Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

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👋 Good morning! America's largest city is buzzing as the NBA Finals come to town, the Stanley Cup Final is delivering incredible drama (and lots of goals!) and the World Cup is right around the corner. Who's got it better than us? Tickets punched: No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Alabama, No. 16 West Virginia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Troy are headed to Omaha for the College World Series, which begins on Friday. In today's edition: All eyes on MSG, Korda wins another major, Zverev breaks through in Paris, USMNT's final tuneup, Vegas in the driver's seat, 4-point field goals, "Golf's Longest Day," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

🏆 NBA FINALS ALL EYES ON MSG (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) With the NBA Finals returning to Madison Square Garden tonight (8:30pm ET, ABC) for the first time in 27 years — and the president in attendance at the World's Most Famous Arena — the Knicks and Spurs will try to do the impossible: pretend it's just another game. Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports: Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals will be Josh Hart's 30th home playoff game as a member of the Knicks — the 30th time he's seen fans fill the stands at MSG for a contest that means more than most. He's got a pretty good idea of what to expect. "The Garden is going to be rocking," Hart said Sunday at the Knicks' practice session. "Obviously, in this city we love our Knicks. So we're going to come out, show love, support. The energy is going to be electric." There will be two major differences to the regularly scheduled raucous and rambunctious atmosphere, though. For one thing, Monday will mark the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since June 25, 1999 — just a few weeks after the eldest Knick on this year's roster, guard Jordan Clarkson, turned 7 years old. For another, President Donald Trump plans to attend at the invitation of Knicks owner James L. Dolan, a longtime donor to Republican parties and candidates, including the president. This will mark the first time a sitting U.S. president has ever attended an NBA Finals game. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) What they're saying: News of Trump's attendance has generated strong reactions from some politicians and pundits. But inside the Garden, as both teams prepared for Game 3, players emphasized the importance of remaining laser-focused and tuning out the noise. "For me personally, [Villanova] Coach [Jay] Wright always talked about [how] we play for the guys in the locker room, and we don't really play to the crowd," Hart said. "So I feel like I'm able to kind of tune that out pretty well." "I think it could be [more difficult given all the attention], but isolating myself is something I've practiced over the years," said Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. "I think I'm good at it. So it's not a problem. This is similar to something media-wise like the Olympics." Game notes: Heightened security: MSG will employ a strict no-bag policy and "TSA-style screening" in anticipation of Trump's arrival, and fans have been encouraged to arrive at least two hours early. Due to security concerns, the watch party outside the arena has been canceled. Ticket prices: The get-in price for Game 3 was approaching $10,000 on Saturday before settling around $6,000 on Sunday, according to Gametime. NBA commissioner Adam Silver admitted it was "frustrating" that more people can't afford to attend. Going streaking: With a thrilling 105-104 victory in Game 2 on Friday night, the Knicks logged their 13th consecutive victory. That now stands on its own as the second-longest winning streak in playoff history, trailing only the 2017 Warriors (15 straight). Backs against the wall: The Spurs are the 38th team to fall behind 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Five of the previous 37 teams came back to win the title (2021 Bucks, 2016 Cavaliers, 2006 Heat, 1977 Trail Blazers, 1969 Celtics), but none of them lost the first two games at home. Pregame reading: Wemby stopper? How Karl-Anthony Towns has bested Victor Wembanyama (Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports)

🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA Nelly reacts after her title-clinching putt barely dropped in. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Los Angeles, California — Nelly Korda's sensational season continued on Sunday at Riviera Country Club, where the world No. 1 won the U.S. Women's Open by a stroke thanks to a clutch birdie on the 17th and a par putt at the last that circled the entire cup before dropping. By the numbers: Korda, who's won four of her eight starts this year, is just the third LPGA golfer in the last three decades to win the season's first two majors (2005 Annika Sorenstam, 2013 Inbee Park). She's also the first woman to win four majors in the 2020s, and is now just two points shy of earning her spot in the Hall of Fame (relevant: a major is worth two points). (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Chicago, Illinois — The USMNT lost to Germany, 2-1, on Saturday in their final World Cup tuneup — one last reality check for the Americans that offered mixed clues as to how they might fare on soccer's biggest stage. They flew to California after the game, and will train there ahead of Friday's opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. Goal of the year? The Americans' lone goal came in the 37th minute when Antonee Robinson ripped a volley top shelf with one of the purest left-footed strikes you'll ever see. Unreal. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Saratoga Springs, New York — Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo replicated his success at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, surging into the lead down the stretch to win the 158th Test of the Champion. What could have been: No horse has won the Triple Crown since Justify in 2018, and this marked the second straight year that the Derby winner skipped the Preakness and then won the Belmont. It's a trend that will likely continue unless the Triple Crown changes its three-races-in-five-weeks schedule.

