Jake Paul will take on WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in an exhibition fight in Atlanta, Georgia on 14 November.
Davis’ title will not be on the line because of the huge gulf in weight between the two men.
Paul weighed 200lbs for his last bout with Davis currently campaigning at 135lb.
Youtuber-turned-boxer Paul found fame on the Disney Channel and then as an influencer before stepping into the world of boxing and has a record of 12 wins and one defeat as a professional.
“Yes, he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but my motto is anyone, anytime, anyplace, against all odds,” Paul wrote on X, external.
Paul added “first David, then Goliath” in what could be seen as a reference to reports he was in talks over a fight with British heavyweight Anthony Joshua.
Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles has revealed she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis – a neuromuscular autoimmune disease – three years ago.
The 51-year-old has chosen to go public with the rare long-term condition, which causes muscle weakness, to raise awareness before this month’s US Open.
Seles first noticed symptoms of the condition, which can affect most parts of the body – including the muscles that control the eyes, around five years ago.
“I would be playing [tennis] with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball,” former world number one Seles told The Associated Press.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms that you can’t ignore.
“It took me quite some time to really absorb it, speak openly about it, because it’s a difficult one. It affects my day-to-day life quite a lot.”
Seles decided to reveal her condition in the hope of using her platform to educate people about the disease, for which there is currently no cure.
The American won eight major titles by the age of 19, after capturing her first aged 16 at the 1990 French Open.
But she won just one more after she was stabbed with a knife by a fan during a match in Hamburg in 1993 and took time away from the sport to recover.
Seles played her last match in 2003 having won 53 tournaments and spent 178 weeks at number one.
Undefeated UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria once again expressed his desire to cross over to professional boxing and face the winner of the upcoming fight between Mexican superstar Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Terence Crawford.
Topuria said his goal is to face Álvarez, whom he has considered a role model and idol for years. The Spanish-Georgian fighter hopes the UFC will allow him to follow in the footsteps of Conor McGregor, who fought and lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017 while under contract with the mixed martial arts promoter.
Topuria said he feels ready to compete in the boxing ring and that this is the ideal opportunity to do so.
“Why not me? I would love to box against the winner of Canelo and Crawford. But if I could choose, I want Canelo. He was my idol for many years and I feel I can do it,” Topuria told reporters. “Let’s do it, now is the best time.”
Ilia Topuria wants the UFC to let him box the winner of Canelo vs. Crawford next 😳
“They did it with Conor, why not with me? Now is the best time… Let’s go Turki.” pic.twitter.com/B8rNsP1fZ9
Topuria, who knocked out Charles Oliveira in June to win his second UFC belt, is enjoying the best moment of his career. He has knocked out figures such as Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts. However, he is now turning his attention to boxing and wants to prove that he can also excel in the ring.
His prediction for the fight between Álvarez and Crawford, which will take place on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas, is that the Mexican will win.
“Canelo, obviously. He’s a role model for me. I want my chance against him,” Topuria said. “I feel like I can beat him. If I get the chance to fight him, why not? Come on, [Saudi Arabian promoter] Turki [Alalshikh], give me the chance to win the title.”
For his part, Canelo responded respectfully when asked about Topuria but did not commit to a fight.
“I haven’t seen him fight a full fight, but I like him a lot, I respect him, and I admire him. We’ll see. First things first, right now I’m focused on what’s in front of me,”
Eddie Palmieri, the Grammy-winning Nuyorican pianist, bandleader and composer who helped innovate Afro-Caribbean music in the States and transform the New York salsa scene, died on Wednesday. He was 88.
According to a post on his official Instagram, Palmieri passed away in his Hackensack, N.J., home. The New York Times confirmed via his youngest daughter, Gabriela Palmieri, that his death came after “an extended illness.”
Multiple celebrities chimed in to pay their respects, including Spike Lee, Ramon Rodriguez and representatives from Fania Records, the pioneering New York salsa label, also released a statement.
“[On Wednesday], Fania Records mourns the loss of the legendary Eddie Palmieri, one of the most innovative and unique artists in music history,” the statement said. Palmieri briefly recorded music with the label but also released music under Tico, Alegre, Concord Picante, RMM and Coco Records.
Others took to social media to mourn the loss, including David Sanchez, a Grammy-winning jazz tenor saxophonist from Puerto Rico, who uploaded a slideshow of photographs of the two. Sanchez recounted the time when his soprano saxophone was stolen — and Palmieri helped him pay for a new one. “Your being and your music will continue to live on in the hearts of many,” Sanchez wrote in the Instagram caption.
Palmieri’s contemporary Chuchito Valdes, a Grammy-winning Cuban pianist and bandleader, also chimed in with an Instagram post lamenting the loss: “A sad day for music. One of the greatest of all time is gone, an innovator. The man who revolutionized salsa and Latin jazz. My great friend.”
Born on Dec. 15, 1936, in East Harlem to Puerto Rican parents from Ponce, Palmieri was the younger brother of Charlie Palmieri, the late piano legend known as the “Giant of the Keyboards.”
The family later moved to the South Bronx, where they opened up a luncheonette called “Mambo”: a name chosen by young Eddie, who was enthralled by the Cuban dance hall rhythms. He often controlled the jukebox with blissful Latin jazz tunes by Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez and Machito.
Palmieri was deeply influenced and inspired by his older brother, who was nine years his senior and introduced him to prominent big-band acts of the 1940s, like Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Woody Herman, all of whom seemed to dissolve by the end of World War II. Though Palmieri had an itch to lean into the timbales like Tito Puente, he would eventually follow in his brother’s footsteps and take piano lessons from Margaret Bonds, one of the most prominent African American concert pianists at the time.
Although he briefly joined his uncle’s orchestra, Chino y sus Almas Tropicales, as a timbal player, Palmieri rose to fame as a pianist, playing with various bands including the Eddie Forrester Orchestra, Johnny Segui and His Orchestra, and eventually Tito Rodriguez and His Orchestra, which was a main act at the Palladium Ballroom between 1958 to 1960.
