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Young stars collide as Fever, Wings meet in must-see season opener

WNBA: Preseason-Dallas Wings at Indiana FeverApr 30, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during an inbounds play in the first half at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The WNBA’s last four No. 1 overall picks will be on the court together Saturday afternoon when the Indiana Fever face the Dallas Wings in a highly anticipated season opener in Indianapolis.

The Fever built their foundation with consecutive top draft picks of Aliyah Boston in 2023 and Caitlin Clark in 2024. The Wings then landed back-to-back No. 1 picks through the lottery and brought in UConn stars Paige Bueckers last season and Azzi Fudd last month.

Both teams have designs on taking steps forward in 2026. For the Wings, that’s returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence, while the Fever are one of a handful of title contenders after reaching the semifinals of the playoffs last season without a healthy Clark.

The Fever’s franchise player went down with a groin injury in July that wound up sidelining her the rest of the season. While that is behind her, Clark landed on her kneecap during a preseason game against Dallas on April 30.

She wore a leg sleeve in practice this week but tried to downplay the injury, saying, “Just a little compression on the leg, I don’t know.”

Bueckers and Clark faced off in college but only met once last season before Clark’s season ended prematurely. Clark had 14 points and 13 assists in a 102-83 win; Bueckers went for a game-high 21 points.

“Me and Caitlin have been competing against each other for a long time,” Bueckers said. “I think the greatest way to show respect is to compete and really bring the best out of each other, and I feel we do that when we’re competing against each other.”

The Wings tied for last in the overall WNBA standings in 2025 and replaced coach Chris Koclanes with Jose Fernandez, who spent 25 years building a mid-major college power at South Florida.

He will coach a group featuring not only Bueckers and Fudd, but also Wings mainstay Arike Ogunbowale, forward Maddy Siegrist and new frontcourt addition Alanna Smith. Siegrist went for 18 points and 11 rebounds when the Wings beat the Fever 95-80 in the preseason.

“Maddy had two really, really good preseason games,” Fernandez said. “My toughest job is making sure we’ve got the right five on the floor at times. We’re very, very deep, everybody being a star in their role and making sure we just take efficient, great shots and we share it.”

Boston noted how Dallas revamped its roster.

“I think Dallas did a great job surrounding Paige (Bueckers) with more shooters on the floor and I think even down to the post you have Alanna Smith that just stretches the floor completely,” Boston said.

“I think for us it’s just making sure we keep our energy high, we know it’s going to be a game of runs, we know they want to put a lot of points up, but making sure we play both ends of the floor.”

–Field Level Media

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Jakob Marsee, Marlins rally late to beat Nationals

MLB: Washington Nationals at Miami MarlinsMay 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) is called out trying to steal second base as Miami Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards (9) applies the tag in the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Jakob Marsee hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eight inning and the Marlins held on to beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 on Saturday in Miami.

With the score tied 4-4, Kyle Stowers led off the eighth with a single against Mitchell Parker (2-1) and Connor Norby walked. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Marsee homered to right. Esteury Ruiz doubled, stole third and scored on a Leo Jimenez sacrifice fly to make it 8-4.

In the Washington ninth, Drew Millas singled home Jose Tena, who had doubled off Michael Petersen. James Wood doubled Millas to third, and Luis Garcia, Jr. singled them home to make it 8-7 and went to second on the throw home. After Jorbit Vivas hit into a fielder’s choice, John King came on and got CJ Abrams to fly out for his first save.

Miami’s Xavier Edwards tied it 4-4 when he homered off Parker with two outs in the seventh, his second homer in two games.

Stowers had three hits including a homer for Miami, which had lost five of its last six games.

Andrew Nardi (3-2) pitched one inning for the win.

Garcia had three hits, and Wood homered and doubled for Washington, which had won three straight.

Wood led off the game and hit a 3-2 pitch into the second deck in right center for his 11th home run. Garcia singled, and Brady House doubled him to third. Abrams grounded a single past the drawn-in infield and both runners scored to make it 3-0.

Abrams tripled with one out in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Daylen Lile to make it 4-0.

In the Miami fourth, Otto Lopez reached on an infield single, and Stowers homered to right to pull the Marlins within 4-2.

Norby reached on a throwing error by Abrams in the sixth. He stole second and third and scored on Owen Caissie’s sacrifice fly, pulling Miami within 4-3.

After Washington opener Richard Lovelady tossed two scoreless innings, Zack Littell worked four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.

Miami’s Janson Junk went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.

