookout for a special tribute to Bill Russell on the parquet this season ☘️ <a href="https://t.co/Pt6IoZbekx">pic.twitter.com/Pt6IoZbekx</a>
&mdash; Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1571968832595496962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The team has said it will honor Russell in other ways this season, including two nights in his honor &mdash; one for the Oct. 18 season opener and one on Feb. 12, which would have been his 89th birthday. The Celtics will also wear a special Russell-themed jersey for some of their games. There will also be something on their regular uniforms to honor him.
The NBA has announced that every team in the league will retire the No. 6 in honor of the civil rights pioneer and 11-time NBA champion, who died on July 31. Every other home court will display the No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer&rsquo;s table.&nbsp;

“The team has added the number 6 to both lanes to pay homage to Bill Russell’s dominant play in the paint,” the Celtics said.

Celtics add No. 6 in parquet paint to honor Bill Russell

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) &mdash; The Dallas Wings aren&rsquo;t picking up the team option on coach Vickie Johnson&rsquo;s contract, cutting ties after two seasons with the first coach to win a playoff game since the franchise moved to Texas.
Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said Monday the decision was &ldquo;the best opportunity to achieve our long-term goals of advancing in the playoffs and ultimately competing for a WNBA championship.&rdquo;
Johnson was 32-36 in two seasons with a 1-3 playoff record. The postseason victory, in Game 2 of a first-round series against Connecticut, was the first for the franchise since 2009. The Sun reached the WNBA Finals, losing to Las Vegas in four games.
The Wings made the playoffs in Johnson&rsquo;s first season as well but were blown out by Chicago in a first-round game. The league expanded the opening round to a best-of-three format this season.
The 50-year-old Johnson was a two-time All-Star in the WNBA before becoming a coach. She spent seven years as an assistant with the San Antonio Silver Spurs before one season as coach.
When the San Antonio franchise moved to Las Vegas, Johnson stayed with the club as an assistant on Bill Laimbeer&rsquo;s staff.
The Wings franchise just completed its 25th season, the last seven in the Dallas area. The first 12 years were in Detroit, followed by six in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Johnson was 32-36 in two seasons with a 1-3 playoff record. The postseason victory.

Dallas Wings decline team option with head coach Vickie Johnson

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; A new fan-controlled basketball league is expected to begin play in February.
Plans for a venture called Fan Controlled Hoops were unveiled Wednesday by the creators of a similar league &mdash; Fan Controlled Football &mdash; which is entering its third season.
There initially will be four teams in the new Atlanta-based basketball league, with two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis as a co-owner of one of the clubs. The venture also brought in former National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts as a strategic advisor.
The format will be 4-on-4, full-court, with real-time fan interactivity. It will be similar to the fan-controlled football venture, where fans can call offensive plays and vote on rules.

The format will be 4-on-4, full-court, with real-time fan interactivity. It will be similar to the fan-controlled football venture.

Baron Davis, Michele Roberts-led Fan Controlled Hoops set for February

The NBA Replay Center has a new leader.
Kane Fitzgerald, who spent 13 years working as an NBA referee, has been announced as the league’s new vice president of referee operations and replay center principal. He’s replacing another former referee in Jason Phillips, who left the job after three years.
The 41-year-old Fitzgerald officially started his new job Sunday at the opening of the league’s annual preseason referee meetings.
“I’ve always kind of been excited about new challenges, and it’s a rare opportunity that you can come off the floor as a referee and find a position in the NBA of this magnitude,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m excited about the challenge, something new, something different, seeing if I can grow into the role and being as successful as I was on the floor.”
Fitzgerald worked his way up the ranks steadily throughout his on-court career. At 18, he was officiating high school games in his native New Jersey, introduced to the job by his father — who has been a referee for 49 years and is still working games.
From there, Fitzgerald did stints at the college level — the Big South, Atlantic Sun and Ohio Valley conferences — before two years in the WNBA and four more in the G League. He was picked to work four NBA Finals games, the last of those coming this past season in the Boston-Golden State series.
At that time, he had no idea this opportunity would present itself.
“Kane’s broad experience and distinguished record as an NBA official make him well suited to oversee our efforts to maintain the highest of standards for the NBA Replay Center,” said Byron Spruell, the NBA’s President for League Operations. “We are fortunate that he will bring his skills and expertise to such an important leadership position.”
In his new role, Fitzgerald will oversee the day-to-day operations of the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. He also will be involved with referee operations in ways such as creating training videos and interpreting the rules of the game for officials, teams, broadcasters and media.
The move allows Fitzgerald to have a more normal schedule with his family. The work will remain demanding and travel will still be involved — his home is in Florida now, the job is in New Jersey — but not officiating 50 or more games a year will bring a better work-life balance.
“I’ve probably had Christmas on Christmas Day maybe five out of the last 17 years,” Fitzgerald said. “And last year was the first year I was ever home for Thanksgiving. So, there will be some very positive changes for the family with this schedule.”
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Fitzgerald is replacing another former referee in Jason Phillips, who left the job after three years.

