James, the oldest son of NBA star LeBron James, connected on 14-for-21 shots from the field, including 4-for-8 on 3-pointers, and contributed seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block as the rookie guard continues to show improvement.

The 20-year-old James’ previous G League-high for points was 31.

Against the Warriors, James had 10 points in the first quarter, eight in the second, eight in the third and 13 in the fourth. In the final quarter, James was 4-fo-6 from the field and 3-for-4 on 3s.

This performance follows up his best game as an NBA player when he scored 17 points for the Los Angeles Lakers in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Lakers’ G League team, which has been eliminated from the playoffs, has three regular-season games remaining: Tuesday against Santa Cruz, Friday against Iowa and Saturday against Iowa.

In 17 G League games, James averages 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals and shoots 42.5% from the field and 32.7% on 3-pointers.

The son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner did not die of asphyxiation after getting sick from food, and instead, officials in Costa Rica are hoping three analyses will help figure out what happened to him.

Costa Rican officials initially told media outlets including NBC News and CNN that Miller Gardner, 14, appeared to have died by asphyxia after a possible intoxication tied to food.

‘A consultation was conducted with the doctor from the Forensic Pathology Section of the Judicial Investigation Agency, and the preliminary ruling ruled out asphyxiation as the cause of death,’ Juan Pablo Alvarado García of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) told USA TODAY Tuesday afternoon.

‘No macro-level abnormalities were observed in the respiratory tract upon inspection of the body,’ he added.

Officials will send samples to the OIJ’s Forensic Science laboratories for a histology, toxicology, and neuropathology, García said. There will also be a study done at the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health at the University of Costa Rica.

Results should be available in two to three months due increased homicides in the country and high demand for autopsies being performed, García said.

The case is being investigated by agents from Quepos and Parrita, and the case is being handled ‘as a death under investigation,’ García said.

Miller’s body was found Friday in a hotel room in Manuel Antonio, a resort area on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, reported NBC News and CNN.

Miller is the son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner, who played 14 seasons in the MLB. Brett retired after the 2021 season. He was also part of the Yankees’ championship team in 2009, was named an All-Star in 2015 and won an American League Gold Glove in 2016.

The teen’s parents shared news of his death Sunday afternoon via the Yankees’ social media accounts. The family said he and other family members got sick while on vacation in Costa Rica. 

“We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st,” they wrote.

Teen ‘lived life to the fullest,’ family says

Miller, who passed away Friday, was the youngest of two sons. 

His parents said in their statement that he loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, and his loved ones. They said they are struggling to come to terms with life without the teenager and his “infectious smile.”

“He lived life to the fullest every single day,” his family wrote.

“It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years,” the Yankees wrote. “So did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.”

This story has been updated with new information.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

The first weekend of the women’s NCAA Tournament is in the books, which means only 16 teams are still alive for national championship contention.

Numerous teams cruised through the first two rounds of March Madness, with No. 1 seeds UCLA, USC, Texas and South Carolina all securing double-digit wins in their respective two matchups to reach the Sweet 16. Other teams like No. 3 seed LSU are also trending up in March Madness, especially after the Tigers’ back-to-back wins of 55 and 30 points over San Diego State and Florida State, respectively.

Tennessee is also back in the Sweet 16 under first-year coach Kim Caldwell after defeating No. 4 seed Ohio State 82-67 in the second round. An in-state rivalry showdown between North Carolina and Duke also headlines the Sweet 16 schedule.

The Sweet 16 is dominated by power conference teams, as the round is made up of SEC (6), ACC (4), Big Ten (3), Big 12 (2) and Big East (1) programs.

Here are power rankings of the remaining 16 teams in women’s March Madness:

Women’s March Madness Sweet 16 rankings

Here are power rankings of the 16 teams still in contention in the women’s NCAA Tournament:

1. South Carolina

The defending national champions still look every bit as powerful this season, and the No. 1 seed Gamecocks are playing their best basketball at the right time.

South Carolina defeated Tennessee Tech 108-48 in the first round and beat Indiana 64-53 in the second round to cruise to the Sweet 16. Its pair of women’s NCAA Tournament wins comes after taking the SEC tournament crown by dismantling fellow No. 1 seed Texas 64-45 in the championship game.

Junior forward Chloe Kitts has led the charge down the stretch for the Gamecocks, scoring in double-figures in each of their last seven games paired with a strong interior presence.

South Carolina faces No. 4 seed Maryland in the Sweet 16 and should be a heavy favorite to reach the Elite Eight and potentially even further.

2. UConn

Star guard Paige Bueckers also looks like she’s at her best, as she tallied a whopping 34 points, four assists and four steals with no turnovers against the Jackrabbits. It hasn’t been all Bueckers, though, as No. 2 seed UConn has gained scoring production from other players, particularly Azzi Fudd.