–Field Level Media

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Mark Hubbard (64) seizes 1-shot edge at Myrtle Beach

PGA: Cognizant Classic - Third RoundFeb 28, 2026; Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA; Mark Hubbard plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Cognizant Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Mark Hubbard fired a 7-under-par 64 on Saturday to claim a 1-shot edge over England’s Aaron Rai through three rounds of the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

The 36-year-old Hubbard, who has yet to win a PGA Tour title and hasn’t finished in the top 20 this year, reeled off four straight birdies late in his round to push to 16 under 197 heading into the final round of this opposite-field event.

“I felt like I had some of the best ball control I’ve had all season, maybe my whole career today,” Hubbard said. “But I felt like I was kind of leaving a few out there in the middle of the round.”

After posting birdies on just two of his first 10 holes, Hubbard recorded a birdie at No. 11 before pouring it on with birdies on Nos. 14 through 17.

“I think Mark a couple of weeks ago would have gotten pretty frustrated and turned a 64 into a 68,” Hubbard said. “I just stayed really patient and just tried and kept hitting good shot after good shot and eventually the putts started going in.”

Rai, who held a one-shot lead entering Saturday’s play, shrugged off his lone bogey at No. 8 by reeling off four consecutive birdies to start his back nine. He finished at 5 under for the day.

“Had a great section in the middle of the round,” Rai said. “Made a few birdies back-to-back, which really kind of got things going. Yeah, really pleased overall.”

Kevin Roy pulled within two shots of Hubbard with a bogey-free 65. Beau Hossler and Mac Meissner tied for the day’s lowest round with 64s to remain three shots shy of Hubbard. Brandt Snedeker (67) joined them at 13 under.

Brooks Koepka registered an eagle at the par-5 15th on his way to a 64. He shares seventh place with Japan’s Keita Nakajima (67) and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout (68), five shots out of the lead.

“I feel like I’m striking it as good as I ever have, driving it as good as I ever have,” said Koepka, who posted a 7 under 29 on the back nine. “If I can continue to do that, then I’m going to be very pleased where I’m at for a while.”

–Field Level Media

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Jeeno Thitikul maintains lead at Mizuho Americas Open

LPGA: The Chevron Championship - First RoundApr 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, United States; Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand hits a tee shot on the 10th hole during the first round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

For the third consecutive day, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul held her spot atop the leaderboard as she attempts to defend her title at the Mizuho Americas Open in West Caldwell, N.J.

Thitikul saw her three-shot lead after two rounds sliced to two in the third round on Saturday as she carded a 2-under-par 70 to finish 54 holes at 10-under 206.

France’s Celine Boutier followed up her 68 on Friday with a 67 to climb into solo second at 8 under. Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi (-7) and Allisen Corpuz (-6) produced the day’s low rounds at 66 to move into third and a share of fourth, respectively. China’s Ruoning Yin (68) and Australia’s Hannah Green (68) are tied with Corpuz.

Thitikul won the event last year at Liberty National Golf Club, but it was moved 27 miles northwest to Mountain Ridge Country Club this year.

Thitiful, who stands No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, bogeyed the second hole but made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 and posted a birdie on the par-5 17th to reach 10-under for the first time.

Thitikul has only missed six greens in 54 holes.

“I think maybe I just not, you know, expect the perfect shot just going in the hole,” she said. “I mean, I just pick my target or where I want to start the ball and I just commit and then hit the ball.”

Boutier bogeyed the first hole to fall back to 2-under, but went bogey-free from there while converting three birdies on each nine. The 32-year-old former Duke standout played the four par-3s in 3 under.

“I feel like I learn a little bit more each day on this course,” Boutier said. “I feel like today the conditions were a little bit more difficult at the end, but it was actually really calm the first, you know, like 12 holes or so.

“So I feel like it was playing slightly bit easier. I feel like I gave myself more birdie chances, which kind of helped a lot.”

Choi, who started the day tied for 13th, birdied five of eight holes in the middle of her round and sliced her number of putts from 36 on Friday to 29 on Saturday.

“I think it was because actually I really hit a lot of putts yesterday, but it was because the green was still hard and if I hit the second shot far to the pin, it was hard to make two putts,” Choi said. “…So I made lots of three-putts yesterday.

“Compared to yesterday, today I didn’t really have a long putt left, and I made a good save on the difficult putts, too.

Jennifer Kupcho (-3) and Brooke Matthews (-2), who started in second and third place, respectively, each shot 2 over 74 to fall out of the top nine.

–Field Level Media

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