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One word describes Gamecocks after beating Iowa: Dynasty.

South Carolina has won two of the past three national championships. Dawn Staley built a dynasty.
Caitlin Clark sizzled early, then fizzled. South Carolina too much for Iowa on the boards.
Kamilla Cardoso helps clinch victory at both ends of the court.

A star unlike any we’ve ever seen ran into South Carolina’s dynastic fist.

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks absorbed Caitlin Clark’s best punch in the first quarter of Sunday’s national championship game against Iowa, then shrugged it off like it was nothing.

This force Staley built proved yet again that it’s not easily shaken. The Gamecocks bend opponents to their will. That’s what dynasties do. That’s what these Gamecocks are: a dynasty.

That they overpowered the best scorer in the sport’s history shows the full force of what Staley assembled.

South Carolina avenged its only loss in the past two seasons by defeating Iowa, 87-75, for its second national championship in the past three seasons.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Consider South Carolina’s 109-3 record these past three seasons.

Consider that South Carolina (38-0) became women’s basketball’s first undefeated national champion since the 2016 UConn Huskies.

Consider that all of the starters from South Carolina’s 2022 national championship team have moved on.

In Staley’s program, great players depart to make way for a new batch who are even more special.

Dynasty is an overused word in sports. It applies to the Gamecocks.

“This team is pretty special,” Staley told ESPN.

So is the coach who built this dynasty.

Staley wore a ‘Top 10’ necklace during the postgame celebration. No, coach, you’re No. 1, and your dynasty endures.

Staley now owns three national championships. Only Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt and Kim Mulkey have more. Those three coaches are Mount Rushmore figures. Staley, 53, is not far removed from that conversation.

Great coaches evaluate and adapt in the aftermath of defeat, and that’s what Staley did after Iowa beat the Gamecocks in last year’s semifinals, by daring USC to hit jumpers. That loss exploited the program’s only weakness – perimeter shooting – so Staley addressed it during the offseason.

She welcomed a pair of newcomers, transfer Te-Hina Paopao and freshman Tessa Johnson. They’re sharpshooters, and they turned a team vulnerability into a strength. Paopao and Johnson combined for six 3-pointers Sunday.

Fending off Iowa (34-5) required a full-roster effort. That included Raven Johnson’s dogged defensive pursuit of Clark. Staley tried a few players guarding Iowa’s superstar, but Johnson had the most success. Johnson shot 1 of 11 from the field, but she secured four steals, and her defense seemed to wear on Clark.

Clark came out blistering hot with 18 first-quarter points. By the second half, she seemed gassed. She admirably carried a heavy mantle all season, but her quest for Iowa’s first national championship fell short. Although Clark finished with 30 points, she was out of sorts after her opening-quarter barrage.

South Carolina personified Summitt’s old adage: Offense sells tickets, defense wins games and rebounding wins championships.

At times Sunday, South Carolina’s best offense was missing a shot so that 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso could assert her dominance on the glass, grab the rebound, and score the putback.

The Hawkeyes could counter South Carolina’s shooters. They had no one to handle Cardoso’s muscle.

South Carolina enjoyed a plus-22 rebounding advantage.

Even after South Carolina opened a double-digit second-half lead, Iowa, like all great teams do, had one more run left in it. The Hawkeyes cut South Carolina’s lead to five points with four minutes remaining.

Would Clark muster one last flurry of 3-pointers to steal this victory?

No.

Cardoso reasserted her will to put the game away. She stuffed Addison O’Grady at one end of the court, then overpowered O’Grady for an offensive rebound at the other end before scoring the putback.

Clark’s ensuing 3-point attempt missed. She had nothing left in her tank. Clark’s Hawkeyes became the latest team to run out of gas going up against this deep, dominant, indefatigable Gamecocks.

‘They weren’t going to be denied,’ Staley said during a televised interview after the game.

Clark invigorated women’s basketball, and her excellence exposed the game to new eyeballs and a bigger audience. She’s brilliant, truly, but the Hawkeyes exited the same way every South Carolina opponent did that came before them: Vanquished at the hands of an unmovable superpower.

The Gamecocks cemented perfection while leaving no doubt about what Staley has built.

A dynasty.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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Who had the edge? Breaking down the keys for the Purdue-Uconn title game

The vagaries of the single-elimination format of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament – the very reason the event has been dubbed March Madness after all – often results in what we perceive to be the best teams not reaching the final showdown for the title.

In this case, however, we as interested observers seem to have been gifted the ideal matchup, featuring the teams – Connecticut and Purdue – that have separated themselves from a crowded field over the course of the lengthy season. Our hope now, of course, is that the game itself lives up to its billing. Here’s everything you need to know as you get set to watch the final chapter of the Big Dance unfold.

No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 1 Purdue, 9:20 p.m. ET, TBS

In addition to pairing the nation’s two best teams, this title tilt involves programs with dialed-in fan bases, so naturally a championship here would be quite meaningful for whichever side prevails. The Huskies, one of the premier programs of the last quarter century, seek a second championship in succession and sixth overall. The Boilermakers, often second and sometimes third or lower fiddle in the basketball-mad state of Indiana, hope to hoist a long-awaited first banner.

At the centerpiece of this matchup, if you will, is the clash of titans in the middle. At 7-2, UConn’s Donovan Clingan doesn’t usually give up any inches to his counterpart in the post, but the Boilermakers’ Zach Edey will actually have two on him. Even so, Edey will have a more difficult time than usual executing his signature jump hook against a defender who can nearly match his reach. In truth, the key to the game will probably unfold at the perimeter, where Purdue’s Braden Smith as the primary ball handler will face UConn’s constant pressure. It will be up to Lance Jones and Fletcher Loyer to make their share of three-pointers, as Alabama was able to do Saturday night, to stay within shouting distance of the Huskies. Though UConn’s prowess at the defensive end of the floor has been celebrated all season, its offensive efficiency is just as relentless, with Tristen Newton surgically dissecting opposing defenses and getting the ball to his numerous finishing options. Purdue is unlikely to repeat the mistake of leaving Stephon Castle alone, but Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban also demand attention.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

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Six times No. 1 seeds have played for the national title since 2000

The value of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been debated over the years. While it’s hard to draw sweeping conclusions, we can say that being the favorite in a regional does not guarantee success. But historically it does help.

As top seeds Connecticut and Purdue prepare to square off for the title Monday night, we can guarantee that a No. 1 seed will win the title for the 25th time in the 39 tournaments of the 64-team era.

But beating another No. 1 seed to win the championship doesn’t happened that often. The matchup between Purdue and Connecticut is just the seventh such meeting in a title game since the turn of the century. A quick look at the last six doesn’t necessarily indicate that we’re in for an instant classic, but neither can we rule it out.

Here’s how those previous six clashes went down.

2021 – Baylor vs. Gonzaga

The tournament in the bubble concluded with this clash of first-time title hopefuls. Two nights earlier, Gonzaga had kept its bid for perfection alive courtesy of a Jalen Suggs buzzer beater in overtime against UCLA. Unfortunately, the finale didn’t have nearly that level of drama as the Bears led wire-to-wire in an 86-70 romp. Baylor dominated the glass and knocked down 10 three-pointers, as MVP Jared Butler led the way with 22 points and seven assists.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

2017 – North Carolina vs. Gonzaga

Gonzaga came a lot closer to claiming the crown in its first appearance in the final. But it was the Tar Heels who had a redemption story to complete after losing the title at the buzzer a year earlier to Villanova and Chris Jenkins. This contest wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing finale, featuring lots of blown whistles and bricks. But it wasn’t decided until the closing sequence when the Tar Heels managed to score the game’s last eight points in the final 1:40, started by Justin Jackson’s go-ahead three-point play. The 71-65 victory gave UNC its sixth national championship.

