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sports Diasabra 16 OctOber 2021

South Carolina awards Staley 7-year, $22.4 million contract

(AP) — Dawn Staley and South keep Coach Staley at the University
Carolina have agreed to a new, She’ll receive a base salary of $1 mil- of South Carolina is great news for all
seven-year contract that will pay lion a year over the life of the deal Gamecocks.”
her $2.9 million this season and with her guaranteed outside com-
grow to $3.5 million in the final pensation starting at $1.9 million this Staley arrived at South Carolina in
season. season and growing by $100,000 each the 2008-09 season after coaching at
subsequent year. Temple and built a program t hat won
The school’s Board of Trustees ap- the national title in 2017.
proved the deal worth $22.4 million Staley can also earn up to $680,000 in
on Friday to keep the national cham- incentive bonuses. The school would The Gamecocks have won five SEC
pionship coach with the Gamecocks owe Staley $3 million if it terminat- regular-season titles and six league
through the 2027-28 season. ed her without cause this season, an tournament crowns. They reached
amount that falls to $250,000 by the the Final Four at the NCAA Tourna-
The school said in a statement the end of the deal. ment this past spring before falling to
new deal makes Staley the highest- Stanford in the national semifinals.
paid Black coach in women’s bas- Staley would pay the university $5
ketball and one of the highest paid million if she left on her own this In the offseason, Staley led the Unit- ing, but this one was especially im-
coaches in the sport. season. That amount falls to $2 mil- ed States’ women’s basketball team to portant as I knew it could be a bench-
lion by the contract’s end on April 15, a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. mark, an example for other universi-
Staley’s salary is the highest in the 2028. ties to invest in their women’s basket-
Southeastern Conference, surpassing And the Gamecocks are expected to ball programs, too,” Staley said. “Our
newly hired LSU coach Kim Mulkey, Staley “has built our women’s basket- have another strong season, adding game continues to grow and the time
who will make $2.5 million in her ball program from the ground up, and the No. 1-ranked recruiting class to is ripe to make a big step forward, but
first year with the Tigers. her teams have produced champions, the team featuring all-SEC players only if universities foster that growth
both on and off the floor,” South Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. by committing resources that are eq-
Staley was set to make $2.1 million Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner uitable to those given to their men’s
this season under her old contract. said in a statement. “The ability to “Contract negotiations are challeng- programs.”

Cora meets former team again with Red Sox vs Astros in ALCS

(AP) — Boston Red Sox doesn’t matter how you get the crowd when the series no matter how the series outing this year after return-
manager Alex Cora was here, it just matters what you shifts to Boston for Game starts or the outcome.” ing from Tommy John sur-
already counting on a re- do from here on and we’re 3 on Monday, Cora admit- gery Aug. 14.
match with his former prepared for it.” ted that it feels weird when The biggest question of the
team even before the they’re heckled since he was series is the status of Hous- Cora said they don’t consider
Houston Astros advanced The red-hot Red Sox beat involved with the cheating. ton ace Lance McCullers Jr. Sale an opener in this game
to their fifth straight AL the Yankees in the wild-card He doesn’t feel like the scan- The right-hander was mas- and that there would be no
Championship Series. game and earned a trip to dal is in the past because he terful in a Game 1 win in the limitations on the left-hand-
Houston by upsetting the lives with it every day. ALDS, pitching scoreless ball er.
“He told me (Monday), ‘see 100-win Rays 3-1 in a wild into the seventh. But he left
you soon,’” Houston star division series, featuring a “I’m sorry, I made a mistake Game 4 after four innings “If we didn’t feel comfort-
Carlos Correa said. 13-inning win in Game 3 and and I’m living it,” he said. with tightness in his right able, we wouldn’t pitch him,”
a walk-off victory in Game 4. “It’s uncomfortable because forearm and was still being Cora said.
The Astros assured their I know that when they get evaluated Thursday as the
place the next day, closing Cora helped Houston win booed or they scream at Astros determine his avail- But what made Cora feel
out the White Sox i Game 4 the 2017 World Series as them, I’m there. I was part of ability for the series. good about putting Sale back
of the Division Series. bench coach, then managed it.” on the mound in such a big
Boston to the 2018 cham- “He did go for an MRI, just game after his recent strug-
Now that this matchup is set pionship after disposing of The Astros are the third team precautionary to make sure gles?
and will begin Friday night, the Astros. He was let go in MLB history to reach the everything’s OK in there,”
Cora, the Houston bench by the Red Sox following league championship series general manager James Click “It’s Chris Sale,” Cora said.
coach, will look to take down Major League Baseball’s in- in five consecutive seasons, said. “So, we’re waiting for “He’s a big part of what we’re
the Astros in the ALCS for vestigation into Houston’s joining the Braves (1995- those images to be reviewed trying to accomplish.”
the second time in four years sign-stealing scheme, then 99) and Athletics (1971-75). and getting examination on
after beating them to a World suspended by MLB through Houston manager Dusty him, and we’ll see where that Sale, who was also bad in his
Series title in 2018. the 2020 postseason before Baker has only been around goes.” last regular season start, said
getting rehired in Boston last for these last two. He took he felt “lesser than dirt” af-
“I’m enjoying the groove,” November. over after manager A.J. A lot of people will weigh ter Game 2. But the support
Cora said. “I think hon- Hinch was fired after being in on the decision but Click of Cora and his teammates
estly, as a team, we’re click- Asked about the reception suspended for his part in the said it will be “just ultimately helped get him in the right
ing at the right time ... and it the Astros might get from scheme. about how Lance feels.” mindset to bounce back Fri-
day.
But he’s certainly been With McCullers out, the As-
around long enough to know tros will start Framber Valdez He said he’s been on the
he has a team built for Octo- in Game 1 against Chris Sale. mound every day since his
ber. Game 2 in Houston Saturday last start trying to iron some
features Astros rookie Luis things out. He believes he’s
“These guys take a lot of pride García against Nathan Eo- rediscovered a changeup that
in winning, and especially the valdi. was missing against the Rays
guys that have been here for a and that he’s solved the prob-
while,” Baker said. “They’ve There was some question lems commanding his fast-
been through a couple of about how Sale would be ball.
back-to-back 100-loss sea- used in this series after the
sons, and they like the feeling seven-time All-Star permit- “We’ll see what we get (Fri-
of winning and the feeling of ted five runs in just one in- day),” he said. “But I like
being on top. And they think ning of a Game 2 start in the where we’re at.”
that they’re supposed to win division series. It was his 10th