Sedona Prince has gotten a lot of attention for her social media posts, drawing attention to gend...

Sedona Prince has gotten a lot of attention for her social media posts, drawing attention to gender equity questions at the NCAA Tournament in 2021, and her status as a lead plaintiff in a landmark antitrust lawsuit standing up for college athletes. On Monday night, her name wasn't mentioned as the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">WNBA</a> rolled through 38 selections in its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-2025-draft-paige-bueckers-a28fac1f8159d889ce385339717ab987">29th draft.</a>The only place her name was mentioned? As a potential draft pick by analysts.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Prince just finished her final year of college basketball at TCU where she helped the Horned Frogs <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-notre-dame-tcu-score-12fb545a8603517187967e4c3e44e543">reach the Elite Eight</a> for the first time in school history. She first hit the spotlight with her viral video back in the NCAA Tournament bubble in 2021. That pointed out the stark inequities between how the NCAA treated men and women during its basketball tournaments. Her post helped prompt an NCAA-commissioned report reviewing gender equity, which led to the use of the phrase March Madness and the start of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-tournament-units-c52d72a9573304ff75fe8811d80298f2">paying women’s programs units</a> for participating in the tournament. Prince started playing in 2019 at Oregon before graduating in May 2022 and transferring to TCU for the past two seasons.She later was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nil-ncaa-house-settlement-5937493302218963fc678562dcc8d222">a lead plaintiff</a> in a landmark antitrust lawsuit that will help get money for college athletes. Prince attended a hearing April 7 where a federal judge in Oakland, California, heard <a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-settlement-ncaa-nil-9b38fa13a08c3eebca127c2304228b70">arguments for the landmark House settlement</a>. The 6-foot-7 center earned honorable mention AP All-America honors. But Prince was not among the 16 prospects invited to attend Monday night’s draft at The Shed. The question now is does she get invited by a WNBA team for a tryout or is playing overseas her best option. The center from Liberty Hill, Texas, averaged 17.2 points a game this season and started all 58 games played at TCU. She started 86 of 108 games played over five seasons.___AP WNBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball</a>

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - MARCH 31: Sedona Prince #13 of the TCU Horned Frogs reacts during the second half against the Texas Longhorns in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 31, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30973368/related

Sedona Prince's basketball future murky after going undrafted

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Kameron Misner homered twice and drove in three runs, Shane Baz threw s...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Kameron Misner homered twice and drove in three runs, Shane Baz threw six strong innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 16-1 on Monday night.Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero also homered and each drove in a pair for Tampa Bay. Six Rays registered multiple hits.Misner finished 3 for 4 with homers off Tanner Houck and Brennan Bernardino, his first home runs since a historic walk-off shot on Opening Day.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Baz (2-0) allowed two hits, one earned run and no walks with a career-high 11 strikeouts. His only mistake was an 0-1 slider to Kristian Campbell, who homered in the top of the third. After that, Baz retired the next 11 Red Sox in order.Tampa Bay tagged Houck (0-2) for 10 hits and 12 runs, 11 earned, in 2 1/3 innings.The Rays allowed only one Boston runner past first base until the ninth inning.Key momentEight consecutive Rays reached base safely in a nine-run third, when Tampa Bay sent 14 batters to the plate. With the Rays up 14-1 on their division rivals, loudspeakers at Steinbrenner Field played the theme to Monday Night Football.Key statBaz, who sat out 2023 following Tommy John surgery, has retired 34 of his last 41 batters.Up nextIn the second of 14 games between the teams, Opening Day starter Ryan Pepiot (1-1, 3.38 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays. Two-time All-Star Walker Buehler (1-1, 5.74), who limited Toronto to one run on four hits Friday, goes for Boston.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/MLB</a>

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 14: Eric Orze #17 and Danny Jansen #19 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox 16-1 at George M. Steinbrenner Field on April 14, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30972813/related

Houck allows 12 runs as Rays thump Red Sox

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Former football players from Duke and North Carolina have a hearing next week...

<div>
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Former football players from Duke and North Carolina have a hearing next week in lawsuits seeking additional eligibility from the NCAA for playing careers they say were derailed by injuries, ailments and personal difficulties.
Former Duke football players Ryan Smith and Tre'Shon Devones are plaintiffs in one of the complaints filed in Durham County Superior Court on April 3, while former UNC player J.J. Jones and former Duke player Cam Bergeron are plaintiffs in a similar lawsuit filed the same day. Their complaints seek to prevent the NCAA from following its longstanding policy of having athletes complete four years of eligibility within a five-year window.
Their cases are now set for April 22 in North Carolina Business Court.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
Specifically, the athletes point to lost potential earnings — $100,000 to $500,000, according to the lawsuits — from rules allowing athletes to profit from their fame through activities utilizing their name, image and likeness (NIL). 
The complaints allege the NCAA and member schools “have entered into an illegal agreement to restrain and suppress competition” while also saying the waiver process allowing exemptions to its five-year rule is enforced “arbitrarily,” and that the process has denied them the ability to reach their “full potential.”
In February, former N.C. State football player Corey Coley Jr. filed a lawsuit with a similar argument in U.S. District Court in North Carolina.
“The NCAA stands by its eligibility rules, including the five-year rule, which enable student-athletes and schools to have fair competition and ensure broad access to the unique and life-changing opportunity to be a student-athlete,” the NCAA said in a statement. "The NCAA is making changes to modernize college sports but attempts to alter the enforcement of foundational eligibility rules – approved and supported by membership leaders – makes a shifting environment even more unsettled.”
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apnews.com%2Fnewsletters&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cac15c5bbe3474fbc56dc08dcbd758ff1%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638593559885901393%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=BiQ0owfKgdxxDTen7vWNldAAA2Ct2FkK8EjHsVcX1B4%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a>. AP college football: <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Fhub%2Fap-top-25-college-football-poll&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cac15c5bbe3474fbc56dc08dcbd758ff1%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638593559885906890%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=HyTfMNozMBj3%2F5G1nzsmTLYptq45qIJudfH7eV6%2BVqw%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a> and <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Fhub%2Fcollege-football&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7Cac15c5bbe3474fbc56dc08dcbd758ff1%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638593559885912342%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=qYBV4rq4HpYjhUMmLtzVksqvQ0KhKoSbkfO7VDtEPgk%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>
</div>

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 11: J.J. Jones #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels makes a catch against Al Blades Jr. #7 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30969585/related

Ex-UNC, Duke players file lawsuit seeking additional eligibility from NCAA

CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Captain Marie-Philip Poulin struck twice to lead defendin...

CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Captain Marie-Philip Poulin struck twice to lead defending champion Canada past the host Czech Republic 7-1 at the women’s ice hockey world championship on Monday.Responding to the 2-1 loss to the archrival United States, Kristin O’Neill also had two goals, and Daryl Watts, Jennifer Gardiner, and Sophie Jaques added a goal each, all in the five-goal final period.Goalie Kristen Campbell made 18 saves.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Adela Sapovalivova scored for the Czechs.Poulin gave Canada the opener 3:20 into the opening period on a rebound.The Czechs answered through Sapovalivova 2:05 later with a backhand shot in between Campbell’s pads.Poulin’s third tournament goal put Canada back in front 7:13 into the middle period and cemented her lead of the scoring table with eight points.Canada scored three in a span of 58 seconds in the final period to put the result beyond doubt.Watts one-timed a slap shot high into the roof of the goal on a power play 5:42 into the frame, O’Neill scored her first on a rebound 27 seconds later, and Gardiner’s goal was a close-range shot over Klara Peslarova. O’Neill and Jaques finished off with shots from the slot amid the Czech collapse.Canada will finish second to the U.S. in Group A.Earlier, Finland defeated Switzerland 2-1 for its second victory.Ronja Savolainen scored a short-handed goal midway through the opening period and Michelle Karvinen doubled the lead in the second.Alina Muller answered with the first Swiss goal at the tournament after previous losses to the Czech Republic and Canada.Switzerland plays one more game in Group A against the U.S. on Tuesday.Germany handed Hungary a fourth straight loss by 4-1 to ensure Hungary will be relegated.Nicola Hadraschek scored twice, Laura Kluge had a goal and two assists and Katarina Jobst-Smith also scored to give Germany a second win in Group B.Emma Kreisz scored Hungary’s first goal of the tournament.Germany will play its final group game against Japan on Tuesday.___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

UTICA, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Marie-Philip Poulin #29 of Canada approaches the faceoff linesperson prior to 3rd period faceoff against Switzerland during the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship at Adirondack Bank Center on April 05, 2024 in Utica, New York.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30968798/related

Canada cruises past Czechs with 5 goals in 3rd period

Real Madrid great Luka Modric became a co-owner of Swansea City on Monday.  While the amount inve...

Real Madrid great Luka Modric became a co-owner of Swansea City on Monday.While the amount invested by the six-time Champions League winner was not revealed, Swansea said Modric would “play a key role in helping the club garner global attention and progress both on and off the pitch.”The 39-year-old Modric still plays for Madrid and Croatia and is one of the most decorated players in the sport. He received the Ballon d’Or in 2018.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“Playing at the highest level, I believe I can provide my experience to the club,” he said. “My goal is to support the club’s growth in a positive way and to help to build an exciting future.”Swansea, a former Premier League club, plays in the second tier.“There is no better role model in the game for our players, from the academy right through to the first team,” CEO Tom Gorringe said. “His endorsement of our ambition and willingness to support us on our journey will be instrumental as we aim to continue to improve our results on and off the pitch.”___James Robson is at <a href="https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson">https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson</a>___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 08: Luka Modric of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Arsenal Stadium on April 08, 2025 in London, England.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30968236/related

Real Madrid great Luka Modric becomes co-owner of Swansea

MILAN (AP) — Italian soccer player Nicolò Fagioli lashed out at the media on Monday for releasing...

MILAN (AP) — Italian soccer player Nicolò Fagioli lashed out at the media on Monday for releasing new details about his struggles with betting on games and apologized to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mckennie-tonali-illegal-betting-serie-a-fagioli-27bbf0d41abaadf261f63a7571b1b404">former teammates who have been investigated</a>.Milan prosecutors placed 13 soccer players under investigation last week for illegal online betting, stemming from evidence given by Sandro Tonali and Fagioli in 2023. Both then served lengthy bans, ruling them out for most of last season, after agreeing on plea bargains that also included therapy for a gambling addiction.Fagioli — a Juventus midfielder on loan at Fiorentina — was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fagioli-betting-scandal-83520c6222caf819dd49d0473c223c8f">banned for seven months</a> after admitting to betting on matches, while Newcastle’s Tonali received a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tonali-banned-betting-newcastle-3528859e5a34c0ac4479df1a85c2d3b6">longer suspension of 10 months</a> as his bets also included his team’s games — at the time, AC Milan.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Gazzetta dello Sport and other outlets reported how Fagioli reached out to more than 30 people to help pay off a debt of 587,000 euros ($666,000), and used a Milan jewelry shop to help with the payoffs.“I made mistakes and I paid for them,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIbqQH4KA5h/?igsh=N2gzMnYxa3Mxa3Nt">Fagioli wrote on Instagram</a>. “And like anyone who makes a mistake and pays for it, I have every right to get back up. … I was 19 when all this happened and I was overcome by a gambling addiction. I regret it, but life gave me a second opportunity and I want to take advantage of it, having already been punished for everything I deserved to be punished for.”There is no evidence that the other players ever gambled on soccer matches but their names emerged from depositions given by Tonali and Fagioli and analysis of their devices.The other players are being investigated for using illegal platforms for online poker and betting on other sports. As such they do not risk a ban, but instead a maximum fine of 250 euros ($280) from Italian authorities.Tonali and Fagioli have also been accused of promoting those sites among their teammates and other soccer players.“I apologize to all of my teammates and friends who, because of my mistakes, are finding themselves involved or named,” Fagioli added. “And I want to thank Fiorentina, Juventus, my friends and family, who never stopped supporting me during a tough time. Even if I definitely disappointed them.”___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

MILAN, ITALY - APRIL 05: Nicolo Fagioli of ACF Fiorentina reacts during the Serie A match between AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30967354/related

Fagioli apologizes to former teammates named in betting case

A second consecutive victory at Bristol Motor Speedway was especially sweet for Kyle Larson, and ...

