PWHL announces Seattle for 2nd expansion franchise, plans to add 2 more by 2026-27, AP source says
The PWHL will expand to eight teams next season by adding Seattle as its second expansion franchise alongside Vancouver. The two teams provides the PWHL a major foothold in the Pacific Northwest. The Associated Press has learned that the women’s hockey league also plans to grow to 10 teams for its 2026-27 season. That comes after feedback received during its eight-month expansion search in which the PWHL considered more than 20 markets. Seattle will be home to three women’s pro sports leagues, with the PWHL joining the WNBA’s Storm and NWSL’s Reign.
Man falls from 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park during Pirates game
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park during Wednesday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs. Right after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3, players began waving frantically for medical personnel. The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel before being removed from the field on a cart. Players from both teams could be seen praying and McCutchen held a cross that hung from his neck while the fan was taken off the field.
UNC’s Belichick defends Hudson as ‘doing her job’ after interjecting during CBS interview
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick has defended girlfriend Jordon Hudson for interjecting during a CBS interviewer’s questions about their relationship and said she was “simply doing her job.” The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach issued a statement through UNC on Wednesday. That followed an appearance on “CBS News Sunday Morning” to promote his upcoming book on his coaching life. In the interview, Hudson objected to a question about how the two had met. The 73-year-old Belichick said in his statement that the segment presents “selectively edited clips” to “suggest a false narrative” that the 24-year-old Hudson tried to control the interview.
NFL fines Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich following prank call to Shedeur Sanders
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have been fined $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been fined $100,000 as a result of Ulbrich’s son participating in a prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the NFL draft. The NFL confirmed the fines for the roles the Falcons and Ulbrich played in failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club ahead of the draft. The Falcons, who disclosed the role of Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son Jax in the prank call Friday as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was waiting for his name to be called in the draft, said they accept the discipline from the league.
Ovechkin scores as the Capitals eliminate the Canadiens in 5, advance to play the Hurricanes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored, Logan Thompson made 28 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Game 5 of their first-round series to advance in the NHL playoffs. It’s the Capitals’ first series win since capturing the Stanley Cup in 2018, and they clinched at home for the first time since 2015. They face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round with a spot in the Eastern Conference final at stake. The Capitals asserted their dominance in the East’s 1 versus 8 series, a year after getting swept as the underdog in it by the New York Rangers.
VanVleet and Thompson lead the way as Rockets avoid elimination, routing Warriors 131-116 in Game 5
HOUSTON (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series. Game 6 is Friday in San Francisco. Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early with Wednesday night’s game out of hand. A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench. Dillon Brooks added 24 points on a night when all five Houston scored in double figures. Stephen Curry was held to 13 points for the Warriors and Jimmy Butler scored eight.
Barcelona and Inter Milan draw 3-3 in thrilling first leg of their Champions League semifinal
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona and Inter Milan have delivered a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries had Inter up 2-0 before 17-year-old Lamine Yamal sparked the hosts into action with a goal in the 24th. Ferran Torres leveled by halftime. Dumfries put Inter back ahead in the second half before Raphinha’s long strike found the net. Except for Inter’s start and strength in set pieces, Barcelona imposed its game and had 66% possession and created seven shots on goal to Inter’s three — but had to settle for a draw. It sets up a must-see second leg in Milan next week.
Whitecaps beat Inter Miami 3-1 to eliminate Lionel Messi’s squad from Champions Cup
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Brian White and Pedro Vite scored two minutes apart and the Vancouver Whitecaps stunned Inter Miami 3-1 in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal, spoiling Lionel Messi’s squad’s hopes of making the tournament’s final. Sebastian Berhalter also scored for Vancouver, which advanced with a 5-1 aggregate to face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL in the Champions Cup final on June 1. Miami entered Wednesday’s match trailing 0-2 in aggregate after being shut out in the first leg last Thursday. That meant they needed to win by at least three goals in regulation on Wednesday to advance.
Panthers advance to the second round after defeating Tampa Bay in 5 games
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Eetu Luostarinen had a goal and three assists to lead the Florida Panthers to a 6-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning and advance Florida to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 26 saves as the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers defeated their in-state rival in five games in the first round for the second consecutive season. Panthers will play the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, which Toronto currently leads 3-2.
Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa for Fever preseason game commands average paid ticket price of $440
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark fans will have to pay a premium on the secondary market if they want to be at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Sunday’s matchup between the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and the Brazilian national team. The average paid price of $440 per ticket on the secondary market as of Wednesday has made it the most in-demand event involving Clark. That’s according to ticketing technology company Victory Live. Clark will be playing on the court where she rose to stardom with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Asking prices on the secondary market Wednesday ranged from $146 to $2,368.
Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels wins the NBA’s most improved player award
Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels has been voted the NBA’s most improved player. The 22-year-old Daniels beat out fellow finalists Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers and Cade Cunningham of Detroit. Daniels’ first season in Atlanta was nothing like either of his first two NBA seasons with New Orleans. His numbers soared with career-bests in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and his field-goal shooting went from 43.5% in his first two seasons to 49.3% this year.