UNE women’s hoop team honored
The University of New England women’s basketball team has claimed the No. 9 spot in the 2014-15 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III Academic Top 25.
The Honor Rolls annually recognize the women’s basketball teams that carry the highest combined grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). Coach Anthony Ewing’s Nor’easters posted a 3.553 GPA during 2014-15.
Bruins sign first-round pick Zboril
The Boston Bruins signed first-round defenseman Jakub Zboril to an entry-level contract Wednesday after drafting him 13th overall last month.
The 18-year-old from Brno, Czech Republic, played last season with Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he recorded 13 goals, 20 assists and 73 penalty minutes in 44 games.
Celtics part with Pressey
The Boston Celtics waived guard Phil Pressey on Wednesday before his contract for next season became fully guaranteed.
Pressey averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 50 games last season for the Celtics. The 24-year-old Pressey was expendable after the Celtics selected Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter in the 2015 draft. He was scheduled to make about $950,000 next season.
California law makes cheerleaders ‘team employees’
SACRAMENTO, California — Cheerleaders for professional sports teams in California will have to be classified as employees eligible for overtime, sick days and other protections under a bill signed Wednesday by Governor Jerry Brown.
The bill was introduced amid controversy raised by a lawsuit against the Oakland Raiders that culminated in the football team’s agreement to pay a settlement of $1.25 million to 90 members of the cheerleading squad.
Backers of the California bill cited the Raiders suit, in which cheerleaders complained that they were considered independent contractors, receiving a small fee for a year’s worth of work with no guarantee of minimum wage, overtime, sick leave or benefits.
The NFL said in an emailed statement that it urges all teams to abide by state and federal employment law.
Ducks sign Kesler to extension
The Anaheim Ducks signed center Ryan Kesler on Wednesday to a six-year contract extension through the 2021-22 NHL season.
The Orange County Register reported the contract is worth $41.25 million and has an average annual value of $6.875 million. Kesler, 30, was entering the final year of a six-year contract.
Kesler appeared in 81 regular-season games last season, recording 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) and 75 penalty minutes.
Yankees sign first-round pick
The New York Yankees signed first-round draft pick James Kaprielian on Wednesday.
Kaprielian, picked 16th overall, reportedly received a $2.65 million signing bonus. The Yankees had until Friday to sign him.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander went 10-4 with a 2.03 ERA during his junior season at UCLA, leading the Pac-12 with 114 strikeouts (9.6 per nine innings).
Silver: Free agent moratorium likely to remain
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league won’t change the July free agent moratorium but that it likely will alter the format for playoff seeding.
Speaking at the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas, Silver said he is confident that next year’s playoffs will feature the top eight teams from each conference seeded strictly by their overall records.
Under the current format, the three division winners in each conference are each guaranteed one of the top four seeds.
The moratorium, during which players can’t sign with new teams until nine days after the start of the free agent period, came under criticism this month after center DeAndre Jordan backed out of an oral agreement with the Dallas Mavericks to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.