“In the audience, you could have maybe a Marlon Brando, Kim Novak, all the Hollywood starlets because it was the height of the mambo,” said Palmieri in a 2013 interview with Jo Reed. “On Saturday, you had the blue-collar, mostly Puerto Rican. And then Sunday was black, Afro-American. It was intermingled or different nationalities that had nothing to do whether you were green, purple, white, we came to dance.”
But in 1961, Palmieri went on to start his own band, La Perfecta, an ironic title given its not-so-perfect setup. It formed as an eight-piece Cuban conjunto, which ditched the traditional jazzy saxophone. There were timbales, congas, bongos, bass, piano and vocals — but with a twist of its own kind: the inclusion of two trombones, played by Barry Rogers and Jose Rodriguez, instead of the costly four-set trumpets. Palmieri also added a whistling flute, played by George Castro, for a charanga edge (in the place of a traditional violin).
“La Perfecta changed everything in the history of our genre, in my opinion. Certainly in New York,” said Palmieri. “And then influenced the world, because after that all the pawn shops got rid of their trombones.”
His group helped usher in the iconic salsa genre with their first album, “Eddie Palmieri and His Conjunto ‘La Perfecta,’” dubbing him the nickname “Madman of salsa.” However, he was not too fond of the emerging term, which seemed to cram different styles like mambo, charanga, rumba, guaracha and danzón into one single category.
“Afro-Cuban is where we get the music,” explained Palmieri in a 2012 interview with the Smithsonian Oral History Project. “The influence of the Puerto Rican is the one [that] upheld the rhythmical patterns and the genre of Cuba. So then that becomes Afro-Caribbean.”
La Perfecta went on to release its most famed album, “Azúcar Pa’ Ti” in 1965. It included the song “Azúcar,” an eight-minute track that was later added to the National Recording Registry in 2009.
In 1976, Palmieri became the first to win a Grammy for the inaugural category of best Latin recording, for his album “Sun of Latin Music.” He holds a total of eight Grammy awards. In 2013, the National Endowment for the Arts honored him as a Jazz Master and the Latin Grammys granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
But Eddie Palmieri’s impact spanned beyond his own accomplishments. He was a mentor, a teacher and an advocate for Latin music and culture, which includes advocating twice for the inclusion of the Latin jazz album category in the Grammys — first in 1995, then again in 2012 after its removal.
Palmieri was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Iraida Palmieri, who passed away in 2014 — and who he often referred to as “Mi Luz Mayor.” He is survived by his four daughters, Renee, Eydie, Ileana and Gabriela; his son, Edward Palmieri II; and four grandchildren.
EUGENE, Ore. — Track turned into a contact sport Sunday when Kenny Bednarek shoved Noah Lyles after Lyles beat him to the finish line in the 200-meter final at U.S. championships.
Lyles reeled in Bednarek in the homestretch to win in 19.63 seconds.
As he was crossing the finish line, Lyles turned to Bednarek in the lane next to him and started jawing at him. A few steps after they crossed, Bednarek reached out and gave Lyles a two-handed shove.
Lyles turned around, backpedaled and reached his arms out, then kept jawing at Bednarek. Their argument continued into the start of the NBC interview.
“I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said.
Asked by the network’s Lewis Johnson what happened, Bednarek said: “I’m not going to say it out here, but we got something to do and talk about.”
The next chapter figures to play out Sept. 19 in Japan, where they’ll be among the favorites in the 200-meter final. Lyles is trying to match Usain Bolt with four straight world titles in his best race.
Lyles had a slow start to a season that has featured Bednarek opening as the dominant sprinter of 2025. Bednarek won the 100 meters Friday and also beat Lyles at the Olympics last year, finishing second in a race in which Lyles won bronze while suffering with COVID-19.
“It was a pretty difficult championship,” Lyles said. “I’ve been tired. It’s been rough. Coming out here when you’re not 100% and being able to say, ‘I still got to give my all no matter what happens.’ That’s tough. That’s tough.”
Noah Lyles, second left, wins the men’s 200-meter final at the U.S. championships on Sunday.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 in a personal-best time of 21.84 seconds, while Olympic champion Gabby Thomas had to wait a few anxious moments to see if she earned a spot on the world team. She did as her named popped up in third place.
It was a winning weekend for Jefferson-Wooden, who also captured the 100 on Friday. She will be joined in the 100 at worlds by Sha’Carri Richardson, who has an automatic spot as the defending champion. Richardson didn’t advance to the final in the 200.
The women’s 400 hurdles was wide open with Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone electing to focus on the open 400 (she won the event Saturday ). Dalilah Muhammad, 35, took control and cruised to the win.
One of the afternoon’s most exciting finishes was in the men’s 800 meters, where 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier used a strong kick to hold off 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel.
CAMDEN, N.J. — Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion, has died. He was 72.
Qawi’s sister, Wanda King, said he died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia.
Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden, N.J. He competed in the boxing program at Rahway State Prison while serving a sentence for armed robbery, and turned professional at age 25 soon after his release in 1978.
In December 1981, Qawi — who legally changed his name in 1982 following his conversion to Islam — stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round to win the WBC light heavyweight belt. Qawi stopped Saad again eight months later, in six rounds.
After a loss to Michael Spinks, the 5-foot-7 Qawi — called “The Camden Buzzsaw” — moved up in weight and took the WBA cruiserweight title from Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi lost the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-rounder in July 1986.
Qawi later fought as a heavyweight, with George Foreman stopping him in seven rounds.
Qawi retired in 1998 at age 46 with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
After his retirement from the ring, he worked as a boxing trainer, youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor.
Former NFL linebacker and special teams player Bryan Braman, who rose from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl champion, died Thursday morning after a battle with cancer. He was 38.
“You look at his journey and beating the odds to make it to the NFL after going undrafted,” Braman’s agent Sean Stellato told KPRC-TV in Houston. “Not only making it, but producing and becoming a world champion, he had a real hard journey. … To die at age 38, the game of football and his family are hurting today. He was a staple for what football and underdogs are about.”
Stellato told the station that he had learned from one of Braman’s closest friends that the former Long Beach City College player “took his last breath while surrounded by friends and family.”
Braman graduated from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., and redshirted for a year at Idaho before playing at LBCC in 2007 and 2008. He transferred to West Texas A&M in 2009.