Fudd scored 27 points against Arkansas State and 17 against South Dakota State, and her recent hot streak makes her and Bueckers perhaps the best back-court duo left in the tournament.

UConn should have no issues with No. 3 seed Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

3. UCLA

UCLA survived an early scare against Richmond in the second round, as the Spiders took a 20-18 lead over the Bruins into the second quarter. However, No. 1 overall seed UCLA locked in from there, eventually pulling away for an 84-67 win.

The Bruins still have one of the nation’s top players and perhaps the biggest mismatch left in the tournament, as 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts continues to dominant in the paint. Betts dropped 30 points with 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks against Richmond, making UCLA extremely hard to beat when she’s on her A-game.

UCLA faces No. 4 seed Ole Miss next.

4. LSU

There might not be a better offensive team left in the women’s NCAA Tournament, as the No. 3 seeded Tigers became the first team since Long Beach State in 1988 to score 100 points or more in consecutive tournament games.

LSU defeated San Diego State 103-48 and Florida State 101-71 in the first weekend, as their dynamic trio of scorers – Flau’jae Johnson (18.8 points per game), Aneesah Morrow (18.5 points) and Mikaylah Williams (17.4 points) – form a big three that can hang with anyone in March Madness.

The Tigers will face No. 2 seed NC State in the Sweet 16.

5. Texas

Texas falls just a tad in the rankings not because of its own performances, but mostly due to how UConn and LSU won their first weekend games.

The Longhorns are maybe still being slept on, especially after finishing 31-3 in the regular season. Texas handily defeated William & Mary and Illinois in its first two matchups, with first-team All-SEC forward Madison Booker pouring in 20 points apiece in each game.

While No. 1 seed Texas is certainly a contender, the Longhorns lack the high-end talent of the four teams ahead of them in the re-rank.

Texas takes on in-conference foe and No. 5 seed Tennessee next.

6. USC

USC takes a fall in the rankings, only because of the news of star guard Juju Watkins suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Trojans’ second-round win over Mississippi State.

It’s a huge blow for the No. 1 seeded Trojans’ national championship hopes, especially considering Watkins potentially being the national player of the year frontrunner.

Forward Kiki Iriafen stepped up in a huge way after Watkins went down, scoring 36 points with nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the 96-59 win.

USC faces No. 5 seed Kansas State next for a spot in the Elite Eight.

7. TCU

The Horned Frogs have plenty of experience between guard Hailey Van Lith and forward Sedona Prince. Van Lith led No. 2 seed TCU to the Sweet 16 after it defeated Louisville, Van Lith’s former team, 85-70 in the second round.

TCU now matches up with Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, and it looks to take down the Fighting Irish once more, like it did in nonconference play in November.

8. Notre Dame

No. 3 seed Notre Dame and No. 2 seed TCU make for one of the best matchups of the Sweet 16, and both teams appear evenly matched, especially after their nonconference battle in November.

TCU defeated the Fighting Irish 76-68 in the Cayman Islands, despite 27 points from Notre Dame star guard Hannah Hidalgo.

Notre Dame will always have a chance, though, with a player of Hidalgo’s caliber on the floor.

9. NC State

NC State has a tough matchup with No. 3 seed LSU in the Sweet 16 but is more than capable of beating Kim Mulkey and the Tigers.

The No. 2 seeded Wolfpack earned a pair of double-digit wins after beating Vermont 75-55 and Michigan State 83-49 in the first two rounds. Led by backcourt duo Aziaha James (18.1 points per game) and Zoe Brooks (14.2 points per game), NC State’s stars will look to outduel LSU’s trio of high-end scorers.

10. Duke

The Blue Devils had one of the most impressive first-round wins of the tournament, defeating Lehigh 86-25 while holding the Mountain Hawks to single-digit scoring in each quarter.

No. 2 seed Duke looked beatable in the second round, however, nearly conceding defeat to No. 10 seed Oregon before hanging on for a 59-53 win.

Duke needs to look more like the team it was in the first round than the second in order to beat in-state rival North Carolina in the Sweet 16.

11. Oklahoma

Oklahoma forward Raegan Beers, who took Oregon State to the Elite Eight last season, has been elite in the post. Beers, who played only 18 minutes in the blowout win over Iowa, still managed to grab 13 rebounds and block four shots.

Beers and starting guard Peyton Verhulst will be important for the Sooners as they look to take down UConn.

12. North Carolina

North Carolina’s stout defense looks to hold rival Duke in check in the Sweet 16.

Three-seed North Carolina held both Oregon State and West Virginia to under 50 points in its pair of first-weekend wins. The Mountaineers didn’t score their first points of the fourth quarter until there were 39 second remaining.

North Carolina-Duke should be a big defensive battle, and North Carolina will look to win with ACC Defensive Player of the Year Lexi Donarski.

