The Pittsburgh Pirates have issued an apology to the family of Roberto Clemente after the team replaced a tribute to the late Hall of Famer on the right field wall at PNC Park with an ad for an alcoholic beverage.

‘When we added the advertisement to the pad, it was an oversight not to keep the No. 21 logo,’ Pirates president Travis Williams said Sunday in a statement. ‘This is ultimately on me, not anyone else in the organization. It was an honest mistake.’

The criticism was ignited Saturday when photos of the new ad for Surfside cocktails began popping up on social media.

Clemente’s son, Roberto Jr., expressed concern that no one from the Pirates organization had informed the family of the impending change.

In a statement posted to social media on Sunday, Clemente Jr. criticized what he called ‘a lack of meaningful collaboration between the organization and (the family) on matters that are deeply personal and historically significant to us and the fans.’

The team statement said there was no intent to diminish Clemente’s legacy, and that the space had been used for ads previously. The Clemente logo was placed on the right field wall in 2022 when the team didn’t have a sponsorship for it coming out of the COVID pandemic.

‘We want to make sure that the Clemente family understands that we intended no disrespect to their father,’ Williams said in his statement. ‘We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Clemente family and apologize to them and our fans for our honest mistake.’

The No. 21 logo will be returning to the right field wall, the team said.

The Kentucky Derby is under a month away and the official field is still being figured out.

The race will feature a 20-horse field, including 18 horses from the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

The series consists of races that award points to the top five finishers of each race. The top 18 will earn a spot at the starting gate. The other two spots will go to horses that are the top points earners in the Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Here’s a ranking for the leading nominees on the Road to the Kentucky Derby by points:

Who are the Kentucky Derby contenders?

Sandman, 129
Journalism, 122.5
Rodriguez,121.25
Tiztastic, 119
Tappan Street, 110
Sovereignty, 110
Final Gambit, 100
Coal Battle, 95
Chunk of Gold, 75
Citizen Bull, 71.25
Owen Almighty, 65
Publisher, 60
American Promise, 55
Flood Zone, 50
Flying Mohawk, 50
Grande, 50
Madaket Road, 46
Bulit, 45
Neoequos, 40
Baeza, 37.5
Chancer McPatrick, 35
Captain Cook, 35
Poster, 31
Burnham Square, 30
Render Judgment, 29

When is the Kentucky Derby?

The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Where is the Kentucky Derby run?

The race will take place at Churchill Downs in Lousiville, Kentucky.

What is the distance for the Kentucky Derby race?

The Kentucky Derby distance is 1 ¼ miles (10 furlongs / 2 kilometers)

The moment Alex Ovechkin scored his record-breaking 895th career goal with 7:26 gone in the second period against the New York Islanders on Sunday, play stopped and the celebration began.

The great Wayne Gretzky was on hand as the Washington Capitals icon passed him on the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring list. And Gretzky was front and center in the presentation ceremony.

‘They say records are meant to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that,’ Gretzky said.

‘Alex, I said I’d be the first guy to shake your hand when you broke the record,’ he added before offering Ovechkin a handshake and a hug.

When Ovechkin took the mic, he started by expressing his gratitude to everyone who played a part in him getting to 895.

‘Like I always said all the time, it’s a team sport. And without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, the trainers, coaches … I would never stand there and obviously I would never pass The Great One. So fellas, thank you so much. I love you so much …

‘We did it, boys. We did it.’

With his mother, wife and two boys accompanying him on the ice, Ovechkin also made a point to thank his family for their support.

As part of the ceremony, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented Ovechkin with a commemorative painting by renowned artist Tony Harris.

The 5×3-foot oil painting on canvas features an image of Ovechkin lifting the Stanley Cup after the Capitals won it in 2018 in the background, with another image of Ovechkin in the foreground taking one of his signature slapshots (which naturally got him his record-breaking 895th goal).

(This article was updated to include video.)