A second consecutive victory at Bristol Motor Speedway was especially sweet for Kyle Larson, and one reason loomed large in his rearview mirror.The Hendrick Motorsports star fended off several challenges for the lead by Denny Hamlin as they ran in the top two positions for 251 of 500 laps — and with Larson always in first on the 0.533-mile oval.In the best current rivalry on NASCAR’s premier circuit, it was the seventh 1-2 finish for the duo, but the first time that Larson emerged on top.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>And with his 31st Cup victory, Larson prevented Hamlin from winning a third consecutive race — a point he gleefully made while celebrating on the frontstretch.“If Denny is in front of me, it could be a totally different story and be really hard to pass him, but glad to stop his three-peat,” Larson said, pausing to laugh with a lighthearted point at the crowd. “We hate to see him win, as I’m sure you guys do, too.”Though Bristol had no contact or flared tempers as in their past skirmishes at Kansas and Pocono, Larson and Hamlin seem on a collision course for the 2025 championship heading into NASCAR’s only off weekend of the season.Larson is ranked second and Hamlin third in NASCAR advanced metrics that evaluate drivers on passing, defense, speed, restarts and pit stops. In the regular-season points standings, Hamlin is second and Larson fourth despite recent stumbles.The pit crew of Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet was overhauled before Darlington Raceway, where he crashed twice in the April 6 race (the latter wreck brought out a caution that helped Hamlin earn his second win in a row).Larson rebounded mightily over three consecutive days at Bristol, finishing second in the Truck Series race and winning the Xfinity and Cup races. He dedicated the results to Jon Edwards, the Hendrick Motorsports director of communications whose death was announced last Thursday.“It’s crazy how this week played out for us,” crew chief Cliff Daniels said. “Of course, the loss of Jon was a whole other blow, but our team maintained a lot of positivity.”Hamlin, who has combined with Larson to win six of the past nine Cup races at Bristol, also has been in an upbeat mood while adapting to new crew chief Chris Gayle.The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is off to his best start since 2021 (the last time he qualified for NASCAR’s championship race finale), and he took the loss to Larson in stride.“It’s been a great run here over the last month,” Hamlin said. “We’ve been really good. Just got to continue this momentum, and it all starts tomorrow. You go back to work, and you figure out how you can get just a little bit better.”Tire talkLarson has led 872 of the past 1,000 laps in consecutive victories at Bristol, which hasn’t been the same since a track-record 54 lead changes in the March 2024 race won by Hamlin. There were four lead changes Sunday, the fewest for a 500-lap race at the track in nearly 43 years.Larson and other drivers attributed the difference to a durable tire negating the two- and three-wide racing that is a byproduct of managing wear.Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner at Bristol before retiring to become the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, said he was “disappointed” with Sunday’s tire but added there’s a fine line in striking the balance between excessive and minimum wear.“Goodyear has a tough job,” he said. “We have a heavy car. We have these high-banked tracks, heavy loads, abrasive surfaces. There’s just a lot of things that are very difficult for them to make a tire that’s durable and perform well. To ask for them on top of that to have a tire that falls off and wears but doesn’t wear too much, that’s a tall task.”Triple futureAfter winning two of three on race weekends at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson has no further tripleheaders scheduled this season. He still yearns to be the second to sweep NASCAR’s top three national series in a weekend (which Kyle Busch did at Bristol in 2010 and 2017).Larson said he’d consider trying again next year at Homestead, Bristol and possibly Kansas Speedway (which played host to all three series last September but has no tripleheader this year).“I’ll be selective,” he said. “I have to feel I have a shot to win all three and also pick the tracks I enjoy.”___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 08: Denny Hamlin (#11 Joe Gibbs Racing Mavis Tire Toyota) and Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) talk prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart on September 08, 2024, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30967186/related

Larson, Hamlin renew rivalry at Bristol with seventh 1-2 finish

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich broke a tie at 1:30 of the third period with the first...

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich broke a tie at 1:30 of the third period with the first of his two goals and the Calgary Flames beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Sunday night to bolster their late playoff push.Calgary won for the third time in four games to pull within two points of St. Louis for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and three of Minnesota for the first wild card. The Flames have two games left, while the Blues and Wild each have one to go.MacKenzie Weegar, Adam Klapka and Matt Coronato also scored for Calgary, and Dustin Wolf made 28 saves.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Tyler Toffoli scored his 30th goal for San Jose. Jan Rutta also scored, and Georgi Romanov stopped 25 shots. Last overall in the NHL, the Sharks have lost nine straight.Up nextThe Sharks are at Vancouver on Monday night and close the season at home against Edmonton on Wednesday night. The Flames host Vegas on Tuesday night and end the regular season in Los Angeles on Thursday night.___AP NHL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nhl">https://apnews.com/hub/nhl</a>

CALGARY, CANADA - APRIL 13: Matt Coronato #27 of the Calgary Flames celebrates his third period goal against the San Jose Sharks with Blake Coleman #20 and Mikael Backlund #11 at the Scotiabank Saddledome on April 13, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30963761/related

Flames beat the Sharks to bolster their late playoff push

Oklahoma City had a regular season like none other in NBA history.  The Thunder — who went 68-14 ...

