National powers headline women's lacrosse tournament semifinals

National powers headline women's lacrosse tournament semifinals

The attention of the lacrosse world turns to Foxborough, Massachusetts, this Memorial Day weekend, the traditional place on the calendar for its biggest event as NCAA championships will be determined. The women take the field first at Gillette Stadium on Friday with a pair of semifinal contests. The docket features the top four seeds, and they're all quite familiar with the big stage. The field includes the three most recent champs, with the fourth making its second consecutive championship weekend appearance and third overall hoping to break through for its first title. Here's everything you need to know to enjoy the games. Time/TV:3 p.m. ET, ESPNU How they got here:North Carolina – beat Clemson 18-9, Princeton 19-10. Florida – beat Mercer 18-6, Stanford 13-12 (2OT), Duke 11-9. National championships:North Carolina three (last 2022), Florida none. Players to watch:North Carolina – Ashley Humphrey (31 G, 82 A); Chloe Humphrey (79 G, 27 A); Marissa White (45 G, 7 A). Florida – Gianna Monaco (73 G, 20 A); Frannie Hahn (32 G, 59 A); Jordan Basso (36 G, 38 A). Quick sticks:The Tar Heels look to match the feat of an undefeated championship season they achieved in 2022. They beat all the other Final Four participants in the regular season, including a 14-9 win at Florida way back on Feb. 15. … The Humphrey sisters garner most of the headlines, but the UNC offensive depth goes well beyond them with 10 players recording at least 30 points on the season. … Due to conference realignment Florida is now an affiliate member of the Big 12 in women's lacrosse, but the Gators' winning ways have not changed. As mentioned, this marks the program's third semifinal appearance, though they've yet to reach the championship game. Time/TV:5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU How they got here:Boston College – beat Stony Brook 10-7, No. 7 Yale 18-11. Northwestern – beat Michigan 15-7, Penn 17-12. National championships:Boston College two (last 2024), Northwestern eight (last 2023). Players to watch:Boston College – Rachel Clark (103 G, 22 A); Emma LoPinto (76 G 32 A); Mckenna Davis (25 G, 75 A). Northwestern – Madison Taylor (105 G, 41 A); Niki Miles (40 G, 26 A); Riley Campbell (35 G, 17 A). Quick sticks:These two programs squared off in the championship game each of the last two years. TheEaglestook last year's meeting in a 14-13 thriller, and they upended the Wildcats 13-9 earlier this season as well – coincidentally also on Feb. 15. … Taylor and Clark have been nip and tuck all season in the national scoring race, and both are Tewaaraton Award finalists. BC has more scoring depth in support of Clark, but Sam Smith could be an equalizer for the Wildcats with her ability to control draws. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College lacrosse tournament women's semifinals is star-studded affair

byKevin Jones

in

May 23, 2025

National powers headline women's lacrosse tournament semifinals

National powers headline women's lacrosse tournament semifinals The attention of the lacrosse world turns to Foxborough, Massachusetts, ...

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Newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City Thunder to dominant Game 2 win over Minnesota Timberwolves

Newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City Thunder to dominant Game 2 win over Minnesota Timberwolves

A day after being crowned NBA MVP,Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderled theOklahoma City Thunderto a 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to open up a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander was presented with the Michael Jordan Trophy ahead of Game 2 on Thursday, before putting up 38 points – tying his career playoff high – eight assists and three steals to put the Thunder in the driving seat in this series. The 26-year-old has now scored at least 30 points in five straight playoff games. "It felt really good," Gilgeous-Alexander said of putting in that performance after receiving the award. "I feel like my emotions were so high that I was a little bit tired out there, especially at the start. I was a little too juiced up. "A special moment. I'm happy we won so I can really enjoy the last couple of days and soak it all up. That really helps. Shout out to the team. We played well again tonight and head to Minnesota up 2-0." "Early, I just wanted to lean on my teammates," he added. "I thought about coming out and forcing the first couple of shots, but I was like: 'Nah, that's probably not the way to go. I wanted to just let the game come to me, lean on my teammates, play through them, play off them." Thursday's win again showcased the depth OKC boasts behind Gilgeous-Alexander, with Jalen Williams continuing his rapid rise to stardom with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Chet Holmgren had one of his best games of this postseason, adding 22 points and four rebounds. The game was a relatively close affair until the Thunder – as they did in Game 1 – used a third-quarter blitz to blow the T-Wolves away. This time it was a 14-2 run that helped Oklahoma City take complete control, eventually pushing the lead to as much as 24. The Timberwolves closed the gap to 10 in the fourth, but the Thunder kept them quite comfortably at arm's length. Anthony Edwards doubled his shot attempts for the Timberwolves after saying he needed to shoot more following Game 1, posting 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jaden McDaniels added 22 points for the Timberwolves, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Gilgeous-Alexander's cousin – had 17 off the bench. Julius Randle, who was quickly earning the 'Playoff Julius' moniker, had his first poor performance of the postseason, scoring just six points on 2-of-11 shooting. "I thought again we didn't close the half very well," Minnesota head coach Chris Finch said. "I thought if we close the half better, then we don't put outselves on such a razor's edge in the third. "We only had six turnovers at halftime. We had a few more in the third quarter, missed some shots, didn't finish at the basket and that led to to a bunch of stuff, an early attack mode for them. "Every minute in this series is a chance to find something," Finch added. "So we're going to go back home as a good team at home, so we're going to fight for Game 3. Heads up, look at the tape and get ready for Game 3." Game 3 is on Saturday in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves have lost just one of their last 10 games and are 4-1 this postseason. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byKevin Jones

in

May 23, 2025

Newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City Thunder to dominant Game 2 win over Minnesota Timberwolves

Newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City Thunder to dominant Game 2 win over Minnesota Timberwolves A day after being c...

