Do not be fooled by the Jackie Robinson jersey giveaway the Los Angeles Dodgers are doing or any of the empty platitudes they and Major League Baseball spout.

Their lionizing of Robinson this year is the epitome of rank hypocrisy given their actions, or rather inaction, of recent weeks. Never forget that these same people who will claim to treasure Robinson and his sacrifices Tuesday were conspicuously silent when the Trump administration was trying mightily to erase them both.

When the Department of Defense removed a page about Robinson from its series on sports stars who served in the military, not a word was heard publicly from either MLB or the Dodgers. Instead, it fell to people who cover the sport and the general public to create a great enough outcry that Trump’s minions were forced to back off.

To compound that cowardly compliance, the Dodgers went to the White House and yukked it up with Trump, as if he hadn’t just disrespected the greatest player to ever wear their uniform and all he stood for.

Moral courage is in short supply these days, especially by people who can afford to have it. But standing up for Jackie Robinson should not be a subversive or controversial stance, especially for the Dodgers and MLB.

Robinson is more than a baseball icon. He’s an American hero. By breaking MLB’s color barrier, as he did on April 15, 1947, Robinson changed the course of this country’s history.

Baseball was the national pastime then, as big as the NFL is today. It was played and followed everywhere, providing common ground between the Jim Crow South and the rest of the country. If baseball could accept a Black man, it proved anyone could. If Robinson could make it to the big leagues, it showed nothing was out of reach.

That’s not to say racism melted away that day Robinson took the field with the Dodgers. It would be another two decades before the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts were passed, and the fight for equality cost the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and too many others their lives. Even now, there are daily reminders that the poisonous hate from our country’s original sin still festers.

But Robinson gave us a glimpse of what is possible when we let go of fear and ignorance. He shattered the stereotypes used to deny and demean Black and brown people. He was living proof that diversity, equity and inclusion make us stronger, not weaker.

The Dodgers had made the World Series five times in their first 60-plus years of existence. With Robinson, they made the World Series six times in a decade and won their first title, in 1955.

Robinson, meanwhile, was Rookie of the Year in 1947 and the NL MVP two years later. In his 10 years in the majors, he was either an All-Star or an MVP candidate, or both, in all but one season.

Robinson did all this with unflinching dignity, too. Despite routinely being subjected to death threats, hate mail and abuse — including by others in baseball — he never once buckled.

“He set the path for changes not only in sports, but in society. He didn’t fail, although most people wanted him to fail, and so we celebrate all this as we should,” Bud Selig, who as commissioner decided Robinson’s No. 42 would be retired across baseball, told MLB.com in 2001.

“Why do we celebrate? Because no generation should ever forget what Jackie Robinson did.”

That’s what the Trump administration wants, though. It is trying to rewrite this country’s history, removing Black and brown people from current positions of influence and erasing or attaching asterisks to the accomplishments of past trailblazers.

When a story about Robinson was removed from a Department of Defense website, “DEI” was inserted into the error message so there would be no doubt of the reason for its absence. His biography was initially included on a list of books flagged for removal for promoting themes of diversity, equity and inclusion.  

Besides minimizing what Robinson did, this pettiness insults his character. Robinson was the equal of any white player in skill, and had far more courage than any of the wannabe segregationists in the Trump administration.

But instead of sounding an alarm and raising objections, as they should have, the Dodgers and MLB simply … acquiesced. Instead of telling Trump officials it knows what’s best for the business of baseball, MLB caved.

Instead of defending Robinson and everything he stood for, the Dodgers and MLB sold him out.

It’s commendable that MLB and the Dodgers continue to honor Robinson on the day he integrated baseball. It would be even better if they did it the other 364 days of the year, too.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

The newest class of WNBA rookies has arrived.

Paige Bueckers was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings at the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday in New York City, followed by Dominique Malonga of France going to the Seattle Storm at No. 2 overall and Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron being selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 3 overall pick.

‘Just an overwhelming sense of gratitude,’ Bueckers said after her selection. ‘It’s super surreal just being here with other draft invitees. My teammates are here. My family’s here. Just super grateful. Been focusing on staying present. Staying where my feet are. And to be here right now I’m just extremely blessed.’