2015 – Duke vs. Wisconsin

The Badgers had ended Kentucky’s quest for an undefeated campaign two nights earlier and seemed headed for a championship of their own when they took a nine-point lead a little over six minutes into the second half. The Blue Devils, however, had other ideas. Led by freshmen Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor, Duke rallied to take an eight-point lead in the final two minutes and held on for a 68-63 win. It was the fifth title for the Blue Devils.

2008 – Kansas vs. Memphis

This was the first – and to date only – time in the expansion era that all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four, so the title game was assured of being an all-No. 1 showdown. It certainly delivered the goods. Aided by a few missed free throws by the Tigers, the Jayhawks overcame a nine-point deficit in the final 2:12 of regulation, capped by Mario Chalmers’s memorable trey to tie it with 2.1 seconds remaining. With momentum then squarely on its side, KU took charge in the overtime period and went on to a 75-68 victory. It was the third of four championships in program history for the Jayhawks and the first of two under Bill Self.

2007 – Florida vs. Ohio State

Florida was on its way to accomplishing what UConn is attempting this year, a rare repeat championship. But while this year’s Huskies had to replace some key pieces, coach Billy Donovan’s Gators returned nearly intact from the previous year. The Buckeyes were on a roll themselves, riding a 22-game winning streak having dominated the Big Ten behind freshman big man Greg Oden. But Florida wouldn’t be denied, hitting 10-of-18 three-point tries in the game and not letting Ohio State draw any closer than six in the second half. Corey Brewer was named tourney MVP, joining teammate Joakim Noah who’d won the honor the year before. The 84-75 victory capped the first title twofer since Duke went back-to-back in 1991 and ‘92. It also completed the rare football-basketball double, also at the expense of Ohio State.

2005 – North Carolina vs. Illinois

The first and thus far lone trip to the season’s final day for Illinois ended in disappointment, despite the Fighting Illini entering the contest with a 37-1 record. Instead it was the Tar Heels who secured the first of three championships for Roy Williams. UNC took a 15-point lead early in the second half and appeared to be well in charge, but Illinois mounted a furious rally and had the game tied twice down the stretch. But Illinois went cold in the closing minutes, and Luther Head missed a tying three-point try with 17 seconds to go. Raymond Felton sealed the 75-70 victory with a pair of free throws, and Sean May was named MVP with a 26-point, 10-rebound performance.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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UFL Week 2 winners, losers: Kicker wows again; is NFL tryout next?

Two teams remained unbeaten and a once-unheralded kicker continued to impress from long range as the UFL returned for a second week of play.

The Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas prevailed in matchups of teams that were victorious in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Houston Roughnecks and Arlington Renegades still are searching for their first wins of 2024.

Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates continued to impress, making another 60-yarder. It sure seems as if Bates, who only served as a kickoff specialist during his college career, will get an invite to an NFL training camp this summer.

Here are the winners and losers from Week 2 of the 2024 UFL season:

WINNERS

Jake Bates

All Bates does is make 60-plus yard field goal attempts. A week after connecting on a 64-yard game-winning field goal for the Panthers, Bates made a 62-yarder in a 20-13 loss to the Birmingham Stallions. He later made a 52-yarder, too. Per ESPN Stats and Info, only once in NFL history has a kicker made 60-plus yard field goals in consecutive weeks (Brett Maher for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019).

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His proficiency at making long field goals has to have caught the eye of NFL teams, right? The Detroit Lions reportedly were among the teams that have inquired about the kicker who did not attempt a single field goal while playing in college. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans in late July 2023, but was released less than two weeks later.

Fourth-and-12 play vs. onside kick

The San Antonio Brahmas pulled off an improbable late-game comeback to defeat the Memphis Showboats. Trailing 16-8 with less than a minute left, Brahmas quarterback Chase Garber connected with Jontre Kirklin for a touchdown. After the Brahmas’ two-point conversion attempt from the 5-yard line failed, the team attempted a fourth-and-12 play from their own 28-yard line rather than do an onside kick. The play was successful and moments later the Brahmas scored the winning touchdown on a Garbers-to-Cody Latimer play.

St. Louis football fans

More than 40,000 fans showed up at The Dome at America’s Center to watch the local UFL team, the St. Louis Battlehawks, prevail 27-24 over the visiting Arlington Renegades. The 40,317 fans at the game set a modern-day spring football league record, according to the UFL.

The Dome at America’s Center was the previous home of the St. Louis Rams, who played in the venue from 1995 until 2015, the team’s last season in the city before returning to Los Angeles. The Battlehawks aren’t exactly the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ Rams of 1999-2001, but do feature AJ McCarron at quarterback. A national championship-winning QB at Alabama and runner-up for the 2013 Heisman Trophy, McCarron brings years of NFL experience (mostly as a backup) to the fledgling league.

LOSERS

Attendance concerns

If we’re going to celebrate what’s going on in St. Louis, we also have to point out the meager attendance situation for the Memphis Showboats.

‘It’s not what we want it to be,’ Daryl Johnston, the UFL’s executive vice president of football operations, told the Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

‘We had a schedule that came out late. We had TV slots that were not preferred TV slots every weekend,’ Johnston continued. ‘We had to do the best we could with a really, really late structure created in the process. And we’ll be better next year. We’re already working on 2025 right now.’

An annouced 8,791 fans at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium watched what turned out to be a thrilling finish (though, not so much for the Showboats fans in attendance), as the San Antonio Brahmas prevailed in the final seconds.

Sunday’s Houston Roughnecks vs. D.C. Defenders game went up against the women’s NCAA Tournament final. And, if you haven’t noticed, the women’s games have been posting seminal viewership numbers.

On Saturday night, the Arlington Renegades vs. St. Louis Battlehawks game went up against the men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four.

Next weekend is the Masters. Two weeks later will be the NFL draft.

The UFL needs to take a serious look at how it can successfully fit into the spring sports schedule.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Six months of terror since Oct. 7. It’s time for Israel to finish off Hamas

Six months ago, Israel suffered the largest slaughter of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust, with over 1,100 killed and 134 hostages, Americans among them, still languishing and tortured in the terror tunnels of Gaza.

Just days after the brutal coordinated attacks by Hamas, former president George W. Bush spoke these rather prescient words: ‘It’s not going to take long for people [to say]: ‘It’s gone on too long. Surely, there’s a way to settle this through negotiations. Both sides are guilty.’ My view is: One side is guilty. And it’s not Israel.’ 

Bush was right, it didn’t take long, it took six months, and now the clock is clearly ticking on Israel’s military efforts. The key question is whether the clock is also ticking on Hamas. 

In Jerusalem, member of the War Cabinet Benny Gantz has called for elections in September, in part an effort to quell domestic political strife over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the hostages, but also perhaps a signal that major military operations must wrap up by then. 

Across the ocean in Washington, both President Joe Biden and his rival, former President Donald Trump are urging Israel to act quickly, but in two very different and telling ways. 

A feckless Biden, bowing to the far left of his party, is pressuring Netanyahu to end the conflict, with or without, it seems, the release of all the hostages or the total defeat of Hamas. Thankfully, some Democrats, such as New York Rep. Ritchie Torres and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, are resisting these cowardly calls. 

Meanwhile, Trump had a different message to Israel, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt this week, ‘They’re losing the PR war. They’re losing it big. But they’ve got to finish what they started, and they’ve got to finish it fast.’ 

In this case, finishing what they started can mean only one thing: finishing Hamas. 

21st Century warfare, from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Ukraine to Gaza, is haunted by one elusive question: what does it mean to win? 

Our wars rarely end in ticker tape parades down canyons of heroes. Instead, they wither into dicey détentes and shaky status quos, just enough security to live with. 

But the attack of October 7 is not something Israel can just live with. The threat of Hamas once again pouring over the border to burn children alive and rape women every now and then is not something they can accept as the price of temporary peace. 