Oklahoma City had a regular season like none other in NBA history.The Thunder — who went 68-14 — finished the season outscoring teams by 12.9 points per game, smashing the previous mark that had stood for more than a half-century.The Los Angeles Lakers outscored teams by 12.3 points per game in 1971-72, and that was the record until now. For the season, the Thunder outscored opponents by 1,055 points.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“We can appreciate and be grateful for the things we've accomplished and still be hungry,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Both things can be true.”It was, by any measure, a dominant season for the Thunder. They won the West by a staggering 16 games over No. 2 Houston. They tied the 1972-73 Boston Celtics for the sixth-best record in NBA history, behind only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (73-9), the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72-10), the 1996-97 Bulls (69-13), the 1971-72 Lakers (69-13) and the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (68-13).The teams that previously held the top five spots on the point-differential-per-game list -- the 1971-72 Lakers (12.3 point-per-game differential), the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (12.3), the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (12.2), the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors (11.6) and last season’s Boston Celtics (11.3) — all won that season’s NBA championship.“We've got a young team and I think it's important for them to understand some of the things we've accomplished,” Daigneault said. “Franchise record for wins is a great accomplishment. Some of the other things we've accomplished together are great accomplishments. We don't take them lightly. We're grateful for them and we can still be hungry despite that. It was an unbelievable regular season. It was a special group of guys that deserve these sort of things.”<remove></remove>___AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a>

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 14: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks to the media after the game against the Houston Rockets during the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal game on December 14, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30963750/related

Thunder smash NBA record for single-season scoring differential

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has endured plenty of anguishing moments while seeking to snap a...

<div>
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has endured plenty of anguishing moments while seeking to snap a decade-long drought in major championships.
That made celebrating <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rory-mcilroy-masters-augusta-career-grand-slam-c739bf0e3173635fec0563e212539206">Sunday's win at the Masters</a> with his caddie and longtime friend Harry Diamond all the more special.
They became friends after meeting on a putting green in Holywood, Northern Ireland, when they were 7 years old and have remained close since. When McIlroy decided to make a change on his bag in the summer of 2017, he asked Diamond to become his caddie.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
Critics questioned the move time and time again, asking whether Diamond was the best man for the job.
But McIlroy stayed staunchly loyal to Diamond and refused to make a change, even though he hadn't won a major since 2014, before his friend took the job. That made his career <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rory-mcilroy-masters-augusta-career-grand-slam-c739bf0e3173635fec0563e212539206">Grand Slam-clinching win at the Masters</a> even sweeter.
“We’ve had so many good times together. He’s been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life," McIlroy said as his eyes swelled up with tears. “So to be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we’ve had, all the crap that he’s had to take from people that don’t know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine.”
McIlroy called Diamond “a massive part” of what he's accomplished, which includes 40 worldwide victories and 29 on the PGA Tour.
“I couldn’t think of anyone better to share it with than him,” McIlroy said.
___
AP Masters coverage: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters">https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters</a>
</div>

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates winning with caddie Harry Diamond after the playoff hole during the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30963458/related

McIlroy credits caddie: Masters win 'is just as much his as it is mine'

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler came to Augusta National this week looking to join Jack Nic...

<div>
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler came to Augusta National this week looking to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters">to win three Masters</a> in a four-year span.
He had to settle for a fourth-place finish.
Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world and the pre-tournament favorite, shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 8-under 280 in a week where he could never recapture the mojo that led to titles in 2022 and 2024 at Augusta National.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
But he walked away encouraged by his play.
“It was easily a week in which I could have gotten frustrated with either how I was playing or how I was swinging or stuff going on on the course, not hitting it where I was looking,” Scheffler said. “I was just proud of the way we hung in there and put up a good fight. A few different things happen today and I maybe have a chance in the tournament. I wasn’t far off. ”
Scheffler, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour this year, said it was “something to build off of.”
For a brief moment, it looked like <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rory-mcilroy-masters-augusta-career-grand-slam-c739bf0e3173635fec0563e212539206">eventual champion Rory McIlroy</a> had opened the door for Scheffler when he double-bogeyed the 13th and bogeyed the 14th.
Scheffler was two shots back for a moment, but could only manage par on each of his final four holes.
“I felt like I had to birdie the last three holes,” Scheffler said. “Not making birdie on 15 definitely hurt. But overall the bogey on 12 kind of set me back a little bit. But I bounced back quick with birdies on 13 and 14. I felt like I bounced back really well today.”
He added: "I think this was the best I've been mentally all year. I think my game just wasn’t there.”
<hl2>Returning to Augusta</hl2>Max Homa came to Augusta National <a href="https://apnews.com/article/masters-max-homa-slump-b06ceb7f277cf1ebb58d9abcf1b60737">in a horrific slump</a>.
He walked away with an invitation to return to next year's Masters.
Homa had failed to finish in the top 25 in his last 16 PGA Tour events and had missed the cut in his last five. He seemed destined for an early exit. And yet, he somehow managed to pull things together for four days to finish at 4-under 284, good enough for a tie for 12th place.
That got him into next year's tournament, barely.
The top 12 finishers (including ties) are guaranteed an automatic spot in the following Masters.
But it didn't come before Homa made it interesting. After double-bogeying the 17th hole, Homa needed to par the 18th. He clipped a tree on the right side of the 18th fairway, but hit the green with a solid approach shot and two-putted from there.
<hl2>Thomas eyes Ryder Cup</hl2>Justin Thomas didn't quite have the Masters he wanted, finishing at 2-over 290 after never being in contention for the green jacket.
That left him disappointed, and a little concerned about his status with the U.S. Ryder Cup team. 
Six players automatically qualify for the squad based on their performance in a Ryder Cup points list, while the remaining six spots are filled by the captain’s choices. Thomas was was ninth in the rankings coming into the week.
“It’s a tough spot to be in, but it’s also self-inflicted,” Thomas said. “It’s a huge goal of mine, but I feel like if I keep doing what I’m doing and get in contention to win some tournaments and start winning some tournaments and majors, then it’ll all take care of itself.”
<hl2>16th-hole placement</hl2>The Masters moved the pin placement on the 16th hole to the top shelf in the back of the green on Sunday to commemorative the 50th anniversary of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfsBFrD43To">Nicklaus making a 40-foot birdie putt</a> up the slope that carried him to a fifth green jacket.
Overall, the hole actually played a little easier than last year with an aggregate score of 3.02 compared to last year's 3.03. But there were fewer birdies (10 compared to 11 in 2024) and fewer pars (34 compared to 40 in 2024).
<hl2>Aberg takes triple bogey on 18</hl2>Sweden's Ludvig Aberg followed up a second-place finish in his first Masters last year with a seventh-place showing Sunday after a triple bogey on the 72nd hole did him in when he played three shots out of the sand.
Had Aberg, who reached 10 under for the tournament after the 16th hole on Sunday, played the final two holes in 1 under, he would have finished in a three-way tie with McIlroy and Justin Rose and been a part of a three-way playoff.
___
AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>
</div>