Kane Fitzgerald taking over NBA's replay center operations

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title in a 78-71 road win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 on Sunday.
Gray went 9 of 13 from the floor, and was named MVP after averaging 18 points over the run. The Aces improved to 4-0 in this year&rsquo;s playoffs with two days rest.
Riquna Williams added 17 points Kelsey Plum added 16 points for the Aces, Jackie Young had 13 and league MVP A&rsquo;ja Wilson added 11 points to go with 14 rebounds.
Vegas finished on an 8-0 run. As the buzzer sounded Wilson grabbed the ball and stomped the floor before being mobbed by her teammates.
We champs! We champs! We champs!&rdquo; Wilson screamed at teammates as they pulled on their championship hats and T-shirts before the trophy ceremony.
It&rsquo;s the first major pro sports title for a team from Las Vegas, and Wilson surely hopes this is just the beginning.
&ldquo;You see it. You see it,&rdquo; Wilson said in the on-court celebration. &ldquo;This is what we&rsquo;re building. This is what we&rsquo;re doing. This is it. I&rsquo;m so happy right now.&rdquo;
Courtney Williams had 17 points to lead Connecticut and Alyssa Thomas had her second straight triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 12.
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Las Vegas led by two points at the half and four points after three quarters.
For Aces coach Becky Hammon, who didn&rsquo;t get a title in her standout WNBA career, the ring completed a decades-long quest. She left an assistant coach position with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to take over in Las Vegas, and the move paid off.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re unbelievable on the court but they&rsquo;re unbelievable humans, first and foremost,&rdquo; Hammon said. &ldquo;They care about each other. They invest in each other. It&rsquo;s been an absolute honor to be their coach. I saw excellence and I wanted to be a part of it.&rdquo;
Hammon also paid tribute to former Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, who was on the floor for the ceremony. &ldquo;He put this team together and saw the pieces,&rdquo; Hammon said.
Aces owner Mark Davis, who also owns the NFL&rsquo;s Las Vegas Raiders, wasn&rsquo;t with his football team Sunday. He was in Connecticut to get a trophy. He hoisted it, then turned it over to gleeful players who did the same.
&ldquo;Las Vegas, we are world champions,&rdquo; Davis said.
It was a six-point lead in the fourth when Kelsey Plum was called for a flagrant foul after running into Bonner while the Sun guard was attempting a 3-pointer and sending her to the floor holding her right ankle. Bonner hit all three free throws before Jonquel Jones short jumper cut the lead to a point. The Sun then tied the game at 67 on free throw by Courtney Williams and took a 71-70 lead on two fouls shots from Brionna Jones.
But Las Vegas had the answers.
Riquna Williams 3-pointer put the Aces back on top and Chelsea Gray&rsquo;s step-back jumper extended the lead back to 75-71 with under a minute left A&rsquo;Ja Wilson then stole a pass and Plum hit a short jump shot to secure the win.
Bonner opened the scoring with a leaner from the left wing. But Kelsey Plum&rsquo;s 3-pointer from the left baseline sparked an early 12-0 run for Vegas that shot them out to a 16-6 lead. The Aces, who gave up 34 points to the Sun in in first quarter of Game 3, led 16-12 after 10 minutes on Sunday.
Gray &mdash; who overcame some serious injuries that threatened to sidetrack her career in the past &mdash; was WNBA Finals MVP, to no one&rsquo;s surprise after averaging 18.3 points and 6 assists in the series.
&ldquo;My teammates are awesome,&rdquo; Gray said as she broke into tears. &ldquo;I worked so hard for this.&rdquo;
She wasn&rsquo;t a WNBA All-Star this season, nor was she a first-team all-league pick, and voiced her displeasure about that.
In the end, she also got the last word.
&ldquo;They can keep that All-Star and first team,&rdquo; Gray said. &ldquo;I got the ring.&rdquo;
SCRAPPY GAME
As expected, it was a physical game appropriately played on an NFL Sunday. The Sun got a scare when Bonner took an inadvertent elbow to the gut from Gray late in the first quarter and and was on the floor for a few minutes before being helped to the bench. She came back into the game later in the half, apparently suffering no ill effects. Natisha Hiedeman and Plum got into a short pushing match in the second quarter, eliciting technical fouls on both players. That was all before Plum&rsquo;s flagrant in the fourth.
INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Before the game, both coaches reflected on the makeup of organizations in the Final. The Aces are led by Hammon and two Black women executives in general manager Nikki Williams and Nikki Fargas, president of business operations. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, have a woman president in Jen Rizzotti and are coached by Curt Miller, a gay man.
&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s basketball is such a story in terms of diversity and inclusion. I mean, our our league defines it and I&rsquo;m so proud to be a part of it, Miller said, adding that he hopes to be an inspiration to any gay child &ldquo;wondering if they can chase a career in sports.&rdquo;
Hammon said she believes the diversity in her team&rsquo;s front office has made it stronger.
&ldquo;You can make a lot better picture with a box full of crayons than just a pencil,&rdquo; she said.
RAIDERS&rsquo; SUPPORT
The start of the celebration was shown on the video screens at the Raiders&rsquo; stadium during the NFL game against Arizona on Sunday, with fans breaking into loud cheers. They can cheer more in a few days: a parade on the Las Vegas Strip is planned for Thursday evening.
&ldquo;What a team, what talent, what a victory! You have made Las Vegas so proud!&rdquo; Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said in a statement. &ldquo;Thank you for your effort, discipline &amp; focus. We can&rsquo;t wait for the celebrations &amp; a great parade!&rdquo;
TIP-INS
The Aces are the fourth WNBA team to win a title with both a league MVP and coach of the year ... The Sun have been among the last four WNBA teams standing for each of the last four seasons, making it back to the Finals for the first time since 2019.

The Aces took down the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday.

Las Vegas Aces win first WNBA title, Chelsea Gray named MVP

BERLIN (AP) &mdash; For Spain, almost all of the names on the national team&rsquo;s roster have changed in recent years.
The expectations didn&rsquo;t. And neither did the results.
Juancho Hernangomez scored 27 points, his brother Willy Hernangomez added 14 and won tournament MVP honors, and Spain topped France 88-76 on Sunday to win the EuroBasket gold medal.
It was Spain&rsquo;s fourth European championship in its last six tries, all those golds coming under coach Sergio Scariolo.
Lorenzo Brown scored 14 points and had 11 assists for Spain, while Jaime Fernandez scored 13.
Evan Fournier led France &mdash; which also dropped the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics to the U.S. last summer &mdash; with 23 points, with Thomas Heurtel scored 16 and Guerschon Yabusele added 13.
Rudy Gobert was held to only six points on just two shots from the field for France.
&ldquo;Spain played better from start to finish,&rdquo; Fournier said. &ldquo;They had a clear game plan and we did not execute ours well enough. ... We never really had control of the game. They just played better, man, period.&rdquo;
This was supposed to be a rebuilding summer for Spain. Pau and Marc Gasol, the longtime leaders of the program, retired from international following a quarterfinal loss to the U.S. at the Tokyo Games. Sergio Gonzalez also decided last summer was the right time to walk away, after 16 years with the national team. Sergio Llull and Ricky Rubio, two more of veterans, couldn&rsquo;t play because of injuries.
The winning tradition simply continued anyway. Spain is now the reigning Basketball World Cup (won in China in 2019) along with EuroBasket champion. It has also medaled in 10 of its last 11 EuroBasket appearances.
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For France, it was another medal &mdash; and another instance of coming up a bit short of the shiniest medal. France&rsquo;s last major crown came in winning EuroBasket in 2013. Since then, the French have won two bronzes at the World Cup (2014, 2019), a bronze at EuroBasket (2015), silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and now, silver again.
The difference was clear: Spain held a massive 35-7 edge in points off turnovers.
&ldquo;Today, obviously, we have lost the gold,&rdquo; France coach Vincent Collet said. &ldquo;They executed their plan perfect.&rdquo;
Juancho Hernangomez was 6-for-6 from 3-point range in a 6-minute span of the second quarter, helping Spain extend what was a 23-14 lead into a 45-26 edge with just about 3 minutes left in the half.
barrage. He had made a total of 12 3&prime;s in his eight previous games in this year&rsquo;s EuroBasket tournament, and his high in any NBA game is six.
An 11-0 run helped France cut what had been a 21-point deficit to just 47-37 at the half &mdash; and the momentum carried into the third quarter.
Yabusele&rsquo;s jumper with 6:52 left in the third got France within 49-46, and everything seemed to be shifting.
But Spain held on. Juancho Hernangomez&rsquo;s seventh 3-pointer with 7:29 left made it a 71-61 game, and the outcome wasn&rsquo;t in doubt again.
BRONZE MEDAL
GERMANY 82, POLAND 69
In the bronze-medal matchup earlier Sunday, Dennis Schroder scored 26 points and host Germany held off Poland.
It was Germany&rsquo;s first EuroBasket medal since winning silver in 2005. Poland matched its best finish in the event since 1971.
&ldquo;They told me it&rsquo;s 17 years since Germany won a medal,&rdquo; Germany coach Gordie Herbert said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of fitting that Dennis Schroder&rsquo;s number is 17. It&rsquo;s been an unbelievable honor to coach these guys from Day 1.&rdquo;
Johannes Voigtmann scored 14 for Germany.
&ldquo;We worked hard for it,&rdquo; Schroder said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an unbelievable feeling to come out third in the EuroBasket.&rdquo;
Michal Sokolowski led Poland with 18 points, with Jakub Garbacz scoring 12 and A.J. Slaughter finishing with 10 points and 10 assists.

