Former UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers has had quite the last few weeks.

First, the All-American guard won a national championship with the Huskies in her final collegiate game, then went No. 1 in the WNBA draft to the Dallas Wings.

Her accomplishments were enough to get her hometown named after her, literally.

Hopkins, Minnesota, where Bueckers grew up and played high school basketball, announced it’s naming the town after her on May 16, the date of her first WNBA game. The date will also be ‘Paige Bueckers Day’ in Hopkins.

‘The City of Hopkins would like to honor her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck at the professional level by proclaiming May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day and renaming the city to Paige Bueckers, Minnesota for the day,’ the announcement stated. ‘We invite the community to celebrate the kickoff of the WNBA season with Think Hopkins and our local businesses on WNBA watch day, where businesses will have themed specials, air the game and celebrate the season opener – because everybody watches women’s sports.’

Bueckers averaged 19.9 points with 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season, leading UConn to a 37-3 record and 82-59 win over reigning champion South Carolina in the national title game. She’s viewed as an organization-altering player for the Wings, which finished with a 9-31 record last season.

Bueckers missed the end of her sophomore season and most of her junior season after suffering a knee injury but fought back to be an All-American again in 2024 and 2025 after winning national player of the year as a freshman.

The former No. 1-ranked high school recruit has met every expectation since being a high-end prospect out of Hopkins, and now her hometown is honoring her for her accomplishments.

Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith won his first Super Bowl in February at the Superdome in New Orleans, only one hour away from his hometown of Amite City, Louisiana.

“I always carry Amite with me,’ Smith said during Super Bowl 59 opening night. ‘Everything I do is a reflection of my family and a reflection of Amite, where I come from.”

Smith was the second receiver off the board at No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, preceded by another Louisiana native Ja’Marr Chase, who went No. 5 overall. Although Texas, California and Florida get all the hype and all the credit for being football powerhouses, Louisiana has emerged as a force in its own right and is producing elite NFL talent at an unbelievable rate.

2025 NFL DRAFT: Full list of all 257 picks for all 32 NFL teams

Smith, Chase, Malik Nabers, Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr. and CeeDee Lamb were all born within 250 miles of each other in Louisiana. Not only is Louisiana producing first-round draftees, players from the state are thriving and making a huge impact in the league. Chase won the receiving triple crown last season, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jefferson, Thomas, Nabers and Lamb were all Top 10 in the league in receiving yards. There must be something in the water in Louisiana.

“New Orleans is a prep football town,” Jay Roth, Chase’s former high school coach, told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. “Before you had the (New Orleans) Saints in the 60s, prep football was king. They play football on Sundays here in front of huge crowds. High school football always got the front page of the paper, always led the news and it really hasn’t changed. You play football in New Orleans and make a name for yourself in prep, people in the city are going to know you for the rest of your life.”

Is Louisiana the new Texas of draft talent?

Texas (190), Florida (176) and California (168) — the three largest states in the country by population — have historically produced the most NFL players. Last season, 534 of 1,726 players on the 2024 Week 1 rosters hailed from one of those three states, accounting for 30% of the league, the NFL announced.

Louisiana (58) ranked eighth overall on the list, but if we take a closer look, the Bayou State had the second-highest NFL players per capita last season with one NFL player for every 80,306 residents. (Louisiana has a population of 4.598 million, much less in comparison to Texas (31.29 million) and California (39.43 million), according to last year’s Census.)

“In New Orleans the high schools are very tight, meaning within four or five miles, you have another high school. It’s not like the country where the next school is 15 to 20 minutes away,” said Roth, former head coach of Archbishop Rummel High School in in Metairie, Louisiana. “These kids are going to grammar school with each other, play football with each other and they choose to go to different high schools. So don’t doubt when Ja’Marr (Chase) went to Rummel, he would go against (Chiefs’) Kristian Fulton at practice…That was one of our quotes here, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’ which means your good goes against your good.”

Roth said there is a grittiness and competitiveness of Louisiana that breeds successful football players, in addition to wide accessibility and programs that develop talent and skills at a young age. 

“Kids grow up playing football on the street. It was nothing for them to play touch football on the street and tackle on the grass, I know that’s how I grew up,” Roth said. “You just play football…There are so many parks and recreational departments that have tackle football, so there is a lot of access to people and now the big thing is flag. Football has taken off.”

