Sports News

TAMPA, Fla. --  Auston Matthews came up empty in his bid to become the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season Wednesday night in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular-season finale. Matthews was denied on all seven first-period shots by 29-year-old rookie goalie Matt Tomkins, then rocketed a shot off the post midway through the second period. Tomkins finished with 34 saves, including 12 on Matthews, in his sixth NHL start. Matthews' 12 shots on goal were tied for his second-most in a game this season. "I wanted it, for sure, but it just wasn't meant to be," said Matthews, who went scoreless on back-to-back nights against the Florida Panthers and Lightning. "The most important thing is the team and the team's success, making sure I'm pulling my weight as a leader on this team and help the team win. That's where my focus is at." Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said there's more to...

The Heat fear guard Jimmy Butler sustained a possible MCL injury to his right knee during Miami's play-in tournament loss to the  76ers on Wednesday night, sources told ESPN's Tim Bontemps.  Butler was hurt late in the first quarter in Philadelphia when he tried to fake out Kelly Oubre Jr. on a bucket, only to have his knee buckle, and he fell to the court. Oubre appeared to land on the Heat star, who led the franchise last season to the NBA Finals. "I fell, he landed and my knee just didn't do well, I guess," Butler said. "I don't know. It's not a good feeling, I can tell you that." Butler says he will need an MRI, which sources say is scheduled for Thursday.  The Athletic was first to report Butler's possible MCL injury.  Butler sank the free throw, exhaled and missed the second one. He remained in the game and scored 19 points, but it wasn't enough in Philadelphia's 105-104 win on Wednesday night. The Heat host the winner of the...

TAMPA, Fla. --  Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player to have a 100-assist season as the Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Wednesday night. Kucherov, the NHL's scoring leader with 144 points, scored a first-period goal, then set up Brayden Point's power-play tally with 2:55 left in the second for the historic assist.  "It's a special moment," Kucherov said. "Thanks to my teammates and coaching staff for putting me in position to have success. I'm fortunate to play with great players." The NHL ended up with two players breaking the 100-assist mark in the same season after going 32 seasons without one.  Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid notched his 100th assist this season against the  San Jose Sharks on Monday night, becoming just the fourth player in NHL history to hit triple digits for assists. "It's incredible ... the fifth time and two are this year. It's remarkable," Point said. "Just...

Juventus are reviewing a decision made by an arbitration court which ordered the club to pay former striker Cristiano Ronaldo around €9.8 million ($10.46m) in owed wages, the Serie A side said on Wednesday. Ronaldo, who now plays for Saudi side Al Nassr, had claimed he was owed around €19.5m ($20.81m) of outstanding wages by his former club relating to a pay cut agreed during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.) "The arbitration board ... ascertained the validity of [Ronaldo's] compensation reduction agreement in relation to the 2020/21 sporting season," Juventus said in a statement sent to Reuters. The arbitration tribunal ruled Juve had to pay half of the sum requested by the 39-year-old Portugal striker. "They partially granted the request made by [Ronaldo] ..., ascertaining Juventus' pre-contractual liability resulting from the failure of negotiations and ordered the defendant to pay an...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Steve Sarkisian was still unwrapping Texas' breakthrough 2023 season and at the same time casting an optimistic eye toward the future when he heard the news Jan. 10. Nick Saban, his former boss at Alabama, was retiring after a legendary career that saw him win six national championships in Tuscaloosa, the last one in 2020 with Sarkisian as his offensive coordinator. And, yes, Sarkisian acknowledged Wednesday, the possibility of replacing Saban entered his mind. "Naturally, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it," Sarkisian told ESPN. "But it took me all of about 60 seconds to say, 'Yeah, I'm not doing that.' I had an awesome two years at Alabama and loved my time under Coach Saban, but ultimately you want to reap what you sow. "We've poured a ton into this program for three years, and we're on the cusp, I think, of going on a run that will be epic. I believe that. Our staff does, and our players do, too, just the support we have and the...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State guard Klay Thompson didn't want to spend too much time thinking about his future during his exit interview on Wednesday, just one day after the Warriors' season came to an abrupt end -- and just one day after he possibly played his final game for the team as he heads into free agency this summer. "Considering it's April 17th, I don't think I have to pivot that quickly," Thompson said. "When is free agency? July 1st? Yeah, I got some time. I got some time." Perhaps Thompson hasn't thought much about who he will be playing for next season, but his teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have thought about what it would be like if Thompson wasn't to return. Following their loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, Curry said he couldn't imagine not playing alongside Thompson, while Green said there isn't "any scenario where Klay leaves and that's the best decision for this team and...