13. Tennessee

First-year coach Kim Caldwell has brought No. 5 seed Tennessee back to the Sweet 16 after a one-year hiatus last season. The Lady Vols’ chances of advancing further seem stacked against them, however.

Tennessee must get past SEC foe and No. 1 seed Texas in its third matchup of the tournament, but the Lady Vols hung tough with the Longhorns in Texas’ 80-76 win earlier this season.

Tennessee’s defense caused 23 turnovers in a dominant win over Ohio State and will look to continue the pressure against the Longhorns.

14. Kansas State

Kansas State is a different team with center Ayoka Lee in the lineup, and it showed with the Wildcats upset 80-79 upset of No. 4 seed Kentucky in the second round.

If No. 5 seed K-State can shoot like it did against Kentucky (14 of 35 from 3-point range), the Wildcats have a chance against USC, which will be without Juju Watkins.

15. Ole Miss

Ole Miss narrowly missed out on hosting a regional, as it was ranked No. 17 by the NCAA selection committee. Nonetheless, the Rebels made the Sweet 16 anyway after beating Baylor 69-63 in the second round.

Ole Miss boasts a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging over nine points per game but none scoring more than 13 per contest.

The No. 5 seed Rebels have a tough task ahead against No. 1 seed UCLA.

16. Maryland

Maryland was down 17 points in the third quarter but mounted a comeback to set up a matchup against No. 1 seed South Carolina. Maryland allowed 60 points in the paint, though, including 45 total points from Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker.

The Terrapins’ poor defensive showing will be one that South Carolina looks to take advantage of in the Sweet 16.

Have the Tennessee Titans tipped their hand on which player they’ll select with the No. 1 overall pick? Or could it be part of a pre-draft smokescreen?

According to ESPN, the Titans are conducting ‘an additional private workout’ with Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward. Part of the workout will include a throwing session for Tennessee’s decision-makers.

As things currently stand, Ward is the heavy betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist worked out in front of scouts at Miami’s pro day on Monday and told the Titans’ representatives he was ‘solidifying’ his potential No. 1 pick status with his performance.

Despite not participating in on-field drills at the NFL combine last month, Ward’s status as the presumed top pick in the 2025 NFL draft has not faltered since the end of the college football season.

He finished the 2024 season with 4,313 passing yards (second in FBS), 39 touchdowns (first) and seven interceptions.

Along with strong performance, Ward’s prospect profile includes plenty of experience. The 22-year-old’s lone year with the Hurricanes was his fifth year as a starter after two years at Incarnate Word and two years at Washington State. During that time, he’s showcased his arm strength and athleticism with consistency.

ESPN’s latest report suggests the Titans will need an offer they can’t refuse to trade back from the top pick, as ‘they have become increasingly impressed with Ward.’

Tennessee finished the 2024 season with a 3-14 record in head coach Brian Callahan’s first year with the team. The Titans currently have two quarterbacks on their active roster: 2023 second-round pick Will Levis and journeyman backup Brandon Allen.

UConn Huskies standout Azzi Fudd has announced her return to Storrs for her final year of college basketball. Her goal? To ‘take her game to a new level.’

Fudd had the opportunity to enter the WNBA draft as a potential first-round pick this year. However, after speaking with head coach Geno Auriemma, the 22-year-old decided to return for another college season. Auriemma expressed his support for his star guard in whatever she decided but encouraged her to continue her development with the Huskies.

Fudd said she decided to opt out of the draft and will be staying at UConn, where she feels she can focus on improving the areas she needs to work on.

‘He said, ‘I would say 10 games, maybe, you’ve played to your full potential of who Azzi Fudd really is and so you wouldn’t do yourself justice leaving,” Fudd told ESPN about her conversation with Auriemma, the winningest coach in college basketball.

Fudd was the top recruit in the 2024 class, but her first year was marred by a foot injury, causing her to miss 11 games. In her sophomore year, she faced another setback due to a knee injury, which limited her to just 15 games. During her junior year, she tore her ACL just two games into the season. Despite suffering a less severe knee sprain injury this year, Fudd has managed to average 13.4 points, two rebounds, and 1.8 assists this season.

When is UConn’s next NCAA Tournament game?

The No. 2 seed UConn Huskies will face the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners in the women’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Saturday.

Date: Saturday, March 29
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream:Fubo (free trial)
Location: Spokane Arena (Spokane, Washington)

Stream women’s NCAA Tournament games on Fubo

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Current owners of the Minnesota Twins, the Pohlad Family, are seeking at least $1.7 billion in a potential sale of the team, according to The Athletic.

The Twins are renewing the sale process a month after billionaire Justin Ishbia spurned the Twins to increase his minority stake in the Chicago White Sox.