Whether they are members of the war cabinet or taxi drivers, Israelis understand one thing, that however this fighting ends, it must not end with Hamas and its backers in Iran believing they have advanced the cause of destroying Israel. 

Because if that happens, if Hamas is allowed to survive its atrocities and live to fight another day, then they will do it again and again. In fact, after what the world witnessed on October 7, Hamas could be emboldened to do far worse. 

Does anyone doubt they would poison an Israeli water supply or attack a chemical plant to kill tens of thousands next time? Who would stop them? Iran? 

Based on its continued support of Hamas even after its barbarism, there is no reason to believe Iran would do anything but smile at the death of more innocent Jews.  

And what of the horrors and suffering in Gaza, the left demands? The heartbreaking death of aid workers? It is tragic, it is awful, it is also entirely the fault of Hamas and its supporters. 

Israel left Gaza nearly 20 years ago. The Palestinian government there, the people, the backers in the region could have used the almost limitless foreign aid rained upon it to make it a new and gleaming Dubai or United Arab Emirates. 

Instead, they chose to spend that money building endless miles of tunnels, buying rockets and plotting to kill Jews. 

Nobody imposed that choice upon them. 

After October 7, what winning the war against Hamas means became crystal clear. It could only be summed up by two words, emblazoned like a tattoo on the Jewish imagination, ‘Never Again.’ 

Whether they are members of the war cabinet or taxi drivers, Israelis understand one thing, that however this fighting ends, it must not end with Hamas and its backers in Iran believing they have advanced the cause of destroying Israel. 

A crescendo is coming for the terrible conflict in Gaza. The clock is running for Israel to act, which means its actions must be all the more decisive.  

The only way this conflict can truly ever end is by meting out a punishment to terrorists so severe that they dare not unleash the inhumanity of October 7 ever again.

The only way to accomplish this task is to finish Hamas. Six months later, the time has come. 

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Ecuador police arrest former VP in raid at Mexican embassy, prompting diplomatic severing, outcry

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Friday evening announced the severing of diplomatic relations with Ecuador following the arrest of former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas.

Ecuadorian police late Friday broke through the external doors of the Mexican embassy in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, to arrest Glas, who had been residing there since December. 

Glas sought political asylum at the embassy after being indicted on corruption charges.

‘This is not possible. It cannot be. This is crazy,’ Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular section in Quito, told local press while standing outside the embassy right after the raid, according to The Associated Press. ‘I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do this. This is totally outside the norm.’

Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s secretary of foreign relations, on Friday posted on the social media platform X that a number of diplomats suffered injuries during the break-in.

Bárcena said Mexico would take the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, ‘to denounce Ecuador’s responsibility for violations of international law.’ She also recalled Mexican diplomats.

Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld on Saturday told reporters that the decision to enter the embassy was made by President Daniel Noboa after considering Glas’ ‘imminent flight risk’ and exhausting all possibilities for diplomatic dialogue with Mexico. Mexico granted Glas asylum hours before the raid. Sommerfeld said that ‘it is not legal to grant asylum to people convicted of common crimes and by competent courts.’

Authorities are investigating Glas over alleged irregularities during his management of reconstruction efforts following a powerful earthquake in 2016 that killed hundreds of people. 

He was convicted of bribery and corruption charges in other cases.

The Organization of American States reminded its members, which include Ecuador and Mexico, of their obligation not to ‘invoke norms of domestic law to justify non-compliance with their international obligations.’

The Spanish foreign ministry, in a statement Sunday, said, ‘The entry by force into the Embassy of Mexico in Quito constitutes a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We call for respect for international law and harmony between Mexico and Ecuador, brotherly countries to Spain and members of the Ibero-American community.’

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, ‘The United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions.’ He called on both countries to resolve their differences.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro, writing on X, characterized the raid as ‘an intolerable act for the international community’ and a ‘violation of the sovereignty of the Mexican State and international law’ because ‘it ignores the historical and fundamental right to asylum.’

On Saturday, Glas was taken from the attorney general’s office in Quito to the port city of Guayaquil, where he will remain in custody at a maximum-security prison. People who had gathered outside the prosecutor’s office yelled ‘strength’ as he left with a convoy of police and military vehicles.

Glas’ attorney, Sonia Vera, told the AP that officers broke into his room and he resisted when they attempted to put his hands behind his back. She said the officers then ‘knocked him to the floor, kicked him in the head, in the spine, in the legs, the hands,’ and when he ‘couldn’t walk, they dragged him out.’ 

Vera said the defense team was not allowed to speak with Glas while he was at the prosecutor’s office, and it is now working to file a habeas corpus petition.

Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and ‘inviolable’ under the Vienna treaties and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. 

People seeking asylum have lived anywhere from days to years at embassies around the world, including at Ecuador’s in London, which housed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for seven years because British police could not enter to arrest him.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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South Carolina-Iowa highlights: Gamecocks top Caitlin Clark for title

CLEVELAND – It was a revenge tour, indeed.  

South Carolina avenged its only loss of last season, beating Iowa 87-75 Sunday afternoon for the Gamecocks’ third national championship under Dawn Staley and topping a perfect 2023-24 season.

This one is extra sweet for Staley & Co. because a year ago, the Hawkeyes stunned top-seeded South Carolina in the semifinals, dealing the previously undefeated Gamecocks their only loss of the season.  

USC players had been asked all weekend if they wanted another shot at Iowa, and they didn’t shy away from saying yes. 

South Carolina’s win also ends the brilliant college career of Caitlin Clark on a low note. The all-time leading scorer in the history of Division I basketball took her team to two Final Fours, a tremendous feat, but came up short in the national championship game each time.

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That’s a heartache Staley knows well: As a player at Virginia from 1988-92, Staley led her team to three Final Fours, never winning a championship. 

Dawn Staley earns six-figure bonus after winning title

With South Carolina’s NCAA championship and undefeated season, coach Dawn Staley earned another six-figure bonus. The national title gives Staley a $250,000 bonus. Staley will end this season with $680,000 in bonuses in addition to her $3.1 million in basic pay from the school.– Steve Berkowitz

How Dawn Staley forged championship legacy after heartbreak

CLEVELAND — Dawn Staley still goes over critical mistakes from 1991. 

It was March 31, 33 years ago. Staley was the point guard for the Virginia Cavaliers and the best player in America. 

The Cavaliers were up five with 1:25 to play in regulation in the national championship game against the Tennessee Lady Vols and legendary coach Pat Summitt. 

South Carolina and other undefeated women’s teams who won title

The Gamecocks spun a season of perfection, capped Sunday with a third national championship after defeating the Hawkeyes.

Kamilla Cardoso anchored the offense and defense and will be among the top five picks in the WNBA Draft on April 15. Read the rest of the story here.

Opinion: Caitlin Clark forever changed college game

CLEVELAND — There are athletes so transcendent, their impact so transformative, their sports are forever defined by the before and after.

There is baseball before and after Babe Ruth. Golf before and after Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and then again before and after Tiger Woods. Basketball before and after Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

And there will be basketball before and after Caitlin Clark, whose college career ended Sunday with an 87-75 loss to South Carolina in the national championship game. She has changed both her game and how women’s sports overall are viewed, very much for the better, and neither will ever be the same. Read the rest of the column here.

What’s next for Caitlin Clark?

CLEVELAND — What’s next for CC? 

Caitlin Clark’s brilliant, record-breaking collegiate career has come to an end. The Iowa star, a two-time national player of the year, and the Hawkeyes fell in the national championship game for the second consecutive year as South Carolina capped a perfect season. 