After going undrafted in 2011, Braman signed with the Houston Texans and remained for three seasons, playing in 46 games, mostly on special teams. In the final game of his rookie season, Braman earned the admiration of Texans fans when he tracked down and tackled Tennessee’s Marc Mariani after losing his helmet earlier in the play. The following season, Braman was a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams.
“We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Bryan Braman,” the Texans wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Braman family during this difficult time.
“During his four seasons in Philadelphia, Bryan was a loyal teammate, a supporter of the community, and a valuable member of our Super Bowl LII-winning team,” the Eagles said in a statement. “More importantly, he was a devoted father who passionately loved his family and everyone around him.”
According to a GoFundMe page set up for Braman in February, he was battling “a very rare form of cancer.” Several of Braman’s former teammates contributed to the fund, including retired Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who donated $10,000.
On Thursday, Watt also paid tribute to his late teammate on X.
“Rest in Peace brother,” Watt wrote in a post that also featured a photo of Braman in his Texans uniform. “Gone far too soon.”
Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Sem Verbeek says his “heart is bleeding” over a change in format at the US Open that means he and partner Katerina Siniakova will be unable to play there together.
The duo beat Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazilian partner Luisa Stefani 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) in the final on Centre Court on Thursday.
The US Open will hold its mixed doubles competition as a standalone event before the start of the Slam from this year onwards in an attempt to attract top singles players to participate.
Several eye-catching partnerships have been announced for the new-look event, including British number one Emma Raducanu teaming up with two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
But it means the vast majority of doubles specialists will miss out on playing in the mixed competition in New York.
“It’s a shame they decided to do it,” Czech Siniakova, the world number one in women’s doubles, told BBC Sport.
“I think it’s a marketing step, but they are taking [away the] chance of doubles players.”
Dutchman Verbeek agreed, adding: “As two athletes that would love to play it, it’s a shame to obviously know that we can’t.
“I’m not going to actively root against it for it not to be a success. The positive I can think of is that there’s going to be more people that can see the top single stars earlier in the tournament when they are maybe a bit more accessible to the public.
Former world youth champion Bradley Brooks won his maiden PDC ProTour title at the Players Championship 21 in Leicester.
The 25-year-old won the £15,000 top prize after beating Chris Dobey and James Wade on his way to a final against former world champion Gerwyn Price.
Brooks secured an early break of throw with a 13-dart leg and went on to win 8-5 to seal a spot in December’s World Darts Championship.
“I’m lost for words,” he said. “This week I felt so comfortable in my own game and everything clicked, so I’m over the moon.
“I treated the final like I had nothing to lose. I can’t put into words how much it means to me.
“I struggled a couple of times this year and I still have that bad game in me, but I think when I do get it right, I can mix it with the best in the room.”
Michael Smith, the 2023 world champion, was beaten in the first round which means he will miss the World Matchplay in Blackpool for the first time since 2013.
The 34-year-old needed to make at least the semi-finals to qualify, but lost 6-4 to Frenchman Thibault Tricole.
Tuesday’s Players Championship 20 was won by Australian Damon Heta, who beat crowd favourite Stephen Bunting 8-7, and both men will be in Blackpool., external
LONDON — Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova lost to No. 10 seed Emma Navarro 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round on Saturday, extending a recent run of one-and-done winners at the All England Club.
Krejcikova faded in the third set, getting her blood pressure checked at the changeover after Navarro broke her to lead 3-2 at No. 1 Court. Krejcikova ate a banana and drank liquids during the medical timeout, while Navarro walked to her guest box and spoke to her coach during the break in action.
When play resumed, Krejcikova showed clear signs of being in distress, often leaning over and placing her hands on her knees between points.
“Part of you is telling yourself, ‘Just put a bunch of balls in the court, and that’s all you have to do.’ But then, she’s an amazing player, injuries or no injuries. So that’s not good enough,” said Navarro, who was born in New York, grew up in South Carolina and won the 2021 NCAA championship for the University of Virginia. “And then you trick yourself into taking too much off the ball and not playing the way you want to play. Not an easy challenge, for sure.”
Still, she managed to break right back to 3-all, before Navarro broke yet again and then held to lead 5-3. Two games later, it was over.
“I was able to serve a bit better and gained a little bit of traction on my return games, and from the ground, just played a little bit stronger,” said Navarro, 24, who will meet No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, an 18-year-old Russian, on Monday for a quarterfinal berth. “I like to play scrappy, so I was able to play a few more scrappy points, get a few more balls back in the court.”
Most points were decided by what Krejcikova did. That’s how she ended up with 34 winners — 21 more than Navarro — and 53 unforced errors. Remarkably, Navarro finished with just 11 unforced errors.
Whoever ends up winning the women’s title on July 12 will be the ninth champion in the past nine editions of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. Serena Williams was the last repeat champ in 2016.
The trophy-takers since then have been Garbiñe Muguruza in 2017, Angelique Kerber in 2018, Simona Halep in 2019, Ash Barty in 2021 — all of whom are now retired — Elena Rybakina in 2022, Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and then Krejcikova. Rybakina also lost Saturday, while Vondrousova exited in the second round.
Last year’s triumph was the second at a major tournament for Krejcikova, who also won the 2021 French Open and was the No. 17 seed at Wimbledon this year.
This has been a fortnight filled with surprises, and Navarro is one of four top-10 seeds left in the women’s bracket. The others are No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who won her third-round match Friday against Emma Raducanu, and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and No. 8 Iga Swiatek, who both won Saturday.
In the first of her new Wimbledon columns, BBC Sport analyst Naomi Broady – a former top-60 player on the WTA Tour – discuss how British number one Emma Raducanu will look to beat 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova.
Being Emma Raducanu, particularly at Wimbledon, is never easy.
And it certainly will not be easy when she plays 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova in a tough second-round match on Wednesday.
Before her triumph two years ago, Vondrousova had barely played on grass but is now one of the best WTA players on this surface.
Here are what I think will be the keys in deciding an intriguing contest on Centre Court.
Raducanu needs to use her forehand aggressively
Since bringing Mark Petchey into her team, Raducanu has done some technical work with him on the forehand and serve.
I think the technical expertise is what he brings to the table. Emma is a clever girl and she likes to know ‘why?’ when she is told to do something and wants to understand the reasons behind it.
