Welcome to your weekly sports recap, The Week That Was, where we will do a quick recap on the stories, scores, and items from the world of sports that you might have missed. Checkout out the rest of MentalDimes.com for sport specific content on your favorite teams and do not forget to check out our podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube just search for Mental Dimes.
Wimbledon
Russian-born Elena Rybakina, playing for Kazakhstan, defeated Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur (3-6, 6-2, 6-2) at Wimbledon to claim her first-ever Grand Slam title. Ons Jabeur was the “first Arab woman and first African-born player to reach a Grand Slam final,” according to cbssports.com.
Novak Djokovic won his 21st Grand Slam event and fourth consecutive and seventh Wimbledon title. Djokovic won four sets against Australian Nick Kyrgios (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 {7-3}. Kyrgios entered the Wimbledon finals with a 2-0 record against Djokovic and is one of only five players with a winning record against Djokovic; the other players are Andy Roddick, Fernando Gonzalez, Jiri Vesely, and Marat Safin.
The PGA Tour
American Xander Schauffele wins the Scottish Open with a (-7), narrowly beating out fellow American Kurt Kitayama (-6). The victory for Schauffele was his fourth in the past year. The tournament marked the first time the PGA co-sanctioned a European tour.
NBA News
Portland Trailblazer guard Damian Lillard agrees to a two-year $122 million extension to remain with the team where he has spent his entire career. The contract extension locks Lillard up with the Trailblazers through the 2025-26 season and includes a player option 2026-27 season. Here is the breakdown of Lillard’s current contract, including the extension. 22-23: $42.5M, 23-24: $45.6M, 24-25: $48.8M The extension details 25-26: $58.5M, 26-27: $63.3M (player option) according to Bleacher Report
ESPN basketball insiders Zach Lowe, Brian Windhorst, and Nick Friedell have all projected Phoenix as the most likely landing spot for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. Durant is under contract with Brooklyn through 2026, so don’t expect the Nets to rush to complete a deal or trade their superstar for less than they believe they can get for him.
WNBA All Star Game
Team Wilson defeated Team Stewart 134-112 from Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces earned MVP honors. Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird were named co-captains for their respective teams. Fowles punctuated her All-Star game appearance with a dunk in her final appearance in a WNBA All-Star Game.
NFL New
2017 Heisman Trophy winner and the number one overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Baker Mayfield, was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional fifth-round pick. The Cleveland Browns will pay $10.5 million of Mayfield’s salary. The Browns, meanwhile, have questions regarding their quarterback situation as the team awaits a decision on the punishment and possible suspension of Deshaun Watson.
MLB News
Major League Baseball has announced the 2022 MLB All-Stars teams. This year’s Midsummer Classic will be played at historic Dodger Stadium on July 19th. For a complete list of the starters, go to mlb.com.
Jeter Downs scored a walk-off run to beat the Yankees 6-5 in extra innings (10). The first hit, rbi, and run as a big leaguer for Downs came against the New York Yankees. Jeter was named for Yankees great Derek Jeter, who welcomed Downs to the major leagues with the following tweet on June 22nd:
The first time Downs was called up to the Red Sox. Downs would go 0-4 in his first major league game, but he had a much better outing in his second game.
Well, that’s a wrap for The Week That Was. Be sure to check out the rest of our site each day for news on all your favorite teams and be sure to click on our “Bets” tab to receive your picks from our panel of experts. Check out our weekly “Hot Take Tuesday” and “Fresh Take Friday” content as well. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and don’t forget to like and retweet/share our content. Check out our store on MentalDimes.com for all the hottest merch.
