Today in Sports History: First WNBA game held
Today’s Sports Highlight in History:
In 1997, The New York Liberty beat the Los Angeles Sparks 67-57 in the WNBA’s inaugural game. A crowd of 14,284 attends the game at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
On this date:
1919 — Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman wins the women’s U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Marion Zinderstein.
1932 — Jack Sharkey scores a 15-round split decision over Max Schmeling to win the world heavyweight title in New York.
1960 — Armin Hary of West Germany becomes the first man to run 100 meters in 10.0 seconds at a meet in Zurich, Switzerland.
1964 — Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches a perfect game against the New York Mets. The no-hitter gives Bunning one in each league and the Phillies’ Gus Triandos becomes the first catcher to handle no-hitters in both leagues.
1964 — UEFA European Championship Final, Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain: Marcelino scores the winner as Spain beats Soviet Union, 2-1.
1965 — Gary Player becomes the third man to win golf’s top four pro titles when he captures the U.S. Open. Player beats Kel Nagle by three strokes in a playoff round. Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan had won the U.S. and British Opens, the Masters and the PGA.
1970 — Britain’s Tony Jacklin becomes the first English golfer in 50 years to win the U.S. Open, beating Dave Hill by five strokes.
1970 — FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City: Brazil and Pelé become first team and player to win World Cup 3 times, beating Italy, 4-1 in front of 107,412.
1971 — Lee Trevino beats Jack Nicklaus by two strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.
1975 — S. Kaye Bell becomes the first woman to train the winner of a $100,000 stakes race when she sends Mr. Lucky Phoenix to win the Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap at Detroit Racecourse.
1986 — 1985 Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, signs 3-year contract to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals.
1988 — 42nd NBA Championship: LA Lakers beat Detroit Pistons, 4 games to 3.
1994 — Lori McNeil upsets five-time champion Steffi Graf 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in the first round of Wimbledon. Graf becomes the first reigning women’s champion to lose in the first round.
2003 — Lennox Lewis retains his heavyweight title when a cut stops Vitali Klitschko after six brawling rounds. All three ringside judges had Klitschko winning 58-56, but ring doctor Paul Wallace orders referee Lou Moret to stop the fight.
2005 — French Open winner Justine Henin-Hardenne loses in the first round at Wimbledon. The Belgian becomes the first Roland Garros women’s champion since 1962 to lose her opening match at Wimbledon when she’s beaten by Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, 7-6 (8), 2-6, 7-5.
2012 — Miami’s LeBron James caps his title bid with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Chris Bosh adds 23 points, Dwyane Wade scores 20 points and the Heat finish off the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, winning 121-106.
2015 — Jordan Spieth becomes the sixth player to win the Masters and the U.S. Open after Dustin Johnson three-putts from 12 feet on the final hole at Chambers Bay with a chance to win the championship himself. The 21-year-old Spieth becomes the youngest player to win two majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922 and was the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923.
2018 — Arizona center Deandre Ayton is the first pick of the NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
2022 — MLB Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has career high 8 RBI in 11-inning 12-11 loss to Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, California.