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 13: Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30963215/related

Scheffler settles for 4th at Masters, but gains 'something to build off'

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pitching well against his former team couldn't prevent Luis Severi...

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pitching well against his former team couldn't prevent Luis Severino from falling to 0-3 with the Athletics.Severino was in a scoreless game until allowing a run-scoring single to Tyrone Taylor on his 103rd and final pitch, and the New York Mets went on to an 8-0 victory over the A's on Sunday.“It was fun throwing to the guys that I saw hit all last year,” Severino said. “Of course at the end, I knew I was facing a good team. I was just trying to make good pitches.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Severino gave up four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander has a 4.01 ERA in his first season of a $67 million, three-year contract with the A’s“I was pleased with the way he went about it,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “It’s never easy to go against your former team with all the emotion.”Kotsay had visited the mound in the sixth to tell Severino that Torrens would be his last hitter. Though Torrens ended up driving in a run off a 97 mph fastball, Severino appreciated his new manager believing in him with a high pitch count and a tight situation.“He trusts me that I’m not going to go crazy and do something that is going to hurt me for years,” Severino said.Severino was 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts for the in his only year with the Mets following eight seasons with the Yankees. He said on Friday he had hoped to stay with the Mets, who had reached the NL Championship Series.Kotsay said expects Severino to provide a veteran presence. Severino bought a Ping-Pong table for the clubhouse.“We talked a lot about it: What he was going to do for the staff, how he was going to be the leader of the staff and all those things,” Kotsay said. “He’s met expectations or beat expectations.”___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Mets in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on April 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30963002/related

Athletics' Severino: 'Was fun throwing' to old Mets teammates

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Justin Rose kept hitting balls to stay loose at the tournament practice facil...

<div>
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Justin Rose kept hitting balls to stay loose at the tournament practice facility, all alone save for longtime caddie Mark Fulcher, everything eerily quiet around him while drama was unfolding elsewhere <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rory-mcilroy-masters-augusta-career-grand-slam-c739bf0e3173635fec0563e212539206">on Sunday at the Masters.</a>
Rose had generated roars of his own down the stretch <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">at Augusta National</a>, the biggest of all coming <a href="https://apnews.com/article/masters-key-hole-f0c3a29dc73f3f7a12e22d19988971d1">at the 18th</a>, when he rolled in a 20-footer for birdie and then looked to the heavens. It finished off a round of 66, and pulled him into a tie with Rory McIlroy at 11 under, and ultimately sent Rose off to prepare for the possibility of a playoff.
He got it when McIlroy missed a putt on the 18th hole some 40 minutes later.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
The two headed back to the 18 for a sudden-death showdown. Rose striped a drive down the right side, McIlroy matched him down the middle. Rose knocked his approach to 15 feet, McIlroy stuck to 3 feet. But when Rose slid his birdie putt past, and McIlroy drained his own, he finally had the one leg of the grand slam that had so long eluded him.
And once again, Rose had been denied in a playoff at Augusta National. The former U.S. Open and Olympic champion was part of the last one in the Masters, eight years ago, when he lost to Sergio Garcia on the first sudden-death hole.
"This is a historic moment in golf, isn’t it? Someone who achieves the career grand slam,” Rose said afterward, magnanimous in defeat. “I wanted to be the bad guy today, but still, it’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.”
Meanwhile, it also was Rose's second straight second-place finish in a major. He was tied for second after the second round of the British Open last year, and he wound up finishing right there, two shots behind Xander Schauffele at Royal Troon.
“I hit a lot of quality shots under pressure, and I felt like I was getting stronger and stronger as the round was going on,” Rose said. “I felt so good with my game, good with my emotions, and I’m super proud of that. Because you can’t prepare for that. You can’t practice for that. That’s when you learn about yourself, and I’m still learning about myself.”
The fact that the 44-year-old Rose was even in contention Sunday was a testament to his stubborn refusal to quit.
He held the first-round lead after a superlative 65 on Thursday, and again after his second-round 71. But when Rose shot 75 on Saturday, and McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau made big charges, he came into Sunday as an afterthought.
“I think I flipped the switch from yesterday,” Rose said. “Yesterday, I was so angry coming off the course because I turned 69 into 75. I didn’t let that momentum seep into today. And I think that that was, from a professionalism point of view — very, very proud of that switch overnight and into this morning.”
Still, Rose began the day seven shots behind McIlroy with a bunch of golf's best standing between them.
Things weren't much better through six, either, which he played in even-par. But back-to-back birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 gave Rose a confidence boost, and three straight birdies while McIlroy was faltering on the back nine thrust him back into the mix.
“I wasn’t looking at leaderboards,” Rose said. “The only way I sensed I was getting into it was the crowd.”
Even when Rose bogeyed the 14th from behind a tree, he bounced back with two more birdies. And when a bogey at the 17th left him needing one more, Rose delivered it at the 18th to reach 11 under — same as McIlroy playing four groups behind.
“It's the kind of putt you dream about as kid,” Rose said, “and to have it and hole it, it was a special feeling.”
As the sunlight faded over the Georgia pines, Rose and McIlroy — close friends and Ryder Cup teammates — returned to the 18th tee. They shook hands, then both of them played one of the most difficult holes on the course splendidly.
Only one of them was able to make the putt that mattered.
“Unfortunately, the playoff, they always end so quickly,” Rose said. “If you're not the guy to hit the great shot or hole the great putt, it's over. But that's the nature of sudden death. I'm not sure I could have done much more today.”
___
AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>
</div>