Juancho Hernangomez scored 27 points to lead Spain to the gold medal.

Spain wins EuroBasket title, topping France 88-76 for gold

Four times Connecticut has faced elimination this year in the WNBA playoffs and four times the Sun have responded with a convincing win to stay alive.
The most convincing came Thursday, when Connecticut bounced back from two losses in Las Vegas to rout the Aces 105-76 at home in Game 3 of the Finals, putting six players in double figures and outscoring Vegas 64-26 in the paint. The margin of victory was the largest in a WNBA Finals elimination game.
&ldquo;If you could encapsulate Connecticut, it&rsquo;s physical, and very resilient,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re physical, and they&rsquo;re resilient, and they have a kind of a battle-type mentality.&rdquo;
The Sun showed that in beating Dallas in a deciding third game in the first round, and again in winning two straight after falling behind 2-1 to Chicago in the semifinals, including a 24-point win in the first of the two elimination games in that series.
&nbsp;

Four times Connecticut has faced elimination this year in the WNBA playoffs and four times the Sun have responded with a convincing win to stay alive.
The most convincing came Thursday, when Connecticut bounced back from two losses in Las Vegas to rout the Aces 105-76 at home in Game 3 of the Finals, putting six players in double figures and outscoring Vegas 64-26 in the paint. The margin of victory was the largest in a WNBA Finals elimination game.
&ldquo;If you could encapsulate Connecticut, it&rsquo;s physical, and very resilient,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re physical, and they&rsquo;re resilient, and they have a kind of a battle-type mentality.&rdquo;
The Sun showed that in beating Dallas in a deciding third game in the first round, and again in winning two straight after falling behind 2-1 to Chicago in the semifinals, including a 24-point win in the first of the two elimination games in that series.
The team will have to win two more elimination games, including Sunday at home, to take home the organization&rsquo;s first WNBA title.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s just the M.O. of our team,&rdquo; said forward Jonquel Jones, who scored 20 points Thursday. &ldquo;When our backs are against the wall, we play really good basketball. And sometimes you wish that you didn&rsquo;t put yourself in those positions. But that&rsquo;s done now. All we can do is focus on the next game. And I just feel like in the playoffs, anytime our backs is going against the wall, you see us come out.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Four times Connecticut has faced elimination this year in the WNBA playoffs and four times the Sun have responded with a convincing win to stay alive.
The most convincing came Thursday, when Connecticut bounced back from two losses in Las Vegas to rout the Aces 105-76 at home in Game 3 of the Finals, putting six players in double figures and outscoring Vegas 64-26 in the paint. The margin of victory was the largest in a WNBA Finals elimination game.
&ldquo;If you could encapsulate Connecticut, it&rsquo;s physical, and very resilient,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re physical, and they&rsquo;re resilient, and they have a kind of a battle-type mentality.&rdquo;
The Sun showed that in beating Dallas in a deciding third game in the first round, and again in winning two straight after falling behind 2-1 to Chicago in the semifinals, including a 24-point win in the first of the two elimination games in that series.
The team will have to win two more elimination games, including Sunday at home, to take home the organization&rsquo;s first WNBA title.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s just the M.O. of our team,&rdquo; said forward Jonquel Jones, who scored 20 points Thursday. &ldquo;When our backs are against the wall, we play really good basketball. And sometimes you wish that you didn&rsquo;t put yourself in those positions. But that&rsquo;s done now. All we can do is focus on the next game. And I just feel like in the playoffs, anytime our backs is going against the wall, you see us come out.&rdquo;
Connecticut made several successful adjustments in Game 3, including assigning 6-foot-4 DeWanna Bonner to guard the red-hot Chelsea Gray. The Aces guard scored just 11 points after averaging 23.3 over her first eight games of the playoffs.
&ldquo;Chelsea&rsquo;s been killing it this playoff run but yeah, I did the best I can and stopped her and my teammates were right there,&rdquo; Bonner said. &ldquo;As long as they are right there. I&rsquo;m gonna be right there with them.&rdquo;
Bonner, who made just two of her 18 shots in the first two games of the series also erupted from that slump, scoring 18 points while going 8 of 15 from the field and buoying her teammates.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no secret that she has championship pedigree, and has played on some great teams,&rdquo; Sun coach Curt Miller said. &ldquo;And so we have a group that really looks up to her. So when she plays with energy. ... It just gives the rest of our crew so much confidence.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Four times Connecticut has faced elimination this year in the WNBA playoffs and four times the Sun have responded with a convincing win to stay alive.
The most convincing came Thursday, when Connecticut bounced back from two losses in Las Vegas to rout the Aces 105-76 at home in Game 3 of the Finals, putting six players in double figures and outscoring Vegas 64-26 in the paint. The margin of victory was the largest in a WNBA Finals elimination game.
&ldquo;If you could encapsulate Connecticut, it&rsquo;s physical, and very resilient,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re physical, and they&rsquo;re resilient, and they have a kind of a battle-type mentality.&rdquo;
The Sun showed that in beating Dallas in a deciding third game in the first round, and again in winning two straight after falling behind 2-1 to Chicago in the semifinals, including a 24-point win in the first of the two elimination games in that series.
The team will have to win two more elimination games, including Sunday at home, to take home the organization&rsquo;s first WNBA title.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s just the M.O. of our team,&rdquo; said forward Jonquel Jones, who scored 20 points Thursday. &ldquo;When our backs are against the wall, we play really good basketball. And sometimes you wish that you didn&rsquo;t put yourself in those positions. But that&rsquo;s done now. All we can do is focus on the next game. And I just feel like in the playoffs, anytime our backs is going against the wall, you see us come out.&rdquo;
Connecticut made several successful adjustments in Game 3, including assigning 6-foot-4 DeWanna Bonner to guard the red-hot Chelsea Gray. The Aces guard scored just 11 points after averaging 23.3 over her first eight games of the playoffs.
&ldquo;Chelsea&rsquo;s been killing it this playoff run but yeah, I did the best I can and stopped her and my teammates were right there,&rdquo; Bonner said. &ldquo;As long as they are right there. I&rsquo;m gonna be right there with them.&rdquo;
Bonner, who made just two of her 18 shots in the first two games of the series also erupted from that slump, scoring 18 points while going 8 of 15 from the field and buoying her teammates.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no secret that she has championship pedigree, and has played on some great teams,&rdquo; Sun coach Curt Miller said. &ldquo;And so we have a group that really looks up to her. So when she plays with energy. ... It just gives the rest of our crew so much confidence.&rdquo;
But Hammon said her Aces are angry after the loss and are prepared to make adjustments of their own in Game 4.
Guard Kelsey Plum said that will include being more physical and trying to keep the Sun&rsquo;s Alyssa Thomas out of the high post. The 6--2 forward operated with impunity there Thursday, spreading the ball to teammates or driving to the basket. She ended up with the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history, scoring 16 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and passing for 11 assists.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that we adjusted as well as we could have,&rdquo; Plum said. &ldquo;They got to the 50/50 Balls and physicality wise, we didn&rsquo;t match that energy that they played with, specifically Alyssa Thomas. She&rsquo;d beat us to a lot of those balls and that&rsquo;s on us. That&rsquo;ll be fixed for Sunday.&rdquo;

