(NEW YORK) -- A college football player from the University of Oregon has been arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 46-year-old man, police say.
The Eugene Police Department is investigating 19-year-old University of Oregon defensive back Daylen Amir Austin after a fatal hit-and-run crash took place a W. 4th Avenue and Polk Street in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday night at approximately 9:10 p.m just three miles from the college campus.
“Daylen Amir Austin, age 19, was arrested at 11:45 p.m. on April 15 and has initially been charged with felony Hit and Run,” said the Eugene Police Department in a statement released on Wednesday. “This is a complex investigation and EPD is still gathering information to be submitted to the Lane County District Attorney’s Office for a final charging decision.”
The person struck by the car, confirmed to be a 46-year-old man by police, has not yet been identified and no other details on him have been released.
A hit-and-run with a vehicle is a Class C felony in Oregon and is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Austin appeared in three games as a freshman in 2023, after coming to the University of Oregon from Long Beach Poly High in Southern California where he was ESPN's No. 142-ranked player in the class of 2023 and the No. 11 player in California, according to ESPN.
The investigation into the circumstances that led up to and caused the accident is currently ongoing.
(NEW YORK) -- Morgan Price is speaking out after she made history by becoming the first gymnast from a historically Black college or university to win a collegiate national title.
"It felt really amazing," Price told ABC News' Good Morning America of her historic win. "I'm very honored to be on such an amazing team, being part of the first ever HBCU gymnastics team and being the first HBCU gymnast to win [an] all-around national title. It really means everything to me."
Price clinched the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships all-around title on April 12. The Fisk University sophomore competed on the floor exercise, uneven bars, balance beam and vault and came out on top with an overall score of 39.225.
Fisk gymnastics head coach Corrinne Tarver said Price's achievement is especially notable because of the difficulty in competing in four disciplines.
"If you look throughout the country, as far as the number of athletes compared to those that do all around, it's a small number and a small percentage because it's hard to do four events week in, week out, and to put your body through that," Tarver told GMA. "To have four and to be that strong is something that is a testament to the dedication but really her talent."
Price competed against athletes from other schools including Talladega College, another HBCU which started their gymnastics team just last year, following Fisk's lead.
Price said she committed to working harder this season after not achieving her goals at nationals last year.
"I just knew that all my preseason work and offseason work really paid off," Price said of her pursuit this time around.
Price knows what it's like to put in the hard work. She comes from a family of athletes -- her father, the late Christopher Price, was a professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals, while her mother was a college cheerleader at Vanderbilt University. Her sister Frankie Price is also currently a college gymnast at the University of Arkansas.
At first, Price was also going to attend the University of Arkansas but switched to Fisk University after hearing the HBCU was going to start a collegiate gymnastics program.
"Growing up, I learned the importance of HBCUs and just being able to go to an HBCU, it's an honor. So I really wanted to bring my talents to an HBCU," Price explained of her decision.
Today, in addition to striving to be the best gymnast, the 18-year-old said she has her sights set on following in Tarver's footsteps and being a head gymnastics coach at an HBCU.
Fisk University launched the first gymnastics team at an HBCU in 2022 and head coach Tarver, who was the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title in 1989, has been leading the team since then.
HBCUs were established prior to the end of segregation in 1964 and sought to offer higher education to Black Americans who were shut out of schools. There are 99 HBCUs in 19 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to 2022 data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Price said she's aware young girls, especially young Black girls, look up to her as a role model and she encourages them to follow their dreams.
"Never give up, especially when it gets hard," Price said. "Nothing is just easy or given to you so you have to work for everything that you want. So keep working hard, don't give up and ask for help if you need it."
(NEW YORK) -- The pandemonium behind the new stars of women's college basketball this year carried to the WNBA, with the WNBA draft bringing in a whopping 2.5 million viewers, its highest viewership to date, according to ESPN.
With an influx of new fans, many are now outraged and exposing the decades-long gender pay gap issue in professional basketball.
Caitlin Clark was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft. Clark, along with other top rookies including Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, and Rickea Jackson, is tied for the highest female rookie salary, estimated to make $76,535 in her first season -- approximately $338,000 over four years, per the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement -- according to Sport Trac.
