AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:51 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press
Updated: April 1, 2025 - 3:55 AM
Published: March 31, 2025 - 4:00 AM

Paige Bueckers carries UConn to record 24th women’s Final Four with 78-64 win over USC

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Paige Bueckers carried UConn to its record 24th Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament, scoring 31 points Monday night in a 78-64 victory over Southern California, which couldn’t overcome the loss of injured star JuJu Watkins. UConn heads to Tampa, Florida, to face overall No. 1 seed UCLA on Friday. Freshman Sarah Strong added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the second-seeded Huskies, who have won a record 11 NCAA titles, all under coach Geno Auriemma. Their most recent championship was in 2016, the last of a run of four straight. Rayah Marshall scored 23 points for top-seeded USC.

Braves’ Jurickson Profar gets 80-game PED ban, calls it ‘most difficult day’ of his career

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 80 games without pay for performance-enhancing drug use. Major League Baseball announced that Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). The suspension of Profar is effective immediately. Barring postponed games, Profar would be eligible to return June 29 against Philadelphia and would lose $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary. He is also ineligible for the postseason. Profar apologized in a statement and said he would never knowingly take a banned substance. He calls it “the most difficult day” of his career. Profar was an All-Star last season with San Diego.

Garrett Crochet agrees to $170 million, 6-year deal with Red Sox, AP source says

Ace left-hander Garrett Crochet has agreed to a record-breaking $170 million, six-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday night on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. ESPN was the first to report on the agreement. Crochet’s contract kicks in next year, and he can opt out after the 2030 season. It is the largest deal ever for a pitcher with four-plus years of major league service time.

Celtics remain at home on the road, now 2 wins from tying NBA mark for away victories

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The best road trip in Boston history has given the Celtics a chance at grabbing a piece of NBA history. The Celtics finished off the franchise’s first 6-0 road trip on Monday night with a 117-103 win at Memphis. That win — Boston’s eighth straight on the road overall — pushed the Celtics’ away record to 32-7, two wins shy of tying Golden State for NBA’s record single-season road mark. The Warriors were 34-7 away from home in the 2015-16 season. Boston’s two remaining road games are April 8 at New York and April 9 at Orlando.

Tush push is the hottest topic at the NFL league meetings

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The “tush push” is the hottest topic at the NFL’s annual meetings this week. Team owners, coaches and general managers have gathered at a posh resort to discuss several potential rule changes, including the Green Bay Packers’ proposal to eliminate a play that’s become a short-yardage staple for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers cited player safety and pace of play as reasons for banning the tush push. NFL executive Troy Vincent said last month there have been zero injuries reported as a result of the play. Any rule change must be approved by 24 out of 32 team owners. Tampa Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles made it clear last month he wouldn’t support a ban.

Madison Booker helps Texas reach its first women’s Final Four since 2003 with 58-47 win over TCU

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Madison Booker scored 18 points and No. 1 seed Texas used its stifling defense to reach the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, beating well-traveled point guard Hailey Van Lith and second-seeded TCU 58-47. The Longhorns will face defending champion South Carolina on Friday night in Tampa, Florida, for a spot in the national title game. Texas won a regional final for the first time under coach Vic Schaefer, who previously made two Final Four trips with Mississippi State. The Longhorns’ 35 wins are one more than its only national title-winning squad had in 1986 under Jody Conradt, who was in the stands Monday night.

Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles to enter transfer portal instead of WNBA draft, AP source says

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Olivia Miles has decided to enter the transfer portal and play another college season instead of going to the WNBA. That’s according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday night because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The 5-foot-10 guard had spent her entire college career at Notre Dame and was a projected lottery pick in the draft, which takes place in New York on April 14. Instead she’ll join the more than 1,000 women’s basketball players in the portal and will be one of the most sought-after.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admits team ‘took a big swing and miss’ in trading for Deshaun Watson

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cleveland co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted on Monday that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with their 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Haslam made the comments to Browns reporters at the league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. The 29-year-old Watson has played in only 19 games since the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed him to a five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. Cleveland sent five draft picks to the Texans, including three first-round selections, to get the embattled quarterback. Watson may miss the entire 2025 season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon for the second time in three months in January. He originally injured it during an Oct. 20, 2024, loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Torpedo bat designer says it’s more about the players than the bat model

MIAMI (AP) — For the MIT-educated physicist behind the torpedo bat, it’s more about the talent of the players than their lumber at the plate. The torpedo model — a striking design in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin — became the talk of major league baseball over the weekend. Aaron Leanhardt, a former physics professor at the University of Michigan who is being credited with the design, says “it’s about the batter not the bat.” Leanhardt, a field coordinator for the Marlins, says the origin of the torpedo bat dates to 2023, when he worked for the Yankees.

The NHL and Rogers agree on 12-year, $7.7 US billion media rights deal in Canada, AP source says

The NHL has reached an agreement with Rogers Communications on a 12-year, $7.7 US billion media rights agreement in Canada. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced. The contract is the latest source of revenue for the league as the salary cap continues to climb. The previous deal reached in November 2013 was worth $5.2 billion CAD over 12 years. The NHL contracted with ESPN and Turner Sports in 2021 for the current U.S. TV and streaming rights deal for $4.5 billion over seven years combined.