Serena Williams is the first woman to win consecutive Cincinnati Masters

Tennis legend Serena Williams won her 69th title overall and her 5th title this year at the 2015 Cincinnati Masters, also known as the Western & Southern Open, a tournament played on hard courts.

Serena Williams beat a formidable opponent in Simona Halep, 6-3, 7-6. Halep is the leader this year on hard courts with 32 wins. Serena is the first woman to win the Cincinnati Masters in two consecutive years. The prize money is $2.4 million.

Both Serena Williams and Roger Federer were defending champions on the women's and men's side respectively, and both repeated their championship wins.

The 2015 Western & Southern OPEN is part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 of the 2015 ATP World Tour and of the WTA Premier 5 tournaments of the 2015 WTA Tour, as well as a 2015 US Open Series event.

Whew!

Welcome back to What's The 411Sports, and the following events are in the pipeline:

On Tuesday, September 1, the New York Liberty will take on the Atlanta Dream at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.

On Thursday, September 3, the Liberty will play the Chicago Sky at Madison Square Garden at 7:00 P.M.

The 2015 US OPEN for tennis will be held on August 31 – September 13.

VIDEO DISCUSSION: Do you think there a need for protective netting at baseball stadiums?

There is a debate going on right now in baseball about the experience at the ballpark vs. safety at the ballpark. There are those that would like protective netting from 1st to 3rd base to protect the fans from power hits into the stands.

And, on the other side, there are people complaining that a net would destroy the experience of feeling connected to the players. What are your thoughts, a net or some other technology to protect fans or no net?

VIDEO Discussion: Congressman Jeffries urges congressional hearings and NY Attorney General Schneiderman calls for an investigation amid revelations of possible impropriety

In this video, What's The 411Sports correspondents Keisha Wilson and Gregory Alcala are discussing the brewing fantasy sports scandal involving DraftKings and Fan Duel.

The event that touched off a firestorm is the revelation that a DraftKings' employee won $350,000 playing fantasy sports on rival site Fan Duel. The disclosure prompted Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to request the House Judiciary Committee to hold a Congressional hearing on the fantasy sports industry. Separately, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is calling for an investigation of the industry.

Congressman Jeffries issued the following statement on the need for transparency and accountability in the fantasy sports industry:

“The recent revelation of possible impropriety and improper access to information at a popular online fantasy sports company is deeply troubling. The fantasy sports industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar giant that appears to be spiraling out of control, devoid of transparency and accountability. This is not the Wild West. The House Judiciary Committee should convene a hearing into the practices of online fantasy sports companies immediately. It is time to determine whether permitting a multi-billion dollar industry to police itself serves the best interests of the American people.”

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. He represents the 8th Congressional district, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens, in the House of Representatives.

Chris Daniels Comes to Brooklyn Nets after spending 2014-15 Season in China

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Chris Daniels, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Daniels (6’9”, 265) spent the 2014-15 season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China’s CBA. In his seven-year pro career, Daniels has competed in South Korea, Puerto Rico, China, Jordan and Lebanon, as well as the NBA D-League.

Daniels played collegiately at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2004-08), where he is still the program’s all-time leading scorer. He also helped lead the Islanders to their first and only NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007.

Twenty players vying for a spot on the Brooklyn Nets 2015-16 Roster

The Brooklyn Nets announced its training camp roster of 20 players today. Training camp, which begins on Tuesday, September 29, and runs through Saturday, October 3, will be held at Duke University in Durham, NC. The roster is as follows:

Since NBA teams can only have 15 contracts on the roster by the start of the season, at least five players will be cut.

Reed’s injury occurred in his preseason debut

Brooklyn Nets center Willie Reed has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, an MRI confirmed today.

The injury occurred during the first half of last night’s preseason game versus the Boston Celtics. Reed will undergo surgery on Friday, October 16 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. A timetable for his return will be established following the procedure.

Reed, who signed with Brooklyn as a free agent on July 9, 2015, was making his preseason debut when the injury occurred.

Reed’s injury occurred in his preseason debut

Brooklyn Nets center Willie Reed underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson, along with Nets’ Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Reed is expected to be out for approximately six to eight weeks.

Brooklyn Nets Waive Boatright, Miller, and Daniels

The Brooklyn Nets requested waivers on guard Ryan Boatright, forward Quincy Miller and center Chris Daniels, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Boatright (6’0”, 170) signed with Brooklyn as a free agent on July 2 after going undrafted out of Connecticut in the 2015 NBA Draft. In four preseason games with the Nets, Boatright posted averages of 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 13.9 minutes per game.

Miller (6’9”, 210) was acquired by the Nets from the Detroit Pistons on July 13 in exchange for guard Steve Blake. In four preseason appearances with Brooklyn, Miller averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game.

Daniels (6’9”, 265) signed with the Nets as a free agent on September 23 and averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game across five preseason appearances with Brooklyn.

According to Nets Daily, if Boatright and Miller are not claimed they will fall into the NBA D-League pool. If they aren't claimed, either have the option to play in Europe or China.

It’s speculated that Daniels is most likely headed overseas where he has been all of his career.

The Nets roster now stands at 17 players.

Since NBA teams can only have 15 contracts on the roster by the start of the season, at least two more players will be cut.

Justin Harper Comes to Brooklyn Nets after playing the 2014-15 season in Italy

The Brooklyn Nets signed forward Justin Harper, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Harper (6’10”, 225) joins the Nets after spending the 2014-15 season with S.S. Felice Scandone in Italy’s Serie A. Originally selected with the 32nd pick (second round) of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harper was dealt to the Orlando Magic on draft night. He appeared in 14 games with the Magic during his rookie season, averaging 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.0 minutes per game. He also saw action in one postseason game.

Following his rookie season, Harper competed for the D-League’s Idaho Stampede (2012-13) and Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League (2013-14) before landing in Italy. Most recently, Harper was a member of the Phoenix Suns’ entry in the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League. A four-year player at Richmond University, Harper’s collegiate career culminated in his selection to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team as a senior.