Louisiana talent fled state over Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area in August 2005, resulting in the death of more than one thousand people and displacing one million more, many who never came back. CeeDee Lamb, a native of Opelousas, Louisiana, is among those forced to relocate westward. 

“I was seven years old and it was rough,” Lamb recalled in 2020. “My roof was missing…Vandals going all over the place. Branches flying all over the place. It was a very scary moment. I honestly can remember not wanting to be a part of it anymore. Just wanting to get out and wishing everything was fine.”

Lamb’s family evacuated Louisiana and settled in Houston, Texas, where he went on to make a name for himself at John and Randolph Foster High School in Richmond, Texas and then Oklahoma University. In his bio at Oklahoma, his hometown is listed as Richmond, Texas, highlighting the mass exodus of talent from Louisiana that is later attributed to other states. 

“Can you imagine the talent that left the state of Louisiana, no matter at what age,’ Roth said. ‘Whether it was a seven-year-old or a sophomore in high school that went to Texas or went somewhere else and never came back. I don’t think people realize.”

In other instances, hometown products stayed in Louisiana, primarily Louisiana State University. Chase, Nabers, Jefferson and Thomas each stayed close to home and suited up in the purple and gold before turning pro. Roth said the ‘aura’ of LSU and Tiger Stadium is what attracts local talent.

“I would’ve given a couple of my toes to play at Tiger Stadium,” Roth joked. “Lord knows if you go on to college at LSU or Tulane and make the NFL like Jamar you become a household name for every kid, not only in New Orleans, but in the state of Louisiana.”

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The Boston Marathon, held annually on the third Monday in April, is one of the six major marathons in the world, attracting both professional and recreational runners. The Marathon also includes para-athletic divisions and a wheelchair division, where athletes compete using racing wheelchairs.

The course begins at Hopkinton State Park and meanders its way into downtown Boston, covering a total distance of 26.2 miles to the iconic finish line on Boylston Street.

One of the deepest fields in history should make for an exciting race. Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia is the defending men’s champion, while Hellen Obiri of Kenya is the two-time defending women’s champion. Who are the top contenders for this year’s title? Let’s take a look.

Evans Chebet, Kenya

Looking to pull off an extremely rare three-peat, the 2022 and 2023 champion battled a lingering Achilles injury last year on his way to a third-place finish. Chebet, 36, is one of the most consistent marathoners of all time, never placing lower than fourth in any of the 16 marathons he’s completed.

Sisay Lemma, Ethiopia

Anyone who’s already won in Boston has to be considered among the favorites to win it again. Lemma, 34, forged a sizable early lead in last year’s race and was able to hold off all challengers at the finish. If he tries to implement the same strategy, don’t expect the rest of the field to let him go unchallenged this time.

John Korir, Kenya

In his third Boston Marathon after coming in fourth last year, Korir, 28, won the Chicago Marathon last fall. Fun fact: His older brother, Wesley Korir, was the 2012 Boston Marathon champion.

Conner Mantz, United States

A relative newcomer on the elite marathon scene, Mantz, 28, made his debut in Boston in 2023 by finishing 11th. He won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last year and finished eighth at the Summer Olympics in Paris. His longtime training partner, Clayton Young, will likely be in the mix as well.

Hellen Obiri, Kenya

The champion in 2023 and 2024 is looking to continue her domination in Boston. Before even becoming a marathoner, Obiri, 35, held the distinction of being the only woman in history to win individual world titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. After defending her title in Boston last year, an injury limited her training for the Olympic Marathon in Paris. However, she still managed to win the bronze medal.

Sharon Lokedi, Kenya

The runner-up to Obiri last year in Boston, Lokedi, 31, has become a formidable challenger in any race she enters. The former 10,000 meter NCAA champion at Kansas, Lokedi won the New York City Marathon in 2022 and finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. She’s coming off a convincing victory last month in the NYC Half Marathon.

Edna Kiplagat, Kenya

A two-time champion in Boston, Kiplagat finished third last year at age 44. She’s back again and will most likely follow her usual strategy of staying back in the pack in the early stages of the race before kicking it into gear over the final few miles.

Des Linden, United States

The most experienced Boston Marathon runner in history, Linden, 41, will be competing for the 12th time this year. The 2018 champion knows the course better than anyone so if the leaders happen to falter, she’ll be poised to take advantage.