Mark, who used to coach Andy Murray when he was coming through, is very technical and is able to provide these answers.
That makes it easy for Emma to buy into his ideas and they share the same vision about her tennis – which is crucial.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
In her first-round match against Mimi Xu, Raducanu used her forehand effectively to win 50 of the 83 rallies which were four shots or fewer
She has made a few small tweaks on the forehand, and done the same with the serve, and it is a mindset shift of being more aggressive.
In a match like she had against Mimi Xu in the first round – someone younger, someone from the same country, on the big occasion of Wimbledon – the forehand is really put to the test.
The fact it stood up in that tricky situation, and she could be brave behind it, was important.
Typically, if you’re going to be more aggressive you’re going to be hitting closer to the sidelines and playing with smaller margin.
You’re hitting the ball much harder and with that you take more risk. So when you take more risk you have to be prepared to accept you may miss more on occasions.
It’s about keeping the balance – you need the success of the shot to outweigh the misses. It’s risk-reward.
Why that will help her take control from the baseline
Rather than just being consistent, keeping the ball back in play and risking the opponent being able to attack you, it is about Emma taking control of the baseline.
She is naturally an aggressive baseliner and stands further in on the return.
She does that so well and it is important for her to keep the court position which she has gained throughout the rally.
Against Vondrousova, she will need to get the first strike in the rally.
Vondrousova likes to control the point by being awkward with her leftiness – using the spin, opening up the court and, of course, putting the ball in from the opposite angle to which it usually does.
Grass-court tennis in particular is about first-strike tennis, even more so when you’re playing someone who likes to dictate early in the rally like Vondrousova.
The threat posed by Vondrousova
When an unseeded Vondrousova won the title two years ago, she was described as one of the unlikeliest Wimbledon champions ever.
That was because she had previously won only four grass-court matches in her career and was ranked 42nd in the world after missing the previous six months with a wrist injury.
Over the past year Marketa has struggled with a shoulder injury, playing only 17 matches this season and dropping to 73rd and dropping outside the top 150 as a result.
But she reminded us all of her ability by winning the grass-court Berlin title last week – beating Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 2023 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur and world number one Aryna Sabalenka on the way.
That’s an incredible list. But what she does naturally fits so well on to this surface.
In the Czech Republic, they spend a lot of time in the winter on indoor hard courts. Getting used to that ball coming through low and fast means her game is very easily translated on grass.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Vondrousova followed her Berlin title with an impressive victory over 32nd seed McCartney Kessler in the Wimbledon first round
Using the lefty serve and forehand, she really hits on the outside of the ball so she cuts through the sidelines before the ball reaches the baseline and hits with a lot more angle than a lot of the other players do.
She’s happy to come forward, plays a lot of doubles, and is very comfortable coming up to the net.
That is again something you would develop on an indoor hard court and transitions well on to the grass.
With the serve it is all about the angles and opening up the court, but she can also disguise and flatten it out as and when she needs to and keep her opponent guessing.
I think she’s one of the best grass-court on the women’s tour – so Raducanu will have to be at the top of her game if she is going to find a way past the former Wimbledon champion.
Naomi Broady was speaking to BBC Sport’s Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon
Seventeenth seed Krejcikova’s preparations for the tournament were not dissimilar last year, when she arrived at the All England Club having played just nine matches and struggling with injury.
Returning to the site of her emotional triumph by opening Tuesday’s play on Centre Court, Krejcikova looked somewhat out of sorts in the opening set against an in-form opponent.
Eala memorably stunned Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open in March, then made more history by becoming the first Filipina to reach the final of a WTA Tour event at Eastbourne last week, where she lost to Australian teenager Maya Joint.
That has catapulted her to 56th in the rankings, and all of that talent was on display on day two at the Championships.
The pair traded breaks early on as Krejcikova’s exquisite lob to take Eala’s serve was cancelled out by a double fault to put the match back on serve.
Mistakes from the reigning champion and an impressive range of shots from Eala secured a second break, and this time Krejcikova could not convert her break-back opportunity, missing the forehand on break point.
She seemed to be struggling on serve, uncomfortable with her ball toss and hit five double faults in the first set – perhaps an indication she is still battling that back injury.
After a lengthy game at 5-2 where Krejcikova saved a set point, Eala held her nerve to brilliantly serve out the set.
Krejcikova came back in the second set and, while she still looked uncomfortable on serve – frequently redoing her ball toss – she motored to a 5-0 lead.
Looking somewhat disappointed and desperate to avoid a second-set bagel, Eala rallied to hold her serve, then overturned one of the breaks, but could not prevent Krejcikova levelling the match.
A more comfortable third set followed as Krejcikova tidied up the errors and finally showed her emotion as she put herself on the brink of victory by securing the double break for 5-1, letting out a roar after her passing winner.
And a similar outburst of emotion followed as she booked her place in the second round.
In 2000, whispers of a 13-year-old phenom from Naperville, Ill. — a Chicago suburb — began reverberating through the AAU circuit. Generational. Dominant. Striking. Perhaps the greatest women’s basketball prospect ever. Candace Parker’s name rang out far beyond her hometown.
Word soon reached every elite college basketball program in the country — from Durham, N.C., to College Park, Md., to Knoxville, Tenn. — each clamoring for her talents. Few truly stood a chance.
“Her game at such an early age was something I had never seen in person,” said Nikki Fargas, then an assistant coach at Tennessee. “To see her do it so young tells you a lot. … She was undeniable, and her presence was felt.”
Long before Parker’s illustrious professional career and her Sparks jersey retirement ceremony Sunday — three championships, two MVPs, rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, Finals MVP, two Olympic golds, seven All-Star nods and 10 All-WNBA selections — she was simply “Ace,” a sweatband-wearing, bob-cut sporting teenager set to graduate.
Fargas, who won a national title under legendary coach Pat Summitt, was Tennessee’s recruiting director in 2003 and was looking to make a splash with her first class. The moment she saw Parker in person, she was certain: Parker would be a Lady Vol.
By her senior year in high school, Parker had grown into a 6-foot-4 national player of the year and state champion.
Candace Parker was considered one of the top college recruits while at Naperville Central High in a suburb outside of Chicago.