Bueckers and Malonga highlight the winners of the night. Here’s a look at the full list of winners and losers of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Winner: Dallas Wings

Any team that lands a generational talent like Paige Bueckers is considered a winner in our book. Bueckers’ shot-making and playmaking abilities are one-of-one as she showcased in UConn’s title run. She climbed up to the third spot on UConn women’s all-time leading scoring list (2,439 points) behind Maya Moore (3,036) and Breanna Stewart (2,676), who have both done great things in the league and have a combined seven WNBA titles. Will Bueckers be next? She will team up with Arike Ogunbowale to form a dangerous backcourt in Dallas. The Wings also picked up Aziaha James out of NC State in the first round.

Winner: UConn

It was no surprise that Buckers was first off the board. After she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Wings, Bueckers turned the spotlight back onto her Huskies teammates who were pivotal in UConn’s title run.

‘They’ve change my life. Those are my sisters. Just extremely grateful for them. Two teams or one team would be genius to add Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin to their team. I think they should get drafted tonight,’ Bueckers said.

Add clairvoyant to her resume. Chen was drafted No. 30th overall by the Golden State Valkyries and Aubrey Griffin was selected No. 37th overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the third round. Chen and Griffin were on hand at The Shed in New York City to cheer on Bueckers, alongside the entire UConn squad fresh off a championship celebration, and ended up hearing their names called. That marked three Huskies off the board.

Loser: Las Vegas Aces

You usually won’t find the ‘Aces’ and ‘losers’ in the same sentence as Las Vegas has won two of the last three WNBA titles, but the Aces landed themselves on this list after missing out on the first-round talent due to violating league rules regarding player benefits. The Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick was rescinded by the WNBA in May 2023 following an investigation into allegations a player was bullied for being pregnant. Aces coach head Becky Hammon also was suspended two games without pay as a result of the probe.

Winner: International players

As the global game continues to grow, so do the number of international players in the WNBA and NBA. It was a big night for overseas superstars. Three of the top 10 picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft were international players. French teen sensation Dominique Malonga was the first international player off the board at No. 2 overall to the Storm, becoming only the fifth player from France to be selected in the first round of the WNBA draft. Justė Jocytė of Lithuania — Malonga’s teammate on France’s Lyon ASVEL Feminin — was drafted No. 5 overall to the Valkyries. Ajša Sivka of Slovenia was picked up by the Chicago Sky at No. 10 overall.

Anastasiia Olairi Kosu of Russia (No. 15; Minnesota Lynx) and Adja Kane of France (No. 38; New York Liberty) were also drafted in the second and third rounds, respectively.

Winner: Washington Mystics

After a relatively quiet offseason, the Mystics’ new GM Jamila Wideman and head coach Sydney Johnson took their first steps toward rebuilding their future with three first-rounders — yes, you read that right. Washington is stockpiling talent and drafted Sonia Citron (No. 3), Kiki Iriafen (No. 4) and Georgia Amoore (No. 6) in the first-round alone.

Loser: South Carolina

The Gamecocks had to wait a little longer to hear their name. Despite being projected first-round picks, South Carolina’s Sania Feagin and Te-Hina Paopao both dropped to the second round. Paopao was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the 18th overall pick. Bree Hall went to the Indiana Fever with the 20th overall pick, followed by Feagin’s selection by the Los Angeles Sparks at No. 21. It’s worth noting that a draft number does not equate to one’s success and Hhad coach Dawn Staley was on hand at the draft in New York City to cheer on her players.

‘Trust your process, everyone’s process is different,’ Feagin said.

Winner: Coach

The only thing bigger than Paige Bueckers’ bag of basketball skills is the actual Coach bag she wore on the WNBA Draft’s Orange Carpet. The WNBA announced a multiyear partnership with Coach on Monday and the luxury brand kicked off their collaboration by dressing WNBA draftees for the night, including Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, Sonia Citron and Aneesah Morrow.

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In the nearly three decades since Major League Baseball has turned April 15 into a de facto industry holiday, there have been years in which celebrating Jackie Robinson has felt downright paradoxical.

You could say 2025 qualifies.

The game is right to celebrate its most impactful participant, an American civil rights hero whose courage in breaking baseball’s color line at its highest level should always be taught even if his example and his message are subject, like Martin Luther King, to bad faith actors co-opting and twisting it beyond recognition.

Within baseball, it has been a complex dynamic. Noble gestures such as retiring his No. 42 throughout MLB and all players donning it each April 15 are juxtaposed against backsliding Black representation in the big league player population and inconsistent organizational commitments to front office diversity.

The events of the past month-plus, when MLB scrubbed references to “diversity” from its careers home page, and the Department of Defense deleted references to Robinson’s military service before restoring it under pressure, and Robinson’s Dodgers franchise uncritically visited the president who made all of the above possible, create an unsettling reality that resonates even more on Jackie Robinson Day.