Compared to their male counterparts, most NBA players make over 100 times what the new women's players will make, including rookie Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 NBA draft pick last year, whose 2023-24 season salary was more than $12 million.
The pay disparity has been a longstanding challenge in the women's league for years.
"It's because of fans' lack of interest. Not watching, not buying products, not buying tickets. That's why we are where we are right now," Christine Brennan, USA Today columnist and an ABC News contributor, told ABC's Good Morning America.
Chicago Sky's Brianna Turner said her 2019 rookie salary was just $44,207.
"Appreciative that rookies this year are making significantly more than I did," she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I'm hopeful that rookies 5 years from now are making significantly more than rookies today. It's all about the growth, even if it's more beneficial for others."
The WNBA players have been fighting for pay equity for decades. Many players are even forced to play internationally in their offseason to supplement their WNBA incomes, as international salaries are often higher than those in the U.S.
"We saw it obviously become a major international headline with the Brittney Griner situation," Brennan said. "Why was Brittney Griner in Russia? Because of the low pay in the WNBA. That's it."
In a 2022 interview, Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum publicly called on the WNBA to improve its pay structure, advocating for a higher revenue share from the NBA.
"We're not asking to get paid what the men get paid," Plum told "The Residency Podcast" at the time. "We're asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared."
In addition to the WNBA rookies' base salaries, college name, image, and likeness deals like the ones Clark signed with Nike, Brink signed with New Balance and Reese signed with Reebok have been considered game changers for them, especially as many of their NIL deals will follow them into the pros.
As the WNBA enters its 28th season, experts believe this new draft class may help propel it and add momentum following record-breaking viewership numbers during the 2023 WNBA finals.
"The one thing I know about sports, you need household names, rivalries and games of consequence," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press conference ahead of the 2024 WNBA draft.
She added, "Those are the three things we've had over the past couple weeks, and hopefully will continue into the WNBA season."
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta 5, Houston 4 Oakland 6, St. Louis 3 Seattle 5, Cincinnati 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE Baltimore 4, Minnesota 2 Texas 5, Detroit 4 Kansas City 4, Chi White Sox 2 NY Yankees 6, Toronto 4 Chi White Sox 2, Kansas City 1 Boston 2, Cleveland 0 LA Angels 5, Tampa Bay 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE San Francisco 3, Miami 1 Milwaukee 1, San Diego 0 NY Mets 9, Pittsburgh 1 Washington 2, LA Dodgers 0 Chi Cubs 5, Arizona 3 Philadelphia 7, Colorado 6
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Philadelphia 105, Miami 104 Chicago 131, Atlanta 116
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 4 NY Islanders 5, Pittsburgh 4 Dallas 2 St. Louis 1 (SO) Arizona 5, Edmonton 2
(NEW YORK) -- A federal appeals court has voted to overturn West Virginia's law that bans transgender athletes from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling argues that the law violates Title IX, which protects against sex-based discrimination in schools.
The judges argued that the restrictions cannot be lawfully applied to prevent a 13-year-old girl taking puberty-blockers and who has openly identified as a girl for years from participating in sports.
"Offering B.P.J. a 'choice' between not participating in sports and participating only on boys teams is no real choice at all," the opinion stated.
It continued, "The defendants cannot expect that B.P.J. will countermand her social transition, her medical treatment, and all the work she has done with her schools, teachers, and coaches for nearly half her life by introducing herself to teammates, coaches, and even opponents as a boy."
The defendants in the case -- including the West Virginia State Board Of Education and the State Of West Virginia -- argued that sports are separated based on the physiological differences of people assigned male or female at birth.
They added that it would not be "strange" for the trans teen to play on a boys team: "Many women and girls throughout West Virginia and the country have long sought to compete on boys' teams because they desire a higher level of competition," one court filing from the state read.
It continued: "A girl competing on the boys' team need not be strange or uncomfortable because it is far from a unique occurrence."
LGBTQ rights and civil rights advocates applauded the decision from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
"This is a tremendous victory for our client, transgender West Virginians, and the freedom of all youth to play as who they are," said Joshua Block, senior staff attorney for the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Project. "It also continues a string of federal courts ruling against bans on the participation of transgender athletes and in favor of their equal participation as the gender they know themselves to be. This case is fundamentally about the equality of transgender youth in our schools and our communities and we're thankful the Fourth Circuit agreed."
