Sports
Stifling Caitlin Clark is Connecticut Sun's Path to WNBA Playoff Victory Over Indiana Fever
Much of the attention in Game 1 of the first-round WNBA playoff series between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun centered around a pair of incidents involving Caitlin Clark and DiJonai Carrington.
In previous matchups between the Sun and Fever, things have gotten physical, and Sunday’s game was no different as the two exchanged seemingly inadvertent eye pokes. Clark got hit near her right eye by Carrington in the first quarter, and then in the fourth frame, Clark returned the favor, accidentally knocking out Carrington’s contact.
It was all part of a frustrating day for Clark, who finished with just 11 points in 36 minutes of play in a 93-69 loss to the Sun. The unanimous AP WNBA Rookie of the Year’s dissatisfaction with her own performance bubbled to the surface in the third quarter when she slapped a chair on the bench in anger.
“We didn’t play well, didn’t play to the level we’re capable of playing,” Clark said. “We didn’t shoot the ball like we’re capable of. We’re capable of winning this game.”
And of the exchanges with Carrington, Clark said: “Got me pretty good in the eye. I don’t think it affected me, honestly. I felt like I got good shots, they just didn’t go down. Obviously, a tough time for that to happen.”
No, Clark wasn’t going to blame her abysmal playoff debut on some tough guarding from an opponent.
Besides, if Clark had held Carrington liable for why she shot 4-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-13 from 3-point land, she would’ve been picking the wrong Connecticut player to hold accountable.
For the majority of the game, the player guarding Clark and making things extremely difficult for her was 37-year-old DeWanna Bonner, who used her combination of two things that Clark doesn’t have—experience and length—to make the rookie star’s first playoff game an absolute nightmare.
In the first half, Clark went 0-of-3 from the floor when Bonner was guarding her. When ESPN’s Holly Rowe relayed that stat to Bonner during an on-court interview, she had an appropriate and memorable reaction.
“Let me knock on some wood real quick,” Bonner said, bending over and tapping the court while letting out a laugh. “Because she’s a great player. I know she’s going to come out in the second half ready to go, so I got to key in.”
Clark wasn’t all that better in the second half though, going 3-of-8 from the floor with two turnovers. The play of Bonner was a big reason why.
For much of her career, the Auburn product has been underrated as a defender, making an All-WNBA Defensive Team just once—the second team in 2015. But this season, Bonner is posting a career-high in defensive win shares with 2.5, which is fifth-best in the WNBA. Her defensive rating of 92.6 is the second-best she’s posted in her 15-year career and is 11th-best in the league this season.
The part of Bonner’s defense that hasn’t been undervalued over the course of her career is her versatility and savviness. She’s guarded all sorts of players, from slashing wings to bruising centers to sharpshooting guards. Clark was just her latest victim.
The 6-foot-4 Bonner had a highlight-worthy block on Clark as she drove to the rim in the second quarter. She finished the game with two blocks in addition to 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Alyssa Thomas posted a triple-double for the Sun in the win, but if there was an MVP of Game 1, the honor should go to Bonner.
That Connecticut had Bonner guard Clark was a surprise to many. In the Sun’s previous four matchups with the Fever, Carrington shouldered that assignment for the majority of those games. But when the Fever finally beat the Sun 84-80 in their last meeting behind Clark’s 19 points and five assists, Connecticut knew it had to attempt another strategy.
“They beat us last time, so we had to do something different,” Bonner said. “It was nothing behind it. They got two great guards, so somebody’s got to step up and play defense, that’s the only way to beat them, so I just took on the challenge. She’s a great player. I know next game she’s going to come out firing.”
Indeed, that’s the task at hand now for Bonner and the Sun: Can they stifle Clark again to take the series-clinching win?
On Wednesday evening, we’ll find out.
Sports
Yankees tee off on Orioles to win third straight in 4-game series
May 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a two run home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Jasson Dominguez scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning before hitting a two-run homer and an RBI double during a seven-run eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for an 11-3 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees won for the 13th time in 15 games and beat the Orioles for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings.
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer off Baltimore rookie Trey Gibson. Ben Rice hit his 12th home run of the season in the first and doubled ahead of Judge’s 13th homer in the third.
Rice exited after the Yankees batted in the third because of a bruised left hand. The Yankees announced X-rays were negative and the first baseman is day-to-day. Rice appeared to get injured fielding a low pickoff throw from Max Fried and was replaced by Paul Goldschmidt.
