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Tim Stutzle's Overtime Goal Gives Senators 2-1 Win At Philadelphia In Pre-Olympic Finale

The Ottawa Senators have entered the Olympic break on a winning note, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 in overtime on Thursday night in a fine defensive road performance.  Tim Stutzle scored the OT winner for the Senators on a gorgeous deke past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar.

As if playing on the eve of a three-week holiday weren’t enough of a distraction, the Sens’ scheduled starting goalie, Linus Ullmark, fell ill during the day and couldn’t play. He's played two games, winning both, since returning from a month-long leave of absence. That called James Reimer into late action as the starter, with Hunter Shepard recalled from Belleville.

After a scoreless first period, Nick Cousins broke the deadlock midway through the second, cramming home a rebound off a Shane Pinto shot, and that looked for a long time like it might stand up as the game-winner.

Pinto showed some excellent patience at the side of the Flyers' net before ripping a wrist shot off Vladar's pads, and looked like it was probably designed to create the rebound.

Reimer’s save of the night came midway through the third. With the Sens still clinging to a 1–0 lead, Sean Couturier broke hard to the front of the net. Reimer made a strong pad save and may have gotten a piece of the rebound as well.

But the Flyers pressed late and the Sens got caught with tired defenders out there. Jamie Drysdale's wrist shot got through a sea of players and found its way under Reimer's blocker. 

That assured the rival Flyers at least a point and forced overtime where it was defense be damned.

Both Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle got caught up ice, leading to a 2 on 1 for the Flyers. Stutzle hustled back to try and help, but Tkachuk was out of gas. Former 67 Travis Konecny missed the right post with his shot, and the puck rimmed all the way out to Tkachuk who was still slowly coming back at centre ice.

The captain left the puck for Stutzle, who blew past him, past Travis Sanheim and then past Vladar for the game winner.

The Senators outshot the Flyers on the night, 27-16, and they also got a little luck from the out of town scoreboard. The Buffalo Sabres, who hold one of the wild cards in the East, lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Washington Capitals, the best of the conference's non-playoff teams, won 4-2 over Nashville to stay two points up on Ottawa.

With 25 games to play, the Senators are now seven points back of Buffalo (WC1) and six behind idle Boston (WC2).

Ottawa now enters the break with five wins in their last six games. Their next game won't be until Feb. 26 when they host the Detroit Red Wings.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

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Edwards scores 21, surpasses 1,000 career points in No. 3 South Carolina's 88-45 win over Bulldogs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 21 points and No. 3 South Carolina won its eight straight over Mississippi State with a 88-45 victory on Thursday night.

Edwards surpassed 1,000 points in her career, just third sophomore to accomplish that in program history behind Shelia Foster and career-points leader A’ja Wilson — both who’ve have their jerseys haning in the rafters at Colonial Life Arena.

Edwards had nine of her team’s first 15 points as the Gamecocks (23-2, 9-1 SEC) opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and were never pressed by the cold-shooting Bulldogs (16-8, 3-7), who’ve lost seven of the past nine after starting the season 14-1.

The Gamecocks played a second-straight game without starters Ta’Niya Latson and Agot Makeer, who had lower-leg injuries in an 81-51 win at Auburn and missed this past Monday’s 71-56 victory at Texas A&M.

South Carolina has had players in and out of the lineup due to injuries and suspensions this year, but like much of the season, has counted on those available players to keep the team winning.

Such was case with the 6-foot-3 Edwards against the Bulldogs, who finished 8-of-11 shooting and tied her career high with six assists.

Freshman Ayla McDowell made her first start for South Carolina and matched her career high with 16 points off four 3-pointers.

Madina Okot had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Gamecocks, her 14th double-double this season.

Madison Francis had 12 points to lead Mississippi State, which was held to its lowest point total of the season and made just three of its 24 3-point attempts.

NO. 4 TEXAS 77, NO. 5 LSU 64

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Madison Booker scored 18 points, Aaliyah Crump added 16 and Texas used a big run at the start of the fourth quarter to pull away from LSU.

Texas’ Kyla Oldacre scored four points in the 10-0 Texas run. Her layup with 5:01 left pushed the Texas lead to 15 and put the Longhorns in complete control the rest of the way.