Connecticut has faced elimination four times in these WNBA playoffs and they've responded with a convincing win to stay alive each time.

Resilient Sun facing 5th elimination game of WNBA playoffs

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; A jury convicted a 25-year-old man of capital murder Friday in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/9b04ff9794a442bb86b2402c64c6b468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the killing of former Texas Tech basketball star</a>&nbsp;Andre Emmett, who had brief stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets after college.
The Dallas County jury deliberated about four hours before finding Larry Daquan Jenkins guilty of the September 2019 slaying. Jenkins was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, since prosecutors weren&rsquo;t seeking the death penalty.
Prosecutors say Jenkins and two other men followed Emmett, who was 35, from a nightclub to his Dallas home. After he parked in his garage, they confronted him and demanded two chains and a watch he was wearing. A witness told police that Jenkins, whom police had placed at the crime scene, was the one who fatally shot Emmett before the three fled.
Police released home surveillance video footage of the crime to obtain tips on the thieves&rsquo; identities. Keith Johnson and Michael Lucky&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/936e427ff65f4105888cd58e4d17d8ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were arrested a month after the slaying</a>&nbsp;and await trial on capital murder charges. Authorities say cellphone data also placed Jenkins at the nightclub and Emmett&rsquo;s home, and he was arrested a year later.
Emmett was a guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders for four years, three under head coach Bob Knight, and set a team career scoring record by the time his collegiate run ended in 2004.
In the NBA, he played eight games with the Memphis Grizzlies and six with the New Jersey Nets. He also played two professional seasons in the NBA Development League &mdash; now called the G League &mdash; three seasons in Europe and two in China before attaining stardom in the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league founded by actor and rapper Ice Cube. The league retired Emmett&rsquo;s jersey last month.

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; A jury convicted a 25-year-old man of capital murder Friday in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/9b04ff9794a442bb86b2402c64c6b468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the killing of former Texas Tech basketball star</a>&nbsp;Andre Emmett, who had brief stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets after college.
The Dallas County jury deliberated about four hours before finding Larry Daquan Jenkins guilty of the September 2019 slaying. Jenkins was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, since prosecutors weren&rsquo;t seeking the death penalty.
Prosecutors say Jenkins and two other men followed Emmett, who was 35, from a nightclub to his Dallas home. After he parked in his garage, they confronted him and demanded two chains and a watch he was wearing. A witness told police that Jenkins, whom police had placed at the crime scene, was the one who fatally shot Emmett before the three fled.
Police released home surveillance video footage of the crime to obtain tips on the thieves&rsquo; identities. Keith Johnson and Michael Lucky&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/936e427ff65f4105888cd58e4d17d8ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were arrested a month after the slaying</a> and await trial on capital murder charges. Authorities say cell-phone data also placed Jenkins at the nightclub and Emmett&rsquo;s home, and he was arrested a year later.
Emmett was a guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders for four years, three under head coach Bob Knight, and set a team career scoring record by the time his collegiate run ended in 2004.
In the NBA, he played eight games with the Memphis Grizzlies and six with the New Jersey Nets. He also played two professional seasons in the NBA Development League &mdash; now called the G League &mdash; three seasons in Europe and two in China before attaining stardom in the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league founded by actor and rapper Ice Cube. The league retired Emmett&rsquo;s jersey last month.

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; A jury convicted a 25-year-old man of capital murder Friday in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/9b04ff9794a442bb86b2402c64c6b468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the killing of former Texas Tech basketball star</a>&nbsp;Andre Emmett, who had brief stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets after college.
The Dallas County jury deliberated about four hours before finding Larry Daquan Jenkins guilty of the September 2019 slaying. Jenkins was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, since prosecutors weren&rsquo;t seeking the death penalty.
Prosecutors say Jenkins and two other men followed Emmett, who was 35, from a nightclub to his Dallas home. After he parked in his garage, they confronted him and demanded two chains and a watch he was wearing. A witness told police that Jenkins, whom police had placed at the crime scene, was the one who fatally shot Emmett before the three fled.
Police released home surveillance video footage of the crime to obtain tips on the thieves&rsquo; identities. Keith Johnson and Michael Lucky&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/936e427ff65f4105888cd58e4d17d8ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were arrested a month after the slaying</a> and await trial on capital murder charges. Authorities say cellphone data also placed Jenkins at the nightclub and Emmett&rsquo;s home, and he was arrested a year later.
Emmett was a guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders for four years, three under head coach Bob Knight, and set a team career scoring record by the time his collegiate run ended in 2004.
In the NBA, he played eight games with the Memphis Grizzlies and six with the New Jersey Nets. He also played two professional seasons in the NBA Development League &mdash; now called the G League &mdash; three seasons in Europe and two in China before attaining stardom in the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league founded by actor and rapper Ice Cube. The league retired Emmett&rsquo;s jersey last month.

A jury convicted a 25-year-old man of capital murder Friday in <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/9b04ff9794a442bb86b2402c64c6b468" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the killing of former Texas Tech basketball star</a>&nbsp;Andre Emmett, who had brief stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets after college.
The Dallas County jury deliberated about four hours before finding Larry Daquan Jenkins guilty of the September 2019 slaying. Jenkins was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, since prosecutors weren&rsquo;t seeking the death penalty.
Prosecutors say Jenkins and two other men followed Emmett, who was 35, from a nightclub to his Dallas home. After he parked in his garage, they confronted him and demanded two chains and a watch he was wearing. A witness told police that Jenkins, whom police had placed at the crime scene, was the one who fatally shot Emmett before the three fled.
Police released home surveillance video footage of the crime to obtain tips on the thieves&rsquo; identities. Keith Johnson and Michael Lucky&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/936e427ff65f4105888cd58e4d17d8ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were arrested a month after the slaying</a> and await trial on capital murder charges. Authorities say cellphone data also placed Jenkins at the nightclub and Emmett&rsquo;s home, and he was arrested a year later.
Emmett was a guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders for four years, three under head coach Bob Knight, and set a team career scoring record by the time his collegiate run ended in 2004.
In the NBA, he played eight games with the Memphis Grizzlies and six with the New Jersey Nets. He also played two professional seasons in the NBA Development League &mdash; now called the G League &mdash; three seasons in Europe and two in China before attaining stardom in the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league founded by actor and rapper Ice Cube. The league retired Emmett&rsquo;s jersey last month.