How to watch the 2025 Boston Marathon

WCVB Channel 5 will provide local coverage for the 2025 Boston Marathon starting at 4 a.m. ET. The marathon will be televised nationally on ESPN2, with coverage beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Date: Monday, April 21
Time: 9 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2, WCVB
Stream: WCVB.com, WCVB app
Location: Boston, Massachusetts

LAS VEGAS — After a thrilling end to the first night, WrestleMania 41 night two takes place Sunday with the potential for another big showing for WWE’s grand event.

Night two of WrestleMania features seven matches, with the top one being the main event of the entire weekend in Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Two of the biggest names in wrestling will face off in what has become a heated rivalry, and Cena goes for history in his final WrestleMania match. Three other championships will also be on the line, including the star-studded affair for the Women’s World Championship between Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley.

Plenty of surprises could be in store during the WrestleMania finale. Follow USA TODAY Sports for all of  the results, highlights and analysis from night two of WrestleMania 41: 

Watch: WrestleMania 41 preshow

WrestleMania 41 night two start time

WrestleMania 41 night two kicks off at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

How to watch WrestleMania 41 night two

The entire event will be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on Netflix in most markets.

Watch Wrestlemania 41 on Peacock

Where is WrestleMania 41?

WrestleMania 41 is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

WrestleMania 41 night two match card

Matches not in order

Randy Orton vs. TBD
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul
Sin City street fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
Women’s Tag Team Championship match: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria and TBD.
Fatal four-way match for Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
Triple threat match for Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena

When is WrestleMania 41 preshow?

The WrestleMania 41 preshow begins at 4 p.m. ET.

How to watch WrestleMania 41 preshow

The preshow will be available to stream for free on YouTube and WWE’s social media channels. It will also be available to stream on Peacock.

WrestleMania 41 Night 2 predictions

Here are the predictions for Night 2. See the full WrestleMania 41 predictions here.

Randy Orton vs. TBD Rusev returns, Winner: Orton.
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul Winner: Logan Paul.
Sin City street fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre Winner: Drew McIntyre.
Women’s Tag Team Championship match: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria and TBD. Becky Lynch returns, Winner: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
Fatal four-way match for Intercontinental Championship:Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio Winner: Penta.
Triple threat match for Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley Winner: Iyo Sky.
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena Winner: John Cena.

WrestleMania 41 winners list

One night of action has already been completed. Here’s the list of stars that won on WrestleMania 41 Saturday:

Jey Uso wins World Heavyweight Championship.
The New Day win World Tag Team Championship.
Jade Cargill.
Jacob Fatu wins United States Championship.
El Grande Americano.
Tiffany Stratton retains WWE Women’s Championship.
Seth Rollins.

Who will Randy Orton face at WrestleMania 41?

“The Viper” is seeking an opponent for WrestleMania 41.

The decorated WWE star was scheduled to end a months long feud with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania, but plans went sideways when Owens announced he had a severe neck injury and needed surgery, resulting in the match being canceled.

Not only did the unfortunate news call off a much anticipated match, it was a big blow for Orton’s WrestleMania plans. Now, Orton plans on being at WrestleMania to face an open challenger. 

The opponent could be anyone from Solo Sikoa and Nick Aldis, to a new addition to the WWE roster like Rusev.

LAS VEGAS — Ahead of WrestleMania 41, Paul Heyman was asked by USA TODAY Sports who needed to win the triple threat match between Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins in the main event of night one. 

The WWE Hall of Famer said he could go in front of the Supreme Court and spend hours advocating why each star should win. It was easy – and it makes sense – for him to make a case for the two stars he’s represented in his career. He said it would be unfathomable for Reigns not to win, and he could say with 100% certainty Punk needed to be victorious.

And then there was Rollins. Even though he hadn’t been his advocate, Heyman said Rollins would need a victory ‘or everything falls apart.’

What is everything? We found out on WrestleMania 41 night one.

WrestleMania 41: Five takeaways from shocking Night 1 for WWE

It was as shocking as a WrestleMania moment can get Saturday night inside Allegiant Stadium; Heyman – advocating for Punk over Reigns – not only turned on Punk, but turned on the ‘Tribal Chief’ in the process. Rollins didn’t even need to look at what unfolded to know the plan had been executed: he put his hand out and Heyman gave him the steel chair en route to the main event victory. 

Stunning for sure, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Rollins become the big star at WrestleMania.