Lucy Olsen, the No. 3 scorer in Division I women's basketball this past season at Villanova behind Iowa's Caitlin Clark and USC's JuJu Watkins, is transferring to Iowa. Olsen, a 5-foot-9 guard, confirmed her commitment on social media Wednesday. The senior-to-be has one season of eligibility left. Olsen averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists this past season for the 22-13 Wildcats, who fell in the championship game of the WBIT to Illinois. Olsen led Villanova in scoring in all but seven games this season. She won the Big East's most improved player award and was a unanimous All-Big East first-team honoree. A Pennsylvania native, Olsen started all 105 games of her Villanova career. The Wildcats lost in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 her sophomore year in 2023 and in the NCAA second round when she was a freshman. Olsen made 134 3-pointers at Villanova, including 55 this past season. Olsen is a good fit for Iowa. The Hawkeyes, who fell in...

Former Baltimore Ravens running back  J.K. Dobbins plans to sign a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, per his agency, LAA Sports. The move reunites him with Greg Roman, his former offensive coordinator in Baltimore, as well as his former Ravens backfield mate Gus Edwards. Dobbins was the Ravens' lead back when healthy. He brings a style different from Edwards' that features elusiveness and the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. The Ravens didn't do a ton of throwing to running backs, but in Dobbins' rookie season with Roman, he caught a career-high 18 passes. The Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert relied heavily on former running back Austin Ekeler in the passing offense in the past, and Dobbins could potentially have an impact there.  Dobbins' signing continues a wave of former Ravens who are now Chargers that extends to the front office, from GM Joe Hortiz to tight ends coach Andy Bischoff and tight...

Carlo Ancelotti praised  Real Madrid for his team's resilience in their penalty shootout win over Manchester City in the Champions League, saying "everybody gave us up for dead, but Real Madrid never die." Madrid went ahead early through Rodrygo in Wednesday's quarterfinal second leg at the Etihad Stadium, before Kevin De Bruyne levelled in the second half to force extra time. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin saved penalties from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic to put Madrid into the semifinals after the two legs ended 4-4 on aggregate, where they'll face Bayern Munich. "There was only one way to come out of here alive, and that was to take our chances -- we took one early -- and then by defending well. There's no other way against City," Ancelotti told Movistar.  Madrid were dominated by City for much of the 120 minutes, with the home side having...

Our panel discusses the 2024 WNBA draftee’s salaries and why rookies are paid so little compared to their NBA counterparts.

Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger scored the decisive penalty to lift his team to an edge-of-your-seat 4-3 shootout victory over holders Manchester City after their Champions League quarterfinal tie finished 4-4 on aggregate following a 1-1 draw in the second leg on Wednesday. City's Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both misfired in the shootout to put Madrid in the driving seat and Rudiger slotted their final effort past keeper Ederson to extinguish City's dreams of a second treble. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) After the teams had slugged out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg, Madrid, who have hoisted the Champions League trophy a record 14 times, took the lead in the tie when Rodrygo stunned the Etihad crowd with a goal in the 12th minute. That was Madrid's final shot on target on a night that City had 68% possession, but the home side squandered chance after chance before ...

Former Albany defensive lineman AJ Simon, who was hoping to be selected in next week's NFL draft, has died at the age of 25, the school announced Wednesday. The cause of Simon's death wasn't immediately known. "The UAlbany football program was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Amitral 'AJ' Simon this morning," Albany said in a statement posted to X. "AJ was a tremendous young man and even better teammate throughout his time at UAlbany. He was a role model both on and off the field, serving as a pillar to this program over the last two years." Simon, who had 12.5 sacks last season for Albany, was ranked as the 448th prospect in the latest NFL draft rankings from ESPN's Matt Miller. Simon, a 2023 All-CAA first-team defensive selection, was from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. He played the past two seasons for Albany after beginning his collegiate career at Bloomsburg University. "My prayers are dedicated to the Simon...