A jury convicted a 25-year-old man of capital murder Friday in the killing of Andre Emmett. He was then sentenced to life in prison.

Man convicted in killing of ex-NBA player Andre Emmett

BERLIN (AP) &mdash; France sent a message on its way to grabbing a spot in the EuroBasket championship game and a showdown with Spain.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 22 points, and France rolled past Poland 95-54 in the semifinals of the European championships on Friday.
&ldquo;We just played our basketball,&rdquo; Yabusele said. &ldquo;We were really good on defense and we were really aggressive. We made everything hard for them.&rdquo;
The 41-point margin was the largest ever in a EuroBasket medal-round game played under the current tournament format, one more than 40-point wins posted by Croatia over Greece in the 1993 bronze-medal game and by the Soviet Union over Poland in the 1967 semifinals.
Elle Okobo and Evan Fournier each had 10 points in a rare easy one for France, which had outscored opponents by a total of 11 points in its first seven games of the tournament &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-france-poland-italy-71f01c5c88ed542aa26ad87ce9151f9b">plus won each of its last two contests in overtime,</a>&nbsp;benefitting in both from missed free throws in the final moments by Turkey and Italy.
"We started the game with will and determination,&rdquo; France coach Vincent Collet said. &ldquo;That is what made the difference.&rdquo;
Next up for France: Spain, which defeated host Germany 96-91 in Friday&rsquo;s other semifinal. The gold- and bronze-medal games are Sunday.
It&rsquo;ll mark the fifth time in the last six EuroBaskets that either Spain or France has won gold; the exception was 2017, when Slovenia prevailed. It&rsquo;ll also be a rematch of the 2011 EuroBasket final, where Spain topped France.
&ldquo;We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position,&rdquo; said France center Rudy Gobert, who had six rebounds and three blocks. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;ve got one more game to go. When we started preparations, the goal was to win the gold medal and now we&rsquo;re in position to make it happen. So, one more game.&rdquo;
Playing for gold represents the latest big chance for France, which captured its last major crown by winning EuroBasket in 2013. Since then, the French have won two bronzes at the World Cup (2014, 2019), a bronze at EuroBasket (2015) and silver at the delayed Tokyo Olympics that were contested in the summer of 2021.
Every stat Friday showed France&rsquo;s dominance. It shot 62%, compared with 32% for Poland. France held a 40-21 edge in rebounding, a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers and a 40-16 advantage from points in the paint.
&ldquo;Like a lot of games in this tournament, it could go south, it could go north,&rdquo; Poland coach Igor Milicic said. &ldquo;This game went south.&rdquo;
A.J. Slaughter and Michal Michalak led Poland &mdash; which made the semifinals by upsetting defending champion Slovenia 90-87 on Wednesday &mdash; with nine points apiece. It was Poland&rsquo;s third loss of the tournament, all coming in blowouts. The others were a 30-point defeat to Finland and a 29-point loss to Serbia in the group stage.
&ldquo;We tip our hats off to France,&rdquo; said Slaughter, a Kentucky-born guard who helped Western Kentucky to upset wins as a No. 12 seed in both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA tournaments. &ldquo;They played a really good game tonight. ... But we still have our heads high. We still have a medal game on Sunday. We&rsquo;ll come back, play with pride and see if we can leave here with a medal.&rdquo;
SPAIN 96, GERMANY 91
Lorenzo Brown scored 29 points, and Spain used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally past host Germany in the second semifinal.
Germany led by 10 points late in the third quarter, before Spain took over. Juancho Hernangomez scored seven of his 13 points in the game-deciding run, one where Spain turned a 77-70 deficit into an 83-77 lead with 4:04 remaining.
&ldquo;I cannot find the words to congratulate my players,&rdquo; Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. &ldquo;Probably this medal is the least expected, but to me, the most satisfactory. Built upon hard work, togetherness, team basketball, defensive effort, desire to overcome our limits ... and guts in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
It was Spain&rsquo;s fifth consecutive win at the tournament, the last four of them coming by 10 points or less.
&ldquo;When you bring intensity to the game, anything can happen,&rdquo; said Usman Garuba, who had a team-high seven assists for Spain.
And it was Brown&rsquo;s highest-scoring game of the tournament, plus more than doubled his per-game average entering Friday; he was averaging 13.4 points in Spain&rsquo;s first seven games.
Dennis Schroder led all scorers with 30 points for Germany, but managed only two points in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner and Andreas Obst each scored 15 for Germany, while Daniel Theis added 10.
&ldquo;The energy was amazing out there,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that crowd came to play tonight. Felt amazing from the jump. I felt like our guys felt amazing from the jump as well. Schroder came out, playing unbelievable, finished the game unbelievable as well. But it just took a lot of guts from our end.&rdquo;
Germany coach Gordie Herbert said losing momentum early in the fourth quarter was key.
&ldquo;We had a tough five, six minutes,&rdquo; Herbert said.
EuroBasket ends Sunday, and from there, Schroder is headed to Los Angeles. The agency that represents him, Priority Sports, said Friday that Schroder &mdash; who has averaged 21.6 points and 7.3 assists per game at EuroBasket &mdash; agreed on a $2.6 million contract with the Lakers for the coming season.