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed the trans sport ban into law in 2021. It is one of 25 states that restrict transgender participation in sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Seattle 3, Cincinnati 1 Atlanta 6, Houston 2 St. Louis 3, Oakland 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE Kansas City at Chi White Sox (Postponed) Detroit 4, Texas 2 Baltimore 11, Minnesota 3 Toronto 5, NY. Yankees 4 Tampa Bay 7, LA Angels 6 Cleveland 10, Boston 7
NATIONAL LEAGUE Arizona 12, Chi Cubs 11 LA Dodgers 6, Washington 2 Philadelphia 5, Colorado 0 Miami 6, San Francisco 3 NY Mets 3, Pittsburgh 1 San Diego 6, Milwaukee 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Sacramento 118, Golden State 94 LA Lakers 110, New Orleans 106
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Vancouver 4, Calgary 1 Vegas 3, Chicago 1 Columbus 6, Carolina 3 Ottawa 3, Boston 1 Washington 2, Philadelphia 1 Detroit 5, Montreal 4 (SO) Florida 5, Toronto 2 Winnipeg 4, Seattle 3
Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall pick by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024 in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa star, was selected as the first overall pick for the 2024 WNBA draft Monday night by the Indiana Fever in New York that was broadcast on ESPN.
Known for her jaw-dropping 3-pointers and record-breaking scoring, Clark was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever prior to the announcement, according to ESPN.
This season alone, Clark, a 22-year-old Iowa native, broke the NCAA all-time scoring record which was untouched for more than 50 years, and became the NCAA women's basketball career scoring leader.
The Fever has also reported an increase in ticket sales and the league will broadcast 36 of their 40 games this season.
Earlier this year, Clark announced that she planned to forego her last season of college hoops to enter the WNBA draft.
"I'm just kind of ready for the next chapter and a new challenge in my life," Clark told ABC News' Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in March. "And what I've been able to do here has been very, very special. But I think the reason I decided to announce it when I did was just to have that closure."
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Sparks selected Cameron Brink as the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Hailing from Beaverton, Oregon, the 22-year-old became the first women's basketball player to sign an NIL deal with New Balance in 2023.
Brink broke the program record for career blocks as a junior and won an NCAA championship with Stanford in 2021 under Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach of all time who also announced her retirement after this season.
Kamilla Cardoso, hailing from Brazil, was the No. 3 overall draft, selected by Chicago Sky.
The 6-foot-7 star began her basketball career at Syracuse and later transferred to South Carolina, where she won two NCAA national championships. After a masterful performance in the NCAA Tournament, the 22-year-old was awarded the most outstanding player in this year's championship game.
Rickea Jackson, 23, was selected by Los Angeles Spark at No. 4. Hailing from Detroit, Jackson was a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award as Division I’s best small forward while playing for Tennessee, according to the WNBA, and is the fourth-leading scorer in Lady Vol’s program history.
Dallas Wings has selected Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon at No. 5.
Aaliyah Edwards of UConn was the overall 6th pick drafted by the Washington Mystics. The 6-foot-4 forward from Kingston, Ontario, helped UConn to three NCAA Final Four appearances. Edwards was the youngest member of the Canadian women’s national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the WNBA.
Angel Reese, the celebrated Baltimore native turned "Bayou Barbie,” was selected at No. 7 by the Chicago Sky. Reese, 21, became a sensation following Louisiana State University’s victory over Iowa in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship.
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(NEW YORK) -- Nike unveiled its 2024 Paris Summer Olympics track uniforms for women and the designs received criticism online from athletes and fans amid claims of sexism.
Concerns were brought up after the image of the designs was posted last week by Citius Magazine on its social platforms, which shows a women's unitard featuring a high-cut bikini line.
The post led to thousands of comments including some from former U.S. athletes.
Former U.S. track and field athlete Lauren Fleshman posted the image of the men's and women's outfit which were dressed on mannequins on her Instagram account, calling out the brand over sexism concerns in her lengthy caption.