Clark, a logo-shooting supernova who captured the hearts and eyes of millions over the past couple of seasons while re-writing the scoring record books, will go down as one of the most transcendent stars in all of sports, at all of 22 years old. In a state with a deep history of hoops known for producing stellar women’s basketball players, Clark stands above the rest. Read the rest of the story here.

Final: South Carolina 87, Iowa 75

For the third time in eight seasons, and twice in the last three, the South Carolina Gamecocks are NCAA champions.

South Carolina withstood late charges from Iowa and pulled away in the NCAA Women’s Tournament final, 87-75, to claim its third championship in program history.

South Carolina relied on its height, presence inside the paint and depth.

The Gamecocks secured an edge in rebounds (51-29), offensive rebounds (18-7), second-chance points (30-16), points in the paint (48-32) and bench points (37-0).

Iowa closed the margin with an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter while Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso was getting a spell on the bench, but the Gamecocks steadied and converted their clutch shots.

Cardoso posted a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Gamecocks freshman Tessa Johnson led all South Carolina players with 19 points.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, playing her last game for the Hawkeyes, finished with 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting.

Gamecocks in control

South Carolina is a quarter away from winning it all for the second time in three seasons.

The Gamecocks extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Iowa by six, and go into the final frame up 68-59.

South Carolina, going back to late in the second quarter, opened the second half on an 11-0 run. Iowa’s defense delivered some stops midway through the period and the Hawkeyes were able to cut the deficit to two, but South Carolina closed the quarter on an 11-4 run.

Gamecocks freshman Tessa Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the quarter and now leads all South Carolina players, despite coming off the bench.

After sprinting out of the gates in a torrid start, Iowa’s shots have stopped dropping — in large part because of South Carolina’s pressure defense. The Hawkeyes are now just 20-of-50 (40%) from the floor.

Star Iowa guard Caitlin Clark dropped 18 points in the first quarter, but has gone just 3-of-13 (23.1%) from the floor since then. She leads all scorers with 25.

Iowa needs to step up on defense

CLEVELAND — If there’s been a knock against Iowa all season, it’s been the Hawkeyes’ defense.

Iowa is incredible offensively, especially when the Hawks are out in transition; no one loves to floor and distribute like Caitlin Clark.

But trailing 65-55, Iowa could really use a defensive stop. That’s hard against a team that has great size and athleticism. But Iowa needs to figure out a way to slow down South Carolina, which fired off an 8-0 run faster than you could blink. Meanwhile, Iowa went scoreless for more than three minutes.

In a game like this, momentum matters, big-time.

And that’s why Iowa coach Lisa Bluder just burned her second timeout, to try to stop the bleeding, as South Carolina has taken a 68-57 lead after a three from Tessa Johnson. There’s only 1:06 left in the third, but Bluder knows it matters. 

Tamika Catchings, Jalen Hurts among celebs at game

The stars have descended on Cleveland for the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina. Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings and WNBA MVP Candace Parker are at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to watch the new generation of talent.

Parker was sitting with USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is there, as is “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis and singer and Gamecocks alum Darius Rucker.

Caitlin Clark getting help from teammates

CLEVELAND – Bree Hall looks frustrated.

The 6-foot junior guard has done a terrific job guarding Caitlin Clark this afternoon. She’s had a hand in her face — literally — every time Clark has crossed half-court, and Clark has worked hard for each of her 23 points.

But Hall can’t do everything.

After a missed three from South Carolina, Clark corralled the ball and raced up the court — with Hall right with her. Hall managed to get in front of Clark, who retreated to the corner … but then Hannah Stuelke flew toward the basket for a layup. After she scored, bringing the Hawkeyes within four, Hall turned away from the basket and let out a heavy sigh, visibly annoyed.

That’s a testament, again, to how well Clark’s teammates have played this tournament and how dependable they’ve become. You might be able to slow Clark, but she’s far from your only problem.

South Carolina in control to start third quarter

The Gamecocks stayed hot to start the third quarter, going on an 11-0 run that went back to the end of the second quarter. Iowa finally scored on a Clark jumper at around the 7-minute mark.

South Carolina fights back, leads Iowa at halftime

CLEVELAND — Well, that was exhilarating.

Caitlin Clark is sucking wind, Raven Johnson is breathing hard and we’ve got one hell of a game on our hands. Are you ready for two more quarters?

It’s clear that everyone on the floor is exhausted — that’s partially how Johnson just managed to sneak a steal from Clark. This game might come down to who’s more in shape, including if it turns into a free-throw shooting contest. At the end of the game when you’ve lost your legs, you have to be even more conscious of bending your knees and getting the ball to the rim.

Pay close attention the second half if shots are short. Both teams shot reasonably well in the first half — 47% for South Carolina and 45% for Iowa — but the Gamecocks have 12 more attempts, a direct result of their 12 offensive rebounds, which they’ve turned into 19 second-chance points.

Gamecocks course-correct in second quarter, lead 49-46

If the first quarter was all Caitlin Clark and Iowa, the second was a course-correction for South Carolina.

The Gamecocks opened the period on a 7-0 run to erase Iowa’s early lead and take a three-point lead — its largest of the game — into halftime.

This has been a game of contrasting styles. Iowa is looking to grab defensive rebounds and sprint out in transition. South Carolina, meanwhile, is crowding the paint and using its height to secure offensive rebounds and extend possessions; the Gamecocks have a 12-4 advantage on offensive boards and have scored 19 second-chance points, compared to Iowa’s 11.

South Carolina also holds a 27-18 overall edge on the glass and has scored 30 points in the paint.

Clark scored just three points in the second quarter after dropping 18 in the first and leads all scorers with 21.

Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso leads her team with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, but South Carolina’s bench has been a big factor, chipping in nearly half of the team’s points, with 22. Iowa’s bench, by comparison, hasn’t scored a single point.

South Carolina is up, 49-46.

Dawn Staley is fired up

After Kamilla Cardoso grabbed an offensive board and flipped it right back into the basket, Dawn Staley turned to her bench and held out her arms as if to say, “Why aren’t we doing that EVERY time?” The Hawkeyes have no answer for Cardoso, and Staley knows it.

Staley is visibly upset — extremely upset. She’s been on the officials since the jump, furious that Iowa star Caitlin Clark has already been able to draw numerous fouls against South Carolina. (Clark is 5-of-6 from the line.)

Staley’s assistants have rushed on the floor a few times to pull her back, encouraging her to back off the officials so she doesn’t get hit with a technical. She’s sat down a couple of times then popped right back up, and spent the first chunk of the most recent media timeout giving official Brenda Pantoja an earful.

She hasn’t been warned officially yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Midway through the second quarter, Iowa has shot nine free throws and South Carolina just three.

Caitlin Clark takes down another record

The records continue to fall for Caitlin Clark.

Already the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, Clark needed 18 points in today’s game to pass Tennessee great Chamique Holdsclaw for the most total points in a single women’s NCAA Tournament.

It took her one quarter to break the record.

Clark went 5-for-8 from the field and her 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in the quarter put her over the top.

‘When she feels it, she feels it,‘ Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said between periods.

Holdsclaw won three straight NCAA championships with the Vols in 1996, ’97 and ’98 and, like Clark, was a two-time national player of the year.

Caitlin Clark already has 18 points

Caitlin Clark poured in a blistering 18 points on five-of-eight shooting in the first quarter, including three-of-four from beyond the arc.

Iowa off to blazing start but Gamecocks fight back

South Carolina may have entered as the undefeated favorite, but it was Iowa who started the game on a torrid pace.

The Gamecocks would settle, but star Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark poured in a blistering 18 points on five-of-eight shooting, including three-of-four from beyond the arc.

The Hawkeyes scored the game’s first 10 points and ripped off a 20-9 run within the first five minutes of the game to build an early lead. Iowa looked to push the pace in transition to prevent the Gamecocks from settling into their base defense.

