Sports
Women's Top 25 roundup: No. 24 Florida State overtakes No. 3 Irish
Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Reigan Richardson (24) celebrates a three-pointer during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Ta’Niya Latson’s 23 points and Makayla Timpson’s 22 points and 17 rebounds helped No. 24 Florida State rally from a big early hole to stun No. 3 Notre Dame 86-81 on Thursday in South Bend, Ind.
O’Mariah Gordon added 15 points for Florida State (23-6, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference)
Notre Dame (24-4, 15-2) led by 15 points in the second quarter but wound up taking a second straight ACC loss for the first time in four years. The Irish fell in double overtime at North Carolina State on Sunday.
NC State and Notre Dame are tied atop the ACC standings with one game remaining for each team. NC State holds the tiebreaker for ACC tournament seeding.
Sonia Citron had 21 points for the Irish. Liatu King finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
No. 1 Texas 68, Mississippi State 64
Shay Holle scored 16 points and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda compiled 15 points and 11 rebounds to guide the Longhorns past the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., for their 12th win in a row.
Madison Booker had 12 points and Rori Harmon added 10 points and seven assists for Texas (28-2, 14-1 Southeastern Conference), which held on after holding a 10-point lead with 2:10 remaining. The Longhorns trailed 27-26 at halftime.
Jerkaila Jordan had 14 points and Madina Okot put up 11 points for Mississippi State (19-10, 6-9).
No. 5 Connecticut 72, No. 22 Creighton 53
Sarah Strong’s 22 propelled the Huskies as they clinched the Big East regular season crown in Harford, Conn.
Paige Bueckers totaled 15 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for UConn (27-3, 17-0 Big East).
Morgan Maly had 11 points and Molly Mogensen added nine points for Creighton (23-5, 15-2), which had 19 turnovers.
Creighton scored the game’s first eight points, but the Huskies led 11-10 by the end of the first quarter, then outscored the Blue Jays 27-12 in the second to take control.
No. 6 South Carolina 75, Ole Miss 59
Chloe Kitts recorded the Gamecocks’ first triple-double in four years, leading South Carolina past the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.
Kitts finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, the ninth triple-double in program history. Sania Feagin shot 10-for-13 from the field on the way to 22 points for the Gamecocks (26-3, 14-1 SEC), who took control in the second half.
Sira Thienou notched 15 points off the bench to pace Ole Miss (18-9, 9-6), but the Rebels managed to score only 12 fourth-quarter points. Christeen Iwuala ended up with 10 points.
No. 20 Alabama 88, No. 7 LSU 85 (OT)
Sarah Ashlee Barker made a tiebreaking jumper with 1:27 left in overtime and Aaliyah Nye racked up 28 points at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
After Barker’s basket, LSU’s Mikaylah Williams went 1-for-2 on free throws at the 31-second mark, but Alabama still needed a blocked shot by Essence Cody, two free throws from Zaay Green and a final defensive stop to hold on. Williams’ 3-point attempt was off the mark on the game’s last shot.
Alabama (23-6, 10-5 SEC) received 21 points from Barker, 17 from Cody and 15 from Green.
Williams had 22 points, Aneesah Morrow notched 16 points and Sa’Myah Smith added 15 points for LSU (27-3, 12-3).
No. 16 Duke 68, No. 8 North Carolina 53
Reigan Richardson sank five 3-pointers and scored 23 points as the Blue Devils avenged an earlier ACC overtime loss by defeating the Tar Heels in Durham, N.C.
Toby Fournier posted 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Duke (22-7, 13-4 ACC), which outscored the Tar Heels 21-9 in the third quarter.
North Carolina (25-5, 13-4) had been the only Division I women’s team this season without a road loss. Lanie Grant had 17 points to pace the Heels while Indya Nivar and Lexi Donarski both had 10.
North Carolina, which bounced back from a rough start and led 32-31 at halftime, couldn’t overcome 20 turnovers.
The Tar Heels played without starters Reniya Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, who were out with injuries. Kelly’s absence came as a surprise, while Ustby has missed recent games.
No. 9 North Carolina State 78, Wake Forest 57
Aziaha James scored 18 of her 21 points in the first half to help the Wolfpack grab a 24-point halftime lead as NC State cruised in its regular-season home finale in Raleigh, N.C.
Zoe Brooks poured in 17 points and Madison Hayes had 14 for the Wolfpack (23-5, 15-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are unbeaten in 16 home games. The Wolfpack made eight first-half 3-pointers, leading 48-24 at the break and showing no letdown after upending then-No. 1 Notre Dame in double overtime on Sunday.
Reserve Malaya Cowles had 14 points and Elise Williams provided 13 for Wake Forest (9-19, 2-15), which has lost 12 in a row in the series. The Demon Deacons went 4-for-20 on 3-point attempts.
No. 18 Kentucky 82, No. 11 Tennessee 58
Clara Strack’s 23 points and 15 rebounds carried the Wildcats in the Southeastern Conference win in Lexington, Ky.
Teonni Key and Georgia Amoore both scored 18 points for Kentucky (22-5, 11-4 SEC), which led 45-26 at the half. Dazia Lawrence added 13 points for the Wildcats, who outrebounded Tennessee 52-31.
Talaysia Cooper was the only double-figure scorer with 25 points for Tennessee (21-7, 8-7), which shot 31.1 percent from the floor.
No. 13 Oklahoma 89, Florida 65
Payton Verhulst’s 17 points and Raegan Beers’ 16 paced the Sooners to a Southeastern Conference road win in Gainesville, Fla.
Skylar Vann had 13 points for Oklahoma (22-6, 10-5 SEC), while Liz Scott and Sahara Williams both had 11. The Sooners were up 44-32 at halftime and scored at least 20 points in every quarter.
Liv McGill had 14 points to lead Florida (14-15, 5-10), while Ra Shaya Kyle and Alexia Dizeko each had 11.
No. 19 Maryland 74, Indiana 60
Shyanne Sellers had 25 points for the Terrapins, who outscored Indiana 28-21 in the fourth to pull away for the Big Ten Conference win in Bloomington, Ind.
Kaylene Smikle added 16 points for Maryland (22-6, 12-5 Big Ten) and Christina Dalce had 11.
Yarden Garzon’s 18 points led Indiana (17-11, 9-8), and Shay Ciezki finished with 15. The Hoosiers rallied from a 30-20 halftime deficit to close within two in the third quarter before fading.
No. 25 Louisville 78, Clemson 52
Tajianna Roberts racked up 19 points and the Cardinals, who couldn’t hold a lead in their last game, bounced back with an Atlantic Coast Conference home win.
Jayda Curry added 15 points and 10 rebounds while reserve Izela Arenas notched 14 points for Louisville (20-8, 13-4 ACC), which endured fourth-quarter snags in Sunday’s loss to then-No. 9 North Carolina. Louisville led Clemson 31-30 at halftime before pouring it on in the second half, including a 23-6 fourth quarter.
Loyal McQueen had 16 points to pace Clemson (13-15, 6-11), which was 3-for-15 on 3-pointers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