BERLIN (AP) &mdash; France sent a message on its way to grabbing a spot in the EuroBasket championship game and a showdown with Spain.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 22 points, and France rolled past Poland 95-54 in the semifinals of the European championships on Friday.
&ldquo;We just played our basketball,&rdquo; Yabusele said. &ldquo;We were really good on defense and we were really aggressive. We made everything hard for them.&rdquo;
The 41-point margin was the largest ever in a EuroBasket medal-round game played under the current tournament format, one more than 40-point wins posted by Croatia over Greece in the 1993 bronze-medal game and by the Soviet Union over Poland in the 1967 semifinals.
Elle Okobo and Evan Fournier each had 10 points in a rare easy one for France, which had outscored opponents by a total of 11 points in its first seven games of the tournament &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-france-poland-italy-71f01c5c88ed542aa26ad87ce9151f9b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plus won each of its last two contests in overtime,</a>&nbsp;benefitting in both from missed free throws in the final moments by Turkey and Italy.
"We started the game with will and determination,&rdquo; France coach Vincent Collet said. &ldquo;That is what made the difference.&rdquo;
Next up for France: Spain, which defeated host Germany 96-91 in Friday&rsquo;s other semifinal. The gold- and bronze-medal games are Sunday.
It&rsquo;ll mark the fifth time in the last six EuroBaskets that either Spain or France has won gold; the exception was 2017, when Slovenia prevailed. It&rsquo;ll also be a rematch of the 2011 EuroBasket final, where Spain topped France.
&ldquo;We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position,&rdquo; said France center Rudy Gobert, who had six rebounds and three blocks. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;ve got one more game to go. When we started preparations, the goal was to win the gold medal and now we&rsquo;re in position to make it happen. So, one more game.&rdquo;
Playing for gold represents the latest big chance for France, which captured its last major crown by winning EuroBasket in 2013. Since then, the French have won two bronzes at the World Cup (2014, 2019), a bronze at EuroBasket (2015) and silver at the delayed Tokyo Olympics that were contested in the summer of 2021.
Every stat Friday showed France&rsquo;s dominance. It shot 62%, compared with 32% for Poland. France held a 40-21 edge in rebounding, a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers and a 40-16 advantage from points in the paint.
&ldquo;Like a lot of games in this tournament, it could go south, it could go north,&rdquo; Poland coach Igor Milicic said. &ldquo;This game went south.&rdquo;
A.J. Slaughter and Michal Michalak led Poland &mdash; which made the semifinals by upsetting defending champion Slovenia 90-87 on Wednesday &mdash; with nine points apiece. It was Poland&rsquo;s third loss of the tournament, all coming in blowouts. The others were a 30-point defeat to Finland and a 29-point loss to Serbia in the group stage.
&ldquo;We tip our hats off to France,&rdquo; said Slaughter, a Kentucky-born guard who helped Western Kentucky to upset wins as a No. 12 seed in both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA tournaments. &ldquo;They played a really good game tonight. ... But we still have our heads high. We still have a medal game on Sunday. We&rsquo;ll come back, play with pride and see if we can leave here with a medal.&rdquo;
SPAIN 96, GERMANY 91
Lorenzo Brown scored 29 points, and Spain used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally past host Germany in the second semifinal.
Germany led by 10 points late in the third quarter, before Spain took over. Juancho Hernangomez scored seven of his 13 points in the game-deciding run, one where Spain turned a 77-70 deficit into an 83-77 lead with 4:04 remaining.
&ldquo;I cannot find the words to congratulate my players,&rdquo; Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. &ldquo;Probably this medal is the least expected, but to me, the most satisfactory. Built upon hard work, togetherness, team basketball, defensive effort, desire to overcome our limits ... and guts in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
It was Spain&rsquo;s fifth consecutive win at the tournament, the last four of them coming by 10 points or less.
&ldquo;When you bring intensity to the game, anything can happen,&rdquo; said Usman Garuba, who had a team-high seven assists for Spain.
And it was Brown&rsquo;s highest-scoring game of the tournament, plus more than doubled his per-game average entering Friday; he was averaging 13.4 points in Spain&rsquo;s first seven games.
Dennis Schroder led all scorers with 30 points for Germany, but managed only two points in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner and Andreas Obst each scored 15 for Germany, while Daniel Theis added 10.
&ldquo;The energy was amazing out there,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that crowd came to play tonight. Felt amazing from the jump. I felt like our guys felt amazing from the jump as well. Schroder came out, playing unbelievable, finished the game unbelievable as well. But it just took a lot of guts from our end.&rdquo;
Germany coach Gordie Herbert said losing momentum early in the fourth quarter was key.
&ldquo;We had a tough five, six minutes,&rdquo; Herbert said.
EuroBasket ends Sunday, and from there, Schroder is headed to Los Angeles. The agency that represents him, Priority Sports, said Friday that Schroder &mdash; who has averaged 21.6 points and 7.3 assists per game at EuroBasket &mdash; agreed on a $2.6 million contract with the Lakers for the coming season.

BERLIN (AP) &mdash; France sent a message on its way to grabbing a spot in the EuroBasket championship game and a showdown with Spain.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 22 points, and France rolled past Poland 95-54 in the semifinals of the European championships on Friday.
&ldquo;We just played our basketball,&rdquo; Yabusele said. &ldquo;We were really good on defense and we were really aggressive. We made everything hard for them.&rdquo;
The 41-point margin was the largest ever in a EuroBasket medal-round game played under the current tournament format, one more than 40-point wins posted by Croatia over Greece in the 1993 bronze-medal game and by the Soviet Union over Poland in the 1967 semifinals.
Elle Okobo and Evan Fournier each had 10 points in a rare easy one for France, which had outscored opponents by a total of 11 points in its first seven games of the tournament &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-france-poland-italy-71f01c5c88ed542aa26ad87ce9151f9b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plus won each of its last two contests in overtime,</a>&nbsp;benefitting in both from missed free throws in the final moments by Turkey and Italy.
"We started the game with will and determination,&rdquo; France coach Vincent Collet said. &ldquo;That is what made the difference.&rdquo;
Next up for France: Spain, which defeated host Germany 96-91 in Friday&rsquo;s other semifinal. The gold- and bronze-medal games are Sunday.
It&rsquo;ll mark the fifth time in the last six EuroBaskets that either Spain or France has won gold; the exception was 2017, when Slovenia prevailed. It&rsquo;ll also be a rematch of the 2011 EuroBasket final, where Spain topped France.
&ldquo;We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position,&rdquo; said France center Rudy Gobert, who had six rebounds and three blocks. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;ve got one more game to go. When we started preparations, the goal was to win the gold medal and now we&rsquo;re in position to make it happen. So, one more game.&rdquo;
Playing for gold represents the latest big chance for France, which captured its last major crown by winning EuroBasket in 2013. Since then, the French have won two bronzes at the World Cup (2014, 2019), a bronze at EuroBasket (2015) and silver at the delayed Tokyo Olympics that were contested in the summer of 2021.
Every stat Friday showed France&rsquo;s dominance. It shot 62%, compared with 32% for Poland. France held a 40-21 edge in rebounding, a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers and a 40-16 advantage from points in the paint.
&ldquo;Like a lot of games in this tournament, it could go south, it could go north,&rdquo; Poland coach Igor Milicic said. &ldquo;This game went south.&rdquo;
A.J. Slaughter and Michal Michalak led Poland &mdash; which made the semifinals by upsetting defending champion Slovenia 90-87 on Wednesday &mdash; with nine points apiece. It was Poland&rsquo;s third loss of the tournament, all coming in blowouts. The others were a 30-point defeat to Finland and a 29-point loss to Serbia in the group stage.
&ldquo;We tip our hats off to France,&rdquo; said Slaughter, a Kentucky-born guard who helped Western Kentucky to upset wins as a No. 12 seed in both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA tournaments. &ldquo;They played a really good game tonight. ... But we still have our heads high. We still have a medal game on Sunday. We&rsquo;ll come back, play with pride and see if we can leave here with a medal.&rdquo;
SPAIN 96, GERMANY 91
Lorenzo Brown scored 29 points, and Spain used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally past host Germany in the second semifinal.
Germany led by 10 points late in the third quarter, before Spain took over. Juancho Hernangomez scored seven of his 13 points in the game-deciding run, one where Spain turned a 77-70 deficit into an 83-77 lead with 4:04 remaining.
&ldquo;I cannot find the words to congratulate my players,&rdquo; Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. &ldquo;Probably this medal is the least expected, but to me, the most satisfactory. Built upon hard work, togetherness, team basketball, defensive effort, desire to overcome our limits ... and guts in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
It was Spain&rsquo;s fifth consecutive win at the tournament, the last four of them coming by 10 points or less.
&ldquo;When you bring intensity to the game, anything can happen,&rdquo; said Usman Garuba, who had a team-high seven assists for Spain.
And it was Brown&rsquo;s highest-scoring game of the tournament, plus more than doubled his per-game average entering Friday; he was averaging 13.4 points in Spain&rsquo;s first seven games.
Dennis Schroder led all scorers with 30 points for Germany, but managed only two points in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner and Andreas Obst each scored 15 for Germany, while Daniel Theis added 10.
&ldquo;The energy was amazing out there,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that crowd came to play tonight. Felt amazing from the jump. I felt like our guys felt amazing from the jump as well. Schroder came out, playing unbelievable, finished the game unbelievable as well. But it just took a lot of guts from our end.&rdquo;
Germany coach Gordie Herbert said losing momentum early in the fourth quarter was key.
&ldquo;We had a tough five, six minutes,&rdquo; Herbert said.
EuroBasket ends Sunday, and from there, Schroder is headed to Los Angeles. The agency that represents him, Priority Sports, said Friday that Schroder &mdash; who has averaged 21.6 points and 7.3 assists per game at EuroBasket &mdash; agreed on a $2.6 million contract with the Lakers for the coming season.