We simply can’t count on our institutions to save us.

The voters of this country have opted for what they believe to be rugged individualism, so long as it doesn’t hit home too hard for them. The man they elected to lead them wants us to believe the proverbial playing field has long been leveled for everyone, even as his family’s legacy was built on virulent discrimination.

And even as his hand-picked choices for crucial leadership positions err in a manner that suggests fealty and cronyism and not qualifications drove their hiring, private entities have felt compelled to fall in line.

Yet this is where MLB can do better than Target, which loudly ditched DEI and is now paying the price for it, and other corporations who once touted diversity wins yet are deserting hiring practices that enhance the chances their company reflects the people it aims to serve.

In short: MLB needs to keep it pushing.

The league has come relatively far since 1987, when Dodgers GM Al Campanis found he couldn’t use his late friend Robinson as a human shield when he claimed Blacks lacked the “necessities” to lead a front office or manage a ballclub.

The question posed by Ted Koppel that led to Campanis’s downfall simply asked why there were no Black GMs, managers or owners in the game.

In the years since, Black managers Cito Gaston, Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker have won World Series championships, as have Latino skippers Alex Cora, Dave Martinez and Ozzie Guillen. Ken Williams constructed the White Sox team that, with Guillen, ended an 88-year championship drought.

Yet today’s landscape reveals just one Black GM, Dana Brown, and three managers – Roberts, the White Sox’s Will Venable and the Angels’ Ron Washington.

The future offers mixed signals. Black player participation peaked, according to various estimates sometime in the late 1970s and early ‘80s; Washington, now 72, might represent the last of that group of former players in the managerial ranks.

There are nine Black assistant GMs, along with five Latino AGMs and four of Middle Eastern, Indian American or Asian descent. Almost all are what one might consider “baseball lifers,” entering the industry at the ground level and working their way closer to the executive suite, even if some have specific concentrations in international scouting or finance, say.

And none were products of MLB’s Diversity Pipeline Program, which those obsessed with purging the “D-word” from society might find surprising.

That fact proves a couple of interesting points. One, that diverse execs in baseball not only got there on merit but almost certainly did, in fact, have to grind harder than their counterparts.

And two, that inclusion efforts take time.

It’s been a decade since MLB initiated the Diversity Pipeline Program, which came at a time when franchise obsession with Ivy League analytics robots was arguably at its peak and front offices took on a largely monochromatic sheen. The diversity program has produced more than 400 hires within organizations.

Even as front offices aim to outflank their rivals, upward mobility remains challenging. Yet it seems inevitable program grads will eventually crack the c-suite, even if nepotism and cronyism will always provide obstacles.

Nurturing Black prospects on the field is similarly challenging. The league operates nine youth academies in urban areas and touts its myriad baseball development programs. Yet the former feels like a Band-Aid in an era when the cost of entry to the sport only gets higher, while the latter groups together players who have already demonstrated proficiency in the game.

Still, they are important efforts, if only to gather dozens of kids who likely are the only Black players on their own teams back home and introduce them to peers going through similar experiences. Many of those bonds will likely last well into adulthood.

Meanwhile, relief could come in the Wild West of amateur ball. Name, Image and Likeness opportunities have changed the calculus for athletes aiming to continue their careers collegiately. Onerous NCAA scholarship limits often served to push away the athlete who could not afford cost of attendance at a baseball power if they received, say, a one-quarter share of a scholarship.

While MLB’s truncated 20-round draft and smaller minor league system might narrow the talent pool, NIL may very well keep the young athlete playing baseball – especially if it pays more to be the leadoff man than the second-string quarterback.

It is a complex ecosystem, all of it under fire from a grievance-addled culture that despite its occasional platitudes fails to recognize the Sisyphean efforts to get in – and stay in – the game in the decades since Robinson broke the game’s color barrier.

Scrubbing language from a web site might enable the legal department to sleep better at night, but that’s just part of the equation. It’s incumbent on MLB to cheerfully refuse compromising what it might call its “values,” to be a Harvard and not a Columbia, to put it in terms the modern franchise can appreciate.

Paying homage to Robinson is always the right thing. Heeding his words is even better, such as when he wrote to President Eisenhower in 1958 after Ike urged “patience” in the battle for civil rights:

“Seventeen million Negroes cannot do as you suggest and wait for the hearts of men to change. We want to enjoy now the rights that we feel we are entitled to as Americans. This we cannot do unless we pursue aggressively goals which all other Americans achieved over 150 years ago.”

