Sports

Karl Smesko, the founding coach of the FGCU women's basketball program, left in November to take a job coaching the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. Chelsea Lyles, a former FGCU player and longtime assistant coach, was tapped to be the team's new coach.

President-elect Donald Trump promised to limit transgender health care access and ban trans athletes from school sports. We asked two experts what that would mean for trans people in the U.S.

A whole new Florida crowd is learning hockey lingo, from cherry pickers to cross-checking to hat tricks. That’s because more Floridians are getting hooked on the sport, as Florida’s teams have more success on the ice. The NHL’s Florida Panthers need just one more game to win the team’s first Stanley Cup.

School might be over, but Estero golfer Gianna Clemente won’t be sitting on the beach working on her tan this summer.The 16-year-old, who starts her junior school year at the end of summer, will have a full schedule of tournaments that will rack up frequent flier miles.

Sixteen-year-old Gianna Clemente held on after leading going into Sunday’s final round. She shot 149, winning by two points over last year’s winner Yana Wilson.

Estero’s Gianna Clemente will get plenty of television time today during the Mizuho Americas Open that will air on the Golf Channel.The 16-year-old is leading the amateur portion of the tournament being played at the Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey.Clemente will tee off with the number one player in the world, Nelly Korda, who is leading the professional part of the tournament, and Australian Hannah Green, who is in second place.

Florida Gulf Coast University's softball team won the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship 7-6 Saturday on a Neely Peterson walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth.It was the first ASUN softball championship for the Green and Blue since 2012 and qualified the team for the NCAA College World Series.The Eagles (37-19) will pair up against the Number 4 seed University of Florida Gators (46-12) in the Gainesville regional playoff contest at noon on Friday.

Those who knew Walt Wesley would call him, a soft spoken, gentle giant.Wesley stood at 6 feet 11 inches tall and notably he used his height to dominate the basketball court. Wesley died recently, but while he lived, his life was a testament of service and giving back.

Basketball fans are gearing up for the excitement of March Madness, where college basketball teams hope to win the national championship.Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”It was teamwork and intelligence that ignited The Evangelical Christian School’s girls’ basketball team in Fort Myers to become class 2A state champions.

Discover the Celtic Spirit School of Irish Dance in Florida, where tradition meets discipline in mastering the ancient art form