The Liberty’s Role in Making W.N.B.A. Players ‘Top Dogs’ of Activism

By BY SETH BERKMAN from NYT Sports Five years ago, players were fined for wearing unapproved shirts to protest the fatal shootings of two Black men. The league has since embraced players’ desire to speak out against social injustice.https://nyti.ms/3yoW4O4

In Anti-Ownership Protests, United Fans Rediscover Their Own Power

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports The protests, by Manchester United fans demanding the Glazer family sell the club, forced the postponement of a match after the stadium was stormed.https://nyti.ms/3eMEpaS

Klete Keller, Former Olympic Medalist, Charged in Capitol Siege

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports Keller, a two-time gold medalist and former teammate of Michael Phelps, faces federal charges that include disorderly conduct and obstructing law enforcement.https://nyti.ms/3icgmTL

With Each Run, a City Shaken by Racism Is ‘Finding the Greater Good’

By BY ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS from NYT Sports The route William Jones III designed 15 years ago through predominantly Black neighborhoods in Charlottesville, Va., has become the impetus for a diverse running group that’s grown since the summer.https://nyti.ms/3hjepon

As a Coach and a Cop in Minneapolis, Where Would He Draw the Line?

By BY KURT STREETER AND TIM GRUBER from NYT Sports While his city struggles with the pandemic and wounds laid bare by George Floyd’s killing, Charles Adams embodies the everyday people trying to make change.https://nyti.ms/2Hxf2Nk

With Push on Diversity, N.H.L. Makes Landmark Selection of Black Player

By BY SALIM VALJI from NYT Sports Quinton Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in league history just one day before the Hockey Diversity Alliance said it would work independently of the N.H.L.https://nyti.ms/2SJSg7i

Chinese State TV to Air N.B.A. for First Time Since Hong Kong Rift

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports China Central Television, a state-run network, stopped airing N.B.A. games after a team executive expressed support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong last fall.https://nyti.ms/2IfoiWE

N.B.A. Season Like No Other: ‘One of the Worst, Strangest Years’

By BY SCOTT CACCIOLA from NYT Sports Coronavirus and conflict, protest and mourning: Five people tell what they learned about basketball, and themselves, in a turbulent season that changed the N.B.A.https://nyti.ms/2Sb7l19

Inside One N.F.L. Team’s Attempt to Turn Protest Into Action

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports The Falcons, who play in the home city of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are making voting rights a priority this season.https://nyti.ms/33CzgfN

Naomi Osaka Is Steadfast in Winning, and Her Message

By BY BEN ROTHENBERG from NYT Sports After some upsets elsewhere, Osaka has asserted herself as the clear favorite in the top half of the United States Open women’s singles draw.https://nyti.ms/32UHvmW

After Leading N.H.L. Play Stoppage, Golden Knights and Canucks Redraw Swords

By BY CAROL SCHRAM from NYT Sports Players from the most tempestuous series of the postseason pushed hockey to join other leagues that had suspended play in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.https://nyti.ms/3lwbhXH

‘It Was Challenging’: Bucks Return, Balancing Basketball and Activism

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports “This group wants to do both,” Coach Mike Budenholzer said of pursuing a championship without abandoning the team’s efforts to combat police brutality and systemic racism.https://nyti.ms/2YLAXpK

Mets G.M. Says Commissioner ‘Doesn’t Get It’ in Video

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The Mets’ Brodie Van Wagenen criticized Rob Manfred’s handling of player protests in comments captured on a video stream. The Mets were one of many teams that opted not to play Thursday.https://nyti.ms/2YITBhM

LeBron James Says He Doesn’t Care if Trump Shuns N.B.A. Over Protests

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports “The game will go on without his eyes on it,” James, the Los Angeles Lakers star, said after President Trump said he turns off games when players kneel during the national anthem.https://nyti.ms/2C3j4dL

W.N.B.A. Players Escalate Protest of Anti-B.L.M. Team Owner

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Led by the members of the Atlanta Dream, players have begun wearing T-shirts supporting a political opponent of Senator Kelly Loeffler, who co-owns the Dream and has spoken against the Black Lives Matter movement.https://nyti.ms/2DEHWJ9

On Opening Day, a Rarity for M.L.B.: Support for Black Lives Matter

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Players and coaches knelt before the national anthem, and teams played a message of unity at the first two games of the 2020 season.https://nyti.ms/3fXY1rF

She Found Her Voice in a W.N.B.A. Locker Room, Then Used It in Sweden

By BY SETH BERKMAN from NYT Sports Amanda Zahui B. wanted to rush back to the U.S. after George Floyd’s death. But she realized there was work to be done back home.https://nyti.ms/38T56qI

A W.N.B.A. Owner Clashes With Players on Protests

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Kelly Loeffler, who is also seeking re-election to her Senate seat in Georgia, opposes the league’s plan to allow players to wear jerseys in support of the movement.https://nyti.ms/3gKCjaQ

Washington and the N.F.L. Might Change the Redskins Name. Why Now?

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports The move toward changing a mascot name after decades of complaints underscores how America’s most popular sport has scrambled to keep up with shifts in public opinion.https://nyti.ms/2ZAUo4c

Trump Reconsiders Kaepernick, but Not Kneeling

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports The president said Colin Kaepernick, who hasn’t played since the 2016 season, should get a chance at another job if he was qualified, but did not change his stance on players kneeling in protest during the national anthem.https://nyti.ms/2N9Q3Pq