BASKETBALL

Mfiondu Kabengele hit a driving hook shot with 25 seconds left to break a tie and help the Maine Celtics beat the Windy City Bulls 93-89 in an NBA G League game Tuesday night at Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

The Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into third place in the Eastern Conference. Maine has one game remaining in the regular season, Thursday night against the Westchester Knicks at the Portland Expo.

Kabengele finished with 25 points and Marvin Smith had 24.

Maine trailed 54-43 at halftime.

WNBA: The Washington Mystics hired Ashlee McGee as an assistant coach.

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McGee was a video coordinator for the Minnesota Lynx (2020-2022) and video/player development associate for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2021-2023). She was also an advance scout for the Los Angeles Sparks during the 2018 season and has been a video coordinator for USA Basketball since 2022.

TENNIS

Martina Navratilova returned to TV work at Tennis Channel for its coverage of the Miami Open on Tuesday, less than three months after saying she had throat cancer and breast cancer.

“It’s great to be back. … Thrilled to be here,” said the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “So happy to be working. How many people can say that?”

The 66-year-old Navratilova said her sense of taste disappeared during the treatment for cancer and she lost 15 pounds. She did not appear on television during the Australian Open in January or the BNP Paribas Open this month.

“It puts you face-to-face with your mortality, No. 1, because at the beginning, I wasn’t sure if it was treatable, so that was hard,” she said, wiping away tears. “But once I got into the program, it was a little easier emotionally, but more difficult physically. … But I’m still standing.”

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FOOTBALL

NFL: The Pittsburgh Steelers signed longtime Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24 million contract.

The deal fortifies the interior of the Steelers’ offensive line as Pittsburgh builds around second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.

SOCCER

FRANCE: World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbappé was named as France’s new captain, succeeding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

France Coach Didier Deschamps made the announcement in a short video clip that is set to be aired on soccer show Téléfoot.

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“It will be Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann will be vice-captain. Kylian ticks all the boxes to take on this responsibility, given what he does and will continue to do on the field,” Deschamps told Téléfoot. “And because he’s a unifying link between the youngest, the not so young and the oldest players. That’s why I made this choice but it’s not to the detriment of Antoine, because Antoine will also have an important responsibility.”

Griezmann, who turned 32 on Tuesday, has played 117 games for France and the forward is regarded as being very close to Deschamps.

The 24-year-old Mbappé will captain France against the Netherlands at Stade de France on Friday when qualifying starts for next year’s European Championship. France then plays Ireland in Dublin on Monday.

ARSENAL: Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu underwent knee surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, the Premier League leading club said.

The 24-year-old Japan international sustained a “significant” injury to his right knee during a Europa League match last Thursday.

NWSL: The San Diego Wave signed 15-year-old Melanie Barcenas, the youngest player ever to reach a deal with a National Women’s Soccer League team.

The San Diego native is the first local youth player to sign with the league and the first signed by the Wave through the NWSL’s under-18 entry rules.

At 15 years and 138 days, Barcenas is younger than Chloe Ricketts, who was 15 years and 283 days old when she signed with the Washington Spirit earlier this month. Olivia Moultrie was 15 years and 286 days when she signed with the Portland Thorns in June 2021.


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