AP Sports SummaryBrief at 10:40 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press
Updated: April 15, 2025 - 2:48 AM
Published: April 14, 2025 - 4:00 AM

Paige Bueckers is No. 1 pick in WNBA draft, going to the Dallas Wings

NEW YORK (AP) — Paige Bueckers is headed to Dallas as the first pick in the WNBA draft. The versatile UConn star is the latest Huskies standout to go No. 1, joining former greats Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart. Bueckers will have plenty of company, especially with the WNBA having its first expansion team in 17 years and the Golden State Valkyries making their debut draft selection at No. 5 overall. The first round will feature 12 picks, with 13 in each of the final two rounds.

Vance fumbles Ohio State’s NCAA football championship trophy as Buckeyes visit the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance ended the Ohio State football team’s visit to the White House by fumbling the trophy the players won as their sport’s national champion. After speeches Monday by President Donald Trump, Buckeye coach Ryan Day and himself on the South Lawn, Vance, an Ohio State graduate, gathered up the trophy from a table in front of the team and tried to hoist it aloft. He didn’t count on the gold top of the trophy being designed to pull away from its black base, though. After some struggling, the vice president managed to dramatically drop both pieces.

Cam Ward leads talented group of players who went from hidden gems to top NFL draft prospects

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quarterback Cam Ward might be the first name off this year’s NFL draft board. Five years ago, he was pretty much off everybody’s radar outside of West Columbia, Texas. Ward took the only scholarship offer he had coming out of high school and turned it into a record-breaking college career that has made him the frontrunner to be the No. 1 overall pick April 24. He’s hardly the only hidden gem-turned-top-prospect in the draft. The others include Cam Skattebo of Arizona State and Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green and players such as David Walker of Central Arkansas and Carson Schwesinger of UCLA.

Play-in time: Magic-Hawks, Warriors-Grizzlies on Tuesday, Bulls-Heat and Kings-Mavs on Wednesday

The fifth full season of the NBA’s play-in tournament starts Tuesday. No. 7 Orlando hosts No. 8 Atlanta in the Eastern Conference, and No. 7 Golden State hosts No. 8 Memphis in the Western Conference. The winners of those games make the playoffs. The Magic-Hawks winner earns the chance to play Boston and the Warriors-Grizzlies winner will be off to play Houston. The tournament continues Wednesday with two elimination games. Miami goes to Chicago and Dallas goes to Sacramento. The losers of Wednesday’s games are eliminated.

It’s a boy! Phillies slugger Bryce Harper uses blue bat to signal creative baby gender reveal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper is set to take another swing at fatherhood — and he did it with a blue bat. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger used a blue bat in his first plate appearance of Monday night’s game against San Francisco as part of a gender reveal for his fourth child. A two-time NL MVP, Harper announced in a team meeting that his family was set to grow. He later asked All-Star shortstop Trea Turner for an assist with a most unusual reveal. Turner handed Harper the bat in the dugout in the first inning.

Denver Nuggets boss Josh Kroenke says firings of coach and GM were months in the making

DENVER (AP) — Firing the head coach and general manager with just three games left in the regular season might seem like an impulsive move but Denver Nuggets coach Josh Kroenke said Tuesday the split was months in the making. Kroenke said he seriously contemplated firing both men around Thanksgiving and then again at the All-Star break. He ultimately decided last November to wait to give the team time to work out the kinks and an eight-game winning streak waylaid his plans at the All-Star break. Last week, he fired Michael Malone and Calvin Booth and the Nuggets are 3-0 since then.

Phoenix Suns fire coach Mike Budenholzer after one dismal season with high-priced roster

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have parted ways with veteran coach Mike Budenholzer following one dismal season that featured a fast start before a maddening slide for a high-priced roster that included Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns made the unsurprising announcement on Monday, one day after the franchise finished with a 36-46 record which put them 11th in the Western Conference. They lost nine of their last 10 games, failing to qualify for the play-in tournament. The team says “competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season.”

WNBA assembles task force to help combat online hate toward players and teams

NEW YORK (AP) — WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced shortly before the draft on Monday that the league has assembled a dedicated task force to help combat online hate and vitriol directed toward players and teams. Engelbert said that the task force will have a four-pronged approach including monitoring social media and other digital platforms by using advance technology to detect threats and comments. The league will also strengthen conduct standards across WNBA platforms. There will be added security measures at league and team levels as well as dedicated mental health clinicians.

Colorado will retire Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 and Travis Hunter’s No. 12 in ceremony at spring game

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter left big footprints in only two seasons at Colorado. For that, their numbers will be retired Saturday before the spring game at Folsom Field. Sanders’ No. 2 and Hunter’s No. 12 are set to become the fifth and sixth numbers retired by the Buffaloes. The dynamic tandem join the company of quarterback/halfback Byron White, (No. 24), guard/linebacker Joe Romig (No. 67), quarterback/tailback Bobby Anderson (No. 11 ) and the late Rashaan Salaam (No. 19). Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback, is coming off a Heisman Trophy campaign. Sanders broke many of the program’s passing records in leading the Colorado offense. Both are expected to be high selections at the NFL draft.

Real Madrid needs epic Champions League comeback. Barcelona and PSG are flying post-Messi and Mbappe

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal hold such commanding leads in their Champions League quarterfinals that a place in the last four looks all but certain. Don’t be so sure. European club soccer’s most prestigious competition has a habit of upsetting the odds. Barcelona and PSG have very recent memories of how quickly things can change. Barcelona was 4-2 up on aggregate against PSG early in the second leg of last year’s quarterfinals – only to lose 6-4. In 2017 PSG led a round of 16 game between the two 4-0 after the first leg in Paris to famously lose 6-1 at Camp Nou. Part of what makes the Champions League such compelling viewing is the fragility of even the most commanding leads.