France sent a message on its way to grabbing a spot in the EuroBasket championship game and a showdown with Spain.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 22 points, and France rolled past Poland 95-54 in the semifinals of the European championships on Friday.
&ldquo;We just played our basketball,&rdquo; Yabusele said. &ldquo;We were really good on defense and we were really aggressive. We made everything hard for them.&rdquo;
The 41-point margin was the largest ever in a EuroBasket medal-round game played under the current tournament format, one more than 40-point wins posted by Croatia over Greece in the 1993 bronze-medal game and by the Soviet Union over Poland in the 1967 semifinals.
Elle Okobo and Evan Fournier each had 10 points in a rare easy one for France, which had outscored opponents by a total of 11 points in its first seven games of the tournament &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-france-poland-italy-71f01c5c88ed542aa26ad87ce9151f9b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plus won each of its last two contests in overtime,</a>&nbsp;benefitting in both from missed free throws in the final moments by Turkey and Italy.
"We started the game with will and determination,&rdquo; France coach Vincent Collet said. &ldquo;That is what made the difference.&rdquo;
Next up for France: Spain, which defeated host Germany 96-91 in Friday&rsquo;s other semifinal. The gold- and bronze-medal games are Sunday.
It&rsquo;ll mark the fifth time in the last six EuroBaskets that either Spain or France has won gold; the exception was 2017, when Slovenia prevailed. It&rsquo;ll also be a rematch of the 2011 EuroBasket final, where Spain topped France.
&ldquo;We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position,&rdquo; said France center Rudy Gobert, who had six rebounds and three blocks. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;ve got one more game to go. When we started preparations, the goal was to win the gold medal and now we&rsquo;re in position to make it happen. So, one more game.&rdquo;
Playing for gold represents the latest big chance for France, which captured its last major crown by winning EuroBasket in 2013. Since then, the French have won two bronzes at the World Cup (2014, 2019), a bronze at EuroBasket (2015) and silver at the delayed Tokyo Olympics that were contested in the summer of 2021.
Every stat Friday showed France&rsquo;s dominance. It shot 62%, compared with 32% for Poland. France held a 40-21 edge in rebounding, a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers and a 40-16 advantage from points in the paint.
&ldquo;Like a lot of games in this tournament, it could go south, it could go north,&rdquo; Poland coach Igor Milicic said. &ldquo;This game went south.&rdquo;
A.J. Slaughter and Michal Michalak led Poland &mdash; which made the semifinals by upsetting defending champion Slovenia 90-87 on Wednesday &mdash; with nine points apiece. It was Poland&rsquo;s third loss of the tournament, all coming in blowouts. The others were a 30-point defeat to Finland and a 29-point loss to Serbia in the group stage.
&ldquo;We tip our hats off to France,&rdquo; said Slaughter, a Kentucky-born guard who helped Western Kentucky to upset wins as a No. 12 seed in both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA tournaments. &ldquo;They played a really good game tonight. ... But we still have our heads high. We still have a medal game on Sunday. We&rsquo;ll come back, play with pride and see if we can leave here with a medal.&rdquo;
SPAIN 96, GERMANY 91
Lorenzo Brown scored 29 points, and Spain used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally past host Germany in the second semifinal.
Germany led by 10 points late in the third quarter, before Spain took over. Juancho Hernangomez scored seven of his 13 points in the game-deciding run, one where Spain turned a 77-70 deficit into an 83-77 lead with 4:04 remaining.
&ldquo;I cannot find the words to congratulate my players,&rdquo; Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. &ldquo;Probably this medal is the least expected, but to me, the most satisfactory. Built upon hard work, togetherness, team basketball, defensive effort, desire to overcome our limits ... and guts in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
It was Spain&rsquo;s fifth consecutive win at the tournament, the last four of them coming by 10 points or less.
&ldquo;When you bring intensity to the game, anything can happen,&rdquo; said Usman Garuba, who had a team-high seven assists for Spain.
And it was Brown&rsquo;s highest-scoring game of the tournament, plus more than doubled his per-game average entering Friday; he was averaging 13.4 points in Spain&rsquo;s first seven games.
Dennis Schroder led all scorers with 30 points for Germany, but managed only two points in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner and Andreas Obst each scored 15 for Germany, while Daniel Theis added 10.
&ldquo;The energy was amazing out there,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that crowd came to play tonight. Felt amazing from the jump. I felt like our guys felt amazing from the jump as well. Schroder came out, playing unbelievable, finished the game unbelievable as well. But it just took a lot of guts from our end.&rdquo;
Germany coach Gordie Herbert said losing momentum early in the fourth quarter was key.
&ldquo;We had a tough five, six minutes,&rdquo; Herbert said.
EuroBasket ends Sunday, and from there, Schroder is headed to Los Angeles. The agency that represents him, Priority Sports, said Friday that Schroder &mdash; who has averaged 21.6 points and 7.3 assists per game at EuroBasket &mdash; agreed on a $2.6 million contract with the Lakers for the coming season.