A new NCAA transfer rule will allow all undergraduate athletes to transfer and play immediately if they meet specific academic requirements, as the Division I Council on Wednesday approved emergency legislation announced by the NCAA. The decision isn't final until the meetings end on Thursday, and the rule still needs to be formally approved by the NCAA's executive board Monday, but that is expected to be a formality. The rule will provide immediately eligibility to any athletes who have transferred during the 2023-24 academic year, including the football players who entered the transfer portal Tuesday and during this window -- as long as they are academically eligible and meeting progress-towards-degree requirements at their new school. The legislation will not limit the number of times an athlete can transfer -- and there are still two transfer windows -- but they can't transfer midyear and play for a second school in the same season. Although the new rule is tied to academic...

The United States Justice Department has agreed to pay around 100 victims of disgraced former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar approximately $100 million for the FBI's failures to properly investigate reports of Nassar's sexual assaults against America's top gymnasts and others, according to a report Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal. If the agreement becomes final, it would push the total amount of settlements in the sprawling legal cases against Nassar to nearly $1 billion. Two attorneys, who between them represent more than 300 of Nassar's victims, would not confirm details of the proposed settlement when reached Wednesday by ESPN. The FBI's failures in the Nassar case are well documented. At a 2021 Senate hearing, FBI director Christopher Wray apologized to survivors of Nassar's abuse, saying it was "inexcusable" that agents "had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed." After conducting a five-week internal investigation in the summer of 2015,...

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been ruled out of Friday's play-in tournament elimination game against the Sacramento Kings with a left hamstring strain, the team announced Wednesday. The Pelicans said an MRI on Wednesday confirmed the injury and Williamson will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks. He had 40 points and 11 rebounds -- the first 40-10 game of his professional career -- before exiting a tied game with 3:13 remaining in Tuesday's play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Williamson played in a career-high 70 games this season and was playing in his first non-regular-season game of his career. He missed the Pelicans' two play-in games in 2022 because of injury as well as their playoff series. He also sat out the team's play-in game last season because of an injury. The Pelicans were 7-5 in games without Williamson this season. ESPN's Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.

Bill Belichick, known as a man of few words while the head coach of the New England Patriots, is ready to share his thoughts about next week's NFL draft. Belichick will be part of the team on "The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular," airing the opening night of the draft on YouTube and ESPN+, McAfee announced Wednesday. The draft will be held April 25-27 in Detroit. "I'm looking forward to it," a relaxed-looking Belichick told McAfee. "Draft weekend's always an exciting time for everybody -- for the teams that are building their teams and for the fans and for everybody involved in it, so you know it's a great event and, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it, you know, from the other side. It will be fun to be in Detroit." Belichick, known for his frequent trades during the draft, said he expects to chip in what he knows about draft-day dealing. "I think I can, you know, give a little insight into maybe what the conversations will be in those rounds," he said. "I've made...

The Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter has been banned from the league after an investigation revealed he had disclosed confidential information to bettors, limited his participation in at least one game while he was with Raptors, and bet on NBA games while playing in the G League. The NBA said in a release announcing Porter's ban that its investigation remains open and that it is sharing information with federal authorities. ESPN reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI for comment. "There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's blatant violations of our game rules are being met with the most severe punishment," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said while announcing the ban. The NBA launched an investigation into Porter in late March, after sportsbooks noticed irregular betting on the over/under on the reserve center's...

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been ruled out of Friday's play-in tournament elimination game against the Sacramento Kings with an injured left hamstring, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday. Williamson will be evaluated again in the coming weeks, sources told ESPN. He had 40 points and 11 rebounds -- the first 40-10 game of his professional career -- before exiting a tie game with 3:13 remaining in Tuesday's play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Williamson played in a career-high 71 games this season and was playing in his first non-regular-season game of his career. He missed the Pelicans' two play-in games in 2022 because of injury as well as their playoff series. He also sat out the team's play-in game last season because of an injury. ESPN's Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.

The ratings for Monday's WNBA draft rivaled 2003’s NBA draft. But before possible endorsements, the base salary for every rookie in the WNBA is a fraction of 1% of the highest-paid NBA rookie.