Texas (22-2, 7-2 SEC) ran its home winning streak to 39 — tied with TCU for the longest active streak of its kind in the nation — with a victory that keeps the Longhorns within a game of first place in the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns are 8-2 this season against ranked opponents.

Longhorns guard Rori Harmon had 5 steals to set the program’s career record. She now has 350, breaking the old mark of 346 set by Linda Waggoner from 1976-1980. Harmon is already the Texas career assists record.

LSU (21-3, 7-3) had started 0-2 in league play before running off seven straight victories. But the Tigers scored well below their nation-leading average of 98.9 points per game against the Longhorns. Mikaylah Williams led LSU with 20 points.

NO. 17 DUKE 59, NO. 6 LOUISVILLE 58

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 15 points and came up with a huge block late for Duke, which started hot and then rallied to beat Louisville.

The lone regular-season matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference co-leaders was a defensive battle as the Blue Devils (17-6, 12-0) shot just 42.6% (23 of 54) and committed 19 turnovers, while the Cardinals (21-4, 11-1) shot a season-worst 33.9% (21 of 62).

Louisville’s Imari Berry missed the second of two free throws with 1.1 seconds left. Duke’s Riley Nelson got the rebound.

Istanbulluoglu led Louisville, which saw its 14-game winning streak snapped, with 13. Ziegler and Reyna Scott added 11 each.

NO. 7 VANDERBILT 84, NO. 16 KENTUCKY 83

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 37 points, 19 in the fourth quarter, to rally Vanderbilt to a win over Kentucky.

Blakes scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to give the Commodores (22-2, 8-2 SEC) a 59-58 lead and they stretched the lead to double figures with 6:15 left in the game. Four free throws from Aubrey Galvin in the final 19 seconds sealed the win.

It was Blakes’ 12th career game scoring 30 points or more.

Kentucky (18-6, 5-5) had a chance to tie but Amelia Hassett’s potential tying 3-point shot went off the side of the rim and Teonni Key’s putback went in as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Key had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Clara Strack added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats. Hassett scored 19 points.

NO. 9 OHIO STATE 70, WASHINGTON 60

SEATTLE (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 26 points and Ohio State held off a late run by Washington for its 10th win in the last 11 games.

Cambridge, who went in averaging 22.5 points per game (No. 7 nationally) this season, went 12 of 21 from the field and had her fourth straight game with at least 25. And when UW went on a 13-2 run to cut what had been a 15-point Buckeye lead down to four, the sophomore hit her biggest shot of the night, quieting the crowd with a mid-range jumper with 1:38 remaining.

Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and nine rebounds and Chance Gray scored 12 points for the Buckeyes (21-3, 10-2 Big Ten).

Sayvia Sellers scored 26 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — to lead the Huskies (17-6, 7-5), who have lost back-to-back home games for the first time this season. Freshman Brynn McGaughy made her first career start and finished with 12 points.

MINNESOTA 91, NO. 10 IOWA 85

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Grace Grocholski scored 21 points, Mara Braun added 16 and Minnesota beat Iowa for its fifth straight victory.

The Gophers (17-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have the program’s longest winning streak in Big Ten play since the 2018-19 season. The Hawkeyes (18-5, 9-3) lost their third consecutive game since they lost starting guard Taylor McCabe, the team’s leading 3-point shooter, to a season-ending knee injury.

Minnesota led for almost all of the final three quarters, shooting 51.6% for the game while going 10 of 14 in 3-pointers. The Gophers, whose biggest lead was 77-57 with 7:51 to play, had a 41-28 rebounding advantage.

It was Minnesota’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2005.

Tori McKinney added 15 points for Minnesota. Amaya Battle had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Finau Tonga had 10 points.

Ava Heiden led Iowa with 24 points. Chazadi Wright had 20 points and a career-high 12 assists. Journey Houston had 15 points and Hannah Stuelke added 14.

NO. 21 ALABAMA 64, NO. 13 MISSISSIPPI 63

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jessica Timmons scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Karly Weathers added 14 points and six rebounds, and Alabama took down Mississippi.

Timmons scored six straight points beginning with 2:31 remaining in regulation, and gave the Crimson Tide (20-4, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) a lead with 47 seconds on the clock.