"I'm sorry, but show me one WNBA or NWSL team who would enthusiastically support this kit," she wrote. "This is for Olympic Track and Field. Professional athletes should be able to compete without dedicating brain space to constant pube vigilance or the mental gymnastics of having every vulnerable piece of your body on display."
She continued, "Women's kits should be in service to performance, mentally and physically. If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it."
Noting that the design "is not an elite athletic kit," Fleshman added, "This is a costume born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or needed to get eyes on women's sports."
Olympic champion pole vaulter Katie Moon also took the issue to her Instagram account, citing the image of the outfit "shown on the mannequin was concerning, and warranted the response it received."
In the post, Moon, however, shared that female athletes have "at least 20 different combinations of a uniform to compete in" including men's options available to them.
"And if you honestly think that on the most important days of our careers we're choosing what we wear to appease the men watching over what we're most comfortable and confident in, to execute to the best of our abilities, that's pretty offensive," she added.
In a statement to ABC News, Nike said the outfit is one of the "range of styles" that it offers for athletes to choose from. The brand said it "will also have tailoring options available for Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the games."
Meanwhile, Nike Chief Innovation Officer, John Hoke, said in a press release last week that the brand "designed the Paris 2024 track and field kits to offer athletes a range of silhouettes tailored for various sport disciplines, body types and sizes, prioritizing performance and maximum breathability."
The USA Track & Field team also issued its own statement to ABC News regarding the Nike uniform reveal, saying the outfits "are only two of many options, including 50 unique pieces, that athletes will be able to choose from for the upcoming Olympic Games."
"Athlete options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike," the statement continued. "USATF is also aware that Nike consulted with athletes throughout the design process to ensure that all athletes are comfortable and that the uniforms are well-suited for their respective events."
The criticism over Nike's design for the women's track uniforms comes less than two months after the brand received a backlash over its league-wide uniform overhaul for Major League Baseball players which some fans and players called the jersey and pants too transparent.
The MLB said in a statement in February that it would work with Nike to have adjustments made to the uniforms and that the league was in "close contact with our Clubs and uniform partners to ensure Clubs have what they need for Opening Day."
Nike also said in a statement that they would work closely with the MLB and its players.
"The quality and the performance of our product is of the utmost importance to us. We will continue to work with MLB, the players and our manufacturing partner to address player uniforms," Nike said in a statement at the time.
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta 6, Houston 1 St. Louis 3, Oakland 1 Seattle 9 Cincinnati 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland 6, Boston 0 Texas 1, Detroit 0 Baltimore 7, Minnesota 4 LA Angels 7, Tampa Bay 3 Toronto 3, NY Yankees 1 Kansas City 2, Chi White Sox 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE Chi Cubs 3, Arizona 2 (11) Washington 6, LA Dodgers 4 San Francisco 4, Miami 3 Philadelphia 2, Colorado 1 NY Mets 6, Pittsburgh 3 San Diego 7, Milwaukee 3
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE NY Islanders 4, New Jersey 1 Buffalo 4, Tampa Bay 2 Washington 2, Boston 0 Pittsburgh 4, Nashville 2 Detroit 5, Montreal 4 (OT) NY Rangers 4, Ottawa 0 Edmonton 9, San Jose 2 Minnesota 3, Los Angeles 1
(NEW YORK) -- The highly anticipated 2024 WNBA draft is finally here. Like many fans, players will anxiously await to hear their name called on Monday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
In 2023, the league broke records in ticket sales with back-to-back WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, reporting sold-out games throughout the season and viewership with the WNBA reporting over 36 million total unique viewers across all national networks during the regular season.
The women's NCAA championship game earlier this month outdrew the men's with an average of 18.9 million viewers, according to ESPN.
With some of women’s college basketball players being newcomers, the league is anticipating bigger turnouts than ever before. Here are six players to watch ahead of the WNBA draft.
1. Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark is known for her jaw-dropping 3-pointers and record-breaking scoring. The University of Iowa star declared for the WNBA draft in February in a social media post. Clark, 22, is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever, according to ESPN. I
Iowa announced it will be retiring Clark’s jersey, No. 22, later this season. The Fever is also reporting increased ticket sales and the league will broadcast 36 of their 40 games this season.