(Anne Ryan / Associated Press)
Fargas attended all of Parker’s games at Naperville Central High, a nearly 1,100-mile round trip. She sat in the Redhawks’ gym bleachers, decked out in Tennessee orange while sending a not-so-subtle message, often with Summitt by her side.
Fargas made her final pitch clear and direct: Parker could become the greatest under Summitt.
Joining Rocky Top
On Nov. 11, 2003, at the start of her senior year, Parker committed to Tennessee live on ESPNews — the first women’s basketball player to commit on national TV. Parker later told ESPN, “I wanted to be a professional basketball player. I loved that Knoxville was centered around women’s basketball.”
“Candace is the most versatile 6-foot-3 player at this stage of her game that I’ve ever seen,” Summitt said in a Tennessee news release announcing Parker’s signing a letter of intent. “She can play every position on the floor, from point guard to post, … Truly a great inside-outside player. … The total package.”
Parker’s arrival sent a jolt through Rocky Top. At just 18, she brought weighty expectations — it was championship or bust. For several years, it had been bust for Tennessee, which hadn’t won a national title since the late ’90s.
After missing her freshman year because of a knee injury, Parker proved to be better than advertised, propelling the Lady Vols back onto the national stage.
“Even in college, not only did she dunk, but she was able to pass, able to shoot at her position, able to do things that bigs weren’t doing,” said Noelle Quinn, a former Southland prep star and head coach of the Seattle Storm. “It was easy for Candace. It was easy for that team.”
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt gives instructions to Candace Parker during the 2007 NCAA title game against Rutgers.
(Tony Dejak / Associated Press)
Quinn experienced the Summitt-Parker era firsthand. In 2006, she led UCLA into an early-season clash on the road against No. 1 Tennessee — the start of Parker’s first title run.
“It was an amazing environment to play in — a game I’ll never forget,” Quinn recalled. Parker and Quinn led their teams in scoring — Parker with 22 points, Quinn with 20. Tennessee’s dominance with Parker at the helm was clear, Quinn said.
At the height of the team’s back-to-back championship runs, Fargas said traveling with the Lady Vols “was like traveling with rock stars.” Summitt’s fearless approach — taking on anyone, anywhere — kept Tennessee in the spotlight, with Parker as the undisputed headliner.
“What we’re seeing right now with Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark — bringing awareness, getting people to watch and increasing attendance — Parker was doing that already,” Fargas said. “Fans would be lined up at our hotel. Our bus would pull up and there were the fans.”
By the end of her college career, Parker had accomplished everything — two-time AP player of the year, 2008 Naismith college player of the year, and most outstanding player during both national title runs — the last of which was Summitt’s final championship.
“She fits in at the top,” Fargas said of Parker’s place in program history. “When you talk about Lady Vols, Parker is maybe the first of the names people talk about. … She was different.”
Big L.A. dreams
Parker was arguably the WNBA’s most anticipated prospect — a franchise-altering talent. Yet one question loomed: Who would land her?
In 2006, the Sparks were in championship contention, reaching the conference finals with MVP Lisa Leslie. But when Leslie missed the following season on maternity leave, the team plummeted to 10–24 — tied for worst in the league.
With a 34.1% chance at the No. 1 pick, the pingpong balls bounced the Sparks’ way.
Candace Parker, left, and Lisa Leslie crack jokes as they check their height at a Sparks photo shoot in 2008.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Questions swirled about how Parker and Leslie would coexist. Leslie says she never saw a problem — only potential. She called herself “Smooth” and Parker “Silk,” and welcomed the role of hardening the rookie, likening it to “having another baby.”
For a time, Leslie lived a few floors from Parker in the team’s player housing, keeping tabs on Parker’s habits. She’d make her oatmeal and slice up fruit because Parker “wouldn’t eat well,” gently pushing through rookie stubbornness toward authority, nudging her toward the weight room and stressing the importance of body maintenance.
The wisdom of one MVP — and the freedom granted by Sparks coach Michael Cooper — helped ignite the greatest rookie season in WNBA history. Parker captured both rookie of the year and MVP honors, joining an exclusive club with NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld.
“Candace always showed greatness,” Leslie said. “Each generation, we’ve done our part. You carry that torch as far as you can, and hand it off with grace.”
The torch was Parker’s to bear into the next decade. But nine seasons in, she was still chasing her first Finals appearance, let alone a championship. Years of coaching changes, early playoff exits and unmet expectations had left the franchise — and its star — without a title.
Brian Agler’s first year as Sparks head coach started rocky with a 3–14 record, as Parker sat out the first half of the 2015 season after playing overseas. As the losses mounted, Parker prepared for a return and called Agler to arrange a closed workout.
“I think she wanted to play into me as, ‘OK, I’m gonna come back and get ready,’” Agler said. “But in reality, she was sort of measuring me up.”
Agler believed it was a test to see whether she thought he was the right fit — if he could lead the team to a championship, just as he had done with the Seattle Storm in 2010.
Sparks forward Candace Parker drives past Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson during a game in 2012.
(Stacy Bengs / Associated Press)
By the following season, with the pieces in play, contending for a championship seemed within reach. But the 2016 season wasn’t without turmoil for Parker. She was surprisingly left off the USA Olympic team, faced marital strife and mourned the loss of Summitt, who died of complications from Alzheimer’s.
On the court, Parker remained a force, and helped foster the rise of one of the league’s best — former No. 1 overall pick and MVP Nneka Ogwumike. Like Leslie had done for her, Parker took Ogwumike under her wing.
“For the most part, I was someone who paid attention to what vets did, and I spent a lot of time watching what she did,” Ogwumike said of Parker. “She helped me understand [the game] from a different lens, from a more advanced perspective coming in from college. We were able to develop some great chemistry.”
Agler said their connection “was as special as I’ve seen,” adding that Ogwumike “probably understood Candace better than most anybody.”
In Parker’s first WNBA Finals, she led the Sparks through a dramatic series against the Lynx, capped by a 28-point and 12-rebound performance in Game 5 to secure the title and Finals MVP.
Through tears, she found the only words she could muster: “This is for Pat.”
“I’m sure it [the pressure] was there for her,” Agler said. “I just remember when we won, how happy she was. She almost collapsed on the floor with joy. … That’s really the only time I’ve seen her that way in a public setting.”