Nothing beats golf on a bright, sunny day.

That doesn’t seem to be in store though for Monday’s practice round at Augusta National Golf Club ahead of the 2025 Masters. Rather, the weather is expected to be troublesome, so much so that gates for patrons hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite golfers practicing on the course will be closed ‘until further notice.’

‘All patron parking lots will remain closed until further notice,’ stated a Masters representative Sunday evening. ‘No patrons should approach Augusta National Golf Club until more details are released.’

While this currently has no effect on the timeline for the actual Masters Tournament beginning on Thursday, April 10, this is still a major letdown to fans who were hoping to attend the practice round.

What is the forecast?

Monday’s forecast for Augusta, Georgia, cites a 99 percent chance of precipitation with ‘periods of heavy rain and a thunderstorm,’ according to AccuWeather. It won’t just be for a few hours, either. Rain is expected to fall all day.

The expected thunderstorms are the bigger issue, obviously. While it is expected to calm down in the afternoon, that would likely be too late for fans to get their fill given what they paid for.

Forecast for Day 1 of the Masters on Thursday

On the bright side, Thursday is not expected to have any rain for the first round of the 2025 Masters, with only a 5% chance of rain between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time. Unfortunately, there is a much higher chance of rain on Friday for Round 2 with a 50% chance of rain as early as 9 a.m.

What happens to fans with Monday tickets?

After five seasons at Connecticut, Paige Bueckers is ending her college career as a national champion, and she couldn’t hide her emotions finally capturing that elusive title.

UConn completely controlled the women’s national championship game against South Carolina en route to the program’s 12th title. The game reached blowout territory in the fourth quarter as the Huskies led by as much as 32 points in the final frame. As the game was decided, UConn coach Geno Auriemma pulled his starters in the final minutes, including Bueckers.

With 1:32 left in the game and the Huskies up by 29 points, Bueckers exited the game and went straight to hug Auriemma. She instantly became emotional with tears in her eyes and buried her head in Auriemma’s chest, a moment both sides hoped would happen during their time together. The two exchanged words before Bueckers went to hug the rest of her team.

What Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers said to each other

The embrace was an emotional one, and after the win, Auriemma said what he told Bueckers during the hug.

‘I love you. That’s all I could say. I love you,’ Auriemma said on the ABC broadcast.

Bueckers couldn’t hold back a joke when asked about the moment. She said she told Auriemma, ‘I told him I hated him.’ But after a laugh, she talked about what Auriemma meant to her.

‘I love that man like more than words can describe, and there’s a lot of stuff about him that I don’t, but it’s because he’s challenging me and making us all better in ways we never even knew we could,’ Bueckers said. ‘He always has our back. That’s the thing. Sometimes it feels like he’s on you and he has nothing but bad things to say. But he always has belief. He always has your back and just the relationship that we have, I can’t even put in the words.’

Oregon State’s Jade Carey, Florida’s Leanne Wong and Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez are among the stars leading their teams at today’s NCAA women’s gymnastics regional finals.

Regional finals in Alabama and Washington will determine which teams join LSU, Michigan State, Utah and UCLA in the NCAA championship in Fort Worth, Texas.

LSU and Michigan State were the first teams to get through, finishing 1-2 in the Pennsylvania regional Saturday. Out of the Utah regional, the host Red Rocks advanced along with UCLA.

Here’s a look at today’s regional finals:

Oklahoma leads after two rotations

Faith Torrez had the Sooners’ top score on beam, scoring a 9.950 as Oklahoma (99.175) maintained the lead with Missouri in second (98.850). Auburn was third, .125 behind Missouri.

Jordan Bowers scores a perfect 10

Jordan Bowers of Oklahoma scored a perfect 10 on bars, helping lift the Sooners into the early lead with 49.650. Missouri (49.550) and Auburn (49.450) were neck in neck followed by Arizona.