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 13: (R-L) Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shakes hands with Justin Rose of England after the first playoff hole during the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30962704/related

Rose's memorable final round not enough to deny McIlroy the title

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh homered for a third straight game to spark the Seattle Mariners to a 3...

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh homered for a third straight game to spark the Seattle Mariners to a 3-1 win and a sweep of the Texas Rangers on Sunday.Raleigh sent a two-run shot out to right field off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi in the first inning.The win brings Seattle to .500 on the season (8-8). The Mariners never trailed in their fourth straight victory.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Logan Gilbert (1-1) allowed just one run — a second-inning homer by Dustin Harris — in five innings. He surrendered three hits and a walk, striking out seven. It was the second homer for Harris in 10 major league at-bats.Eovaldi (1-2) didn't make it out of the sixth. Julio Rodríguez led off with a single and Jorge Polanco reached on an error by first baseman Jake Burger. Eovaldi exited after hitting Raleigh and Randy Arozarena to force in a run.Seattle's Gabe Speier, Carlos Vargas and Trent Thornton all pitched a scoreless inning without allowing a baserunner. Andrés Muñoz notched his sixth save with a scoreless ninth. Muñoz has not allowed a run in his first eight innings, striking out 12.Key momentGilbert struggled in the first inning, allowing a one-out hit to Corey Seager before a wild pitch sent him to second base. He walked Adolis García to put runners at the corners with two outs before striking out Josh Jung swinging to end the threat.Key statRaleigh showed off his power in the sweep. He hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth to rally the Mariners to a 5-3 win in Friday's opener.Up nextThe Mariners have yet to name a starter for Tuesday's opener of a three-game series in Cincinnati. Brady Singer (3-0, 3.18 ERA) gets the nod for the Reds. The Rangers have yet to name a starter for Tuesday's opener of a three-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, who will send Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 5.00) to the mound.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 13: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners gestures after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 13, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30962246/related

Raleigh hits HR in 3rd straight game as Mariners sweep Rangers

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Michael King threw a two-hitter for his first career complete game, and the San ...

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Michael King threw a two-hitter for his first career complete game, and the San Diego Pades shut out the Colorado Rockies for the third straight game, winning 6-0 on Sunday.It was the first time the Padres had shut out an opponent in a series of at least three games. They beat the Rockies 2-0 on a four-hitter on Saturday night and 8-0 on a three-hitter on Friday night.Colorado, coming off consecutive seasons of at least 100 losses, dropped to a major league-worst 3-12, including a 1-8 record on the road.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was the 34th time that a team had shut out its opponent for an entire series of three-plus games since 1901, and the first since Cleveland did it against Kansas City in August 2017.The Padres improved to 10-0 at home. They have the best record in the majors at 13-3.King (3-0) retired his first 13 batters before Michael Toglia singled with one out in the fifth. He walked Hunter Goodman with two outs in the eighth and allowed a single by Ezequiel Tovar with one out in the ninth.King threw a major league-high 110 pitches in the majors' second complete game of the season. Nathan Eovaldi threw a four-hitter for Texas at Cincinnati on April 1.San Diego jumped on Kyle Freeland (0-3) for four runs in the first inning. The Padres had three straight run-scoring hits with two outs — singles by Oscar Gonzalez and Yuli Gurriel, and a two-run double by Jose Iglesias.Key momentThe Padres turned a 5-6-3 double play to finish King's complete game.Key statIglesias had his first game with multiple extra-base hits and RBIs since July 12 for the New York Mets against the Rockies.Up nextRockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (0-2, 5.14 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease is set to go Monday night in the opener of a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. ___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a>

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the ninth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 13, 2025 in San Diego, California.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30961543/related

King throws 1st career shutout as Padres blank Rockies again

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Larson led 411 of 500 laps and scored an emotional win on Sunday with ...

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Larson led 411 of 500 laps and scored an emotional win on Sunday with a dominating NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.Larson, racing just days after the death of Jon Edwards, his former public relations representative, picked up his second Cup win of the season. It was his 31st Cup victory and third at Bristol.Denny Hamlin finished second in his 400th consecutive Cup start, falling one spot short in his bid for a third consecutive win. Ty Gibbs was third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet was one of several cars sporting a decal in the memory of Edwards, the Hendrick Motorsports director of communications whose death was confirmed in a Thursday statement from the team. The cause of death was not announced.The 53-year-old Edwards was a PR specialist during Jeff Gordon’s four Cup championships. After becoming Gordon’s right-hand man, Edwards also worked closely with Larson since the star joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and won his first championship.On Saturday at Bristol, Larson dedicated an Xfinity Series victory to Edwards, who took vacations with the driver and became his closest friend on the No. 5 team.Larson also finished second in Friday’s Truck Series race, nearly completing a tripleheader sweep to honor Edwards, whom he said was always a happy person.“He wouldn’t want us to be sad,” Larson said of Edwards. “I’m happy to see the smiling faces and everybody talking positively of Jon this week.”Helping othersDefending Cup Series champion Joey Logano was named a National Motorsports Press Association Pocono Spirit Award winner for his efforts in helping Hurricane Helene victims with rebuilding after the storm last fall. Logano was presented the award at Bristol because of the track’s proximity to the devastation in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.“One of my quotes that I like to think about a lot is, ‘Don’t let a crisis go to waste,’” said Logano, whose foundation committed $250,000 to Helene relief after he toured the storm’s path last October. “A crisis like that presented a huge opportunity for all of us to band together and impact some people that just got their lives wiped out. It’s some pretty heavy stuff up there. The great news is there’s a lot of comeback.”The Bristol weekend continued a busy week for Logano, who recovered from a bout with norovirus in time for a Wednesday visit to the White House. After scraping the wall in qualifying Saturday, he started Sunday’s race from the rear because of unapproved adjustments to his No. 22 Ford.Up nextAfter a break for Easter weekend, the Cup Series will race Sunday, April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway, where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tyler Reddick won last year.Talladega will follow the final off week of the season for NASCAR’s premier series, which will race on 28 consecutive weekends through the Nov. 2 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - APRIL 13: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30961116/related

