Newsmakers

Granted American Serena Williams is using her special injury-protected No. 1 ranking to get into the U.S. Open field. She is ranked 172nd this week, and only the top 105 players have been granted direct entry into the field for the year’s last major championship. But because Williams was sidelined more than six months by a series of health issues, she has the right to use her special ranking to enter up to eight tournaments, including one Grand Slam.

Retired Former New York Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins announced his retirement after his last two seasons were cut short by serious knee injuries. Jenkins was released by New York in February. In making the announcement on his Facebook page, the four-time Pro Bowl selection says his mind is “always willing to play, but my body deserves the rest.”

• Veteran goaltender Patrick Lalime retired after playing for five teams across 12 seasons. Lalime, 37, who played in 444 games and finished with a 200-174-48 record, will become an analyst on Ottawa Senators television broadcasts.

Announced Tulsa Shock rookie Liz Cambage has been announced as the replacement for injured Los Angeles center Candace Parker on the Western Conference roster for Saturday’s WNBA All-Star game.

• Mark Bell is attempting an NHL comeback with the Anaheim Ducks, who have signed the veteran forward to a one-year contract. The former No. 8 overall pick played for Chicago, San Jose and Toronto, but has been out of the NHL since 2008.

Released Former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon has been released from a Nevada hospital after he was injured in a crash in a limousine on the way from Lake Tahoe to the airport.

Died The wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Myra Kraft, a hard-working philanthropist dedicated to numerous causes, died at 68. She died Wednesday morning after a battle with cancer, the NFL team said in a statement.