The Canadiens exercised the two-year option on Martin St. Louis' contract Wednesday, keeping the head coach behind the bench in Montreal through the 2026-27 season. St. Louis, 48, guided the Canadiens to a 30-36-16 record this season, resulting in the third consecutive campaign in which the team failed to qualify for the playoffs since reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. He is 75-100-26 since replacing Dominique Ducharme on Feb. 9, 2022. "Every day he proves something else," Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said of St. Louis. "There's not a day that goes by we're not happy he's at the helm." A Stanley Cup champion as a forward with the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis totaled 1,033 points (391 goals, 642 assists) in 1,134 career games with the Calgary Flames, Lightning and New York Rangers. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

Grant Hill, the managing director of the United States men's basketball team, said the decision to release the team's roster happened to coincide with the United States Olympic Committee's weeklong event in New York City commemorating the Paris Olympics being 100 days away. But, Hill said, the decision also stemmed from another, more important reason: He and the rest of Team USA's leadership already had the group of 12 players they wanted for this year's team in place. "We knew," Hill said on a conference call Wednesday morning. "We didn't necessarily plan it that way, but we knew this was the team that we wanted and we also know that there'll be a lot of interest and a lot of people who will want to be along for this incredible journey we're about to be on. "So if we know, why wait?" It's hard to blame Hill and coach Steve Kerr for being excited about this team. The roster features four NBA MVPs ( LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and reigning...

Caitlin Clark received a hero's welcome to Gainbridge Coliseum on Wednesday morning as the first overall pick in the WNBA draft stepped into her new home arena to a flock of fans and a packed opening news conference. "I'm super happy to be here. Thank you to the Fever, the Pacers. This is a dream come true," said Clark, a two-time National Player of the Year at Iowa and the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball history. Indianapolis literally painted the town to usher Clark into a stadium adorned with a 20-foot banner, billboards and video displays of her in an already sold-out No. 22 Fever jersey. More than 6,000 people attended a draft party on Monday to celebrate her arrival. Clark delivered an opening statement and paused mid-sentence to identify Tamika Catchings, led the Fever to a WNBA championship in 2012, in an audience that included Clark's parents. "I can't think of a better place for myself to start my career. A place that loves basketball, supports women's...

A lawsuit filed in Texas against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott by a woman accusing him of sexual assault has been moved to Collin County from Dallas County, according to the plaintiff's attorney, Yoel Zehaie. Last week, the suit was dropped in Dallas County after Zehaie submitted a request for a "non-suit without prejudice," which allowed the accuser to refile the suit later. In an email, Zehaie said the move to Collin County was made "for purposes of convenience," since Prescott's initial suit seeking damages was brought in that county. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys Bethel and Yoel Zehaie on behalf of the woman accusing Prescott of sexually assaulting her in February 2017, according to the suit. The letter stated, "Despite the tragic events, she is willing to forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson headed to the bench with 2:13 remaining in their play-in game against the Sacramento Kings, his head hung low. He made a round of hugs with team trainers and teammates before he took his seat. After the final buzzer sounded, he took a moment before exiting the court to look back at the Kings lighting the beam. It was possibly Thompson's last game with the Warriors.  The 118-94 loss to the Kings sent Golden State into its earliest offseason in three years. And it sent Thompson into unrestricted free agency. "We need Klay back," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "He's still got good years left. And I know I speak for everybody in the organization: We want him back. ... What Klay has meant to this franchise and as good as he still is, we desperately want him back." Thompson didn't speak after the game, but at shootaround seven hours before tipoff, he said it wasn't...

NEW ORLEANS -- The  Los Angeles Lakers' prize for beating the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 in the play-in tournament to secure the No. 7 seed is a first-round playoff matchup with the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. L.A. won 12 out of its last 15 games to make it happen, sealing its fate in a rematch against last year's Western Conference finals opponent that swept the Lakers out of the playoffs. And Denver has won eight straight overall against the purple and gold. A loss Tuesday in New Orleans would have set up a do-or-die game on Friday for the Lakers, hosting the Sacramento Kings, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed and a first-round playoff series against the top-seeded  Oklahoma City Thunder. And the loser's season would be over. Despite the inherent risk in the second scenario, there was talk on various sports media programming in the days leading up to the Pelicans game that playing the second-seeded Nuggets...

