The Afternoon Brief: Defamation verdict, ownership deals, and WNBA disruptions reshape the day

The most significant developments today fall squarely off the field, where three separate institutional stories, a historic legal verdict, a major franchise ownership transition, and a journalist's resignation over editorial control, reflect the pressures shaping modern sports as much as the games themselves.

The New York Times was found liable for defamation and false light invasion of privacy in a federal jury trial in Tuscaloosa and ordered to pay Kai Spears, a former Alabama basketball walk-on, approximately $9.25 million in damages. The verdict, concluded August 21, marks the Times' first defamation loss on a U.S. article in more than 50 years, according to the desk's reporting. The lawsuit stemmed from a March 15, 2023 article by reporter Billy Witz that identified Spears as the passenger in a car during a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa in January 2023. The identification was incorrect; further reporting determined the person at the scene was Cooper Lee, a student manager. The Times amended the article on June 2, 2023, three months after publication, acknowledging the misidentification. The organization's spokesman said it was "disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake" and that the verdict is "contrary to law and not supported by the evidence," and the Times is reviewing its legal options, signaling a potential appeal.

In a separate institutional matter, a sports columnist at The Seattle Times announced his resignation Thursday after the paper declined to publish a column he had written from the perspective of female athletes opposed to competing against biological males. Matt Calkins, who spent 11 years at the paper, submitted the column draft on July 31 and learned August 14 that it would not run. The Seattle Times told him the decision was based on his failure to inform editors in advance; Calkins stated he did not believe this explanation. The sources do not carry the Times' full explanation for why it spiked this or other pieces beyond the stated reason about advance notice.

On the ownership front, Marc Stad acquired controlling ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx in a transaction valued at $4.5 billion combined, the fourth-largest NBA franchise sale on record. Stad took the majority stake held by co-chairman Marc Lore. Alex Rodriguez, a co-owner since 2021, is increasing his investment and will assume expanded governance roles pending league approval, including service as co-chairman, Governor of the Lynx, and alternate Governor of the Timberwolves.

On the field, England's demolition of Pakistan continued its dominance in the opening Test of Joe Root's second captaincy at Headingley, winning by an innings and 103 runs inside three days. Pakistan's first innings totaled 171 runs, England replied with 409, and Pakistan's second innings crumbled to 135. Root described his team as outstanding. England leads the three-match series 1-0. In soccer, Inter Milan completed the signing of Curtis Jones from Liverpool for 35 million euros total (30 million upfront plus 5 million in add-ons), with a contract running through 2031. The deal concludes a months-long negotiation after Liverpool rejected a lower offer in June.

In MLS discipline, Major League Soccer fined Lionel Messi after he slapped Philadelphia Union player Quinn Sullivan during Inter Miami's 2-2 draw at Subaru Park on Wednesday. The league did not announce the fine amount. The incident occurred late in the match after what Messi said was Sullivan elbowing him.

In WNBA news, play was stopped during a Chicago Sky game on Friday when a green sex toy was thrown onto the court in the third quarter, forcing officials to remove it. The same disruption pattern occurred Thursday during an Atlanta Dream versus Los Angeles Sparks matchup, when similar objects were thrown from the stands. A male spectator at the Los Angeles game was caught by arena security and received a lifetime ban from attending WNBA matches. It is not yet clear whether those responsible for the Chicago disruption have been caught. Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud responded publicly, calling those responsible "lame" and "weird" and saying the incidents reflect "internal struggles" and weakness in those carrying them out. The WNBA announced that any spectator caught throwing sex toys onto the court will be banned from the league and face prosecution. Similar incidents occurred last season, when a meme-coin group claimed responsibility and has stated it will continue disrupting games to protest the league's policy on transgender athletes. The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."