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Rockies notch worst 50-game start in MLB history after sweep by Phillies

Rockies notch worst 50-game start in MLB history after sweep by Phillies

The Chicago White Sox became the losingest team in MLB history last season. The Colorado Rockies are on pace to blow that achievement in futility out of the water. With a 2-0 home loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, the Rockies saw their record fall to 8-42. It is the worst 50-game start in MLB history, breaking the markpreviously held by the 2023 Oakland Athletics, who went 10-40. There were also the 1904 Washington Senators, who went 9-38 with three ties. Coloradoentered this season with rock-bottom expectations and have still failed to reach them.The team has already fired manager Bud Black— back when their record was 7-33 — but that won't change a roster short on firepower in every conceivable way. Let's just rattle off how bad the Rockies have been through nearly two months, beyond their record: They have not won a single series and have now been swept seven times, with the Phillies taking all four games in this week's series. They have won consecutive games only once this season, with three different eight-game losing streaks. Their minus-159 run differential is not just the worst in MLB (nearly double the second-worst Baltimore Orioles, who are minus-85). They are on pace for a minus-515 run differential, which would be the worst mark in MLB history by more than 100 runs. They lost a game 21-0 to the San Diego Padres, a margin worse than any loss the White Sox took last year. They were shut out by a Rule 5 draft pick making his second career start in that game. They are the worst offense in MLB by wRC+, which weighs park factors, at 66. Even granting them the advantage of Coors Field sees them post a .646 team OPS, third-worst in MLB. Their pitching staff is fifth-worst in MLB by ERA- at 125, which again weighs Coors Field. Without that consideration, their 5.82 team ERA is easily worst in MLB. Their starting pitchers have a 6.86 ERA. All eight Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers with multiple starts this season have a better number. They are the worst fielding team in MLB by some metrics as well, such as -33 defensive runs saved. They are 3-13 against the NL West, a division with no other clubs below .500. Despite three straight last-place finishes and no winning records since 2018, their minor-league system came in as onlythe 18th-best on MLB Pipeline's preseason rankings. The Dodgers, who have not picked higher than 20th since 2013, were fourth. Kris Bryant, the largest free-agent splash in club history, is on the injured listdealing with a lumbar degenerative disease that sounds hard to come back fromand has been placed on the IL nine times since 2022. He has slashed .222/.307/.335 over the past three seasons. At this point, baseball fans are used to rebuilding cycles. They're used to bad teams not trying to get better anytime soon, so they can rack up draft picks and pick up free money from the league's revenue-sharing system. We've gone from 100-loss teams being something of a rarity to having multiple teams reach that mark each season. These Rockies are shaping up to be something new, the opposite of an apex predator. They are on pace to finish the season 26-136 in a sport where a team just received a torrent of mockery while setting an MLB record with 121 losses. There is some reason to expect improvement, from sheer regression (by Pythagorean record, their run differential implies they should have won two more games) to some injured players returning. Unfortunately, even mild improvement would still leave this team as the worst baseball has ever seen.

byKevin Jones

in

May 23, 2025

Rockies notch worst 50-game start in MLB history after sweep by Phillies

Rockies notch worst 50-game start in MLB history after sweep by Phillies The Chicago White Sox became the losingest team in MLB history last...

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Disney+ Scores UEFA Women’s Champions League Rights in Five-Year European Deal – Global Bulletin

Disney+ Scores UEFA Women's Champions League Rights in Five-Year European Deal – Global Bulletin