2. Cameron Brink
Hailing from Beaverton, Oregon, and standing at 6-foot-4, Cameron Brink is a force to be reckoned with in the post. Brink became the first women's basketball player to sign an NIL deal with New Balance in 2023. Brink broke the program record for career blocks as a junior and won an NCAA championship with Stanford in 2021 under Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach of all time who also announced her retirement after this season.
The 22-year-old is expected to be the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft with the Los Angeles Sparks, according to ESPN.
3. Kamilla Cardoso
At just 15 years old, Kamilla Cardoso left her home in Montes Claros, Brazil, and moved to the U.S. alone. Her goal was to play basketball in college and reach the WNBA. The 6-foot-7 star began her basketball career at Syracuse and later transferred to South Carolina, where she won two NCAA national championships. After a masterful performance in the NCAA Tournament, the 22-year-old was awarded the most outstanding player in this year's championship game.
Cardoso is expected to be the No. 3 overall draft pick for the Chicago Sky, according to ESPN. She will be featured in a documentary alongside Clark coming this May.
4. Rickea Jackson
Though you don't hear the name often, 23-year-old Rickea Jackon's calm and poised demeanor on the court should not go unnoticed. Hailing from Detroit, Jackson was a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award as Division I’s best small forward while playing for Tennessee, according to the WNBA, and is the fourth-leading scorer in Lady Vol’s program history.
The 6-foot-2 forward has name, image and likeness deals with Burt’s Bees and Bojangles. She is projected to be the No. 4 overall pick for the Los Angeles Sparks. according to ESPN.
5. Aaliyah Edwards
Playing under UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is no easy task. The 6-foot-4 forward from Kingston, Ontario, helped UConn to three NCAA Final Four appearances. Edwards was the youngest member of the Canadian women’s national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the WNBA.
Edwards signed an NIL deal with adidas Canada, becoming the first NIL athlete of the global sports brand's Canadian division, according to the WNBA. She is projected to be selected No. 5 to the Dallas Wings, according to ESPN.
6. Angel Reese
The Baltimore native turned "Bayou Barbie" became a sensation following Louisiana State University’s victory over Iowa in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship. Angel Reese, the 2024 SEC player of the year, made her WNBA draft announcement in style -- with a feature in Vogue magazine. With nearly 3 million followers and big NIL deals, the 6-foot-3 forward has captivated the world at the intersection of sports and fashion. She is projected to be selected No. 8 by the Chicago Sky, according to ESPN.
The WNBA draft will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be streamed on ESPN.
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Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner attend The 2023 Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- WNBA star Brittney Griner and wife Cherelle Griner are expecting a baby, according to a shared post on each of their Instagrams.
"Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being," read the caption of the post, including the hashtags "#BabyGrinerComingSoon #July2024," indicating a summer due date.
The post was accompanied with a photo of the couple holding hands with matching tattoos, on top of a series of photographs showing ultrasound photos.
The couple met at Baylor University where Brittney Griner was a star college basketball player before being drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft.
The announcement comes over one year since Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison on December 8 2022 after a 10-month detainment. Cherelle Griner, a lawyer, played a role in her wife’s release from Russia, speaking out on the topic often and communicating with President Joe Biden.
Brittney, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, plays for the Phoenix Mercury.
Earlier this year, "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts announced she will sit down for an exclusive first interview with Brittney this spring to discuss the athlete's new book, "Coming Home," her experience in Russia and the process of re-entering her life in the United States.