Dominguez started the tiebreaking rally with a double to left field against Grant Wolfram (1-1) and advanced to third on a groundout by Austin Wells. Ryan McMahon, facing a drawn-in infield, followed with a single that first baseman Coby Mayo couldn’t handle after diving to stop it.
Dominguez started New York’s big inning with a two-run drive into the right field seats off Andrew Kittredge for a 6-3 lead. After an RBI sacrifice fly by Trent Grisham, Goldschmidt ripped a two-run single after the Yankees executed a double steal.
Following a sacrifice fly by Jazz Chisholm Jr., Dominguez added a double to left field for an 11-3 lead.
The Orioles tied it twice before losing their fourth straight and for the 12th time in 18 games.
Blaze Alexander had an RBI single in the third before getting thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. After Judge’s 413-foot drive bounced into Baltimore’s bullpen in left field, Leody Taveras hit an RBI infield single and Tyler O’Neill scored on a double play grounder by Jeremiah Jackson in the fourth.
Fried allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked three.
Fernando Cruz (3-0) got the final two outs of the sixth and the first out of the seventh. Brent Headrick ended the eighth by getting a double play grounder against Mayo.
Gibson allowed three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings during his major league debut.
The four-game series concludes Monday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cam Smith drives in 2 in 10th, Astros edge Red Sox
May 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) hits a two run RBI against the Boston Red Sox during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Cam Smith had three hits, including a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, to help the visiting Houston Astros earn a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Smith’s two-out single came against Zack Kelly (0-2) and drove in Braden Shewmake and Jose Altuve.
Boston had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but Bryan Abreu got Ceddanne Rafaela to ground into a double play to end the game.
Jarren Duran hit a solo home run for the Red Sox, who stranded 13 runners and were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Duran’s home run was his third of the season and his second of the series. He hit a three-run homer in Boston’s 3-1 victory Friday night.
Abreu (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one.
Willson Contreras collected three of Boston’s nine hits in the loss.
Christian Walker and Christian Vazquez each had two-hit games for the Astros, who won two games in the three-game set.
Boston starting pitcher Ranger Suarez was pulled after four scoreless innings because of hamstring tightness. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three. Suarez threw 70 pitches.
Duran’s home run off Houston reliever AJ Blubaugh opened the scoring in the fifth. Houston tied the game in the sixth, when Walker reached on an infield single, took third on Altuve’s double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brice Matthews.
The Red Sox had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. An error on Abreu allowed Contreras to reach second with two outs in the inning, but Roman Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.
Houston had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th, but Altuve grounded into a 6-2-5 double play. Following a walk to Matthews, Smith delivered his two-run single.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Busch drives in 4 as Cubs win, sweep D-backs
May 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) celebrates his two-run home run with second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Michael Busch drove in four runs to lead the host Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday.
Busch doubled and scored a run in the second and broke the game open for good with a three-run triple in the fifth as Chicago finished the three-game sweep with its 11th straight win at home.
Matthew Boyd (2-1) picked the win. The southpaw gave up four hits and two earned runs over six innings, walking one and fanning five in 94 pitches. The quality start was the Cubs’ seventh in their last 10 home games.
Chicago tied a season high with six extra-base hits. Busch, Nico Hoerner, Moises Ballesteros, Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly all contributed a pair of hits.
The Cubs extended a 3-2 lead with a three-run fifth.
Ballesteros led off with a walk and Alex Bregman reached on a fielder’s choice when Nolan Arenado’s throw was too late to get Ballesteros at second.
Ian Happ loaded the bases with a walk and Busch tripled into the right-field corner to clear the bases and give Chicago a 6-2 lead.
The triple chased Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (1-3). The veteran right-hander went 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and six earned runs. He struck out five and walked three in 92 pitches.
The Diamondbacks opened the scoring in the second when Arenado doubled with one out and Gabe Moreno hit his first home run of the season deep to left field for a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning when Kelly singled in Busch with two outs.
Chicago took the lead for good in the third when Hoerner singled to deep short and Ballesteros smashed an opposite-field home run to left-center for a 3-2 advantage.
The Cubs scored a pair of insurance runs in the seventh when Happ led off with a walk and Suzuki doubled into the left-field corner.
Busch drove in his fourth run of the game with a deep sacrifice fly to right to make it 7-2 Cubs and Kelly singled in Suzuki to give Chicago an 8-2 lead.
D-backs pinch-hitter Adrian Del Castillo hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth to finalize the scoring. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-3 with a run for the visitors.
–Field Level Media
Yankees tee off on Orioles to win third straight in 4-game series
Cam Smith drives in 2 in 10th, Astros edge Red Sox