In 2015, Rollins created the most memorable moments in WWE history at WrestleMania 31 when he pulled off the ‘Heist of the Century,’ cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Flash forward 10 years later, and Rollins is still doing the same on WWE’s grandest stage. 

‘Seth did become a highlight, right?’ said WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque. ‘That’s long deep into his career, to still have that fire to go that next level, to get there and have that connection with people, that’s impressive to me.’

What transpired is really a punishment for fans seemingly dismissing Rollins in the triple threat match. Yes, it was a bout with plenty of history, but it was expected either Reigns or Punk was going to leave victorious given their stature. Rollins was just seen as someone that could tie all of it together.

It felt somewhat reminiscent of WrestleMania 40. Going into the tag team match with Cody Rhodes against Reigns and The Rock last year, he was just seen as someone who could connect the rivalry. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Instead, Rollins played a critical role in the event, essentially costing Reigns his title to allow Rhodes to become the new champion. Even more, he did it with a critical knee injury. The performance was so outstanding, The Rock declared Rollins the true MVP of WrestleMania, even when he went 0-2 and took a chair shot to the back.

People needed a reminder of how magnificent the Rollins character is. He’s always going to give a great performance in the ring, but it’s his ability to draw such dramatic reactions that elevates him to a different level.

Rollins is a man of many names and looks. His flashy outfits and ability to get in people’s heads with his eccentric personality is what makes him such a popular star.

But underneath all of the flamboyant costumes and orchestrating the crowd to sing his music, people cannot forget he’s a visionary. He’s always looking forward, trying to do, in his eyes, what’s right for business. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes it looks bad.

Regardless of right and wrong, Rollins has the ability to change the entire course of WWE in an instant. At WrestleMania 41, he had a vision of what could happen if he emerged victorious in Saturday night’s main event. And as he and Heyman smiled on the stage while Reigns and Punk looked in disbelief, Rollins knew he not only altered the careers of three prominent stars, but turned the rest of WWE on its head.

Heyman summed up the perception of Rollins perfectly prior to WrestleMania: ‘he has been the straw that stirs the drink in this entire scenario.’ It’s something he’s always done and excelled at.

At WrestleMania 41, he didn’t just stir the drink. He smashed the cup it was in, and best believe he’ll continue to do it.

LOS ANGELES — Short of denying the Minnesota Timberwolves entry to Crypto.com Arena Tuesday night, how can the Los Angeles Lakers rebound from a Game 1 playoff beatdown?

The sixth-seeded Timberwolves throttled the third-seeded Lakers, 117-95, Saturday in the opening game of the best-of-7 first-round playoff series.

Group prayer couldn’t hurt before Game 2 on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. After all, Luka Doncic had 37 points in Game 1 and the Lakers had the services of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, and they still were no match for the Timberwolves.

So now what?

“It’s not to say our guys weren’t ready to, like, withstand a playoff-level basketball game,’’ Lakers coach JJ Redick told the media during his postgame remarks. “We were mentally ready, I thought our spirit was right.’’

Of course, there’s a “but” here. But?

“I’m not sure physically we were ready, if that makes sense,’’ Redick said. “And really, when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, like, we just didn’t respond.’’

Statistical evidence: Minnesota had 44 points in the paint, 12 more than Los Angeles. Minnesota had 23 second-chance points. Minnesota also outrebounded Los Angeles, 33-25. 

Essentially, the Lakers looked ready for bumper cars and the Timberwolves were ready for a demolition derby.

“I think we got to be the aggressor,’’ Lakers defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt said. “… We’ve just got to match that physicality.’’

And not toughness for toughness sake. That physicality will have to help the Lakers in several areas.

Such as limiting Minnesota’s 3-point assault. (The Timberwolves were 21-of-42 within 3-point range.) And cutting down on fastbreak points. (The Timberwolves had 25 compared to just six for the Lakers.)

So, now the Lakers know what they must do. But do they know if they can do it?

Who keeps JJ Redick up at night?

It’s possible Redick was less surprised than disappointed by the outcome of Game 1 based on his pregame comments.

“I’ve said all week, they’re a formidable opponent,’’ Redick said during pregame remarks to the media.  “They’re one of the best teams in basketball. They have a number of players besides Anthony Edwards who keep you up at night.’’