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Tampa Bay 9, San Francisco 4 NY Mets 2, Kansas City 1 Toronto 5, Colorado 0 Baltimore 6, Milwaukee 4 Cincinnati 11, Chi White Sox 4 Chi Cubs 3, Seattle 2 Oakland 7, Washington 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE Detroit 4, Minnesota 3 Boston 5, LA Angels 4 Houston 8, Texas 5 Cleveland 8, NY Yankees 7
NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 9, Philadelphia 2 Atlanta 9, Miami 7 Arizona 5, St. Louis 0 San Diego 6, LA Dodgers 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Charlotte 120, Cleveland 110 Boston 132, Washington 122 Philadelphia 107, Brooklyn 86 Indiana 157, Atlanta 115 Miami 118, Toronto 103 Orlando 113, Milwaukee 88 New York 120, Chicago 119 (OT) San Antonio 123, Detroit 95 Houston 116, LA Clippers 105 Oklahoma City 135, Dallas 86 Golden State 123, Utah 116 Sacramento 121, Portland 82 Denver 126, Memphis 111 Phoenix 125, Minnesota 106 LA Lakers 124, New Orleans 108
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE St. Louis 4 Seattle 1 Vegas 4, Colorado 3 (OT) Carolina 4, Chicago 2 Calgary 6, Arizona 5
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 2 (Tie) St Louis City 1, Austin FC 0
PHOTO: Race winner Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain and Jenner Racing (55) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 4 race at Circuit Paul Ricard July 23, 2022 in Le Castellet, France. Race winner Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain and Jenner Racing (55) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 4 race at Circuit Paul Ricard July 23, 2022 in Le Castellet, France. -- Clive Rose/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) -- As women continue to break barriers in the motorsport industry, one woman hopes to become a Formula One driver.
In the sport's nearly 75-year history, only two women have qualified for Formula One, and only one driver, Lella Lombardi, scored points during a race in 1975.
Now in 2024, some say the industry is changing as more women are competing alongside men on the tracks. Jamie Chadwick, 25, a seasoned Andretti Global driver, is currently in her sophomore year in the sport. She has been making strides in the Indy NXT circuit, showcasing her skills and determination. However, her sights are set on a bigger challenge: racing in Formula One.
"My ultimate goal is obviously Formula One," Chadwick told ABC News. "It is one of the hardest sports in the world, in my opinion. So I'm under no illusions as to what it takes to get to that point. But I strongly believe if I can get good results in Indy next, ultimately I want to go to potentially IndyCar next, which is the step just above Indy NXT."
Chadwick is a three-time W Series champion. Before it ended in 2023, the W Series was a fully funded, all-female driver league. After the end of the W series, she joined Indy NXT, where women compete alongside men.
Chadwick also spoke to ABC News about her love of the sport and how she got started.
"Before I got into racing, I was described as quite a big tomboy. And having an older brother, I was very competitive with him. Everything he would do, I would want to do. As soon as he started racing, it was quite a big decision, or obvious decision, for me to kind of follow into it. And from there, yeah, I just fell in love with the sport."
According to IndyCar, Chadwick finished 12th in last year's drivers' standings and was the fourth best-placed rookie. Chadwick told ABC News that if she wins every race this year and next, there's no reason she couldn't be in Formula One. Chadwick would become the first woman in decades to race in Formula One, which saw its inaugural season in 1950. But Chadwick says the historic feat isn't necessarily a good thing.
"The accolades don't mean a huge amount," Chadwick said. "I don't care so much for being the first woman to do anything. I don't see that as being necessarily a compliment. I see it as a negative thing because really, there is no reason why I should be the first woman to do all these things."
Although motorsports is one of the few sports that allows both genders to compete, less than 10% of all participants are female, according to the non-profit organization More Than Equal. The organization cited that the physical demand of the sport, lack of opportunities to train, minimal female sponsorships, and expenses remain as potential barriers for young women wanting to race.
The CEO of More Than Equal, Ali Donnelly, told ABC News, "We found in our research that girls really struggle to pick up the funding required, whether it's from sponsors or investors, because that path hasn't been laid. Jamie Chadwick, for example, for a sponsor, (or) a backer, it's really a risk to take on a girl."
"Cars are designed to cater to the needs of the average male driver," Chadwick said. "So actually, as a smaller person, it's been a challenge to get strong enough to be fit enough to actually just drive the cars."
According to Chadwick, the cost of breaking into the sport alone can dissuade female participants. "I think the sport definitely isn't the most accessible. It's an expensive sport to get into. It costs money. I don't think that's going to change overnight."
To combat the challenges young girls will face entering the sport, Chadwick launched 'The Jamie Chadwick Series' with Daytona Motorsport to help future drivers overcome some of these barriers. "There's a lot of initiatives going on, but there isn't really anything tackling absolute grassroots level," Chadwick said. Most drivers enter the sport through karting and progress from there if they receive funding.