Larson earns emotional victory at Bristol Motor Speedway

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cole Ragans managed to pitch through a left hamstring cramp for 7 2/3 innings an...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cole Ragans managed to pitch through a left hamstring cramp for 7 2/3 innings and get his first win this season.“The hammy started to tighten up and I just didn’t want to push it,” Ragans said after leading the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on Sunday.A 27-year-old left-hander who finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting last year, Ragans struck out 10 and walked none while allowing two runs — one earned — and four hits.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Ragans (1-0) felt a nagging pain in his hamstring throughout the game, but it intensified after he got Austin Hedges to pop out for the second out of the eighth inning. Lucas Erceg relieved and got the last out of the inning. Carlos Estévez allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, then struck out three straight batters for his fifth save in six chances.“You don’t want it to where it turns more serious than it actually is," Ragans said. "There was no reason to keep trying to pitch.”Kansas City was optimistic Ragans will take his next turn, likely Friday in Detroit.“He was honest with us throughout the game and was honest with us when he started feeling in more in the eighth inning,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He was trying to be smart and not push through it, which was the right thing to do.”Ragans threw 89 pitches and became the second pitcher in Royals’ history to have 10 or more strikeouts in three consecutive starts after Kevin Appier in 1996.Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the second when Daniel Schneemann hit an RBI double and continued home on shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Ragans then retired nine straight batters and 17 of his last 18.Kansas City rallied when Salvador Perez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and Maikel Garcia had a two-run double in the fifth.“I try to get quick outs,” Ragans said. “If I’m filling up the strike zone, then (the hitters) are going to have to swing the bats. I just try to get ahead in the count and stay ahead and trust the guys behind me to make plays. If they are swinging early in the count, it might help you later to get them to chase some pitches.”___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 13: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 13, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30960111/related

Ragans strikes out 10 as Royals snap Guardians' 5-game winning streak

WASHINGTON (AP) — The banged-up Washington Capitals could be getting a couple of their most impor...

<div>
WASHINGTON (AP) — The banged-up Washington Capitals could be getting a couple of their most important players back in time for the start of the playoffs or at least sometime in the first round.
Goaltender Logan Thompson has resumed skating, and forward Aliaksei Protas is on track to get back on the ice this week, coach Spencer Carbery said Sunday before the home finale against Columbus. 
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitals-logan-thompson-injury-7750490bcb4fd62f9484ca26c8c28ce6">Thompson has been out</a> with what the team is calling an upper-body injury, after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitals-logan-thompson-injury-504714fae21dab9a947e54e94858a5cd">leaving a game on April 2 at Carolina</a> following a shot from Sean Walker that knocked off his mask. Carbery said Thompson skated on his own but did not face shots, which is a step in the process of returning.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
Protas got an inadvertent skate cut on the top of his left foot <a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitals-alex-ovechkin-goal-record-pursuit-fd01a2d7c9362b559ad161507b1655a1">April 4 against Chicago</a> and has been walking around in a boot with the aid of crutches.
“He'll be a little bit longer,” Carbery said. “Hoping that he touches the ice at some point this week."
Washington is locked into <a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitals-eastern-conference-nhl-playoffs-2676250cc06e4aabfad4fd6b7e5bf16a">the top spot in the Eastern Conference</a> and visits the New York Islanders on Tuesday night and Pittsburgh on Thursday night to finish the regular season. The playoffs will begin at home either next Sunday or Monday, April 21, against the Montreal Canadiens or the Blue Jackets.
Who starts in net for that Game 1 remains a question. Charlie Lindgren has shouldered the load since Thompson was injured. He has an .866 save percentage since replacing Thompson against the Hurricanes, though much of that has been a result of mistakes and missed coverage in front of him.
“Right now just from a results standpoint, I want to let it less goals, 100%,” Lindgren said last week. “I don’t like letting in three goals every single game. I want to get that number down. ... Just trying to figure out ways to work on my game and better myself because as we know goaltending in the playoffs goes a long way, and I want to make sure I’m doing my job and doing the best I can to put the team in the best situation possible.”
Thompson is having a career season, winning 31 of his 42 starts with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. In late January, the 28-year-old <a href="https://apnews.com/article/logan-thompson-capitals-contract-965c5982ab29cd6ed66cd5590c7c20a4">signed a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension</a> through the 2030-31 NHL season.
Protas, who's under <a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitals-aliaksei-protas-90daeb4b52019b7f39d46263fc9fc641">contract through 2029</a> at a bargain price of $3.375 million annually. The 24-year-old has also shattered his career highs with 30 goals, 36 assists and 66 points, after putting up 55 points in his first 173 regular-season and playoff games in the league.
Carbery is trying to balance resting some older players versus getting the Capitals, who have lost six of their past nine games, ready for the postseason. Alex Ovechkin was a healthy scratch Saturday after getting honored Thursday night for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ovechkin-gretzky-nhl-scoring-record-6f42df7b99d4693cc3f5bd6aff009af4">breaking Wayne Gretzky's career goals record</a>, and No. 1 defenseman John Carlson got the night off Sunday.
“We’re just looking at it from an individual preparation standpoint," Carbery said. "John, a veteran player. (He has) played a lot this year. I think he’s played every single game. We’re playing a back to back. I feel like it’s important for him to not play both and take today off.”
___
AP NHL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nhl">https://apnews.com/hub/nhl</a>
</div>

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) high-fives Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) after his second goal of the game during the Detroit Red Wings versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on March 7, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C..