Now we know who those players include – reserve forward Naz Reid, who had 21 points, and starting forward Jaden McDaniels had 25 points.

They were especially clutch in the first half when Edwards managed to score only eight points. By contrast, Reid had 17 off the bench and McDaniels had 14.

For the game, they shot a combined 19-for-25 from the floor and 9-for-12 from 3-point range.

Fast start fizzled for Lakers

Doncic fueled the Lakers early, scoring 10 of their first 12 points, as they opened up an early eight-point lead. They basically sustained it, too, leading 28-21 at the end of the quarter.

But things turned quickly.

“They blitzed us,’’ James said.

The Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 38-20 in the second quarter, led 59-48 at the half and the lead ballooned to 27 points in the third quarter.

Redick cited Minnesota’s success in transition. The Timberwolves also started asserting their physicality.

The crowd did its part.

With Will Ferrell and Jack Black mugging for the video board, Lakers fans got fired up when the Lakers cut their deficit to 17 in the third quarter. The crowd erupted when Doncic hit a 41-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the quarter to cut the deficit to 16. But the Lakers could get no closer than 12 before the Timberwolves pulled away.

Bronny’s moment

Bronny James made his NBA playoff debut while his father watched. It’s unlikely they will reminisce about it years from now.

With 3:02 left to play and the Lakers down 113-90, Redick put Bronny James and other seldom-used reserves in the game.

Bronny shot two 3-pointers. He missed them both.

Next up

The Lakers and the Timberwolves will play Game 2 on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena.

This story was updated to fix a typo.

NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns was lost, in that good way.

He had just clasped his fourth rebound in a four-and-a-half minute stretch and, with both hands on the ball, swung his elbows to ensure no prying hands would knock the ball loose. He nodded and jawed at the player he had just outworked for the board. He pushed the ball ahead to point guard Jalen Brunson who then lulled the defense with three dribbles before finding forward Josh Hart sweeping in for an easy layup.

That was the play that capped a 21-0 New York Knicks run in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s first-round playoffs opener against the Detroit Pistons — a run that ignited New York’s 123-112 victory and prevented it from falling in an early hole in the series.

It began as avalanches do — slowly at first, then suddenly and then all-consuming. It began with just more than nine minutes to play in the game, with the Knicks trailing by eight, and it would leave Detroit stunned, searching for answers.

“To be honest with you, when you’re in those moments, you don’t realize you’re in those moments,” Towns told USA TODAY Sports after the game. “To be told after the game that it was a 21-0 run, I couldn’t tell you that it was. You just get so locked in on the game, so locked in the moment. You just play the game out and execute at the highest level you possibly can and deal with the results later.

“It’s one of those moments where you just get lost in the game. I’m glad that we got lost in the game for the right reasons.”

It was a collective effort. Brunson and backup Cameron Payne combined to score the first 17 points of the stretch, while  Hart closed it out with the final two lay-ins.

Towns was also instrumental, altering shots on defense, pulling down the four rebounds and stealing a pair of passes that he tossed to Knicks players leaking out in transition. Forward OG Anunoby locked down Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham and the entire team rotated in help defense, crashed the glass and swarmed the ball.

The run was also microcosmic of the largest discrepancy in this series: New York is replete with veterans whose ample playoff experience . The Pistons entered the season as the NBA’s fourth-youngest team and three of their starters — Cunningham, center Jalen Duren and forward Ausar Thompson — each made their postseason debuts Saturday night.

That experience was palpable as Brunson drew contact on his drives, getting to the line for three-point plays. It was there when Towns read passing lanes to intercept passes. And it was there when New York compounded Detroit’s indecision and lack of comfort in these moments with fast breaks.

“It’s instinctual,” Brunson said. “I don’t want to say we were in that timeout saying: ‘We have more experience.’ We just go out there and do whatever it takes to win, regardless of what the situation is. We have each other’s back. Just keep chipping away. It’s not like it’s an eight-point possession, it’s just chipping away, chipping away.”

Brunson finished with a game-high 34 points, 12 of which came in the final period. After missing 15 games down the stretch in the regular season with a sprained right ankle, Brunson again appeared to tweak the same ankle, momentarily favoring the injury.

Brunson would leave the game in the fourth to change his shoes. The time he checked back in, 9:06 left to play in the game, coincided with the start of the 21-0 run.

“I think he went and grabbed his cape,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau joked.