With this program, Chadwick will introduce participants to karting and mentor them throughout the year, and the winner will receive financial support to advance to the next level of their career, according to the Daytona.uk site.
"In my opinion, there is no reason why it's so male dominated," Chadwick said. "It shouldn't be. It can be a sport that is really open to all."
(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota at Detroit (Postponed) Kansas City 13, Houston 3 Oakland 1, Texas 0 Baltimore 9, Boston 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Postponed) NY Mets 16, Atlanta 4 Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Chicago 127, Detroit 105 New York 118, Boston 109 Utah 124, Houston 121 Golden State 100, Portland 92 New Orleans 135, Sacramento 123
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE San Jose 3, Seattle 1 Los Angeles 4 Calgary 1 Florida 4, Columbus 0 Buffalo 4, Washington 2 Philadelphia 4, NY Rangers 1 New Jersey 6, Toronto 5 Pittsburgh 6, Detroit 5 (OT) Ottawa 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO) NY Islanders 3, Montreal 2 (OT) Winnipeg 3, Dallas 0
(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) -- The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani now faces federal charges over allegations he stole millions from MLB's highest-paid player in a gambling scheme, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Ippei Mizuhara has been charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani to "finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting," United States Attorney Martin Estrada said during a press briefing.
Estrada claimed Mizuhara committed fraud on a "massive scale" to "plunder" Ohtani's bank account to pay for his gambling debts.
Mizuhara had helped Ohtani, who did not speak or understand English, set up his bank account in 2018 in Arizona and "used that familiarity" to later steal the funds from Ohtani to help pay for illegal sports bets, the DOJ alleged. He is accused of wiring more than $16 million in unauthorized transfers from Ohtani's checking account from November 2021 to January 2024, the DOJ said. He is also accused of impersonating Ohtani over the phone with the bank to approve wire transfers to the bookmakers, the DOJ said.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday afternoon that Mizuhara is expected to self-surrender to federal authorities on Friday. He will likely make his initial court appearance sometime after 5 p.m. ET at federal court in Downtown Los Angeles. Mizuhara will not be asked to enter a plea, the officials said, and he will appear and likely be released on bond.
Estrada stressed that Ohtani is considered a victim in the case and has cooperated "fully and completely" in the investigation.
"There is no evidence to indicate that Mr. Ohtani authorized the over $16 million of transfers from his account to the bookmakers," Estrada said.
Any winnings were deposited in Mizuhara's own personal bank account, not any account owned by Ohtani, and the ex-interpreter allegedly admitted to a bookmaker to stealing from Ohtani, according to Estrada. Ohtani also provided his cellphone to investigators, who did not find any evidence to suggest that he was aware of or involved in the illegal gambling activity, the DOJ said.
"Our investigation has revealed that due to the position of trust that he occupied with Mr. Ohtani, Mr. Mizuhara had unique access to Mr. Ohtani's finances," Estrada said. "Mr. Mizuhara used and abused that position of trust in order to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani."
Bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, Estrada said.
The federal investigation is being conducted by the Los Angeles offices of IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, the main investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Dodgers announced they had fired the Japanese interpreter on March 20, after the gambling controversy surfaced. The team did not provide a specific reason for Mizuhara's termination.
Ohtani addressed the scandal for the first time on March 25 during a press conference. In a prepared statement, Ohtani said through an interpreter, "I am very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this."
"I never bet on baseball or any other sports," Ohtani continued. "I never asked somebody to do that on my behalf and I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports."
The 29-year-old pitching and hitting star, who signed a $700 million deal in the offseason to join the Dodgers, claimed he did not know about Mizuhara's gambling until after a Dodgers game in Korea the prior week.
"Up until a couple days ago, I didn't even know that this was happening," he said at the time.
Mizuhara had worked with the Dodgers as Ohtani's interpreter after serving in the same capacity with the Angels. Ohtani and Mizuhara's relationship dates back to 2013, when Ohtani played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League and Mizuhara was an interpreter for the team.
Ohtani has been playing for the Dodgers throughout the scandal, batting .333 with three home runs and eight RBIs for National League-leading Los Angeles. He is not pitching this season as he recovers from elbow surgery.
MLB announced it was investigating the situation last month, two days after the Dodgers fired Mizuhara.