Iowa hit six of its first eight shots and — behind Clark drawing a couple of fouls on attempted 3 pointers — the Hawkeyes also drew an early edge on free throws.

Iowa enters the second quarter up 27-20.

Mike Trout shows up at ballpark wearing Caitlin Clark jersey

Count Angels superstar Mike Trout among Caitlin Clark’s legion of fans.

In a photo posted on Instagram Sunday, Trout was shown wearing a black No. 22 Clark jersey over what appeared to be a black hoodie as he walked through the tunnel at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Trout may catch the start of the women’s championship game before taking the field to face the Red Sox.

Kamilla Cardoso looks OK warming up, despite injured knee

Kamilla Cardoso is wearing a sleeve on her right leg – it’s white today, unlike Friday’s black one – to cover the brace she’s got on her injured knee. Cardoso hurt it in the second quarter against NC State, but was able to return for the second half and said after the game that she was fine, just needed more treatment. She looks OK, playfully kicking the ball as if it’s a soccer ball during warm-ups. (Like pretty much everyone from Brazil, Cardoso is a big soccer fan.)

What time is Iowa vs. South Carolina? 

Iowa vs. South Carolina tips off at 3 p.m. ET today. 

Iowa vs. South Carolina predictions 

USA TODAY’s Nancy Armour has Caitlin Clark and Iowa getting the victory over undefeated South Carolina while Lindsay Schnell has the Gamecocks remaining undefeated to grab their third national championship. 

How to watch Iowa vs. South Carolina 

ESPN is airing and streaming Iowa vs. South Carolina. 

How to stream Iowa vs. South Carolina 

All games will be broadcast on ESPN. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices. 

Stream through HULU with Live TV 
NCAA March Madness Live app 
Stream through DirecTV Stream 
Watch all tournament games with a subscription to fuboTV 

When does Caitlin Clark play again? 

Caitlin Clark and top-seeded Iowa takes to the court today in Cleveland against No. 1 South Carolina. They tip off about 3 p.m. ET. 

How many points has Caitlin Clark scored? 

As Iowa’s Caitlin Clark continues to rewrite the record books, USA TODAY Sports is tracking all her stats during the NCAA Tournament. Here’s everything you need to know about the superstar guard. Here is an in-depth, illustrated look at the Iowa star and her race to the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record. 

Kamilla Cardoso injury update 

South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso left the Final Four game against NC State on Friday night after a fall that tweaked her right knee. She and coach Dawn Staley said after the game she was fine and would play against Iowa in the national championship. 

Dawn Staley thinks Caitlin Clark needs a ring to be the GOAT 

As she’s rewritten the record books over the course of her brilliant four-year career, Caitlin Clark has sparked numerous debates about if she is, in fact, the greatest of all time (GOAT) when it comes to college women’s basketball.  

No offense to Clark, who earlier this season became the all-time leading scorer in Division I history regardless of gender, but South Carolina coach Dawn Staley thinks that title belongs to former UConn standout Brenna Stewart.  

“I was really good in college, never won a championship,” said Staley, who led Virginia to three Final Fours, losing the only national championship she played for, in 1991. “You’ve got to win a championship. That’s (my opinion) personally. Like I had a great career. But it’s always, did you win a championship?” Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story. 

Caitlin Clark, Iowa shouldn’t be able to beat South Carolina. But they will. 

Look at Iowa and South Carolina on paper, and it’s obvious the Gamecocks should win the national championship Sunday. 

Kamilla Cardoso is a force of nature, and Iowa has no one who can counter her. Shot-blocker Ashlyn Watkins has quietly been having a spectacular tournament. No one will sag off Raven Johnson this year. Dominant as South Carolina’s starting five are, the “second string” is equally lethal. 

And yet … there are teams that seem destined to win, and Iowa feels like one of them. 

It would be the fitting end to Caitlin Clark’s stupendous career, of course. She is already major college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and has altered the trajectory not only of women’s basketball but women’s sports. Sunday is the last game for her and Iowa’s super seniors, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall. 

Why South Carolina will beat Iowa and win third women’s national championship 

By now you know all about when Caitlin Clark waved off Raven Johnson last year during the national semifinal, implying to Johnson – as well as everyone watching – that she didn’t view Johnson as enough of a shooting threat to guard her.  

Johnson was so haunted by that moment, she considered quitting basketball. But she’s lived in the gym since then, becoming a sharpshooter and go-to option in the clutch. She dubbed this season “the revenge tour,” and the last stop is Sunday. You really think she’s letting the Gamecocks lose again? Absolutely not. I’ll take South Carolina as my 2024 national championship pick. And don’t be surprised if South Carolina wins by 15+ — the Gamecocks are that good, that deep and that motivated. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full column. 

Caitlin Clark mastered her mental game and that has Iowa in the title game 

Iowa probably doesn’t make this national championship game earlier in Caitlin Clark’s career. 

 When the Hawkeyes’ offense was struggling against UConn on Friday night, when none of Clark’s shots were falling, when the Huskies were bodying the Iowa players from the moment they inbounded the ball, Clark could easily have gotten frustrated. Would easily have gotten frustrated in seasons past. Instead, she stayed almost preternaturally calm. 

Impressive as those logo 3s and her scoring average are, it’s Clark’s maturity that has brought the Hawkeyes within one game of winning it all. And she and everyone else at Iowa agree it’s that part of her game that’s come the furthest these last four seasons. 

“That doesn’t come without work. She’s put in a lot of work to the mental side of her game,” Kate Martin, who has played with Clark all four years, said Saturday. “That just shows how good of a teammate she is. She wanted to be better. She has all the basketball skills that she needs. She’s the best player in the country. But to work on the mental side, you can always get better on that.” Read Nancy Armour’s full story. 

How South Carolina’s Raven Johnson used Final Four snub from Caitlin Clark to get even better 

Caitlin Clark almost made Raven Johnson quit basketball. 

The South Carolina guard spent weeks alone in her room, crying as she re-watched last year’s Final Four loss to Iowa. Over and over and over again. 

“More than 100 times probably,” Johnson said Saturday. 

It wasn’t only that Clark had waved off the unguarded Johnson, deeming her to be a non-threat offensively. It was that the clip of Clark doing it had gone viral, Johnson’s humiliation taking on epic proportions. 

“Caitlin’s competitive, so I don’t blame her for what she did. But it did hurt me,” Johnson said. “I’m just glad I had the resources that I had, the coaches that I had, the teammates that I had to help me get over that hump. And I just feel like it helped me. It made me mentally strong. 

“I feel like if I can handle that, I can handle anything in life.’ 

Johnson eventually did come out of her room. So she could head to the gym to work on her shot. Read Nancy Armour’s full story. 

South Carolina has chance to be greatest undefeated women’s team 

According to the numbers, the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks are undefeated in the 2023-24 season, having been perfect in 37 games heading into their final contest, a rematch with Iowa which will be played Sunday with a national championship on the line.  

But Staley, in her 16th year with the program, isn’t totally sure it’s true. 

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Staley said. “We’ve played some bad basketball this season that made it feel like we lost.”  

In the history of the women’s NCAA Tournament, there have been nine undefeated champions. If South Carolina beats Iowa, the Gamecocks will become the 10th. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story. 

College coaches demand more accountability from refs. Iowa-UConn call is the latest example 

As women’s basketball explodes in popularity and administrators realize its power as a revenue-generator, pressure to win has ratcheted up. And that makes every call, especially in a close game, matter. 

For all the discourse around the varying issues in college sports — out-of-control, booster-led NIL collectives, a transfer portal that never stops churning and the looming reality of revenue sharing with athletes — coaches, administrators and even officials agree on one thing: The officiating in women’s basketball needs major work. 

The NCAA declined to make Penny Davis, the head of women’s officiating, available to USA TODAY Sports. But others spoke about one of the game’s most problematic issues.  