It is clear certain hearts will never change. In 2027, MLB will mark the 80th anniversary of Robinson boldly erasing much of its exclusionary shame. The celebration will resonate a little more if, in the interim, the industry does not further squander the gains made over decades of starts and stops.

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Jackie Robinson is the ultimate American hero in a class by himself of not only athletes, but of all Americans.

He was a four-sport athlete with high academic success and he served our country in WWII with great honor. This resonates with me because my grandfather Jefferson Vincent, who raised me, also served during that time—a time of segregation even in the military. In our household, Jackie was considered the standard of athleticism, service, dedication, courage and perseverance. 

He stood against the hate and prejudice of segregation in the Jim Crow era. Standing up and showing up each day, his resolve brought an end to the color line in Major League Baseball at a time when it was illegal for Black Americans to play professional ball.

It is said that we all drink of wells from which we have not dug. We all are drinking from Jackie’s well. It is said that we all stand on the shoulders of giants. Jackie was and still is that giant upon whose shoulders we stand. His legacy is immortal.

His efforts gave us the courage to lean into the Civil Rights Movement. He challenged what was normal with dignity and respect. We know what we can be by what we see. Jackie exemplified that. 

Robinson has not only inspired my participation in social justice and racial equality initiatives at the local, state and national levels, as I studied and learned more about Jackie and his corporate and business aptitude, he, John Wooten and Junior Bridgeman created paths I wanted to follow during and after my playing experience.

Most are unaware of Jackie’s post-baseball playing experience and the success he had in corporate America. Jackie owned Black banks and he supported under-resourced families for decades. His success off the field was parallel to what he demonstrated on the field.

My post-playing career is a parallel to Robinson’s, taking inspiration from his approach to civil rights, business and life. As an executive, my career has been aimed at eliminating bias, promoting trust and fairness, developing skills and providing opportunity for women and people of color. Like Jackie and Rachel Robinson, my wife Tommi and I, also chose to make a lifetime commitment to the community at large. 

Our contribution to society through our Love Thy Neighbor Community Development and Opportunity Corporation seeks to provide equitable access to education, leadership development, safe environments, and essential resources, empowering individuals and families to achieve their fullest potential. We also work globally to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. These life-long efforts are inspired and influenced by men like Jackie Robinson. 

Jackie was a devoted Christian, dedicated husband, served in WWII, an extraordinary athlete, business executive, and one who stood for what is just and right. He was an iconic figure both on the field and in society.

For me, he is a beacon of light, hope, faith, and inspiration, exemplifying the definition of integrity and respect, providing a road map for living a meaningful life of impact.

NEW YORK — Paige Bueckers, who overcame two serious knee injuries during her career at Connecticut and ultimately led the Huskies to their first national championship in eight years, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings on Monday night. 

The 23-year-old guard is the sixth UConn player to be drafted No. 1 overall in the draft’s 30th edition, following Sue Bird (2002, Seattle), Diana Taurasi (2004, Phoenix), Tina Charles (2010, Connecticut), Maya Moore (2011, Minnesota) and Breanna Stewart (2016, Seattle).

Bueckers was emotional when asked about her Huskies teammates.

‘They mean everything to me, all they’ve helped me get through, all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, they’ve seen every side of me, and the love there is unconditional, so forever grateful for them,’ Bueckers said. ‘I want to cherish that relationship for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t be here without them. I just want to show a state of gratitude to them.

Bueckers, a three-time first-team AP All-American, is not only a walking bucket — she averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists last season — but she is a walking advertisement with some of the nation’s most recognizable brand names vying for her services.

She already has endorsement deals with Gatorade, Bose, Dunkin’ Donuts, Verizon and Nike, where she has her own signature shoe called the Paige Bueckers G.T. Hustle 3, becoming the first college athlete under the new name, image, and likeness rules to design and release a Nike basketball shoe.

Stardom has been destined for Bueckers since she laced up sneakers for Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and by the time she left in 2020, she had a high school championship and was named the Gatorade National and Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

‘Paige Buckets’ didn’t stop once she stepped foot on the Storrs campus, leading UConn to the Final Four her freshman season and winning AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and the Wooden Award after averaging 20 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

But the momentum quickly stopped after she had ankle surgery before her sophomore year and had surgery to repair a tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear in her left knee during the season. She returned to action, but UConn fell to South Carolina in the national championship game.

Before the 2022 season, Bueckers tore the ACL in her left knee, wiping out her junior season.