After Ole Miss retook the lead on two free throws, Diana Collins made a driving layup that secured the win with 18 seconds to go.

Cotie McMahon led with 22 points for the Rebels (19-5, 6-3), but she was called for a charge with 10 seconds remaining that negated her go-ahead bucket.

Sira Thienou added 13 points and seven rebounds, Christeen Iwuala had 11 and 15 rebounds, and Latasha Lattimore scored 10 to go with 13 rebounds for Ole Miss.

NO. 19 TENNESSEE 82, GEORGIA 77, OT

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 23 points, and Mia Pauldo added 21 for Tennessee in an overtime win over Georgia.

Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points before fouling out in the extra period. Janiah Barker added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Volunteers (15-5, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).

Dani Carnegie was fouled behind the 3-point arc with five seconds left on the clock, sending her to the line to shoot three attempts for Georgia (18-5, 4-5) She sank all three to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Tennessee started overtime on a 5-0 run to jump ahead. Pauldo scored the final baskets of the game from the free-throw line. She shot 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line.

Carnegie led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 25 points before fouling out in overtime. Rylie Theuerkauf added 15, and Mia Woolfolk scored 14, all in the fourth quarter.

NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 53, CLEMSON 44

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris notched a double-double to lead North Carolina over Clemson.

Harris scored 17 on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals. It was her fourth double-double of the season for the Tar Heels (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lanie Grant added 16 points, going 6 of 10 from the floor. Indya Nivar added nine points, seven assists and two steals.

Rusne Augustinaite led the Tigers (16-8, 7-5) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

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Honor Huff leads West Virginia's rally to 59-54 win over Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (AP) — Honor Huff scored 16 points, all in the second half, and dished six assists as West Virginia rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat Cincinnati, 59-54 on Thursday night.

Huff scored 11 points in a row amid a 16-2 rally midway through the second half that gave the Mountaineers (15-8, 6-4 Big 12) a 42-40 edge. He also made two free throws down the stretch to keep WVU in the lead, and was 5-for-11 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep.

The Mountaineers also got contributions from DJ Thomas (14 points, 4-for-6 shooting) and Brenen Lorient (11 points, 5-for-7). Harlan Obioha led his team with six rebounds, and Treysen Eaglestaff hauled in five.

The Bearcats (11-12, 3-7) began the game on a 14-2 run and led 30-20 heading into halftime. Jizzle James led with 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting (4-for-6 from deep), and Baba Miller added 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting.

WVU struggled from deep, not making a three-pointer until Huff made three straight threes in the second half, shooting 29% overall from beyond the arc.

Huff's three made three-pointers move him into a tie for third in the nation in three-pointers made with 81.

Up next

West Virginia hosts No. 13 Texas Tech on Sunday.

Cincinnati hosts UCF on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Spearman scores 23 in No. 19 Tennessee women's 82-77 OT win over Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 23 points, and Mia Pauldo added 21 for No. 19 Tennessee in an 82-77 overtime win over Georgia on Thursday night.

Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points before fouling out in the extra period. Janiah Barker added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Volunteers (15-5, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).

Dani Carnegie was fouled behind the 3-point arc with five seconds left on the clock, sending her to the line to shoot three attempts for Georgia (18-5, 4-5) She sank all three to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Tennessee started overtime on a 5-0 run to jump ahead. Pauldo scored the final baskets of the game from the free-throw line. She shot 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line.

Carnegie led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 25 points before fouling out in overtime. Rylie Theuerkauf added 15, and Mia Woolfolk scored 14, all in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Tennessee: Visits No. 3. South Carolina on Sunday.

Georgia: Visits Missouri on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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Aaron Judge leads the way as WBC rosters announced

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: 2026 WBC Team USA Captain Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The WBC kicks off in just about a month, with Team Japan looking to repeat after its dramatic triumph in the 2023 tournament and Team USA gearing up to try and reclaim the crown. Tonight, full rosters were revealed for all 20 of the participating teams.

We already knew that Aaron Judge would be assuming the role of Captain America, the best hitter on the planet committing to manning the outfield for the US and being named team captain last April. Judge is the only Yankee hitter in the Team USA lineup, with Cody Bellinger declining to participate to focus on his leadup to the 2026 MLB season. David Bednar will join Judge on Team USA, the closer the only Yankee pitcher suiting up for the US.

