Ayton Makes His Preseason Debut With Wizards

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UNITED STATES – DeAndre Ayton and VJ Edgecombe were in the spotlight on Thursday night as both reached important preseason milestones with their respective teams.

Ayton made his debut with the Washington Wizards, recording four points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 111-109 win over the New York Knicks.

He played just over 17 minutes and was perfect from the field, connecting on both of his shot attempts while making his presence felt on the glass.

Meanwhile, Edgecombe started alongside LeBron James for the first time as the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Brooklyn Nets.

Edgecombe scored 11 points as Philadelphia fell 114-108, while James finished with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists in his first appearance for the Sixers.

The game provided an early look at Philadelphia’s new-look starting lineup, which also features Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Tennis

Tennis pro Sydney Clarke wrapped up her three-week run on the World Tennis Tour in China with her best performance of the trip.

Clarke advanced to the third round of singles qualifying at the W15 Maanshan Open after winning her second-round match against Chengwei Han, 6-3, 6-1.

The eighth-seeded Clarke then faced China’s Xiao Tang in the third round, falling 6-4, 6-3 in a competitive match.

Despite the loss, Clarke said she was proud of how she improved each week, particularly her ability to start matches with greater confidence and intention.

She also credited a stronger mental approach, saying she focused more on competing and executing her game plan rather than worrying about results.

The three-week China swing also helped Clarke climb to a career-high 859th in the ITF singles rankings.

Clarke says her next goal is to build on that momentum and earn her first WTA ranking before the end of the year.

Tennis

Team Maison has been crowned champion of the 2026 EV Motors Open Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament at the John McEnroe Tennis Center at Baha Mar.

Blu Baker and Anastasia Abbagnato defeated Team Brand Fable two sets to one in the championship match.

Team Maison dominated the opening set 4-0 before Brand Fable responded by taking the second set 5-3.

Baker and Abbagnato then closed out the championship in the match tiebreak, winning 10-4.

The third edition of the event featured 21 mixed doubles teams, combining competitive tennis with an automotive showcase and corporate networking.

The championship team’s sponsor also walked away with the event’s grand prize: two brand-new 2027 Jetour Dashings.

The final four included Team Maison, Brand Fable, Gamma Fund Services and Tropix, capping off two days of tennis and entertainment at Baha Mar.