A woman who accused former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault has been indicted by a grand jury in Arizona on felony charges of fraudulent schemes and theft by extortion. Darcy Adanna Esemonu "knowingly did obtain a benefit from ... Trevor Anthony Bauer by means of fraudulent pretenses, representation, promises, or material omissions," according to an indictment dated March 19 and filed Monday in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Esemonu also "knowingly did obtain or sought to obtain property or services ... by means of a threat to in the future expose a secret or an asserted fact in a social media message or in any other manner" involving another individual, according to the indictment. That individual is not associated with Bauer, his attorney told ESPN. Esemonu did not respond to messages seeking comment. The prosecutor listed on the indictment could not be reached late Tuesday for comment. An arraignment hearing in the case is scheduled...

The chants of "Light the Beam" started midway through the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings kept piling on the Golden State Warriors. A year after having their season ended by their Northern California neighbors, the Kings dealt the Warriors a bit of payback in emphatic fashion with a victory that might have signaled the end of a dynasty. Keegan Murray scored 32 points and  De'Aaron Fox added 24 as the Kings stayed alive in the play-in tournament, eliminating the Warriors 118-94 on Tuesday night. "We knew what was on the line," Fox said. "This was just another obstacle in our way. We have to get over this hump. Obviously losing to this team last year and obviously facing this team now, it's like, of course we have to face this team." Sacramento advanced to play at the  New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night with a chance to return to the playoffs as the 8-seed in the Western Conference after snapping an NBA-record 16-year playoff...

NEW ORLEANS -- Toward the end of one of the best games of his young career, Zion Williamson grabbed a towel and flung it down at the New Orleans Pelicans' bench. With 3:13 left and the Pelicans attempting a furious comeback, Williamson's night was over, the frustrating result of a left leg injury. Williamson had 40 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and had just tied the score at 95-95 with a layup against Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis. Lakers coach Darvin Ham called a timeout, but as Williamson walked to the Pelicans' bench area, something was off. He briefly sat down, threw the towel and walked back into the tunnel, ending his night. With Williamson out of the equation, the Pelicans couldn't hang on and the Lakers left the Smoothie King Center with a 110-106 victory and the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The Pelicans will face the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, but Williamson's status is unclear. Following the loss to...

Duke senior guard Jeremy Roach plans to enter the transfer portal and the NBA draft, he announced Tuesday. Roach made the announcement in a post on Instagram. Roach started 106 games in four seasons with the Blue Devils, earning third-team All-ACC as a senior and honorable mention All-ACC as a junior. A former McDonald's All-American in the 2020 class, Roach was immediately thrust into an extended role in Durham. He averaged 8.7 points as a freshman and 8.6 points as a sophomore, coming on strong down the stretch of the 2021-22 season to help lead Duke to the Final Four. Roach enjoyed a true breakout season as a junior, boosting his numbers to 13.6 points and 3.1 assists and again playing some of his best basketball late in the season. He had 23 points against Virginia in the ACC title game and then scored 23 against Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA tournament. As a senior, Roach averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3-point...

NEW ORLEANS -- LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their supporting cast have the Los Angeles Lakers looking like a tougher out in the playoffs than they appeared to be just a few weeks earlier. The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, find themselves on the brink of elimination and wondering about the health of star power forward Zion Williamson, whose dominant NBA postseason debut was cut short by an injury in the final minutes of a tight game. James had 23 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds, and the Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament on Tuesday night. "Tonight we showcased what we were able to do both offensively and defensively," said James, whose team enters the NBA playoffs having won 12 of 15 games. "We've got a good group going right now, good rotation, good plan and guys are coming in ready to go." Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds in his NBA...

NEW ORLEANS --  LeBron James had 23 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament on Tuesday night. Zion Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds in his NBA postseason debut. But shortly after tying the game at 95 on a driving layup with 3:19 to go, Williamson went to the locker room, throwing a towel to the floor in disgust as he walked into the tunnel with an apparent injury. Soon after, James hit a jumper, Anthony Davis dunked Austin Reaves' alley-oop lob,  D'Angelo Russell hit a 3 and Davis grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, after which he hit two free throws to help the Lakers hold off New Orleans. Davis had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Russell scored 21, hitting five times from deep. The Lakers advance to face defending NBA champion Denver in the first round in a rematch of last season's...

