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Sports Columnist

Ann Killion

Born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County, Ann Killion has covered Bay Area sports for more than a quarter of a century. An award-winning columnist and a veteran of 11 Olympics, several World Cups and the Tour de France, Ann joined The Chronicle in 2012. Ann has worked for the San Jose Mercury News, the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. She is a New York Times best-selling author, having co-written "Solo: A Memoir of Hope" with soccer star Hope Solo,"Throw Like A Girl" with softball player Jennie Finch and two middle-grade books on soccer, “Champions of Women’s Soccer” and “Champions of Men’s Soccer.” She was named California Sportswriter of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2018. She has two children and lives in Mill Valley.

Stories By Ann Killion

49ers’ Brock Purdy is an NFL rarity, slinging it without a safety net

For a young quarterback, flying solo is not a bad thing. No one likes injuries, but the broken bones of Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo have resulted in Brock Purdy’s ability to look straight ahead, not over his shoulder. By Ann Killion

White House visit by Curry, Warriors resumes ‘ordinary’ times after Trump snubs

The Golden State Warriors’ visit to the White House and President Joe Biden as reigning NBA champions was remarkable for how different 2022 was from 2017, when President Trump uninvited Stephen Curry & Co. By Ann Killion

Tweet it like LeBron: 49ers’ Brock Purdy’s got game in the playoffs, too

San Francisco 49ers rookie QB Brock Purdy showed the poise in the playoffs that has already made him a favorite of fans and teammates — and the locked-in starting quarterback for next season. By Ann Killion

What weak schedule? Why you should lean into this season’s 49ers’ romp to the playoffs

With 10 straight wins, the San Francisco 49ers clobbered foes to earn the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Worriers fret over a weak schedule, but a healthy roster with more experience makes this season’s playoff bid very different from their 2019 and 2021 runs. By Ann Killion

How the NFL played its final weekend with Damar Hamlin on everyone’s mind

From the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals playing on Levi’s Stadium all the way to Buffalo, everyone in the NFL recognized the dangers and the dilemmas of playing football the weekend after Damar Hamlin collapsed. By Ann Killion

Giants might be vindicated on Carlos Correa, but this mess has no silver lining

Spring training begins in about five weeks and the San Francisco Giants did not deliver on their promises for the offseason. Not even close. By Ann Killion

Damar Hamlin’s injury on Monday Night Football laid bare the game’s toll

Seeing Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapse in Cincinnati exposed truths about pro football: The risk of life-threatening injury, and that a man’s life is more important than the game. By Ann Killion

Was the 49ers’ narrow win over the Raiders good or bad prep for the playoffs?

The San Francisco 49ers’ overtime win in Las Vegas provided potential playoff opponents intel on how to attack a top-tier defense, but it also gave the Niners late-game comeback experience they might need in the postseason. By Ann Killion

Plenty of ugly and bad in 2022, but on the whole, a very good sports year

The past 12 months in sports gave us the ugly, the bad and the good. Yes, 2022 was a year when sports mostly got it backward, when its exhilaration and beauty often were clouded by manipulation, propaganda and ulterior motives. By Ann Killion

Led by blazing Nick Bosa, 49ers continue to scorch NFL in win over Commanders

While much of the NFL was freezing on Saturday, the San Francisco 49ers continued to melt opponents. The league’s hottest team stretched its winning streak to eight games on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium against the Washington Commanders. By Ann Killion

History will judge Giants’ Carlos Correa reversal, but damage is already done

Were the Giants prudent in their bizarrely cautious approach to Carlos Correa? Or was San Francisco embarrassingly wary when it came to signing one of the standout players of this era? By Ann Killion

Giants’ big Carlos Correa moment passes in silence, fueling concern, questions

The San Francisco Giants have had a lot of unexpected days in recent years. But Tuesday’s postponement of Carlos Correa’s introduction may have been the strangest, and it cast everything into doubt. By Ann Killion

‘We got a quarterback,’ 49ers’ reward for Brock Purdy’s surreal success

The San Francisco 49ers believed in Brock Purdy, but had no idea they would be rewarded with a first-start rout against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers powered by the rookie QB’s tenacious belief in himself. By Ann Killion

Giving back again, Steph and Ayesha celebrate 10th ‘Christmas with the Currys’

Stephen and Ayesha Curry held their 10th annual “Christmas with the Currys” in Oakland on Sunday, providing holiday joy, entertainment and more for 2,000 children in need through their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. By Ann Killion

Dressed for success, SI honoree Steph Curry enjoyed plenty in 2022

Stephen Curry was formally honored as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year on Thursday night, an award that lauded the Golden State Warriors’ star’s success in the community as much as his triumphs on the court. By Ann Killion

Without getting Aaron Judge, Farhan Zaidi’s next moves are crucial for Giants

The San Francisco Giants didn’t land the biggest free agent, again, after an avid pursuit. But life goes on after not signing Aaron Judge, and Farhan Zaidi can take a page from the past and build a deeper, better team without him. By Ann Killion

With Jimmy Garoppolo’s fairy-tale season over, can 49ers sustain Super Bowl dreams?

San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had led his team to first place, but a broken foot sustained Sunday ended his year and leaves the team trying to fulfill its playoff possibilities with Brock Purdy in his place. By Ann Killion

On World Cup stage, youthful U.S. men displaying composure and competence

The United States men’s soccer team has reached the knockout round of the World Cup on the strength of a youth-filled core that blends emotional maturity with skills honed on the fields of Europe. By Ann Killion

Basking in Mexican fans’ adoration, 49ers have a blast and break through

The San Francisco 49ers’ romp in Mexico City had more going for it than a final score. The reception from Niners fans south of border electrified the night — and a team that now might be ready to light up scoreboards. By Ann Killion

Viva la revolucion! Mexico’s ‘red butts’ are homegrown 49ers fans embracing the NFL

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the NFL’s most popular teams in Mexico. Mexico City alone boasts four Niners fan clubs, and the trend of friendly fans packing road venues should stick on both sides of the border. By Ann Killion