Her five years in college prepared her for professional basketball as she joins a league with young stars, such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Since Dallas won the draft lottery last November, the Wings have been preparing for change. Teams are no longer waiting around to develop players. They want to compete for championships now as a future of uncertainty looms as the players have already opted out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, which expires Oct. 31, despite a new 11-year media rights deal, worth $2.2 billion, set to commence at the start of the 2026 season.

Dallas was one of four WNBA teams that replaced their head coaches during the offseason, as Latricia Trammell was replaced with Chris Koclanes after the Wings finished 9-31 after making the second round of the playoffs the season before

Former Los Angeles Sparks coach Curt Miller was named the Wings’ executive vice president and general manager, and job one is to replace massive holes in the roster.

Former All-WNBA performer Satou Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in a four-team deal, and Natasha Howard signed with the Fever in free agency, leaving the team to rebuild around All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale, who averaged 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season.

‘Dallas is a sports city, so I’m super excited for the support, the new wave of being there, being in a new city, being with a new team and conquering those challenges as a group,’ Bueckers said. ‘But super excited to be there. We’ve got great pieces, a great ownership, great GMs, great coaches. So the entire organization from up to down, I’m extremely excited for it.’

DiJonai Carrington, Ty Harris, and NaLyssa Smith signed with Dallas during the offseason, adding a much-needed veteran presence to go along with returnees guard Maddy Siegrist and center Teaira McCowan.

“All of us are looking to add dawgs to our locker room,” Miller said. Those ‘dawgs’ will have to start on the defensive end, where the Wings allowed a league-worst 92.1 points per game on nearly 48% shooting.

With Bueckers on the roster for the new-look Wings, the mission might have been accomplished.

NEW YORK ― Hailey Van Lith’s reunion with Angel Reese is seemingly a gift from the basketball gods.

When Van Lith left LSU after a tumultuous tenure, it was evident that the Tigers weren’t a fit for her. She often appeared visibly lost on the court, and her production showed that the chemistry with the team left a lot to be desired. Still, when Van Lith transferred to TCU and her journey became one of the best stories in college basketball, she never lost contact with her former teammate.

Fittingly, Reese publicly supported Van Lith with multiple social media posts over the last several months, often with three simple letters: H-V-L. On Monday night, after the Chicago Sky drafted Van Lith No. 10 overall, she couldn’t help but seemingly blush (and flash her megawatt smile) speaking about Reese.

‘Angel has maintained contact with me this whole past year she’s been in the league, and I transferred,’ Van Lith said. ‘I really appreciate her.’

The former Horned Frog explained that the two have a very mature relationship with mutual respect for both the character and the people they are off the court. Van Lith revealed that she and Reese are on the same page with what’s important to them before flashing her signature smile again and saying what many in the league and the room knew.

‘She’s a dawg, man.’

‘She turns up the intensity of everyone around her,’ Van Lith reflected. ‘So, I’m excited to be in that environment with her again where she can pull more out of me than I think I have.’

Van Lith likely has an uphill battle to make the Chicago Sky roster ― they are loaded with guards ― but having Reese in her corner gives her a significant foundation to work with. Additionally, last season, the on-court chemistry between Chicago’s guards and its post players was painful to watch. Often, there was little synergy, and the paint production and pick-and-roll action suffered. Reese and Van Lith together again, at minimum, puts a band-aid on a visible eyesore. At its best, it opens up a world of possibilities.

Reese gets a reliable guard that she’s comfortable with and can work with to build their connection again. Van Lith gets a familiar face in a new environment and will also learn from one of the league’s best veteran point guards, Courtney Vandersloot.

Also, lost in the hoopla of Reese and Van Lith running the floor again is that Van Lith also will benefit from having head coach Tyler Marsh. Marsh is a developmental wizard, who found success while working with Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. He improved her overall game as one of the top guards in the league, working on her 3-point shot, a main staple of her career.

Van Lith should thrive under Marsh, and with Reese in her corner, the sky ― pun intended ― is the limit. What happens now once she arrives in Chicago, is completely up to her. However, if her final season in college is any indication, Van Lith should settle into the Windy City. She exudes confidence and happiness despite every obstacle (including mental health struggles) in her path, and that has seemingly guided her to this moment.

‘I feel so much joy,’ she said shortly after being drafted. ‘When you persevere through the things that I’ve had to persevere from, you’re just glad to walk around every day.’

The message in that simple thought likely reaches far beyond what anyone likely knows. But for now, it’s Reese and Van Lith, back together again, for more joy and more smiles, and of course, more basketball ― just the way the universe drew it up.

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