The Atlanta Braves placed second baseman Ozzie Albies on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a fractured big toe on his right foot. In another move, the Braves finalized a minor league deal with former American League batting champion Yuli Gurriel, who was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Albies, 27, was hit by a pitch in the second inning by Houston Astros rookie Spencer Arrighetti on Monday but continued playing in the 6-1 victory. "It's a freak injury, and there's nothing I can do it," Albies said. "Just makes sure I heal fast, and I'm ready to go." Manager Brian Snitker didn't give a timetable for Albies' return, but he said surgery wasn't necessary. "Normally, when stuff like this happens, three or four innings in, it goes away," Albies said. "This one stayed, so I was like, 'Uh, it's not feeling right.' I didn't expect it to be broken." Albies wore a walking boot Tuesday. He said he didn't realize he was injured until he took off his...

A woman who accused former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault has been indicted by a grand jury in Arizona on felony charges of fraudulent schemes and theft by extortion. Darcy Adanna Esemonu "knowingly did obtain a benefit from ... Trevor Anthony Bauer by means of fraudulent pretenses, representation, promises, or material omissions," according to an indictment dated March 19 and filed Monday in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Esemonu also "knowingly did obtain or sought to obtain property or services ... by means of a threat to in the future expose a secret or an asserted fact in a social media message or in any other manner" involving another individual, according to the indictment. That individual is not associated with Bauer, his attorney told ESPN. Esemonu did not respond to messages seeking comment. The prosecutor listed on the indictment could not be reached late Tuesday for comment. An arraignment hearing in the case is scheduled...

The Caitlin Clark experience delivered another television milestone as ESPN's coverage of the WNBA draft on Monday night averaged a record 2.45 million viewers. Viewership peaked at 3.09 million, ESPN said in a release Tuesday. The audience was more than four times as many viewers when compared to the 2023 draft, which drew 572,000. The previous draft record was 601,000 in 2004, when  UConn's  Diana Taurasi went No. 1 overall. Monday's viewership was the highest for any WNBA telecast since 2000, when NBC averaged 2.74 million viewers for a Memorial Day contest between the New York Liberty and now-defunct Houston Comets. The reason for such a high audience on Monday was Clark, a generational player from Iowa who has brought thousands of new fans to the sport. Clark and Iowa played against  South Carolina in this year's women's NCAA championship game, and the telecast on ESPN averaged a record 18.7 million viewers. Clark...

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández fumed about the decision to send Ronald Araújo off as his side were eliminated from the Champions League after Tuesday's 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at the Olympic Stadium. Xavi said Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs was a "disaster" and that showing a red card to Araujo for a last-man challenge on Bradley Barcola with Barça leading 1-0 on the night in the 29th minute, 4-2 on aggregate, killed the quarterfinal. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.) A Kylian Mbappé brace and goals from Ousmane Dembélé, on his return to Barcelona, and Vitinha saw PSG turn the tie around, sealing a 6-4 aggregate win and setting up a semifinal against Borussia Dortmund. "We are annoyed," Xavi said. "The red card marked the tie. We were well organised 11 vs. 11. It completely changed everything. For me, it's too much to send [Araújo] off there. "The referee was...

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will get the 12th and final roster spot on Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday. USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill met with most of the 12 invitees on the 2024 Olympic team over the past few days, and it wasn't until Tuesday that Team USA officials were able to firm up Leonard's acceptance to join the roster for Paris, sources told ESPN. The other 11 players on the Team USA roster have yet to be officially announced, but sources told ESPN on Monday that it would be composed of LeBron James ( Lakers), Stephen Curry ( Warriors), Kevin Durant ( Suns), Joel Embiid ( 76ers), Anthony Davis (Lakers), Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Edwards ( Timberwolves), Jayson Tatum ( Celtics), Jrue Holiday (Celtics), Bam Adebayo ( Heat) and Tyrese Haliburton...

Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the second half to help guide his side to a 4-1 comeback win at 10-man Barcelona in their Champions League quarterfinal second leg to wrap up a 6-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday. PSG took advantage of a first-half red card to Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo to keep their hopes of the trophy alive in what is set to be Mbappé's last season in Paris. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.) Barcelona had gotten off to a good start and opened the scoring with a goal by Raphinha in the 12th, but the visitors took control with the man advantage and didn't let Barcelona get back into the game. The Catalan side made it to the knockout stage of Europe's top club competition after two consecutive eliminations in the group stage. In the other quarterfinal on Tuesday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Atletico Madrid 4-2 at home to advance 5-4 on aggregate. Mbappé...