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30959521/related

Capitals' Thompson resumes skating, Protas close to getting back on ice

In Year 20, Chris Paul started all 82. And he made some NBA history in the process.  Paul was in ...

In Year 20, Chris Paul started all 82. And he made some <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">NBA</a> history in the process.Paul was in the San Antonio Spurs' starting lineup for their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-game-82-playoffs-d16b6aa3a466be70df838ae7feb65cc5">season finale</a> on Sunday, making him the first player to ever make 82 starts this deep into a career. The previous mark on that front was held by Utah's John Stockton, who started all 82 games in his 19th and final season.Paul — who turns 40 in less than a month — is one of three players to have a season with 82 appearances at his age. Stockton did it in the seasons where he turned 39 and 40, and Michael Jordan turned 39 in his final season while playing in all 82 games and starting 67 of them.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"It's crazy," Paul said. "I was talking to my wife about this. When you're sort of in it, you're not really thinking about it. It's like, 'OK, it's Game 30. OK, it's Game 40 something. It's game such and such.'"It became Game 82. And Paul never missed a beat.He's one of six players who made 82 starts in this NBA regular season, which was ending Sunday. The others: New York's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/knicks-nets-score-7de0a63aded97bd0f7fd850d145ee52c">Mikal Bridges</a>, Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels, Houston's Jalen Green, Cleveland's Jarrett Allen and Paul's San Antonio teammate Harrison Barnes.With Paul, Barnes and Julian Champagnie, the Spurs became the first team since the 2017-18 Minnesota Timberwolves with at least three players to appear in 82 games.For Barnes, who is in his first year with the Spurs, Sunday's game was his 304th in a row. He and Paul are the first Spurs to play all 82 games since Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills in 2018-19 — and the first Spurs to start all 82 games since Bruce Bowen in 2006-07."Year 20, this is only the second time in my career playing 82 games," Paul said. "And also playing as long as I have, I think I know how hard it is. That's why I have so much respect for Harrison, who is doing this for the third year in a row. And Mikal, who was my teammate, he never misses a game."Bridges was playing in his 556th consecutive regular-season game Sunday — out of a possible 556. He hasn't missed any game since his junior year of high school, including 116 at Villanova and 39 NBA playoff games. Add that up, and he's played in 711 consecutive games since entering college.The Knicks held out four starters for a meaningless game standings-wise Sunday. Bridges was the exception."I think he's earned that right," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It's a tribute to him. I think he's worked hard to put himself in that position. I've said this before: He should be commended for it."Bridges played the first six seconds to extend the streak Sunday, took a foul, got subbed out by Landry Shamet and went to the bench. (He did something similar in the final game of the 2023-24 season, playing four seconds for Brooklyn against Philadelphia on the last day.) It happened elsewhere, too: Allen played 41 seconds for Cleveland on Sunday to get to 82 starts, then was subbed out.Sacramento's Jonas Valanciunas appeared in 81 games this season, not 82, with a big caveat — he was inactive for two teams on the same day, which is the only reason why he didn't get to 82 this season. Valanciunas was traded by Washington to the Kings on Feb. 5; he appeared that night as inactive for both of those teams on the official NBA boxscores because the trade was pending.He played on Feb. 6 for the Kings and hasn't missed a game since.Paul was the 11th player in NBA history to make it to 20 seasons in the league. LeBron James, if he plays next year as would be expected, will then become the first to make it to 23 seasons in the league, breaking the tie with 22-year player Vince Carter.Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Willis all played 21 NBA seasons, which Paul will get to next year if he — again, as expected — returns. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Jamal Crawford and Udonis Haslem all played 20 seasons, a club that Kyle Lowry will join next season."I know there's stuff still in the tank," Paul said. "You know, I think for me, the summer will just be a really good time to just evaluate everything, the opportunities. But the love for the game is still there."___AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/nba">https://apnews.com/nba</a>

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 11: Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on April 11, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30959036/related

In Year 20, Spurs' Chris Paul starts all 82 games

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cole Ragans struck out 10, walked none and allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings, g...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cole Ragans struck out 10, walked none and allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings, getting his first win this season as the Kansas City Royals overcame a two-run deficit to beat Cleveland 4-2 on Sunday and stop the Guardians' five-game winning streak.Ragans (1-0), a 27-year-old left-hander who finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting last year, gave up two runs — one earned — while throwing 64 of 89 pitches for strikes.Maikel Garcia had three hits, including a tiebreaking, two-run double off Ben Lively (0-2) in the fifth that put the Royals ahead 4-2. Salvador Perez had tied the score in the fourth with his second home run this season, a two-run drive.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Lucas Erceg got the last out in the eighth and Carlos Estévez allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, then struck out three straight batters for his fifth save in six chances.No. 9 batter Kyle Isbel also had three hits for the Royals.Lively (0-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.Daniel Schneemann had an RBI double in a two-run second.Royals third baseman/left fielder Jonathan India sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with tightness in the right quadriceps. Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas missed his fifth straight game because of a bruised right wrist.Key momentGarcia’s doubled after Freddy Fermin walked and Isbel doubled.Key statPerez’s home run was the Royals’ eighth in 16 games this season.Up nextRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (1-0, 3.24 ERA) starts Monday night's series opener at Yankee Stadium against RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 7.71). Guardians: LHP L.T. Allen (0-1, 3.60) starts a series opener Tuesday at Baltimore, which goes with RHP Charlie Morton (0-3, 8.78).___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30958684/related

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/the-associated-press/content_cards