Soon after the championship run, a divide grew between Parker and the organization. In her new book, “The Can-do Mindset,” Parker reflects on strained relationships with the front office, a carousel of head coaches and a growing distrust that ultimately fractured her relationship with the Sparks.
“The culture was toxic, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was a part of that culture and had been absorbed in that toxicity,” Parker wrote in her book, referring to the breakup. “I had to admit to myself that I didn’t like who I’d become in my years with the Sparks. It takes two to tango. So though I didn’t create the culture, I was still at fault in my own way.”
Chasing more titles and ownership
Candace Parker, center right, celebrates with Chicago Sky teammates after winning the 2021 WNBA title.
(Paul Beaty / Associated Press)
After 13 years, Parker decided to leave the Sparks. It’s a move Leslie called “unfortunate,” adding she had “no idea how they let her get away.” But Parker announced she was ready to find “a sense of peace,” signing with the Chicago Sky — moving as close to her native Naperville as possible.
During free agency, Parker called Azurá Stevens, who had just wrapped her first season with the Sky. Curious about the team and open to a fresh start, Parker asked about Stevens’ experience. Stevens still describes the conversation as “surreal,” thrilled by the idea of sharing the court with her childhood idol.
Growing up, Stevens — now the Sparks’ starting forward — modeled her game after Parker. Standing 6-foot-6, she admired Parker’s versatility and poise, and now, the two would be teammates in the same starting lineup.
“We had an up-and-down year and went through a lot that season,” Stevens recalls of the team finishing .500. “Candace definitely led the way. … A strong veteran presence for us to keep us level-headed. And once we got to the playoffs, we flipped the switch.”
Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown — like Stevens — followed Parker’s career. Finally playing alongside her in Chicago, what stood out wasn’t just Parker’s talent, but her relentless devotion while juggling motherhood, a broadcasting career and a championship run. “I remember watching her on TNT the night before, and she’d pull up to practice with some of her makeup still on,” Brown said. “She was really dedicated to helping us win. That was a special season for me.”
In the twilight of her career, Parker still showed flashes of the once baby-haired assassin who shook up the WNBA.
“It was a homecoming for the whole year,” Stevens said of Parker’s move to Chicago. “Being able to go back home and then bring a franchise its first championship is really special. The city really showed out for her.”
After two seasons in Chicago, Parker decided to reunite with Fargas — the coach who recruited Parker to Tennessee and eventually became president of the Las Vegas Aces.
With a championship pedigree and legacy to match, Parker’s new role was no longer the star but the connector. Her signing was meant to elevate A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — all former No. 1 picks — to their fullest potential.
“She brought a calmness to our team,” Fargas said. “We already had a high-powered offense. … But having her on our team definitely helped raise and bring a championship culture.”
Candace Parker won her third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
The outcome? A third championship with a third different team — another WNBA first.
But the victory came with a bittersweet edge. An ankle injury sidelined Parker for much of the season. “She did everything in her power to get back to us. … I know that was very difficult for her,” Fargas said.
With wear and tear piling up, Parker announced her retirement — opening with a borrowed line from a Jay-Z verse on the track “Dear Summer”:
“Dear Summer, I know you gon’ miss me …”
“I love his lyrics, but I love how he’s redefined what rappers are capable of,” Parker said of Jay-Z during an interview with ESPNW in 2023. “That’s what I hope to do for women’s basketball players. … I want to be that business leader, that business mind.”
Soon after retiring, Parker joined an investment group aiming to bring a WNBA franchise to Tennessee. Billionaire and former Gov. Bill Haslam — now chairman of the NHL’s Nashville Predators — and his wife, Crissy, led the Nashville-based bid. They’ve assembled a star-studded roster that includes Parker, Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and country music icons Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
“When I called her the first time, I said, ‘Candace, we’d love you to be involved, and we don’t just want your name,’” Haslam recalled. “She was really quick to say, ‘Well, that’s great, because that’s the only way I would be involved.’”
With the WNBA set to expand to 16 teams by 2028, the group submitted its formal bid in January. The group proposes calling the team Tennessee Summitt.
“To see Candace join an ownership group — why not?” Fargas said. “Why aren’t there more opportunities for the players who helped shape this league? Why aren’t there those opportunities to allow them to not only play the game, but also invest in it?”
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has withdrawn from Eastbourne with a thigh injury just four days before her SW19 title defence begins.
The Czech was taken to three sets in both of her matches on the south coast, beating Britons Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage in round one and two respectively.
She was set to face France’s Varvara Gracheva in the quarter-finals but pulled out before the match began.
Two-time major singles champion Krejcikova initially felt the issue on Wednesday and said it had “got worse” overnight.
“I’m very sorry to have to withdraw as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” the 29-year-old said.
“I think it’s better with Wimbledon in the next couple of days just to rest it and to see what’s going on and to resolve that.”
Krejcikova, who will open play on Tuesday at Wimbledon as the defending women’s champion, has played just six matches this year after a lengthy lay-off with a back injury.
She lost her first-round match at Queen’s last week then saved match points against both Dart and Burrage.
The world number 17 beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon final last year.
Spain’s economy keeps outpacing Europe, thanks to tourism, immigration, and a budding pharma sector. But tariff threats and structural challenges loom.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic peaked in 2021, the Spanish economy has consistently outperformed the rest of Europe, and economists expect it to outshine its peers this year once again. That doesn’t mean the country is immune to global headwinds, however, including the tariff disruptions and trade tensions that Washington ignited in April, and by 2026, GDP growth is seen slowing significantly from its current lively pace.
“We already know that economic growth in the first quarter of 2025 was very strong. That’s a solid starting point,” says Miguel Cardoso, chief economist for Spain at BBVA Research. First-quarter GDP, published at the end of April, was 0.6%, quarter on quarter.
Over the past five years, Spain has drawn international attention for its robust growth compared with neighboring countries. A combination of strong domestic demand—driven by tourism, immigration, and public spending—has fueled a much-needed expansion while the country’s standard of living has edged closer to that of wealthier European nations.