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured big toe on his right foot, it was announced Tuesday. In another move, the Braves finalized a minor league deal with former American League batting champion Yuli Gurriel, who was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Albies, 27, was hit by a pitch in the second inning by Houston Astros rookie Spencer Arrighetti on Monday but continued playing in the 6-1 victory. "It's a freak injury, and there's nothing I can do it," Albies said. "Just makes sure I heal fast, and I'm ready to go." Manager Brian Snitker didn't give a timetable for Albies' return, but he said surgery wasn't necessary. "Normally, when stuff like this happens, three or four innings in, it goes away," Albies said. "This one stayed, so I was like, 'Uh, it's not feeling right.' I didn't expect it to be broken." Albies wore a walking boot Tuesday. He said he didn't realize he was injured until...

Carl Erskine, who pitched two no-hitters as a mainstay on the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series, died Tuesday. He was 97. Erksine died at Community Hospital Anderson in Anderson, Indiana, according to Michele Hockwalt, the hospital's marketing and communication manager. Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major league career with the Dodgers from 1948-59, helping them win five National League pennants. The right-hander had a career record of 122-78 and an ERA of 4.00, with 981 strikeouts. Erskine had his best season in 1953, when he went 20-6 to lead the National League. He won Game 3 of the World Series, beating the Yankees 3-2 at Ebbets Field. He struck out 14, retiring the side in the ninth, for a World Series record that stood until Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax got 15 in 1963. The Dodgers went on to lose the 1953 series in six games as...

FRISCO, Texas -- So far in free agency, the largest two payouts the Dallas Cowboys have made total just under $6 million, to cornerback Jourdan Lewis and linebacker Eric Kendricks. According to the NFL Players Association's website, the Cowboys have $7.4 million in salary space and have yet to fill vacancies created by the departures of left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, running back Tony Pollard and defensive end Dorance Armstrong. "We spend max, max money year in and year out. All 32 can only spend the same amount of money over a five-year stretch," executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "When we're all said and done, we max out our salary cap every year. We will have done that and what comes with having a good roster, which we do, we also are looking towards signing our own guys. It doesn't mean it happens overnight. But when you're wanting to sign players like Dak [Prescott] and...

Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, committed to Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, he told ESPN. Ballo visited the Hoosiers' campus the past couple of days and opted to end his recruitment before taking any other visits. Louisville, Kansas State, North Carolina, Florida and Arkansas had all pursued Ballo prior to his commitment. A 7-foot center from Mali, Ballo entered the transfer portal last week and immediately became the best player available. He's a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection and also earned all-defensive team honors this past season. Ballo averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, tallying 20 double-doubles and shooting nearly 66% from the field. He went for 15 points and 15 rebounds against Clemson in Arizona's season-ending Sweet 16 loss in the NCAA tournament.   During his breakout 2022-23 campaign, Ballo averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds, shooting nearly 65% from the field. He began his...

Jude Bellingham said Vinícius Júnior and other Black players need more support in dealing with the "massive problem" of racism in Spanish football, describing the abuse some players receive as "disgusting." TV images showed a fan making racist gestures toward Bellingham's Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni after scoring in Saturday's 1-0 LaLiga win at Real Mallorca, with  the home side saying they are working with police to identify the individual responsible. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Vinícius has been targeted with racist abuse by opposition fans on numerous occasions, including during a league game away at Valencia last season that sparked a global outcry on the issue. "I didn't even know [about the Tchouaméni incident]," Bellingham said when asked about the problem during a news conference Tuesday. "In games when we go away in LaLiga, you almost get so used to it that I wasn't...

Michigan will serve three years of NCAA probation, pay a fine and face recruiting restrictions after the university and five current or former football employees reached an agreement with the NCAA's enforcement staff on recruiting violations and coaching activities by noncoaching staff members, the NCAA announced Tuesday. The agreed-upon penalties also include a one-year show-cause order for the participating individuals. The portion of the case that involves former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers in late January, will be considered separately by the Committee on Infractions, and then it will determine its full decision, according to a release from the NCAA. Tom Mars, Harbaugh's attorney, told ESPN that neither he nor Harbaugh knew about the agreement to the case until seeing media reports Tuesday. Although Mars doesn't know whether Harbaugh would have participated, they were unaware about the discussions to resolve the...