The team’s current debt complicates any possible deal. The Twins have more than $425 million in debt, according to The Athletic.

Because of that debt, the Pohlads are motivated to ask for a higher sale price, which could limit the number of interested parties. Much of the team’s debt was racked up since the start of the 2020 season, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also complicating matters is the limited number of potential investors with links to Minnesota. Additionally, it is believed that current executive chair Joe Pohlad would prefer to stay in control of the team, The Athletic reported.

‘The Pohlads are not under pressure to sell,’ a source told The Athletic. ‘They are going to be deliberate about it. They really value the process and they want the process to play out in the fullest.’

New York-based Allen & Company is handling the sale of the Twins.

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Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered an ankle injury on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, and despite this setback, the Celtics managed to secure a 113-95 victory. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla remains optimistic that Tatum has avoided a serious injury.

Tatum made a 3-pointer in the third quarter and was fouled by center Domantas Sabonis, landing on Sabonis with his left foot. This caused Tatum to fall to the floor in apparent pain and Sabonis was called for a flagrant 1 foul. Tatum was examined by the Celtics staff and was helped off the court to the bench.

He returned to make one of two free throws before heading to the locker room. Despite leaving the game early, Tatum finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in the victory against the Kings.

Jayson Tatum injury update: Latest news on star’s ankle injury

‘He seems to be doing OK, he’s just icing it right now,’ Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame. ‘I didn’t see the play. They made the right call, it was a flagrant foul. Fortunately, he was able to shoot the free throw, and he’s just taking care of it right now. When asked about his injury, Tatum told ESPN that his ankle is ‘just sore.’ The specifics of Tatum’s injury and the timeline for his return have not been disclosed.

Will Jayson Tatum play in the next Boston Celtics game?

It has not been announced if Jayson Tatum will play in the Boston Celtics’ next game. The Celtics will play the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, March 26 at 10 p.m. ET at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

LOS ANGELES — After Mississippi State’s season ended against Southern California on Monday night, the Bulldogs were trying to protect one of their players.

Early in the second round contest of the women’s NCAA Tournament, USC star JuJu Watkins went down with a knee injury that turned out to be season-ending. There were Mississippi State players surrounding Watkins when she went down and let out a painful scream, but it looked like a non-contact injury.

But that’s not how everyone saw it. After a hush fell over the Galen Center as Watkins was tended to, play resumed and the Bulldogs were met with heavy boos from the crowd anytime they touched the ball, particularly toward guard Chandler Prater.

When Mississippi State’s locker room opened for postgame interviews, Prater was not available. A team representative told USA TODAY Sports she was ‘not doing well.’

‘It’s obviously an unfortunate position to be in because it was totally unintentional, and it was just a basketball play,’ junior guard Denim DeShields told USA TODAY Sports. ‘But when things happen to a star, I guess they can be seen worse than they actually are. She’ll be fine. We’ve just got to move past it and prayers to JuJu.’

However, the negative comments have already been posted on social media. Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell offered prayers and an apology in his opening statement, but said he wasn’t aware of any backlash any of his players were receiving online when asked by a USA TODAY Sports reporter. He condemned any harmful comments or threats and reiterated his players wouldn’t try to injure a player.

‘We’re a program of class,’ Purcell said. ‘We don’t play to hurt; we play to compete. That’s just an unfortunate situation. There was no harm. And I hope us as a society, because social media can be ugly, that you understand the other lady on my team that was involved is a woman of class. She comes from a family, too, of loving parents. And I’m sure she is remorseful and obviously didn’t want to have that happen.

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‘I pray as a society that we understand it’s a thoughtful apology that we don’t take this further than it needs to. On behalf of the Bulldogs, again, we’re praying for her recovery for this next game because she’s the ultimate competitor. We want to see her back out on that court.’

The coach of Mississippi State’s biggest rival backed up the Bulldogs as well. Mississippi’s Yolett McPhee-McCuin said on social media no player tried to hurt Watkins.

‘If you’re a fan of basketball it hurt to see. I couldn’t even watch after that. But anyone that says Miss State was dirty please stop that narrative. Please and let’s pray for Ju’s recovery and healing,’ McPhee-McCuin said.

While there were some words exchanged in the postgame handshake line, there was no bad blood between the Bulldogs and Trojans by the end of the night. After his postgame press conference, Purcell offered his condolences directly to USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and associate head coach Beth Burns. The Trojan coaches understood there was no ill intent.

Mississippi State senior Jerkaila Jordan said she was looking forward to playing against Watkins because ‘she’s one of the best’ and ‘seeing her go down was really tough.’ She offered her prayers and hopes Watkins can come back on the court as quickly as possible.

‘She’s changed the game in so many ways at such a young age,’ Jordan said. ‘You hate to see a player go down, especially someone just as great as JuJu.’

This story was updated with editing changes.