Jade Carey takes the all-around

Jade Carey won the all-around in Tuscaloosa, scoring 39.700 to top Madelyn Williams of Cal with 39.600. Florida’s Leanne Wong tied for third with Alabama’s Lilly Hudson (39.550). While Carey’s Oregon State team didn’t qualify for Fort Worth, Carey is expected to advance as an individual qualifer in the all-around.

According to ESPN, Cal’s Mya Lauzon (beam, floor) and Maddie Williams (bars) and North Carolina’s Kaya Forbes (vault) are also unoffical individual qualifiers.

Here’s a look at Maddie Williams on bars:

Florida, Alabama advance out of regional final

Florida has done it, winning the regional final after posting 49.350 on vault. The Gators finished on top with a score of 197.700 followed by Alabama’s 197.675 in second. Both advance to the NCAA championships in Fort Worth.

Cal came close but finished third with a score of 197.575 and Oregon State was fourth with 196.875.

Alabama on the move with spectacular beam rotation

In their home gym, the Alabama women got the job done on beam, scoring five “spectacular” routines in the words of ESPN’s Bart Conner. Alabama went ahead of Cal with a 49.500 on beam, the Tide’s best score this season.

Florida still stands on top after three rotations with 148.350. Alabama is second with 148.150, followed closely by Cal (148.125) and Oregon State.

Alabama’s beam scores:

Gabby Gladieux, 9.950
Shania Adams, 9.925
Gabby Ladanyi, 9.900
Lilly Hudson, 9.900
Chloe LaCoursiere, 9.825

Florida still on top after beam

Selena Harris-Miranda, who transferred from UCLA in the summer of 2024, led the way for the Gators on beam, scoring 9.900. Victoria Nguyen and Alyssa Arana finished with 9.875 and Florida stood on top after the second rotation with 98.850, followed by Cal’s 98.675.

Florida starts strong on uneven bars

Florida got off to a strong start on bars as Skye Blakely, Alyssa Arana and Riley McCusker all scored 9.925. After the first rotation, Florida had the top score of 49.550. Cal was second (.175 behind), followed by Alabama and Oregon State.

Four more teams to qualify today

From 36 teams, the field gets down to just eight by the end of the day. Here’s who advanced to the NCAA championships so far:

Utah: Finished first in Utah regional final with 197.825
UCLA: Finished second in Utah with 197.625
LSU: Finished first in Pennsylvania regional final with 198.050
Michigan State: Finished second in Pennsylvania with 198.00

NCAA gymnastics schedule

Alabama regional final

No. 3 Florida, No. 6 Cal, No. 11 Alabama, No. 14 Oregon State

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa

When: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, April 6

Streaming: ESPN+

Florida’s Leanne Wong helped lead the Gators to the regional final, scoring a 9.950 on beam Friday night, tied for the top mark along with Jade Carey of Oregon State. Wong was second in the all-around with a score of 39.775 behind Carey (39.85). Wong, who has been a member of the U.S. senior and junior national teams, was the 2024 NCAA co-champion on uneven bars.

Washington regional final

No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 7 Missouri, No. 15 Auburn, Arizona

Where: Seattle

When: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 6, 2025

Streaming: ESPN+

Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez scored a perfect 10 of her career on beam Friday night to lead the Sooners to a 198.025 victory. Auburn was second with a score of 196.950 to also advance to the Seattle regional final. Torrez claimed four titles in the all-around, bars, beam and floor. She was co-champion on bars with teammates Jordan Bowers and Audrey Davis.

Sooners tease a new look

Oklahoma seeks its 15th consecutive regional championship today. The Sooners will compete in style, according to their post on X.

OU’s Faith Torrez and the perfect 10

Oklahoma junior Faith Torrez scored a perfect 10 on beam at regionals on Friday, the first of her career in the event. Her first perfect 10 this season came on a floor routine in February as the Sooners hosted Florida.