The No. 1 draft pick is slated to make a little over $76,000 during her rookie season with the Indiana Fever — just quarters on the dollar compared to her male counterparts.

Six-time All-Star forward Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday. Griffin was selected first overall by the LA Clippers out of Oklahoma in the 2009 draft. His time in Los Angeles got off to a rough start, as he broke the patella in his left knee during the preseason. Griffin came back the following season and won the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year Award and made the first of five straight All-Star appearances. He also won the Slam Dunk Contest that season after slamming over a parked car. His high-flying highlights became the calling card of the Clippers, who really took off in the 2011-12 season with the addition of point guard Chris Paul. The acquisition of Paul and his penchant for alley-oop passes to Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan transformed the Clippers into Lob City, and ushered in the most successful era in franchise history. "Blake was a big part of the turnaround here," said Tyronn Lue, the current...

Four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy on Tuesday said he plans to finish his career on the PGA Tour, denying a published report by a London newspaper that he had been offered $850 million and an equity stake in the LIV Golf League. McIlroy said neither he nor his agents have ever discussed a potential deal to lure him to the LIV Golf League, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). "I honestly don't know how these things get started," McIlroy told Golf Channel while on the practice range at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the site of this week's RBC Heritage. "I've never been offered a number from LIV, and I've never contemplated going to LIV. Again, I think I've made it clear over the past two years that I don't think it's something for me. "It doesn't mean that I judge people who have went and played over there. I think one of the things that I have realized over the past two years is that people can make...

Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is finalizing a long-term deal to become the next men's basketball coach at Brigham Young University, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Young -- the highest-paid assistant in the NBA -- had been a candidate for NBA head-coaching jobs in the past two hiring cycles, but BYU landed him with a sizable commitment to lead the Cougars into their second Big 12 Conference season and beyond. Young replaces Mark Pope, who left for the Kentucky job after delivering BYU an NCAA tournament bid in its inaugural Big 12 season. Young, who was born in Salt Lake City, will continue working with the Suns in the playoffs, but will begin assembling a coaching staff that'll immediately start recruiting for BYU, sources said. Young spent eight years coaching in the NBA G League -- including head-coaching jobs with the Utah Flash, Iowa Energy and Delaware 87ers. Young began to gain momentum as a head-coaching candidate a year ago, interviewing...

NEW YORK -- Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as "Whiteyball," has died. He was 92. "Whitey spent his last few days surrounded by his family. We have so appreciated all of the prayers and support from friends who knew he was very ill. Although it is hard for us to say goodbye, his peaceful passing was a blessing for him," his family said in a statement released by the Cardinals. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals' home opener. A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the "buddy-buddy" school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team's decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, one-run game,...

The agent for Rory McIlroy dismissed rumors of a pending move to LIV Golf for $850 million, calling it "fake news" Tuesday. "Fake news. Zero truth," agent Sean O'Flaherty told the Irish Independent in an email. O'Flaherty was responding to a sourced report by City A.M., a London financial paper, that said McIlroy, the No. 2 player in the world, "could" make the jump to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour after an offer of $850 million and "about 2 percent equity in the competition." McIlroy, 34, had been one of the most prominent critics of the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit since it launched in 2021, but then described himself as the PGA Tour's "sacrificial lamb" when it announced a partnership with LIV Golf in June 2023. LIV Golf lured then-world No. 3 Jon Rahm into its ranks in December with a deal reportedly worth more than $350 million. In February, McIlroy's former agent fueled speculation that the Northern Irishman was possibly softening...

Colorado had several players with starting experience enter the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday as the spring transfer window kicked off around college football. As of early afternoon, eight players had entered the portal. Among the players exiting: right tackle Savion Washington started nine games and appeared in 10 after transferring in from Kent State, where he started in 2022; defensive tackle Chazz Wallace, a transfer from Old Dominion, started the Buffs' final four games last season and finished with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks; safety Myles Slusher started the 2023 opener against TCU; and wide receiver  Tar'Varish Dawson, an Auburn transfer, started four games last season and was dismissed from the team in February. Offensive lineman Isaiah Jatta, a juco transfer who appeared in 11 games last season, starting one, also entered the portal, along with reserve offensive lineman David Conner and receiver...