Sports
Geno Auriemma on dispute with Dawn Staley: 'Feel like a dumbass'
Apr 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley argue at the end of a semifinal of the Final Four of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma reflected Monday on his game-ending dispute with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley at the end of a Final Four defeat last month, saying, “I just feel like a dumbass for the way it played out.”
The Gamecocks prevailed 62-48 on April 3 in Phoenix, earning a spot in the national final and ending the Huskies’ perfect season.
As the final seconds ticked down, the two head coaches walked toward each other as though they were about to shake hands.
However, Auriemma didn’t put forward his hand, instead making a comment to Staley, who reacted angrily, and the two had to be separated. Auriemma was led away, but he soon came back past Staley, who continued to shout at him.
In his postgame interview, Auriemma complained about the Gamecocks’ physical play, adding, “Their coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referees some names you don’t wanna hear.”
His initial apology the next day didn’t mention Staley by name. Several days later, Auriemma apologized again, singling out Staley and saying he spoke with her about the incident. Staley issued a statement, saying she had moved on from the dispute.
On Monday, Auriemma said of actions on following the loss, “When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds. … We are all human, and we all do dumb s—.”
The sports media and social media went after Auriemma in the days after the game.
“I didn’t see a lot of it, but (the reaction) is to be expected,” Auriemma said. “Maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people lying in the weeds waiting for that for that moment.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for the game, it’s what you just did. Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in today and it usually is one-sided. …
“I brought the criticism on myself, I didn’t bring the commotion that came after that on myself.”
Auriemma, 72, owns the all-time NCAA basketball record for coaching victories with 1,288. The Huskies have won 12 national championships during his tenure, the latest in 2025. The Final Four defeat to South Carolina last month snapped the Huskies’ 54-game win streak, and UConn ended the season 38-1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Five-star TE Ahmad Hudson stays in state, commits to LSU
Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Five-star prospect Ahmad Hudson, regarded as the No. 1 tight end in the country in the Class of 2027, decided to stay in state and committed to LSU in a social media post on Sunday.
The Tigers and new head coach Lane Kiffin secured the pledge from Hudson, who was deciding between LSU and Nebraska as of last month and had publicized a commitment deadline of July 4.
A two-sport star at Ruston (La.) High School, Hudson is ranked the No. 1 tight end by ESPN and rated No. 18 overall in the country, first at his position and third in Louisiana in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2027.
Listed at 6-foot-6 1/2 and 239 pounds, Hudson has 36 football offers, per 247Sports, as well as reports of basketball offers from Nebraska, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Missouri, Ole Miss, Louisiana Tech and Grambling.
He visited LSU multiple times this year and canceled official visits for Nebraska and Southern California in June.
Kiffin also secured pledges this year from Class of 2027 four-star prospects Jaiden Bryant (defensive end, Columbia, S.C.), Braylon Calais (wide receiver, Carencro, La.) and Ah’Mari Stevens (wide receiver, Hollywood, Fla.). The program also is holding a commitment from four-star quarterback Peyton Houston (Shreveport, La.), who chose LSU when Brian Kelly was head coach last September.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Avs put up 9 goals in outscoring Wild in series opener
May 3, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nick Blankenburg (37) celebrates his goal scored against the Minnesota Wild during the second period in game one of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Cale Makar scored twice in the third period, Nazem Kadri also had a goal in the third, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 9-6 in a high-scoring Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Sunday night in Denver.
Makar added an assist, Devon Toews had a goal and three assists, Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two assists, Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski each contributed a goal and an assist, and Nick Blankenburg and Jack Drury also scored for Colorado.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.
Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists, and Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno scored for Minnesota, which rallied from down 3-0 early to take a brief lead late in the second period.
The game was tied 5-all when Makar, who shook off an early injury, got a pass from MacKinnon in the right circle and wristed a shot high past Jesper Wallstedt at 3:21. Kadri padded the lead at 5:43 of the third with a breakaway goal.
Wallstedt turned away 34 of 42 shots in the game.
Zuccarello gave the Wild life when the puck went off his leg and in at 16:01, but Makar answered at 17:06. MacKinnon added an empty-netter to seal it.
Martin Necas had three assists and Valeri Nichushkin contributed two assists for the Avalanche.
Scott Wedgewood had 10 of his 30 saves in the third period to make the lead stand up for Colorado
Malinski, Drury and Lehkonen scored 2:01 apart midway through the first period to give the Avalanche a 3-0 lead. Johansson and Hartman answered with goals a minute apart to cut it to 3-2.
The second period continued the scoring trend. Blankenburg scored 4:16 into the second to make it 4-2, and Tarasenko answered at 6:45 to get the Wild back in it.
Hughes tied it when his shot through a screen beat Wedgewood at 12:43 of the second, and Foligno scored a short-handed goal at 16:55 to give Minnesota a 5-4 lead.
Toews tied it again when he scored at 18:04, seconds after the Wild killed off a power play.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phils' Aaron Nola eyes bounce-back start, series win vs. Marlins
Apr 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Not much has gone right for Aaron Nola over his last two starts.
Janson Junk, however, couldn’t have pitched much better over his last two trips to the mound.
Nola (1-3, 6.03 ERA) will look to alter his current fortunes on Monday as the Philadelphia Phillies complete a four-game series against fellow right-hander Junk (2-2, 3.00) and the host Marlins.
The Phillies have won two of the first three games of the series, with Bryson Stott belting a three-run homer in both Friday’s 6-5 victory and Sunday’s 7-2 triumph. Before these blasts, Stott last went deep on Sept. 24 of last season.
Philadelphia has won five of its last six games since the team fired Rob Thomson and tabbed Don Mattingly as interim manager. Nola has been idle through all of that, as he last pitched on April 26.
“Eight days is a lot,” Nola said of the time off, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m not going to lie.”
The numbers don’t lie either, and they leave plenty to be desired. He has allowed 11 runs on 13 hits — including three homers — and seven walks over his last two starts (nine innings).
Nola has struggled to paint the corners of the plate this season, and let’s not even get him started on the ABS challenge system.
“Yeah, I’ve got to be me and pitch how I usually pitch,” Nola said. “I think all our guys are like that. That’s just kind of how we’ve been programmed to pitch. I don’t throw in the upper-90s where I can live in the middle. I can’t do that.
“I’ve got to focus on throwing to the quadrants. Yeah, it does make you come in the zone a little bit more when somebody challenges one and it kind of changes the count. We just have to adjust a little bit to the ABS and not completely adjust to it. We have to stay with our strengths and then adjust to it, rather than adjusting to it and then going back to our strengths.”
Nola, 32, also has struggled in his career against the Marlins, posting a 5-12 record with a 3.72 ERA in 25 appearances (all starts).
He’d be wise to pitch carefully to Otto Lopez, who is 7-for-14 with three RBIs and three runs in the series. Lopez is carrying a six-game hitting streak into the series finale.
Junk has yielded a total of four hits over 11 scoreless innings over his last two starts. He scattered three hits — all singles — with four strikeouts in a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday.
“He set the tone on the mound,” manager Clayton McCullough said of that start. “He was fantastic. They know he’s going to pound the strike zone. They came out aggressive, and he really mixed things up. He moved the ball around, executed. He was able to get through six innings very efficiently.”
Junk, 30, is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his lone career appearance against the Phillies.
–Field Level Media
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Five-star TE Ahmad Hudson stays in state, commits to LSU