In February, Torrez’s 10 gave the Sooners a 49.775 on floor, and the Sooners went on to claim their 90th consecutive victory at home.

Last season Torrez scored her first perfect 10 on floor to win the Big 12 title.

Jade Carey on a roll heading into regional final

Oregon State’s Jade Carey enters the regional final on a roll, having won or tied for first in all five events during the semifinal round. Her perfect 10 came on floor, as the Beavers scored a 49.525 in their last rotation of the day. The two-time Olympic gold medalist holds several Oregon State program records, and last season won silver at the NCAA championships in the all-around and on floor.

Michigan State advances to NCAA championships for first time since 1988

The Spartans head to their first NCAA championships since 1988, led by Nikki Smith’s season-high score of 39.650 to win the all-around. Smith, a junior, was the Big Ten gymnast of the year and finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally on vault.

Michigan State finished second to top-seeded LSU at the regional final Saturday in University Park, Pennsylvania. MSU kept it close, finishing with 198.000 behind LSU’s 198.050.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the run Houston finished the game with.

SAN ANTONIO — The lead was nine points with 2:15 remaining, and even as Duke struggled to convert on the offensive end there was no thought given to the idea the Blue Devils might actually lose to Houston in this battle of No. 1 seeds in the national semifinal at the Final Four.

The lead was down to seven points with 1:26 to play. To six points at the 42-second mark. Again, the very idea the Blue Devils’ season would end before the national championship game was ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous.

But it’s called March Madness for a reason. Trailing 64-55, Houston outscored Duke 15-3 over the final two-plus minutes to reach Monday night’s matchup against Florida. No team had ever given away so much in so little time on college basketball’s biggest stage.

“You go from some of the most special moments in the tournament to the most heartbreaking loss,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s incredibly disappointing. There’s a lot of pain that comes with this. That’s what the tournament is all about. You’re an inch away from the national championship game.”

Given the stakes, the names involved and the seemingly unavoidable Duke win, what unfolded over these final 135 seconds might be the most stunning stretch in Final Four history. How it’s seen depends on the point of view: To Duke, it’s an epic meltdown without precedent in program history; to Houston, it’s a classic comeback that helps erase generations of Final Four failures.

“At some point, if you have a culture, quitting is not part of the deal,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. “We’re not going to quit. We’re just going to play better.”

What happened is easily definable. The Blue Devils were in control, and then they weren’t. The Cougars hammered away, pelting Duke with body blow after body blow, and put themselves in position to deliver a stunning knockout punch. Duke gave it away and Houston took it away. Both are simultaneously true.

How it happened, on the other hand, is harder to explain — probably because this late reversal of fortune utterly defies explanation. National championship-caliber teams are not supposed to cough up nine-point leads in the final minute-plus, nor give up the 14-point lead Duke held with 8:17 to play. This Duke team in particular was seen as the favorite to win the program’s sixth national championship. How could the Blue Devils lose?

Multiple factors contributed to the second-largest second-half comeback in Final Four history, trailing Loyola-Chicago’s rally from 15 points down with 14 minutes remaining to beat Cincinnati in overtime in the 1963 championship game.

One was Duke’s willingness to step off the gas. After Houston cut the lead to 44-38 on a second-chance dunk with 15:37 to play, the Blue Devils responded with a 15-7 run over the next seven minutes. Momentum was in their corner. Duke allowed Houston to climb back into the mix with a 3-pointer and a technical foul on senior Mason Gillis, giving the Cougars a 4-point swing in a four-second span that changed the complexion of the game’s final eight minutes.

“As long as there’s time on the clock, we’re going out there and giving it our all,” said guard L.J. Cryer, who scored a team-high 26 points.

Another was the Cougars’ willingness to unwaveringly stick to their style of play, calmly pulling closer and closer without sacrificing the approach that has turned the program into one the marquee models of consistency on the Power Five level.