Disney+has landed exclusive live streaming rights to theUEFA Women's Champions Leaguesoccer tournament across Europe in a five-year pact covering the 2025/26 through 2029/30 seasons. The deal makes Disney+ the sole destination for all 75 matches in the competition, with coverage launching in October alongside the tournament's new 18-team League phase format. All matches will stream live at no additional cost to subscribers through the 2026 final at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo. More from Variety NBCU Among Companies In Talks With MLB for ESPN Package ESPN's 'SportsCenter' Readies National Tour of U.S. How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales Live Online Without Cable ESPNwill handle production duties for Disney+, providing multi-language commentary and pre- and post-game programming. The sports network brings four-and-a-half decades of broadcasting experience to the project, having recently added UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League coverage to Disney+ in Denmark and Sweden. The announcement builds on Disney's existing partnership with UEFA through the Playmakers program, which has introduced over 132,000 girls aged 5-8 to soccer across 6,300 centers in 46 countries since 2020. The initiative, recently extended through 2027, employs nearly 8,000 coaches. "The UEFA Women's Champions League is the very best in football [soccer] performance, dedication, and passion," said Karl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ EMEA. "Bringing this incredible tournament to Disney+ customers and audiences speaks to our commitment to delivering a huge range of bold and dynamic entertainment." *** Meanwhile, Disney+ has commenced production on "Delusion" (working title), a live-action adaptation of the popularNaverwebtoon, set for exclusive release on Disney+ globally andHuluin the U.S. The series follows Song Jeonghwa, a vampire mourning a love lost decades earlier who has resigned herself to an empty existence. Her world shifts when Iho, a painter with his own mysterious past, arrives and rekindles something within her. Suzy ("Start-Up") stars as the heartbroken vampire Song Jeonghwa, with Kim Seonho ("The Tyrant") as the enigmatic painter Iho. Han Jaerim ("The Face Reader") directs. The project joins Disney+'s expanding Korean content slate, which includes "Low Life" starring Ryu Seungryong; "Tempest" featuring Jun Gianna and Gang Dongwon; and "Made In Korea" with Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung. The U.K.'sSky Newshas tappedSiobhan Sinnertonas creative director ofFull Story Films, the broadcaster's new long-form documentary production unit. Sinnerton joins fromHiddenLightProductions, where she developed and executive produced critically acclaimed documentaries including the Emmy-winning "In Her Hands" for Netflix. The appointment sees Sinnerton reporting to David Rhodes, Sky News Group executive chair, as she shapes the editorial and creative strategy for the premium unit that operates within Sky's news group. Full Story Films will complement Sky Documentaries' broader commissioning strategy with news-adjacent films for streaming and television. Previously commissioning editor for news and current affairs at Channel 4, Sinnerton commissioned the BAFTA-winning "Myanmar's Killing Fields" and Oscar-nominated "For Sama," while overseeing premium human-interest and investigative films. The unit will emphasize partnerships with top documentary talent and draw on Sky News' journalism and extensive archive. Sinnerton said the goal is to make "powerful, emotional films that really connect with an audience" by working with "the U.K. and Ireland's best directors, producers and editors." Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

byKevin Jones

in

May 23, 2025

Disney+ Scores UEFA Women’s Champions League Rights in Five-Year European Deal – Global Bulletin

Disney+ Scores UEFA Women's Champions League Rights in Five-Year European Deal – Global Bulletin Disney+has landed exclusive live stream...

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Rafael Nadal's French Open dominance can be examined by looking at numbers such as 14 and 112-4

Rafael Nadal's French Open dominance can be examined by looking at numbers such as 14 and 112-4

PARIS (AP) —Rafael Nadal retiredlate last season after a career filled with notable accomplishments, including a total of22 Grand Slam singles titles. Nothing stands out as much, though, as his success atthe French Open— which is why there is a statue of him near the main entrance to the tournament site. "It's probably one of the biggest challenges that you can have in the tennis tour, playing Rafa at Roland-Garros," is howrival Novak Djokovicput it last year. "We know his records there. ... You have some times when he's really in the zone and in the groove, not making many errors. You feel like he's impenetrable. He's like a wall." Ahead of this year's tournament at Roland-Garros, where Nadal will be honored during a ceremony at Court Philippe-Chatrier after Sunday's day session, here is a look at some of the numbers associated with the 38-year-old Spaniard at the only major tennis tournamentplayed on red clay. 14 That is the total haul ofsingles championships won by Nadal at the French Open, more than other tennis player — male or female — collected at any Grand Slam tournament. It's not even close, really. In Paris, the man in second place on the list in the Open era (since 1968) is Bjorn Borg with six. Chris Evert won the women's trophy seven times. 112-4 That's the win-loss record for Nadal at the French Open, giving him a career winning percentage of .966. The only four losses came in 2009 against Robin Soderling in the fourth round, against Novak Djokovic in the2015 quarterfinalsand the2021 semifinals, and against Alexander Zverev inlast year's first round. 6-0 Nadal went unbeaten against rival Roger Federer at the French Open, with victories in four finals and two semifinals. Nadal's record there against Djokovic was 8-2. 14-0 If Nadal reached the final at Roland-Garros, he won the trophy, winning all 14 title matches there, from his first in his tournament debut in 2005 to the last at age 36 in 2022. 333-37 That's Nadal's record in sets at the French Open. He was only pushed to five sets three times, going 3-0 in those matches by beating John Isner in 2011, Djokovic in 2013 andFelix Auger-Aliassimein 2022. 39 Nadal's longest winning streak at the French Open came from 2010 to 2015, a 39-match span during which he earned five of his trophies there. ___ AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

byKevin Jones

in

May 23, 2025

Rafael Nadal's French Open dominance can be examined by looking at numbers such as 14 and 112-4

Rafael Nadal's French Open dominance can be examined by looking at numbers such as 14 and 112-4 PARIS (AP) —Rafael Nadal retiredlate las...

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