“I think to the overall point as the game has gotten more spotlight and just more people purchasing tickets, watching on television, the fundamental question as administrators is, have we done enough to look at the officiating?” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan told USA TODAY Sports. “And I think the answer is no.” 

Kamilla Cardoso is formidable and immovable force for South Carolina 

The most impressive part of Kamilla Cardoso’s game isn’t the fact that she played through pain Friday night, injuring her knee late in the second half before returning to play the third quarter. It’s that she’s improved throughout the season. Even if she’s not at full strength, she’s a load on the block. 

Most people take noticeable jumps in skill, strength or athleticism in the offseason, when they can devote hours to their craft. It’s hard to work on your individual game during the season, when you’re juggling class, scouting reports and daily practice that’s usually focused on the team. But just a couple months ago, Cardoso had a bad habit of getting buried on the block. She was often rushed when she caught the ball and took terrible angles on shots, frequently shooting underneath the rim.  

Against NC State, she looked like a first-team All-American. She was patient and polished, taking her time to feel the defense before going the other way and scoring — often through a few sets of outstretched arms. For her size, she has impressive body control. And given her mobility, she could be making a case to move up to No. 2 in this month’s WNBA Draft. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story from the Final Four. 

Caitlin Clark average points per game

Iowa superstar guard Caitlin Clark is averaging 32 points per game this season on 46% shooting. She also averages nine assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. We are tracking all of Caitlin Clark’s stats here. 

Caitlin Clark 3-point percentage 

Tessa Johnson stats 

South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson averages 6.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 17.3 minutes per game. The 6-foot freshman has appeared in 33 games this season, shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3. 

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MLB injury problem ‘getting worse’ as two more aces fall victim

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It was perhaps the most costly 24-hour span for pitchers in Major League Baseball history. 

It began Saturday with the Cleveland Guardians announcing that ace and former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber would undergo elbow reconstruction surgery, ending not only this season, but most of 2025. 

Next up was New York Yankees reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, who revealed that he has a torn UCL, will undergo surgery and be out for the season. 

Then it was Atlanta’s turn to reveal that ace Spencer Strider, who finished second in the Cy Young voting last season, has a damaged UCL and will undergo tests with Dr. Keith Meister in Texas, likely leading to season-ending elbow surgery. 

Oh, and if you go back just two days, the Miami Marlins announced that prized prospect Eury Pérez needs to undergo Tommy John surgery, too.

MLB SALARIES: Baseball’s top 25 highest-paid players in 2024

“This is not an epidemic,’ veteran trainer Stan Conte, who spent 23 years with major-league teams, told USA TODAY Sports. 

“This is a pandemic. It’s been going on forever, and it’s getting worse.’

The most alarming aspect to this rash of pitching injuries is that there’s no end in sight, with MLB commissioning a research study and interviewing medical experts. 

There were more than 260 major-league and minor-league pitchers in 2021 who had elbow surgeries, an increase of more than 400% from 10 years ago. 

Pitchers requiring a second Tommy John or elbow surgery have now doubled. 

While shoulder injuries have diminished, 35.7% of all pitchers on MLB rosters at the end of last season had undergone Tommy John surgery at one point in their lives, according to researcher Jon Roegele’s studies. Eleven more have had it since, bumping that percentage up to 37.0%.

Teams spent a major-league record $1.147 billion last season on salaries for injured players and their replacements, mostly pitchers. 

“People have been trying to come up with all kinds of solutions,’ said Conte, who works at the Conte Performance clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., “but it ain’t working.’’ 

“Let me check my Insta feed,’ Arizona Diamondbacks special assistant Dan Haren sarcastically tweeted, “for guys throwing weighted balls at max effort against a wall, with a crow hop, with his bros cheering him on.’ 

Meister, director of the Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine, believes the increased spin rate is even more damaging. Tony Clark, director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, says the pitch clock is leading to injuries, although there were actually more injuries two years ago before the pitch clock was implemented.

“The league’s unwillingness thus far to acknowledge or study the effects of these profound changes,’ Clark said in a statement Saturday, “is an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset – the players.’’

MLB responded by saying: “This statement ignores the empirical evidence and much more significant long-term trend, over multiple decades, of velocity and spin increases that are highly correlated with arm injuries. Nobody wants to see pitchers get hurt in this game, which is why MLB is currently undergoing a significant comprehensive research study into the cause of this long-term increase.’

Certainly, the wear and tear from kids pitching so frequently, Conte says, is playing a vital role in Tommy John surgeries.

“There’s such a sports specialization now,’ Conte says. “The fact that kids are throwing 85, going on travel teams and throwing all year-long, catches up to you. It’s like threads on a tire. You keep running them, and sooner or later, they go bald.’

Conte’s clinic, which is run by his son, Nick, tries to identify pitchers who may be in danger of elbow injuries by analyzing an artificial intelligence program studying 37 different variables. Conte, who was director of medical services for the Marlins, informed the Marlins’ front office that ace Sandy Alcantara was going to require Tommy John surgery. 

“He threw 200 innings four years in a row, had great mechanics, but then had elbow problems,’ Conte said. “I said, ‘This guy’s not going to make it.’ You can let him throw, but it’s not going to happen. Just plan on him having Tommy John surgery in 2023. You could see it coming down the pike.’ 

It was no different, he said, forecasting that Bieber would need elbow surgery this year. Conte’s opinion never wavered even after Bieber opened the season striking out a major-league leading 20 batters in 12 shutout innings, increasing his velocity to its highest level in two years (93.7 mph) after training this winter at Driveline Baseball. 

“You knew something was off with that ligament,’ Conte said. “What we’re doing is seeing if we can get ahead of curve. We’re seeing if someone’s heading towards the cliff, and maybe we can stop something.’’ 

The real concern, Conte says, is the repeat Tommy John surgeries. The first Tommy John surgery has an 85-90% success rate, but it drops down to 50-55% in repeat surgeries. 

Bieber, who’s a free agent after the season, has dealt with arm and shoulder injuries the past few years. Who knows now when he’ll be back.

“He’s devastated by it,’ said Chris Antonetti, Guardians president of baseball operations. “He feels as though he is letting a lot of people down. I tried to reassure Shane that couldn’t be further from the truth.’ 

Strider, who struck out a major-league leading 281 batters this season, likely will be out the remainder of the season, too. The only real question is whether Strider will need Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, which may permit him to be back early in 2025. He’s in the second year of a six-year, $75 million contract. 

Look around, and there are more star pitchers on the injured list these days than are active. 

Cy Young winners Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Gerrit Cole and Alcantara are all on the injured list. Lucas Giolito and Brandon Woodruff are out for the year. Walker Buehler, Shane McClanahan and German Marquez are recovering from Tommy John surgeries. Cubs ace Justin Steele and Mets ace Kodai Senga are out. And, Dodgers $700 million star Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch until 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery last September. 

There were 166 players who opened this season on the injured list this season, including 132 pitchers. 

“There are lot of different theories on why,’’ Conte says, “but we can all agree that something needs to be done.’’ 

Around the basepaths

– The Miami Marlins, who could be the first team to conduct a fire sale this summer after their 0-9 start, may also find themselves needing a new manager in 2025. 

Skip Schumaker, the NL manager of the Year last season, is a free agent after the year. 

The Marlins originally had a club option on Schumaker in 2025, but the Marlins agreed to void the option during contract talks this past winter. 

Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox and Schumaker certainly would be the hottest names on the managerial free-agent market. 

– If the Marlins decide to start trading, Jazz Chisholm, Josh Bell, Jesús Luzardo, Luis Arráez and Braxton Garrett would be their top commodities to start a rebuild.  

– The Chicago White Sox privately believe that prized center fielder Luis Robert Jr. could be out for 3-4 months with his Grade 2 hip flexor strain, another blow to an offense already without DH Eloy Jimenez. 