There’s no greater example of Houston’s unflappable self-confidence than the decision not to foul Duke after guard Emanuel Sharp’s 3-pointer made the score 67-64 with 33 seconds left. Instead, the Cougars forced Duke’s Sion James into a turnover, and forward Joseph Tugler slammed down Mylik Wilson’s miss from the right wing to draw within a point at 67-66 with 25 seconds to play.

“I think that was a big choice that we had to make there down the stretch,” Sampson said of the decision to not send the Blue Devils to the line.

Houston would foul guard Tyreese Proctor on Duke’s ensuing possession, sending the junior to the stripe with 20 seconds left. But Proctor missed the front end of a one-and-one, and while leaping for the rebound freshman forward Cooper Flagg was called for going over the back of Houston forward J’wan Roberts. A sixth-year senior, Roberts made both free throws to give the Cougars their first lead since going ahead 6-5 with 15:25 remaining in the first half.

“I mean, everyone has an opinion. They can say what they want to say,” Roberts said. “When you put 40 minutes on the clock and you put Houston against whoever, they’re going to get our best shot.”

That Houston was by far the more disciplined team across the game’s final eight minutes underscores the Blue Devils’ fatal flaw and the game’s deciding factor: Duke’s freshman-driven roster was the driving force to the Final Four but wobbled in the face of the Cougars’ veteran-driven steadiness.

“Got to give them credit for what they do every single night they play,” said freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in what is widely expected to be the final game of his college career. “We could’ve been a little bit more sharp down the stretch executing some things. At the end of the day, you got to give them a lot of credit, as well.”

Duke guard Kon Knueppel scored 16 points but only four in the second half. Center Khaman Maluach finished with just 6 points and had no rebounds across 21 foul-plagued minutes. Flagg was far more productive than in a lackluster performance against Alabama in the Elite Eight but missed the potential go-ahead jumper from just inside free-throw line with eight seconds left.

“Being young, to be this successful, part of them doesn’t know any better,” Scheyer said. “Then also, like these are the things that experience gives you, when you go through these moments.”

This has been a season-long issue that finally brought Duke down at the doorstep of the program’s sixth national championship. The Blue Devils came into Saturday night having lost three times all season, and in each loss had the chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds: Flagg committed a turnover in a 77-72 loss to Kentucky, Knueppel committed a turnover in 75-72 loss to Kansas and Flagg turned it over in a 77-71 loss to Clemson.

But Duke had lost only three times, after all, and lost just once since November. Beating Houston and reaching the championship game seemed like a foregone conclusion before tipoff, and became only more certain as the Blue Devils stacked together the double-digit lead.

And then they lost. Somehow, someway, they lost. Houston won. Rather than being canonized among the great teams in program history — and maybe the best team in history to be led primarily by freshmen — this Duke team will be defined by an epic collapse.

“I’m not there yet, to be honest. I’m heartbroken for our team that did everything for 38 minutes or 39 minutes, and came up short,” Scheyer said. “Obviously, as a coach, I’m reflecting right now on what else I could’ve said or could’ve done. I’m sure there’s a lot more that I could have done to help our guys at the end there. That’s the thing that kills me the most.”

Paige Bueckers completed her illustrious college basketball career in storybook fashion Sunday, helping lead UConn to an 82-59 drubbing of South Carolina in the 2025 NCAA Tournament championship game.

In the process, she made quite a few people 1,300 miles to the west of her school’s campus awfully proud.

Shortly after the Huskies completed their lopsided victory, the Minnesota Vikings’ official account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, posted a photo from Bueckers’ childhood of her wearing a purple Adrian Peterson No. 28 jersey while holding a Vikings helmet.

Bueckers is a Minnesota native who was born and raised in the Minneapolis area.

The post included the caption “Buckets” — a shortened version of Bueckers’ nickname, “Paige Buckets” — as well as trophy and purple and yellow heart emojis.