Towns added 23 points and was the only player on the floor to reach double figures in rebounds (11).

This all sets up an interesting showdown in Game 2 on Monday night.

Detroit did outplay New York for three quarters, and its 3-point shooting was essential in doing so. The Pistons converted 15-of-32 shots (46.9%) from beyond the arc, and veterans Tobias Harris (25 points), Malik Beasley (20) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (19) hit shots when the Knicks doubled Cunningham.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game that the loss would be an opportunity for “learning lessons,” adding that it was “execution that let us down.” He stressed that, with game film, the Pistons would be ready next time.

Cunningham was even more concise, saying: “We’ve just got to close out the game.”

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BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado football coach Deion Sanders delivered a series of remarks Saturday that criticized and questioned why the university waited so long to put up a statue in honor of late Colorado coach Bill McCartney.

The school announced Saturday that it was erecting a bronze statue of McCartney to be unveiled before a home football game this year. But McCartney, the winningest coach in CU history, died in January, prompting Sanders to give a passionate speech about the best way to honor people for their accomplishments in an era of instant gratification.

Sanders said he would try “not to get in trouble with what I’m about to say.”

Then he launched into it:

“Why we wait?” Sanders said in a news conference after his team’s annual intrasquad spring game at Folsom Field. “Wouldn’t we have wanted him to see? To be involved in it? To feel it? To feel the love, the respect, the appreciation?

“Why we wait?”

The school noted in its announcement that the statue of McCartney is a project “two full years in the making.” McCartney’s family announced in 2016 that he was diagnosed with late-onset dementia/Alzheimer’s. His condition deteriorated from there before his death at age 84.

“He can’t enjoy that right now,” Sanders said.

When told the statue was two years in the making, Sanders asked, “How we in the making?”

“This is a new generation,’ Sanders said. ‘Everything y’all want, you want it right now. And you go get it right now. You don’t wait for nothing no more, do we? We wanna go, we call Uber. We wanna eat, who we call? UberEats? Everything we get is right now. We want something, we order it off Amazon, right now. We ain’t in no waiting generation no more. That’s over. That’s a wrap on that.  Everybody in here is impatient. You’re downloading stuff right now putting it out, as I speak. This ain’t that no more. Let’s stop.”

Deion Sanders ties his remarks to number retirement ceremony

Sanders’ remarks come after a week of controversy involving another honor for other previous Colorado stars − his quarterback son Shedeur and two-way star Travis Hunter. Both had their jersey numbers retired Saturday in a pregame ceremony at Folsom Field. An announced crowd of 20,430 cheered as their highlights were played on the stadium video board.

But Sanders heard backlash about it from former Colorado players earlier this week after it was announced on Monday. Those former players said they thought it was premature to retire their numbers less than four months after they played their last college game. The last Colorado football player to have his jersey number retired was running back Rashaan Salaam in 2017, 23 years after he won the Heisman Trophy in 1994 and less a year after he died in 2016.

Sanders said he was “sad” because he wanted McCartney to see that statue.

“He can’t see that,” Sanders said. “The same thing with Rashaan Salaam, right? How long did we wait? … How many years after his death?”

After being told it was less than a year, Sanders asked, ‘So we gotta die to get recognized?’

Sanders said his policy is to “give people their flowers while they can enjoy them and they can smell them.”

Sanders made the same point earlier in his postgame news conference Saturday when asked about the jersey retirement ceremony for Hunter and his son Shedeur. Before the game, Colorado football fans had lined up to take pictures outside of the stadium with the Heisman Trophy won last December by Hunter.

“I’m not gonna really wait, so I give you your flowers now,” he said. “I’m not gonna wait 20 years down the street, then bring you back when you limping and can barely walk or some tragedy happens to recognize your greatness and what you contributed to this program.”

He suggested the decision to retire their jersey numbers now was made by athletic director Rick George. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are now only the fifth and sixth players to have their jersey numbers retired in the 135-year history of Colorado football.

“I’m thankful Rick shot his shot and moved on what we all know was inevitable in due time,’ Sanders said. ‘The timeframe, nobody’s gonna be happy with it. Somebody’s always gonna have something to say. But the way we are right now, we’re a now generation.”

What happened in Colorado’s spring game?