🌍 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Paris, France — At long last, Alexander Zverev is a Grand Slam champion, taking down Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win the French Open. His maiden major victory came in his 41st major appearance, the second-most attempts needed by a man in the Open Era to win his first major (Goran Ivanišević, 48). Women's champ: 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva beat qualifier Maja Chwalińska in straight sets for her first Grand Slam title, becoming the youngest woman to win the French Open since 1992 (Monica Seles), and the third-youngest woman to win a major this century (Maria Sharapova, 2004 Wimbledon; Emma Raducanu, 2021 U.S. Open). Antonelli driving the iconic Circuit de Monaco. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images) 🇲🇨 Monte-Carlo, Monaco — It's early in the season, but Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli appears to be running away with the F1 title, winning Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix for his fifth consecutive victory. With 156 points, the young Italian's lead over second-place Lewis Hamilton (90) is larger than Hamilton's lead over 10th place Pierre Gasly (26). So good, so young: Antonelli (19 years, 9 months) became the youngest driver ever to win at Monaco, smashing Hamilton's record from 2008 (23 years, 4 months). He also became the youngest in F1 history to record a Grand Slam (pole, led every lap, fastest lap, won race). (Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images) 🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico — Thousands of people flooded the sprawling Paseo de la Reforma on Saturday in an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the largest wave outside a stadium. The event was organized to support Mexico's soccer team, which plays South Africa on Thursday at Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Did you know? While the wave is believed to have been invented in Colorado in 1979 by a cheerleader named Krazy George Henderson, it was popularized via broadcasts of the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico. In fact, outside of North America it's referred to as "the Mexican wave."

💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 🏒 25 goals   The Golden Knights and Hurricanes have combined to score 25 goals so far in the Stanley Cup Final, the most through the first three games of a Cup Final since 1981.   ICYMI: The Knights nearly suffered a historic collapse on Saturday when the Canes erased a 4-0 third-period deficit — including three goals in 39 seconds!!! — to force overtime. But Vegas ultimately got the job done, winning 5-4 (2OT) to take a 2-1 series lead.   🏈 4-point field goals   The UFL made headlines this spring when it introduced 4-point field goals, awarding an extra point on successful kicks from 60+ yards. After just four were made all regular season, Sunday's semifinals featured three: two by Louisville Kings kicker Tanner Brown (60 and 63 yards) and one by DC Defenders kicker Matt McCrane (61 yards).   United Bowl-bound: The Kings beat the St. Louis Battlehawks, 29-20, to advance to the title game in their inaugural season. They'll face the reigning champion Defenders, who are back in the United Bowl after upsetting the top-seeded Orlando Storm, 28-22. Coming in hot. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) ⚾️ 103.7 mph   Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski threw a 103.7 mph pitch against the Rockies on Saturday, topping his previous mark (103.6 mph) for the fastest by a starter since tracking began in 2008. Altogether, 45 of his 98 pitches were clocked at 101+ mph, setting another MLB record.   Good luck, hitters: Misiorowski (7-2, 1.50 ERA) has been virtually untouchable since the start of May, compiling a minuscule 0.20 ERA over his last seven starts (1 ER in 45.1 IP). That's the lowest ERA over a seven-start span (min. 30 IP) since Bob Gibson in 1968 (0.14 ERA).   ⛳️ 36 holes   The road to the 126th U.S. Open concludes today with "Golf's Longest Day," as 10 sites conduct 36-hole qualifiers to fill the remaining spots for next week's championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Past U.S. Open champions Webb Simpson (2012), Lucas Glover (2009) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006) are among the notable names hoping to qualify.   Notably absent: J.T. Poston was scheduled to play in a qualifier today. Instead, he won The Memorial Tournament over the weekend (while playing 33 holes on Sunday!) to secure his U.S. Open spot, earn himself a $4 million payday, and get out of playing another 36 holes today.