Though she opted to play college ball halfway across the country, Bueckers has kept a close bond with her home state. She is one of several standout basketball players to come out of Minnesota over the past several years, a group that also includes Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs.

Bueckers was a three-time Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year at Hopkins High School, which she led to a 30-0 record and an appearance in the Class AAAA state championship game in 2020 before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a senior that season, she averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game while being named the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

After winning national player of the year honors as a freshman during the 2020-21 season, Bueckers’ college career was plagued by injuries that caused her to miss half of the 2021-22 season and all of the 2022-23 season. 

She recovered valiantly, though, leading coach Geno Auriemma’s Huskies to the Final Four last season and the program’s Division I-leading 12th national championship this season. She was a unanimous first-team All-American for the third time in her career this season and was a critical piece in leading UConn to the national title, averaging 27.6 points per game in the Huskies’ final five NCAA Tournament victories.

Bueckers is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall selection in next week’s WNBA draft.

And boy, did Paige Bueckers earn her first national title in style. The Huskies defeated South Carolina 82-59 in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament national championship game from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The championship is the first for the Huskies since 2016.

The 23-point victory is a historic margin for a national championship game. But how dominant was UConn?

Here’s where the 2025 women’s national championship game ranks among the biggest blowouts in women’s championship game history:

UConn-South Carolina score

The Huskies earned a dominant 23-point victory over the Gamecocks in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament championship game. The margin of victory was tied for the third-largest in championship game history.

UConn led by as many as 32 points with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter. That margin would have still been a point short of the biggest margin of victory in history.

Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd each had 24 points for the Huskies, while Bueckers added 17 points. The UConn Big 3 combined for 65 of the team’s 81 points. They also had a combined 26 rebounds, nine assists, six steals and five blocks.

From the onset, UConn was in command of the game, leading for all but 3:21 of the 40-minute game. The Gamecocks’ last lead was at 11-8 with 5:59 left in the first quarter. The Huskies finished the quarter on an 11-3 run to lead 19-14. They extended the lead to 36-26 at halftime.

But the second half is when UConn really took over. With 4:20 left in the game, UConn led 80-48 and had outscored South Carolina 44-22 in the second half. South Carolina ended the game on an 11-2 run to avoid a worse margin of loss.

What is biggest blowout in women’s NCAA championship game?

UConn holds the distinction of having the biggest blowout in women’s NCAA championship game history. The Huskies defeated Louisville 93-60 in New Orleans in the 2013 national championship game.

Freshman Breanna Stewart scored 18 of her 23 points in the first half as the Huskies captured their eighth national title at the time.

The championship opened UConn’s four-peat as champions through 2016. The Huskies also had the second biggest blowout in championship game history with a 31-point victory over Syracuse during the 2016 national championship game against the Orange.

Geno Auriemma subbed out his starters with 1:32 remaining in the game.

Biggest blowouts in women’s NCAA championship history

The Huskies also have the second-biggest blowout victory in the history of the NCAA championship games. They actually own six of the top-eight blowouts, accounting for half of their championships, which is the most in NCAA history.

Tennessee has the second most blowouts on the list with four of them.

1. 2013: UConn 93, Louisville 60 (33 points)
2. 2016: UConn 82, Syracuse 51 (31 points)
T-3. 2023: UConn 82, South Carolina 59 (23 points)
T-3. 1987: Tennessee 67, Louisiana Tech 44 (23 points)
T-5. 2009: UConn 76, Louisville 54 (22 points)
T-5. 2005: Baylor 84, Michigan State 62 (22 points)
7. 2014: UConn 79, Notre Dame 58 (21 points)
T-8. 2012: Baylor 80, Notre Dame 61 (19 points)
T-8. 2000: UConn 71, Tennessee 52 (19 points)
T-10. 1993: Tennessee 83, Georgia 65 (18 points)
T-10. 1998: Tennessee 93, Louisiana Tech 75 (18 points)