The White Sox will explore the market for reinforcements with free-agent outfielder Tommy Pham still available and perhaps an ideal fit. 

– The hysteria in New York over Juan Soto in the Yankees’ opening series in New York cooled down when Soto went 1-for-16 in the next four games against Arizona and Toronto. Still, he’s hitting .333 with a .873 OPS with the Yankees getting off to a 7-2 start. 

Soto, who should be seeking a $500 million contract, is expected to create a free-agent bidding war between the Yankees and Mets. Yet, with that high of a price tag, it’s unknown if there will be a surprise team who’ll get involved in the bidding. 

– While it’s far too early to know, or even speculate, who will be commissioner Rob Manfred’s successor, Theo Epstein reiterates to friends and associates that he has absolutely no interest in the job. 

– A’s first baseman Ryan Noda expressed that he wants the Athletics’ temporary home to be up to MLB standards playing at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park for the next three seasons. 

“Concerns?’ he told the Oakland Tribune. “The field, the locker rooms, the dugouts, the surface, making sure all the safety protocols and everything is up to par. That field needs a lot of work, a lot of money put into it in order for it to be a big league place.’

The biggest concern may be the playing field at Sutter Health Park. If the Giants’ Triple-A Sacramento River Cats plays there as well, the playing surface will take an absolute beating. 

– The A’s and the city of Oakland were $80 million apart in their negotiations to remain at the Coliseum. 

– Congratulations to assistant GM Fred Uhlman, who quietly retired from the San Diego Padres this past week after spending 29 years in the organization. 

Uhlman is one of the most respected, admired and loyal executives in the game. 

He says that he was not forced out, and has a strong relationship with G.M. A.J. Preller, but simply wanted a change. 

“A.J. and I have talked about this since my Dad passed in 2020,’ Uhlman said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports. “Talked again in December, but wanted to wait and help get to opening day. I’ve wanted to wait and help get to opening day. I’ve wanted to jump into something new and challenging, most likely scouting…. 

“A.J.’s been awesome. Could have stayed in my current role or moved into a scouting role here, but wanted a fresh start if one is out there. Would love to scout again if the right opportunity is out there… They say being uncomfortable is a good thing and I’m about to get uncomfortable for the first time since 1995.’ 

– Angels GM Perry Minasian finally persuaded fan favorite Torii Hunter to join the organization as a special assistant. Hunter was offered the Angels’ first base coach job in November, but he passed. 

– Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story’s nightmare continues with the latest injury: a dislocated left shoulder.

Story has missed 187 games the past two seasons since signing a six-year, $140 million contract, and now will be out for an indefinite period. 

– The Washington Nationals’ ownership, who finally signed off on Stephen Strasburg’s retirement, are the ones to blame for even signing Strasburg to the ill-fated, seven-year, $245 million contract. The Nats front office recommended only a two-or three-year deal, but the ownership let Strasburg’s fabulous 2019 postseason that led to a World Series title sway them. 

– There was a loud cheer was of sarcasm from the Angels’ crowd celebrating third baseman Anthony Rendon’s infield single, snapping his 278-day hitless streak, even giving him a standing ovation. 

– The Kansas City Royals rotation has been ridiculous in the early going, yielding a 1.26 ERA, with their starters giving up one or no runs in seven of the nine starts. 

– Larry Lucchino, who died last week at the age of 78 after being a top executive for the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame one day. 

He’s the one responsible for the construction of Camden Yards, Petco Park and the vast enhancements at Fenway Park. 

“One of the most accomplished executives that our industry has ever had,’ Manfred said.

– Colorado Rockies fans didn’t try to hide their disgust toward Kris Bryant and his struggles by heavily booing him at their home opener. 

“I’ve been through it all,” Bryant told reporters. “The death threats, the ‘kill yourself.’ All the craziness that this game will dish out. … 

“It takes courage to show up every day in this game. This game dishes you a lot. A lot of up, well, not a lot of up, but a lot of downs.” 

Bryant, who has hit just 16 homers and driven in 48 runs with a .727 OPS, since joining the Rockies, is in the third year of a seven-year, $182 million contract. 

– This is the first time in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ franchise history they opened the season without Greg Schulte in the radio booth, and the first time in 40 years the Minnesota Twins were without TV announcer Dick Bremer, each of whom retired. 

– Who wouldn’t love to see the Pittsburgh Pirates return to prominence after their 7-2 start, but remember, they did the same thing a year ago. They opened up with a 20-8 record, proceeded to lose 11 of their next 12 games, and finished 76-86. 

It’s a long season. 

– The Yankees have had a policy in place since George Steinbrenner bought the franchise in 1973 with no beards or hair below the collar, but apparently there is a rule on the number of necklaces a player can wear, too. 

New Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo said that he was told by manager Aaron Boone that he can wear only one chain per game. 

“It’s kind of been hard, man,” Verdugo told the Associated Press, “because usually I’m used to wearing like three of four.” 

– The only team to open the season with an 0-9 record and finish with a winning record is the 1983 Houston Astros, who finished 85-77, according to Codify Baseball. 

Yes, the Marlins could be in trouble. 

– Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray is scheduled to graduate in June with a degree in business management from Le Moyne College in N.Y. 

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale 

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Purdue student is dying. From hospital, he got Final Four for the ages

INDIANAPOLIS − Purdue is on the court battling North Carolina State in the Final Four on a big screen television that’s been brought in to the hospice unit at IU Health Methodist Hospital for Jonathan Avalos. But most of the game his eyes are closed. Mostly, he is listening to the sounds of the announcers and his friends and family all around him.

There are black and gold balloons hanging from the ceiling, Final Four decorations on the table and steak, crab legs and shrimp in abundance. This might be college basketball’s big night, but inside Methodist, this is Jonathan’s night, too.

This is his night to eat his favorite dinner, watch his favorite basketball team and feel just how amazing life can be, even if the pain of terminal brain cancer is being managed with intense medications. And even if Jonathan isn’t quite able to stay awake for the end when Purdue clinches a spot in the NCAA championship game.

No one knows how much longer the 22-year-old Purdue student has to live, but everyone knows he is dying. Treatments have been stopped because there are no treatments left that will help the advanced stages of his glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer Jonathan was diagnosed with the fall of his freshman year at Purdue.

Yet, while he is still here to cheer on his Boilermakers, even if it’s with a simple, mumbled, ‘I’m for Purdue,’ his family and his medical staff were adamant. They were going to make sure to give Jonathan a Final Four for the ages.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

‘He is a beautiful soul’

It was October of 2021 when Maria Avalos first noticed something was wrong with her only son. He was a freshman at Purdue and he was getting annoyed by his roommate, who wasn’t as squeaky clean and organized as he was.

Maria drove to Purdue to check on the situation and, as she pulled up, Jonathan started walking toward her car. As he got closer, she noticed his left eye looked odd. It was drifting and unfocused. She asked him what was wrong, and Jonathan told her not to worry. It was just stress.

Instead, Maria’s motherly instinct took over. She drove Jonathan to Methodist the next day at 10 a.m. for tests. By 7 p.m. that evening, the Avalos’ world was turned upside down. The scans showed a tumor, and it was obvious what kind of tumor it was.

Jonathan had glioblastoma, a brain cancer with an average survival time of 12 to 18 months, according to Glioblastoma Research Organization. Only 25% of patients survive more than one year, and only 5% of patients survive more than five years. ‘He was scared, but I don’t think, until now, I don’t think he realized how big this is,’ Maria said Saturday as she fed Jonathan steak. ‘He would always say, ‘I’m going to be fine.”

And for a while, it looked like Jonathan might be fine. After his diagnosis, he left Purdue and came home to go through treatment. When the scans came back, they were clear. He went back to Purdue and focused on his classes in his major of video game design. He was living life to the fullest.