Miguel Cardoso, Chief Economist, BBVA
Since 2021, when Spain began recovering from a steep contraction, GDP growth has consistently outpaced the broader eurozone. Last year, it notched 3.2% compared to 0.7% for the eurozone.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects Spain’s growth will remain above the eurozone average at 2.5% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, and a medium-term potential of around 1.7% for subsequent years, but warns of downside risks including escalating trade tensions, increasing domestic political uncertainty, and demographic aging.
Early on, some economists predicted that Spain’s streak of outperformance would be short, citing structural challenges such as a limited infrastructure capacity, persistently high unemployment, an aging population, and a shortage of innovation-driven, highvalue jobs. So far, however, those forecasts have proven incorrect.
In late April, a power blackout occurred across the Iberian Peninsula, demonstrating one aspect of weak infrastructure in both Spain and Portugal. Spain has poor connections to the European grid, which make it difficult to share power and balance supply and demand, especially when renewable energy generation fluctuates.
The day-long blackout “will probably subtract between 0.1% to 0.2% from GDP growth in second-quarter 2025,” Cardoso predicts, “depending on whether firms can recover anywhere between 75% to 90% of lost production.”
Most economists express cautious optimism, anticipating that the impact on Spain of the Trump tariffs and global trade tensions, while not negligible, will remain relatively contained.
“Spain’s direct exposure to US tariffs is very limited. Exports of goods to the US represent just 1% to 1.5% of Spain’s GDP,” Cardoso notes. “That’s three to four times less than Germany’s exposure.”
Exports to the US are concentrated in specific products such as olive oil. According to the EU, Spain exported over 118,000 metric tons of the liquid to the US during the 2023-2024 crop year, with higher volumes expected in the current season thanks to increased availability and lower prices.
The bigger concern lies in the economy’s indirect exposure to a potential recession in Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse. “A recession in Germany would be very bad for Spain’s tourism sector,” Cardoso warns.
Growth Drivers
In recent years, tourism has been one of the key drivers of Spain’s economic growth. In 2024, the country welcomed a record 94 million international visitors, narrowing the gap with France, which remains the world’s top destination with 100 million. For economists, the question has been when the supply of tourism-related services—such as hotels, bars, and restaurants—would begin to show strain under rising demand.
So far, however, tourism continues to expand, stretching into off-peak seasons and reaching less traditional destinations.
“Data through March show that foreign spending in Spain is still growing at double-digit rates. Credit card spending by foreigners rose 12% to 13% year-on-year in the first quarter,” Cardoso notes.
Tourism patterns are also shifting, he says, as travelers take shorter, more frequent trips rather than the traditional, fixed-period family holidays. The change is enabling a more efficient use of tourism infrastructure, he says.
But growth in demand could still hit a limit in the number of hotels, restaurants, and other structures available.
“There are already signs of price pressures, and infrastructure will soon reach its limits,” says Sergi Jiménez-Martín, professor of Economics at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. “I wouldn’t mind seeing a negative shock to tourism, as it could ultimately benefit the economy by encouraging more semi-skilled youth and immigrants to shift into other industries.”
Tourism is a low-productivity, lowvalue-added sector, he argues, and redirecting employment toward other areas could lead to a more efficient and healthier economy.
Another element behind Spain’s recent outperformance is immigration.
“The Spanish economy expanded significantly, partly because the Covid-19 shock was so severe but also because of strong population growth, with about 2 million new residents, mostly from Latin America,” Jiménez-Martin says. Shared language and cultural ties have helped make immigration a net benefit for the economy, he adds, and while the new residents have often been low- or middle-qualified workers, a more promising expansion would be in different high-value growth sectors.
The pharmaceutical industry stands out as a success story. Accounting for some 1.5% of GDP and employing about 170,000 people in high-value jobs, it plays a still-small but promising role in the economy.
Spain is already one of the world leaders in clinical research. Since last year, it has ranked first in Europe, conducting nearly 1,000 clinical trials annually and surpassing Germany for the first time. Coming as countries like Germany and Belgium are seeing declines, this growth is driven by tax incentives, a cost-effective and skilled workforce, and a relatively fast regulatory process.
“Spain has some of the world’s fastest approval times,” says Oscar Salamanca, CEO of Ápices CRO, which provides support for clinical trials, and president of the Spanish Association of Contract Research Organizations (ACRO). “The time to treat the first patient is usually 90 to 100 days, compared to up to 300 in other countries. Costs are also much lower: up to five times less than in the US and two to three times lower than in much of Europe.”
These advantages have attracted global pharmaceutical giants like Novartis, Roche, and AstraZeneca, to establish research centers in Spain: particularly in Madrid and Barcelona, with additional hubs in Valencia, Seville, Málaga, and Santiago de Compostela.
Long-Term Worries
While tourism and pharmaceuticals, each in its own way, point toward future economic growth, a relatively low level of investment—mostly due to regulation and uncertainties—has many economists worrying that high public debt and an uncertain political landscape will cause Spain to hit its infrastructural limits in the coming years.
The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is a coalition between the socialist PSOE and other political forces to its left, including the main Catalan nationalist party. A new general election is to be held by August 2027.
Public debt level as a percentage of GDP was 101.8% at the end of last year. According to the latest IMF report, Spain’s debt remains vulnerable to growth and financing cost shocks.
“Given still-high debt and the economy’s strong cyclical position,” the IMF recommended in its April report, “there is a case for frontloading the authorities’ planned adjustment, strengthening the national fiscal framework to ensure that regions contribute to the consolidation effort, and adopting employmentfriendly measures to address the projected growing gap between pension expenditures and social security contributions.”
Among the IMF’s suggested moves are harmonizing VAT rates and strengthening green taxation: measures that could replace a less effective banking tax that was introduced three years ago and could now be phased out.
The IMF praised Spain’s financial system and the stability of its banks. BBVA’s plan to merge with smaller rival Banco de Sabadell moved one step forward on April 30, when the National Authority for Markets and Competition (CNMC) approved the deal under certain conditions, although other authorizations are still required.
While Spain has undoubtedly been a post-Covid success story, the IMF stressed that to stay on this positive trajectory, maintaining sound fiscal and regulatory policies and avoiding missteps that could derail progress will be essential.
French runner Lazzat held off Satono Reve to deny Japan a first triumph at Royal Ascot.