The Gold team beat the Black team, 25-17, using an unconventional scoring system. No statistics were provided by the school, and several players did not play because of injury. After snow fell on Boulder Friday, an announced crowd 20,430 showed up to enjoy the sunshine on Saturday — the third-biggest spring crowd in school history, ranking behind the only other spring crowds under Sanders in 2023 (47,277) and 2024 (28,424).

But the big story was the quarterback competition to replace Shedeur. In a bit of a surprise, 17-year-old freshman Julian Lewis worked with the first-team offense against the first-team defense instead of Kaidon Salter, the veteran transfer from Liberty.

Deion Sanders said the reason for that was “kind of disciplinary.” But their overall performances weren’t enough to establish who’s the top QB right now.

“The QB battle is gonna be really good this year,” offensive tackle Jordan Seaton said. ‘So we’re still trying to figure out that.’

Salter completed nine of his first 12 passes for 64 yards but didn’t really show what he could do with his legs as a dual run-pass quarterback. The defense wasn’t allowed to hit the quarterbacks Saturday.

In other news, Sanders awarded a scholarship to walk-on safety Ben Finneseth, a self-proclaimed “zero-star” player out of high school in Durango. Sanders has praised his attitude and work ethic.

Finneseth said he only had scholarship offers from Division II schools out of high school but opted to walk on at CU in 2021, before Sanders arrived in December 2022.

“Thank you for believing in me,” Finneseth said he told Sanders.

“First time I’ve seen Ben cry,” Seaton said of the scene in the locker room when the news was announced.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Not all 50-win seasons in the NBA are equal.

Optics shape perception.

The Los Angeles Clippers were an underappreciated and undervalued 50-32 win squad – a fantastic starting five of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, and coached by the tremendous Ty Lue.

The 50-32 Denver Nuggets dealt with chaos – friction between the coach (Michael Malone) and general manager (Calvin Booth) that resulted in both getting fired with three games remaining in the regular season.

The New York Knicks’ 51-31 season seemed underwhelming with the additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and colored by the 60-win seasons by Boston and Cleveland and the idea that the Knicks were never close to those two teams, losing all four games to the Celtics and all four games to the Cavaliers this season.

The Indiana Pacers’ 50-32 campaign was muted by a slow start, lack of drama and a dynamic star and Cleveland’s 64-win season.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 50-32 season produced the prospect of a deep playoff run with the trade deadline acquisition of Luka Dončić paired alongside LeBron James.

What happened to those teams as the 2025 NBA playoffs began Saturday?

The Pacers trounced Milwaukee, 117-98; the Nuggets showed resolve in a 112-100 overtime victory against the Clippers; the Knicks pulled away from Detroit, 123-112; and Minnesota crushed the Lakers, 117-95.

How have perceptions changed after Game 1?

The Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, look impressive again with Pascal Siakam (25 points, seven rebounds, one block, one steal) and Tyrese Haliburton (10 points, 12 assists) playing like All-Stars. Maybe Indiana is peaking at the right time and capable of getting back to the conference finals.

Nikola Jokic, regardless if he wins his fourth MVP in five seasons, is the best player in the league and helped get interim coach David Adelman, who is auditioning for the full-time job, his first playoff victory. As good as the Clippers have been defensively, stopping Jokic (29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals) is a problem for every team. Clippers-Nuggets has the potential for an all-time great first-round series.

The Knicks passed their first test. The Pistons are tough and led for long stretches, including most of the third quarter and almost half of the fourth. But the Knicks turned a 98-90 deficit into a 111-98 lead. Experience mattered, and the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks showed determination, especially in the fourth quarter during a 21-0 run. Brunson had 34 points and eight assists, Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks and OG Anunoby had 23 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two blocks. That’s what the Knicks need from their three best players.

The Lakers looked vulnerable, the only home team to lose Saturday. They couldn’t generate quality offense inside the 3-point line, shooting 18-for-42 on 2s and more important than that, James and Dončić didn’t overwhelm Minnesota. James scored 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting (1-for-5 on 3s), and Dončić had a quiet 37 points and just one assist – almost 40 from Dončić and the Timberwolves still won. That’s like a win-and-a-half for Minnesota, which limited James and Dončić to a combined four assists. First-time head coach JJ Redick of the Lakers wasn’t happy with his team’s physical intensity in the first half. It’s also on him to fix that, and offensive issues, for Game 2.

What just happened matters most. The NBA playoffs produce prisoners of the moment. But it’s just one game. Perspectives change from game to game.