France sent a message on its way to grabbing a spot in the EuroBasket championship game and a showdown with Spain.

France tops Poland, Spain beats Germany in EuroBasket semis

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right &hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schr&ouml;der wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make (things) right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schr&ouml;der has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schr&ouml;der's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schr&ouml;der had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and eight assists in the defeat.
Schr&ouml;der's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schr&ouml;der, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right &hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make (things) right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and eight assists in the defeat.
Schr&ouml;der's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schr&ouml;der, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right &hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make (things) right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schr&ouml;der, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right &hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make (things) right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make (things) right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make sh** right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make sh*t right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day! It's an honor to play for [the] Lakers. Can't wait to get started!"
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make sh*t right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day! It's an honor to play for [the] Lakers. Can't wait to get started!"
&nbsp;
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make sh*t right! I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day! It's an honor to play for [the] Lakers. Can't wait to get started!"
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dennis Schröder (@ds17_fg)</a>
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Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schroder is returning for a second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder's agency, Priority Sports, announced the deal on social media Friday. Schroder confirmed it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CilV4f9pGkH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=7a28dd8a-ac2b-4f5f-ac68-9acf3f2c96f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with an Instagram post</a>.
The German guard spent the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles offered him a four-year contract extension worth more than $80 million during the season, but he apparently turned it down to seek more money in free agency. But Schroder struck out in the market and signed a $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to Houston late last season in a deal for Daniel Theis.
&ldquo;This past year didn&rsquo;t feel right&hellip; I felt misunderstood &amp; nobody really knew the story!&rdquo; Schroder wrote Friday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming back to the biggest organization to make sh*t right!
"I hope LakerNation going to support me every single day! I will give everything I have every single day! It's an honor to play for [the] Lakers. Can't wait to get started!"
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Schroder has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game over nine NBA seasons with five teams, excelling as a sparkplug guard who can score or create.
His agency announced the deal shortly after Schroder's German national team lost to Spain in the EuroBasket semifinals. Schroder had 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 8 assists in the defeat.
Schroder's return leaves the Lakers with a crowded backcourt behind Russell Westbrook, who has survived nearly a full offseason of trade speculation and is due to make $47 million this year after a disappointing first year with his hometown team.
Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV and holdovers Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are also on the roster. Schroder, Beverley, Nunn and Westbrook can all play point guard.

Point guard Dennis Schröder expressed his excitement about his second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dennis Schroder excited to rejoin Lakers on one-year deal

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) &mdash; A historic effort from Alyssa Thomas helped the Connecticut Sun stave off elimination again.
Thomas had the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history, and the Sun beat the Las Vegas Aces 105-76 in Game 3 on Thursday night.
She finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists for the Sun, who have now won all four of their elimination games in these playoffs, topping Dallas on the road in the first round and beating Chicago in Games 4 and 5 to close out that series.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been struggling offensively and we finally got a game back at home and my teammates were hitting shots,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;None of this would have been possible without them.&rdquo;
Las Vegas leads the best-of-five series 2-1 with Game 4 on Sunday in Connecticut.
The Aces got off to a fast start, scoring nine of the first 11 points and forcing Connecticut to call a timeout. That settled the Sun down and they took over, outscoring the Aces 32-10 the rest of the quarter, including 25 of the final 29 points. Connecticut made 14 of its 17 shots in the period and DeWanna Bonner was a big reason why.
Bonner struggled in the first two games of the series, scoring five points total while missing 16 of her 18 shots. She had seven points in the opening 8 minutes on Thursday night and finished with 18.&nbsp;
&ldquo;She was huge. She&rsquo;s been here before. She&rsquo;s won it. So, we lean on her,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;And she&rsquo;s been struggling offensively, but we had nothing but faith in her and she came out and did her thing tonight.&rdquo;
Jonquel Jones led the Sun with 20 points.
Jones, Bonner and Thomas helped Connecticut dominate inside as the Sun set a Finals record with 64 points in the paint while holding Las Vegas to 26.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s been the M.O. of the playoffs,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;Even the Chicago series, the team that won the paint, won the game. That&rsquo;s where it&rsquo;s done. A long time ago, I talked to Lisa Leslie and she said to win a championship you have to win the paint. I see it now and feel it now. I can go back to that and see she was right.&rdquo;
Connecticut used that advantage to lead 53-34 with 1:44 left in the second quarter before the Aces closed the period by scoring the final nine points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kelsey Plum from just inside half-court.
The Sun seized momentum back to start the third quarter, scoring the first five points. Las Vegas couldn&rsquo;t get closer than six the rest of the game.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a team that is very resilient. If you could encapsulate Connecticut it&rsquo;s physical and very resilient,&rdquo; Aces coach Becky Hammon said. &ldquo;They are physical and resilient and we didn&rsquo;t match that tonight in any category.&rdquo;
Jackie Young scored 22 points and A&rsquo;ja Wilson added 19 for the Aces.
Las Vegas was thwarted in its first attempt at winning the franchise&rsquo;s inaugural WNBA championship. The team had been in the Finals twice before and got swept in 2008 and 2020.
SHE SAID IT
&ldquo;I went to a UFC fight the other night. ... I would not want to get in the cage with her.&rdquo; &mdash; Hammon on Thomas&rsquo; toughness.
TRIPLE THREAT
Thomas now has three triple-doubles in her career &mdash; all this season. This was the third in WNBA playoff history. Chicago&rsquo;s Courtney Vandersloot and Houston&rsquo;s Sheryl Swoopes had the others.
TIP-INS
Former Aces president and coach Bill Laimbeer sat courtside. He took over the franchise when it moved to Las Vegas in 2018 before retiring at the end of last season. Laimbeer was instrumental in assembling the championship roster by drafting Wilson first in 2018 and getting Gray to come to the team last season as a free agent. ... Aces owner Mark Davis sat on the baseline. ... Had the Aces been able to complete the comeback, they would have broken the mark for biggest rally in WNBA Finals history. The New York Liberty came back from 18 down in 1999 against Houston when Teresa Weatherspoon hit a game-winning shot from half-court. Hammon played for the Liberty in that game.
HONORED
Wilson and Seattle&rsquo;s Breanna Stewart were unanimous choices for the All-WNBA first team that was announced Thursday. Plum also was on the first team as well as Phoenix&rsquo;s Skylar Diggins-Smith and Chicago&rsquo;s Candace Parker. Thomas and Jones were on the second team along with New York&rsquo;s Sabrina Ionescu, Los Angeles&rsquo;s Nneka Ogwumike and Minnesota&rsquo;s Sylvia Fowles.

Alyssa Thomas had the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history, and the Sun beat the Aces 105-76 in Game 3.