James Doyle was victorious aboard the 9-2 winner, trained by Jerome Reynier.
The jockey and winning owners Wathnan Racing, who also had the third-placed horse Flora Of Bermuda, were celebrating a double on the day after the earlier victory of Humidity in the Chesham Stakes.
Favourite Satono Reve was bidding to become the first Japanese-trained winner at the meeting after 12 previous attempts but was beaten by half a length.
As Doyle celebrated after the line, Lazzat unshipped his jockey and ran loose around the Ascot track before being caught.
Reynier was happier with Doyle than fellow jockey Flavien Prat, having described his effort on Facteur Cheval – who faded to finish sixth in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes – as “perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses”.
“James knew he was never going to get beaten. He listened exactly to what we said to him,” said the trainer.
Rebel’s Romance won the Hardwicke Stakes to give Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby his first victory at Royal Ascot since 2022.
It was an eighth top-level Group One victory for the horse, ridden by William Buick.
“He was the horse we needed. I’m just glad to get one on the board in the end,” said Appleby.
Appleby’s 6-4 favourite Treanmor had earlier finished fifth behind Humidity and Rebel’s Romance was his last Ascot runner of the week.
A record 1.26m television audience for Bath’s victory, combined with demand outstripping supply for the 82,000 tickets, suggests the Premiership is nurturing new fans.
There has been big growth in engaging supporters between the ages of 18-34, while Red Bull’s reported interest in buying Newcastle Falcons would tie in perfectly with a parallel aim of attracting youth-orientated brands.
It is a brief Calder has worked to before.
Before he arrived in rugby, he was the commercial director for the Hundred, the neon-spattered, slog-heavy cricket format that launched in 2021 and raised more than £500m with the sale of its franchise sides earlier this year.
That was revolution. In rugby, Calder is aiming for evolution.
“With the Hundred, we were clear that a distinctly new approach was going to be critical to get to the next generation,” he says.
“When I did research on the Hundred though I looked at rugby clubs and how they compared in terms of appeal to younger audiences and they actually performed pretty well.
“There are some strong brands in there – be it Harlequins or Leicester Tigers or others – with legacy and awareness of those identities.
“So I think we’re starting from a different level with rugby.”
The rebrand will include more behind-the-scenes content from the league’s bright, young things and more intelligent highlights, with dramatic moments, such as shuddering hits, try-saving tackles and interactions between players, included alongside the scores.
Some of the strategy is more mundane than the marketing, but just as important.
“The first time people come to rugby grounds, we have got to make them welcome,” says Calder.
“We’ve got to point out where everything is, to make sure there’s enough toilets for women, that the facilities are clean and the rest of it.
“Rugby is probably a little bit behind where some sports are, but that’s a massive focus for us.
“We’ve invested in gathering match day experience scores from fans and match day experience training with the clubs.”
Maria went an early break up in the first set, drawing errors out of Anisimova, before a thumping backhand winner from the American put it back on terms.
However, Maria kept Anisimova on the move, visibly frustrating her, and a netted forehand gave Maria the break back, before she served out the set with ease.
The numbers told the story, with Anisimova committing 10 unforced errors to Maria’s three in the opener, and the momentum stayed with the German as she broke at the first chance in the second set.
A mammoth fourth game saw seven deuces and Maria saving two break points for 3-1, before a brilliant scamper to a drop shot in the next allowed her to go a double break up.
Anisimova, who won the WTA 1000 title in Qatar earlier this year, went for broke, pummelling her shots to rescue a break and keep in touch.
But Maria, backed by the packed crowd, kept her nerve to serve out to 30 and secure her place in Queen’s history.
Maria is due to compete at the Nottingham Open, which begins on Monday, but said she will celebrate with her family first.
“This doesn’t happen every week so we have to celebrate with something,” she added.
“I think the kids will probably want some crepes with Nutella!”
May 28 (UPI) — President Donald Trump is a strong ally for the growing cryptocurrency industry, Vice President JD Vance told attendees at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
“Crypto finally has a champion and an ally in the White House,” Vance said while delivering the event’s keynote address, CBS News reported.
“We want our fellow Americans to know that crypto and digital assets, and particularly bitcoin, are part of the mainstream economy and are here to stay,” he said.
Vance was this year’s featured speaker at the annual bitcoin conference, which President Donald Trump headlined last year while campaigning for the presidency.
Stablecoins stabilize the dollar
He said the Trump administration does not view so-called stablecoins as destabilizing the U.S. dollar and instead strengthens it, CNBC reported.
“We view them as a force multiplier for our economic might,” Vance told the audience at The Venetian Resort.
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency whose value is derived from another asset, such as gold or the U.S. dollar, according to coinbase.
Vance said cryptocurrency has transformed how people and businesses conduct transactions, and its decentralized nature makes it a good way to protect personal and business finances against bad policies.
“Crypto is a hedge against bad policymaking from Washington, no matter what party’s in control,” he said.
Political advocacy for crypto progress
Vance encouraged those who are involved in cryptocurrency to increase their political advocacy.
He said $200 million in campaign support for candidates who supported cryptocurrency had a positive effect during the 2024 general election, The Hill reported.
Such financial support enabled Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, to beat Democratic Party incumbent Sherrod Brown in the 2024 Senate election in Ohio.
“Part of the reason that I’m standing here, part of the reason that Bernie Moreno defeated Sherrod Brown in the Senate campaign last year, is because you guys got organized and got involved in American politics,” Vance said.
Brown chaired the Senate Banking Committee, but his election defeat removed him as an obstacle to crypto-friendly legislation.
“There’s a lesson to take from that experience,” Vance said. “Unless you guys get involved in politics, politics is going to ignore this industry.”
Strong support for the GENIUS Act
The Trump administration is advocating for the GENIUS Act, which officially is called the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation in U.S. Stablecoins Act.
Vance said the proposed act’s enabling legislation is poised to be approved in the Senate and likely would fare well in the House of Representatives.
President Trump’s lead crypto adviser, David Sacks, last week told CNBC that U.S. investors have more than $200 billion in unregulated stablecoins.
Sacks said that amount could reach trillions of dollars “if we provide the legal clarity and legal framework for this.”