But after a routine MRI in March 2023, Maria got a call from the doctor. ‘You have to come back. Something is there.’ Jonathan started radiation. But this time, the tumors weren’t going away.

‘One day, the doctor was talking with him, and he got the news that he had another tumor and he cried a little,’ said Maria. ‘And then he said to his doctor, ‘I’m so sorry that you have to tell bad news to people every day.”

His doctor was in shock. In 20 years of treating oncology patients, she had never had someone think of her feelings instead of their own when they were getting a diagnosis. But that is who Jonathan is.

‘He is a beautiful soul,’ said Mary Anne Ehrgott, one of Jonathan’s nurses on B5 Comfort Care, the hospice unit on the fifth floor at Methodist.

And that is why she, and the other staff, weren’t about to let Jonathan’s beloved Purdue play in its first Final Four since 1980 and not do something special for him.

‘He’s stupid strong, even now’

Ehrgott is wearing a Purdue shirt Saturday night. She is an IU fan. But for Jonathan she is honored to switch her college basketball allegiance. She has been caring for him for the past month.

When asked to describe Jonathan, she immediately starts to tear up.

‘I’m going to cry,’ she says. ‘He is funny, caring, ornery. We don’t usually get young people in this unit. We have, but not ones who can still talk to us and are here this long, so that makes a big difference.’

Jonathan likes to talk to his nurses about his high school wrestling career, in his weight class of 145 pounds. ‘I was the goat,’ he told Boswell one day. Now, on the door of his hospital room hangs a black T-shirt with ‘GOAT’ in bold white letters.

Ehrgott and fellow nurse Diane Boswell fell in love with the feisty, kind Jonathan who was in the prime of his life and struck with a cruel prognosis. By the time he came to their unit, there was no hope for recovery, only making his life as wonderful as it could be for the time he has left.

So, when Ehrgott asked Jonathan a few days ago what his favorite meal was, and he told her steak and crab legs, she and her coworkers knew what they had to do.

They went to work preparing a Final Four party that Jonathan and his family and friends would never forget. St. Elmo Steak House stepped up with a menu for a king. The manager of the hospice unit bought a Roku stick so Jonathan could watch the game on the big screen.

Throughout the game, Jonathan mostly laid back in his recliner and listened to the party. He listened as Purdue controlled the game and he listened as his friends talked about him and cried.

‘He’s funny and he’s stupid strong, even now,’ said Adrian Martinez, who met Jonathan in high school at Purdue Polytechnic.

‘He was always so goofy, always knew how to make someone smile and laugh,’ said Alexa Gomez, who has known Jonathan since elementary school. ‘And even if he was funny, he was still gentle. Any time I had a conversation with him I knew I was going to leave with a smile.’

‘I ain’t here for a long time’

Jonathan never wanted his story to be a secret. He didn’t want the cancer to win by shutting him up, by taking away his outgoing, funny, ornery, kind, caring personality.

Instead, he wanted to tell the world that dying is OK, that end-of-life discussions should not be taboo. He started telling his mother that one day he wanted to write a book about his cancer journey. He recorded as much as he could on his iPad and posted videos to Instagram.

‘I’m going to tell my story so people can see reality,’ Jonathan told Maria. ‘You know what? If I’m going, I’m going.”

When Jonthan was a little boy, Maria would ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He always answered the same way. ‘I just want to be fun. Be a happy boy. Always.’

He had a favorite song by George Strait then, ‘Here for a Good Time,’ and it is still his favorite song. The lyrics now have a much deeper meaning.

‘Every day I wake up knowing it could be my last … I ain’t here for a long time … I’m here for a good time.’

Maria and Jonathan have had those tough, heart wrenching conversations about death. ‘And we cry, we talk about it, and he’s like, ‘You do whatever you want to do with my body. It’s not going to be me anymore.”

He also tells his mom he wants to be remembered as the goat of wrestling and he wants the people he loves to keep moving forward.

‘He said, ‘If I go, you have to keep moving forward. Because my sister is going to need you. I’m not going to be here to protect her,” Maria said. ”So, I need you to cry a little bit. You can be sad for a little bit. But then I’m going to be super mad if you keep doing that. You have to keep living.”

The score of the Purdue game is 47-35 with his beloved Boilermakers in the lead and Jonathan hasn’t seen enough. But his body tells him he has seen enough. He is tired and he needs to sleep, so he tells his mom.

As she wheels him back to his room and then tucks him into bed, Jonathan is still wearing his Purdue T-shirt and shorts, and he is smiling.

Sweet dreams are about to happen for Jonathan. He will wake up Sunday to a Final Four victory, Purdue 63, NC State 50.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow.

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UConn freshman makes ‘Bama pay for ‘disrespect’ during Final Four win

UConn freshman Stephon Castle set the tone early for the Huskies.

Despite shooting 1-for-8 from the 3-point line in the NCAA Tournament heading into the Final Four, Castle got the Huskies on the board with a 3-point shot after he noticed his closest defender was in the paint. Then, Castle did it again as the Crimson Tide kept daring him to shoot the ball.

Castle went on to score eight of the Huskies’ first 10 points.

‘I noticed it like the first play of the game when we were trying to run a set and the guy was guarding me in the paint. I tried to take advantage of it early,’ Castle said following UConn’s Final Four win over Alabama on Saturday. ‘It was kind of a disrespect on their end just to guard that far back. … I saw the ball go in early. I thought it started a great night for me.’

It was a great night indeed. Castle, the Big East Freshman of the Year, tied his career high with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and two assists in UConn’s 86-72 victory. His 21 points were the third most points by a freshman in a national semifinal game in the last four decades, trailing only Carmelo Anthony (2003) and Derrick Rose (2008).

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

One of the highlights from the night was Castle’s alley-oop dunk from fifth-year senior guard Tristen Newton to go up 55-47 with 15:47 remaining. Castle turned to the crowd and yelled in celebration (‘I mean it was a good dunk. … I kind of got fired up for it,’ he said). Alabama responded and went on a run to tie the game 56-56 with 12:44 remaining, before Castle went back to work again with a jumper and two converted free throws to kick off an 8-0 run for UConn.

‘(Castle) played great. He shot confidently, because they were sagging off of him,’ said Newton, who finished with 12 points, nine assists and three rebounds. ‘He kept us in the game offensively for the majority of the game. Without his performance, we wouldn’t have won the game.’

Castle picked up back-to-back fouls within seven seconds in the second half and got called for a another with 6:35 remaining. He sat the remainder of the game with four fouls, but his teammates were able to close it out for a 14-point victory, the Huskies’ 11th straight NCAA Tournament game won by a double-digit margin.

‘I believe in the depth of our team,’ Castle said. ‘I wasn’t worried at all for me sitting out.’

The belief in each other is mutual. Sophomore center Donovan Clingan, who finished with 18 points, five rebounds and four blocks, said Castle is ‘not like any other freshman.’ He added: ‘(Castle’s) out there to do whatever his team needs for him to do to win. He’s one of the best on-ball defenders that you’ll see. He puts a lot of work in. He’s the most unselfish person on the team.’

Head coach Dan Hurley said he knew Castle was special ‘right away in the recruiting process’ and said he’s an NBA-claiber player.

‘When you got to the first practice, whether you ripped him or encouraged him, everything was, ‘Yes, Coach.’ He’s such a pleaser. His value at the next level, obviously you see it on game night. A lot of NBA teams, they come through and watch us practice, where he even has the ball in his hands more, where he gets to show all the things he can do that you don’t always see on game night.’

Castle will have one more opportunity to show off his skillset this season when UConn takes on Purdue Monday in the national championship game. The Huskies are vying to become the first men’s basketball team to win back-to-back titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

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