⚽️ ROAD TO 2026 WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images) The 2026 FIFA World Cup will crown the seventh men's world champion of the 21st century. Question: Can you name the six countries that won the previous six editions? Years: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022. Answer at the bottom.

🙏 YOUR TURN GOT 2 MINUTES? (Giphy) One quick favor before you go: If Yahoo Sports AM is part of your morning routine, we'd love to learn a little more about you. This short survey takes less than two minutes, and your feedback will help shape the future of the newsletter. Thank you!

Trivia answer: Brazil (2002), Italy (2006), Spain (2010), Germany (2014), France (2018), Argentina (2022)

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NBA Finals

The San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks 115-111 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, trimming New York's lead in the NBA Finals to 2-1. The game also drew national attention as President Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game, prompting enhanced security and boos from some attendees when he appeared on the Jumbotron. Read more.

WATCH: Trump reacts to being booed at Madison Square Garden

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👋 Good morning! For the first time in nearly seven weeks, the Knicks lost a basketball game. In today's edition: Spurs avoid 3-0 hole, MLB in Vegas, a dark day in college sports, American Outlaws, college baseball parity, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Sin City slugfest: The Athletics began a six-game homestand in Las Vegas on Monday as a preview for their 2028 relocation, and the opener against the Brewers turned into the wildest game of the season. Milwaukee won, 15-14, in a 12-inning affair that featured 11 home runs, 34 hits and five lead changes. 🇺🇸 Warm welcome: The USMNT arrived at their training camp in Irvine, California, on Monday, where 5,500 supporters — who won a lottery to attend the workout — welcomed them to Great Park. The 194-acre sports complex will be their home base for the duration of the World Cup. 🥎 Record viewership: Game 2 of the Women's College World Series, which saw Texas beat Texas Tech for its second straight national title, averaged 2.5 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched college softball game ever. 🏒 Kings hire Laviolette: The Kings are hiring Peter Laviolette as their next head coach after he spent the last year out of the league following his firing from the Rangers. Laviolette, 61, has won 846 games as an NHL head coach (seventh-most) and one Stanley Cup (2006, Hurricanes). 🎾 Fed returns to Ashe: Roger Federer will play in an exhibition at this year's U.S. Open, taking the court alongside Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Aug. 25. Four days later, he'll be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

🏆 NBA FINALS SPURS BOUNCE BACK IN THE GARDEN (Al Bello/Getty Images) The Spurs bounced back in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, beating the Knicks 115-111 to snap New York's 13-game winning streak and cut their series lead to 2-1 in front of a rabid Madison Square Garden crowd. Star of the night: Victor Wembanyama finished with 32 points (11-18 FG, 2-4 3PT), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals while getting the best of Karl-Anthony Towns (11 points), who had outplayed him through the first two games. Kelly Iko, Yahoo Sports: From the opening tip, it was clear the 22-year-old intended to take on an entire city, to attempt to overthrow Gotham like the Joker. His force both with the ball in his hands and his command of the square footage around him without it hit the Knicks like a gut punch. And in the fourth quarter, his 10 points screamed louder than any fan could, gradually reducing the amount of electricity in MSG until he was ready to rip the circuit breaker out of the wall. Shoutouts: Stephon Castle (23 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) was a force all night, providing a consistent source of downhill aggression. Jalen Brunson paced New York with 32 points, but OG Anunoby (28 pts, 9-13 FG) had the best game of any Knick. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Brown not happy with refs: Knicks head coach Mike Brown spent the bulk of his postgame press conference talking about the gap in free throws (32-22 Spurs), particularly in the second half (24-8 Spurs). "I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second half to another team's eight," said Brown, who clearly hoped his words would have an impact on the officiating in Game 4. "The story is going to be there … because I said it." Yes, but: While the Knicks taking 10 fewer free throws overall and making seven fewer — in a game they lost by four — is a story, it's not the story. Not really, anyway. "That ain't cost us the game," said Towns. "We were definitely fouling a lot," added Brunson. Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports: No, the story is that, in the franchise's first NBA Finals home game in 27 years, the other shoe finally dropped. For the first time in 47 days, Brown's club ended the night on the short side of the scoreboard. The second-longest winning streak in NBA playoff history is over. The Knicks have lost; they are no longer invincible.

