Newsmakers

Hired The Seattle Storm have hired Alisha Valavanis as their chief operating officer, replacing outgoing team president and CEO Karen Bryant. She’ll take over for Bryant, who is stepping down on July 31 after being with the franchise since its inception.

Inducted Retired quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the Arizona Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance, will become the 14th person inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Warner, with the Cardinals from 2005 through 2009, directed Arizona to NFC West titles in his final two seasons. The 2008 team advanced to the Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a touchdown in the final seconds.

Retired Standout tight end Dallas Clark retired from the NFL after 11 seasons. He retired as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2003, where he won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and spent the first nine years of his career.

Released The Houston Texans have released reserve quarterback T.J. Yates after naming Ryan Fitzpatrick their starter. The move leaves Case Keenum and rookie Tom Savage to compete for the backup job behind Fitzpatrick.

Selected Former President Bill Clinton has been selected to receive the PGA Distinguished Service Award. Clinton is the third former president to be chosen for the award by the PGA of America. It honors people for leadership and qualities such as integrity, sportsman and enthusiasm for golf.

Signed MusclePharm Corp. announced on its website that it has signed 14-time major champion Tiger Woods to an endorsement deal that includes sponsorship of his golf bag. The new deal starts July 1. MusclePharm is a sports nutrition company. It also endorses NFL players Colin Kaepernick and Eric Decker.

Decided Golfer Rory McIlroy has decided to play for Ireland, not Britain, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, was eligible to play for Britain or Ireland and had been wrangling over a decision for more than a year.

• Charlotte Hornets general manager Rich Cho says forward Josh McRoberts has opted out of his contract and will become a free agent. However, Cho said the team is eager to re-sign the seven-year NBA veteran. McRoberts, 27, was set to make nearly $2.8 million next season, but has outperformed that contract.