13,239 articles
Valeri Bure
Valeri Bure (Валерий Буре), Russian NHL right wing born 1974 in Moscow, brother of Pavel Bure; 400 points in 621 games, 1998 Olympic silver and 2002 bronze, later a Napa Valley winemaker.
Valeri Kharlamov (Валерий Борисович Харламов)
Valeri Borisovich Kharlamov (Валерий Борисович Харламов, 1948–1981), Soviet ice hockey left wing for CSKA Moscow and the USSR, two-time Olympic champion, eight-time world champion, IIHF Centennial All-Star, killed in a 1981 car crash.
Valery Gassy
Valery Gassy (Валерий Дмитриевич Гассий, 1949-2004), Soviet handball center back from Kolomiya, Ukraine; Burevestnik Krasnodar and CSKA player; Olympic gold medalist with the USSR at Montreal 1976, fifth at Munich 1972, 83 caps and 277 goals for the Soviet national team.
Valery Goborov
Valery Goborov (Валерий Григорьевич Гоборов; born 1965 or 1966) was a Soviet basketball center from Kherson who played for SKA Kyiv and CSKA Moscow, won gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and died in a Moscow car crash on 7 September 1989.
Valery Gopin
Valery Pavlovich Gopin (Валерий Павлович Гопин), born 1964 in Seltso, is a Russian handball wing who won Olympic gold in 1988 with the Soviet Union and 1992 with the Unified Team, plus the 1996 European title.
Valery Kalachikhin
Valery Kalachikhin (1939–2014) was a Soviet volleyball setter who won Olympic gold at Tokyo 1964 and later coached SKA Rostov-on-Don and the army teams of Vietnam and Madagascar.
Valery Kamensky
Valery Kamensky (Валерий Викторович Каменский), born 1966 in Voskresensk, Soviet/Russian left wing; Olympic gold 1988, three World titles, 501 NHL points, 1996 Stanley Cup with Colorado, first Russian in the Triple Gold Club, later KHL vice president.
Valery Kravchenko
Valery Ivanovich Kravchenko (Валерий Иванович Кравченко), Soviet volleyball player born 1939 in Tajik SSR; Olympic gold 1968 and bronze 1972; European champion 1967 and 1971; distinct from powerlifter Valeri Kravchenko.
Valery Krivov
Valery Krivov (Валерий Михайлович Кривов, 1951–1994) was a Soviet volleyball setter, 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medalist, 1978 world and 1977 European champion with Zvezda Voroshilovgrad; later coached Dynamo Luhansk and Syria's national team.
Valery Tikhonenko
Valery Tikhonenko (Валерий Тихоненко), born 1964 in Angren, Uzbek SSR, is a Soviet and Russian basketball forward, 1988 Seoul Olympic champion, three-time Russian champion with CSKA, later coach and BC Astana director.
Valery Vasilyev
Valery Ivanovich Vasilyev (Валерий Иванович Васильев), Soviet ice hockey defenseman for Dynamo Moscow; two-time Olympic champion (1972, 1976), eight-time world champion, 1981 Canada Cup winner, IIHF Hall of Fame 1998.
Valley Suns
Valley Suns: NBA G League team in Tempe, Arizona, affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, announced February 2024, playing at Mullett Arena since 2024-25; inaugural 20-14 season, 2025 playoff berth.
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula, Finnish ice hockey center (born 1984, Vantaa), 1,056 NHL games 2005-2021, Stanley Cup 2008 with Detroit; first Finn in the Triple Gold Club after captaining Finland to 2022 Olympic and World gold; retired April 2025.
Van Jefferson
Van Jefferson, born 1996, NFL wide receiver drafted 57th overall by the Rams in 2020; Super Bowl LVI champion; also played for the Falcons, Steelers, Titans, and Commanders.
Vance Joseph
Vance Joseph (born 1972) is an American football coach, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator since 2023 and former Broncos head coach (2017-18, 5-11 in 2017), also Arizona Cardinals DC 2019-22.
Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians: High-A Northwest League minor league baseball team in Vancouver, BC, Toronto Blue Jays affiliate since 2021; only MiLB team in Canada; plays at Nat Bailey Stadium; NWL champions 2011-13, 2017, 2023, 2026.
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks, NHL ice hockey club founded May 22, 1970, based at Rogers Arena. Led by Sedin twins as co-presidents and GM Ryan Johnson; last in NHL in 2025-26 (25-49-8) and rebuilding after trading Quinn Hughes.
Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants, WHL major junior hockey team based in Langley, B.C., granted a franchise in 2001; won the 2006 WHL Championship and 2007 Memorial Cup; play at Langley Events Centre.
Vancouver Goldeneyes
Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL women's ice hockey team in Vancouver, B.C.; seventh franchise, granted April 23, 2025, plays at Pacific Coliseum; named for the Common Goldeneye duck; won inaugural game 4-3 in overtime over Seattle Torrent, November 21, 2025.
Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver Grizzlies, NBA expansion team in Vancouver, British Columbia, 1995-2001, alongside the Toronto Raptors; 101-359 record, worst six-year span in NBA history; relocated to Memphis in 2001 as the Memphis Grizzlies.
Vanderbilt Commodores baseball
Vanderbilt Commodores baseball, Vanderbilt University's NCAA Division I SEC program in Nashville, won College World Series titles in 2014 and 2019 under Tim Corbin, with 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances and a strong MLB draft pipeline.
Vanderbilt Commodores football
Vanderbilt Commodores football, Vanderbilt University's NCAA Division I FBS team in Nashville, Tennessee; founding SEC member (1933). Early Southern power with 14 pre-SEC conference titles; first 10-win season in 2025 under Clark Lea with QB Diego Pavia.
Vane Pennell
Vane Hungerford Pennell (1876–1938), English racquets and real tennis player; won 1908 Olympic racquets doubles gold with John Jacob Astor, British racquets doubles champion 1901 and 1908, real tennis champion 1904.
Vanja Ivanović (Вања Ивановић)
Vanja Ivanović (Вања Ивановић), born 2004 in Leskovac, is a Serbian women's volleyball outside hitter; MVP of the 2024–25 Serbian league with Železničar Lajkovac, later VK Korabelka and VakıfBank, and a 2026 VNL Serbia player.
Variations of baseball
Variations of baseball, also called variants of baseball, are bat-and-ball games closely modeled on baseball with modified equipment or fewer players, ranging from stickball and wiffle ball to softball and rounders.
Vasa Mijic
Vasa Mijić (Vasilije Mijić, Васа Мијић), Serbian volleyball libero born 1973 in Novi Sad; Olympic gold with Yugoslavia at Sydney 2000 as best libero, =5 at Athens 2004, European gold 2001 and bronze 1999, club career with OK Vojvodina.
Vasek Pospisil
Vasek Pospisil, Canadian tennis player (born 1990, Vernon, BC), 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion with Jack Sock, 2022 Davis Cup winner, PTPA co-founder with Djokovic, career-high No. 25 singles, retired at 2025 National Bank Open.
Vasilije Micić (Василије Мицић)
Vasilije Micić (Василије Мицић), Serbian point guard born 1994 in Kraljevo; two-time EuroLeague champion and 2021 MVP with Anadolu Efes, later NBA guard for Thunder, Hornets, and Suns, now with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Vasilijus Matuševas
Vasilijus Matuševas (Vasilij Matušev, Василиюс Матушевас), Lithuanian volleyball spiker and coach, 1945–1989; won 1968 Olympic gold with the Soviet Union and later coached Vilniaus Kuro aparatūra.
Vasily Ilyin
Vasily Ilyin (Василий Петрович Ильин), Soviet handball left wing, born 1949, died 2015. Olympic champion 1976 with the USSR, MAI Moskva club player, 101 national-team caps.