🏈 SORSBY SAGA A DARK DAY FOR COLLEGE SPORTS Sorsby after a game last fall as Cincinnati's QB. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)  A Lubbock County court has granted Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction against the NCAA, clearing the path for him to play football this fall despite betting on his own team's games. And just like that, college sports may have finally jumped the shark. Catch up quick: Sorsby — a rising fifth-year senior who joined the Red Raiders this offseason as a highly sought-after transfer — was deemed ineligible by the NCAA this spring after it was discovered that he wagered over $90,000 during the last four years at Indiana and Cincinnati, including at least 40 bets on the Hoosiers while he was a member of the team. Sorsby admitted to the transgression and completed an inpatient stay at a treatment facility for a gambling addiction. He also sued the NCAA for banning him, with his lawyers arguing his addiction is a mental health issue that should be supported, not punished. Monday's decision was a victory in that lawsuit, with his entire penalty boiling down to a two-game suspension. As it stands, the star transfer is cleared to start for Texas Tech in Week 3 against Houston. Let me repeat that: A college football player who admitted to betting on his own games — perhaps the single most cardinal sin in all of sports, and one usually met with a lifetime ban — will be allowed to play this fall, and will miss just two games against non-conference opponents. What they're saying: The NCAA said it is "deeply concerned" about the ramifications of the court's decision, and has already filed an appeal, with NCAA president Charlie Baker adding that "there is no better example of why targeted intervention from Congress is necessary." Sorsby's attorney, meanwhile, told Yahoo Sports that "this is a just result." Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: If Sorsby has a right to maintain his ability to play after betting on his own team, then sports pretty much cease to exist as a legitimate enterprise. It is hard in 2026 to get anyone to root for the NCAA, which will appeal this ruling out of self-preservation and principle. But somehow, [Texas District Court Judge Ken Curry] has pulled off the impossible. What to watch: Big 12 athletic directors have already had "serious" talks about not playing Texas Tech, and Georgia and Nebraska have instructed their coaches not to schedule them in any sports. We've officially reached the point of no return," Georgia AD Josh Brooks told Yahoo Sports.

⚽️ RED, WHITE AND BLUE AMERICAN OUTLAWS: ONE NATION, ONE TEAM (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) America is co-hosting this year's World Cup, but the American Outlaws are the ones who will be bringing the party to every stadium, festival, bar and brewery they can, from sea to shining sea. Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: Elvis Presley lives, and right now he's talking to Wonder Woman and a bald eagle in a gravel parking lot in North Carolina. All around Elvis, hundreds of American soccer fans of all ages, demographics and blood alcohol levels are snacking on hot dogs. Over near one fence, a drum circle is warming up, rat-a-tat-tats filling the sunny afternoon air. Red, white and blue is everywhere, from innumerable Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie jerseys, to dyed beards and wigs, to a T-shirt that simply reads, "WTF IS A KILOMETER?" Welcome to the land of the American Outlaws. (Jay Busbee/Yahoo Sports) Much like the Avengers, the American Outlaws began with an idea — an idea for a place that American soccer fans, and would-be soccer-fans, could gather and enjoy their love of the beautiful game. A place where they could say the word "soccer" and not be exiled. That idea, born in a basement in Lincoln, Nebraska, now literally spans the entire country, with more than 30,000 Outlaws and 200 chapters dedicated to spreading the word and the love about American soccer. Wherever the USMNT plays this summer, the Outlaws will be there. They'll drum, and chant, and cheer, and celebrate the very best parts of what it means to be American. And they'll be open to everyone, including you. All you have to do to join is start clapping to the beat.

💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Texas celebrates after reaching its record-extending 39th College World Series. (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ⚾️ 23 schools   College baseball has experienced a historic level of parity recently, with 23 different schools filling the 24 spots at the College World Series across the past three seasons. North Carolina, the No. 5 seed in this year's tournament, is the only program that has reached the final eight more than once since 2024.   Omaha-bound: No. 7 Alabama and Oklahoma punched the last two tickets to Omaha on Monday. They'll be joined in the eight-team field by No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Texas, No. 16 West Virginia, Troy and Ole Miss.   🎾 $1.6 million   Maja Chwalińska's historic run from French Open qualifier to women's runner-up earned her a cool $1.6 million — nearly twice her career earnings entering the tournament ($867k). The 24-year-old Pole also climbed all the way from 114th in the world to a career-high No. 21 following two weeks at Roland Garros that changed her life.   Consider this: Chwalińska couldn't even pay for her hotel in Paris, which she humbly never expected to need for so long. Polish sports drink company Oshee, which sponsors fellow countrywoman and world No. 3 Iga Świątek, ultimately stepped in and footed the bill. Hamlin waves a No. 18 flag in honor of Kyle Busch. (Brett Farmer/Getty Images) 🏁 63 wins   Denny Hamlin won at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory and 63rd of his career, matching the late Kyle Busch for the ninth-most in history.   Top 10: Richard Petty (200 wins), David Pearson (105), Jeff Gordon (93), Bobby Allison (85), Darrell Waltrip (84), Jimmie Johnson (83), Cale Yarborough (83), Dale Earnhardt (76), Busch (63), Hamlin (63).   ⛳️ 43 spots   "Golf's Longest Day" came and went on Monday, when 43 golfers qualified for next week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. They'll join the 19 players who got through the first three final qualifiers two weeks earlier, as well as the remaining 94 golfers who will comprise the 156-player field.   Notable names: Among those who qualified on Monday were eight-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel, six-time winner Chris Kirk and 17-year-old Miles Russell, who got the job done with Charlie Woods on his bag. Tiger's son, also 17, is Russell's friend and future teammate, as both rising seniors have committed to play at Florida State.

📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JUNE 9 (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) 🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 4   Huge game tonight in Sin City (8pm ET, ABC), where the Golden Knights will look to take a 3-1 lead and the Hurricanes will try to even the series before it heads back to Raleigh.   Another thriller in store? Two of the first three games have gone to overtime, and all three have been decided by a single goal, making this the first Stanley Cup Final since 2016 — and the fifth in the last 45 years — to have each of the first three games decided by that margin.   🎾 Queen's Club Championships   Serena Williams returns to the court today in London (12:30pm, Tennis) for her first professional tennis match since the 2022 U.S. Open. She's playing doubles alongside Canadian teenager (and world No. 9) Victoria Mboko against Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, the third-seeded pairing at the season's first grass-court tournament.   What she's saying: "It's really about my kids getting to see me play," the 23-time Grand Slam champion said on Sunday when discussing her return. Williams has not definitively said whether she'll play singles again, but she has already committed to next week's Berlin Open, and there's still a chance she could compete at Wimbledon next month.   More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Guardians (6:40pm, TBS/Prime) … New York (39-26) visits Cleveland (37-31) in a battle of AL contenders. 🏀 WNBA: Dream at Sky (7pm, ESPN) … Atlanta's Angel Reese, averaging 13.3 points and a league-high 11.7 rebounds, faces her former team for the first time. 🇺🇸 Friendly: Brazil vs. USWNT (8:30pm, TNT) … The Americans will look to rebound after falling 2-1 to the Brazilians on Saturday. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.

⚽️ USA 94 WORLD CUP TRIVIA The World Cup logo formed by performers during the Opening Ceremony in Chicago. (Todd Rosenberg/Allsport/Getty Images) The first World Cup on U.S. soil since 1994 kicks off in two days. Question: Who won that tournament? Hint: It was not their first victory. Answer at the bottom.

⚽️ WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS The world's biggest soccer tournament kicks off in two days! Pick your group stage winners now in 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em from Yahoo Sports and FOX One. How to play: Make picks each round, earn points for correct predictions and climb the leaderboard. You can play solo against the field, create a private group with friends to compete for bragging rights, or join a public group to play with other fans. Beat the expert: Think you can pick better than Alexi Lalas? Go head-to-head with the former USMNT player by joining his group (with a previous entry or a new one), and see how your predictions stack up.

🙏 YOUR TURN GOT 2 MINUTES? (Giphy) One quick favor before you go: If Yahoo Sports AM is part of your morning routine, we'd love to learn a little more about you. This short survey takes less than two minutes, and your feedback will help shape the future of the newsletter. Thank you!

Trivia answer: Brazil (over Italy in the Final)