LaJoie to split time as driver, analyst

NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie will run a limited Cup Series schedule with Rick Ware Racing this year and also be an analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s portion of the Cup Series schedule. LaJoie will drive No. 01 Ford Mustang for Ware as he works to build his Stacking Pennies Performance Brand. RWR didn’t announce how many races LaJoie will enter in Monday’s announcement, but the 33-year-old will attempt to qualify for next month’s season-opening Daytona 500. LaJoie’s No. 01 doesn’t have a charter so he will need to claim one of the four open spots in the Daytona 500 field by either time trials or his qualifying race. LaJoie will also make a transition to the broadcast booth when Prime Video begins its five-race NASCAR run in May with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. LaJoie is the son of NASCAR veteran Randy LaJoie, a two-time Xfinity Series champion who won 15 races over 19 years and 350 starts. Randy LaJoie also made 44 Cup Series starts. Corey LaJoie has never won in NASCAR’s three national series. He has spent the last eight years in the Cup Series.

Plum, Loyd headline 3-team trade

Kelsey Plum is headed to the Sparks as part of a three-way trade that will send Jewell Loyd to the Aces, according to reports Monday. The Sparks traded the No. 2 pick in this year’s WNBA draft and Li Yueru to the Storm. The Sparks also received the No. 9 pick. The Aces got the 13th pick in the draft. Plum, 30, helped the Aces win consecutive WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. She was designated as the team’s franchise player on Jan. 11, meaning the only way she could leave the team was via trade. She averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists last season. Loyd requested a trade last month out of Seattle, where she had spent her entire career since getting drafted in 2015. The 31-year-old averaged 19.7 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and is a six-time All-Star. Loyd helped the Storm win two WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020 as well as a scoring title in 2023. She was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2015. Plum, above, had spent her whole career with the Aces franchise since she was drafted first in 2017 when the team was the Stars and played in San Antonio.

Barcelona setting scoring milestones

It’s raining goals for Barcelona. There were five against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, five more against Benfica in the Champions League, and most recently seven — four in the first 24 minutes — in a trouncing of Valencia in La Liga. Not even when Barcelona flaunted the “MSN” attack of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar did the club put up such numbers. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal form the latest forwards thriving up front, and Hansi Flick’s team has been setting milestones to be able to stay in contention in all competitions. Flick, above, became the second-fastest Barcelona coach to reach 100 goals on Sunday after the 7-1 rout of Valencia. The club has 101 goals in 32 games in all competitions under the German coach. Helenio Herrera reached the mark in 31 matches in the late 1950s. Luis Enrique and Tito Vilanova each needed 34 games, three quicker than Pep Guardiola. Barcelona has secured a place in the Champions League last 16, and the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Barcelona sits third in La Liga, seven points behind leader Real Madrid. —AP