Even with only two Yankees on the US card, Yankees will dot rosters across the tourney. Great Britain will have a strong pinstriped contingent, with the Bahamian-born Jazz Chisholm Jr. leading the way. Right-handed pitching prospect Brendan Beck will also join Team Great Britain, as well as Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, who will be a part of the coaching staff.

The Dominican Republic will also feature a few Yankees. Reliever Camilo Doval figures to be a significant part of the DR’s bullpen, while Austin Wells will be behind the plate, with Wells eligible to play for the DR due to his Dominican heritage on his mother’s side of the family. Utilityman Amed Rosario will also suit up for the Dominican Republic.

Top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez is slated to join Team Puerto Rico, as is Fernando Cruz. Team PR has suffered serious hits to its roster, with stars like Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor unable to participate due to issues securing insurance.

Elsewhere, bench coach Brad Ausmus will manage Team Israel, and Jose Caballero plays for Panama. A few old friends, though no longer part of the Yankee organization, also will pop up in a few spots. Didi Gregorius will represent the Netherlands once more, while a couple of former Yankee backstops will represent Italy, as Francisco Cervelli will manage the team, and Jorge Posada will be on the coaching staff. Paul Goldschmidt, still unsigned but most recently of the Yankees, will have a spot on Team USA’s bench.

WBC exhibition games will begin on March 3rd, while the first pool play game will take place on March 4th. The United States will begin its campaign in Houston with a matchup against Brazil. You can check out the entire schedule here and the rosters in full here.

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Dodgers on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 21: Shohei Ohtani #16 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan celebrate after winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship game over Team USA at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday, including nine Dodgers playing in the tournament, spread across seven countries.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the headliners, both playing for Japan as they did in 2023. Ohtani will hit but won’t pitch, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during Dodgers Fest on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani likely wouldn’t have been covered by insurance to pitch in the WBC, an issue affecting several players across the sport who were denied coverage based on injury history, age, or both. Roki Sasaki won’t pitch for Japan after he missed four months on the injured list in 2025, for instance.

Newly retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw was denied insurance coverage for the 2023 WBC, but is back this time around for the United States, as there is no major league salary to insure. The soon-to-be-38-year-old knows his role will be limited on a stacked USA pitching staff that includes reigning Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.

“I just want to be the insurance policy. If anybody needs a breather, if they want me to pitch back to back to back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there,” Kershaw said on MLB Network in January. “I just want to be a part of this group.”

Will Smith is back for his second World Baseball Classic, sharing catching duties with Mariners All-Star Cal Raleigh.

Edwin Díaz will pitch for Puerto Rico for his third World Baseball Classic, having also pitched in both 2017 in 2023. Three years ago, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a Puerto Rico win in the WBC, which knocked him out for the entire 2023 MLB season.

Hyeseong Kim will play for Korea in his second World Baseball Classic. He played in the 2023 WBC alongside Tommy Edman, whose mother was born in South Korea.

Other Dodgers minor leaguers in the World Baseball Classic include infielder Jake Gelof, a second-round pick in 2023 who played last season for High-A Great Lakes; Antonio Knowles, a 2021 draftee pitching for Great Britain who got to Triple-A Oklahoma City last season; and pitcher Shawndrick Oduber, from Aruba and pitching for Netherlands after appearing in 29 games last year for High-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel is coaching third base for Team USA, reprising his role in the 2023 WBC. Jair Fernandez, back to manage Great Lakes this season, is hitting coach for Colombia in the WBC, just as he was during 2025 qualifying. Double-A Tulsa hitting coach Blake Gailen is the hitting coach for Israel.

Placido Polanco and Joel Peralta, both special assistants in the Dodgers front office, are part of the Dominican Republic coaching staff.

Notable Dodgers absences from the WBC include Freddie Freeman, who played first base for Canada in 2017 and 2023 but withdrew for personal reasons this year; shortstop Mookie Betts, whose wife is expecting a baby in March; infielder Miguel Rojas, who was declined insurance; and current free agent Kiké Hernández, who won’t play for Puerto Rico while recovering from left elbow surgery in November.

Dodgers on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters

  • United States: catcher Will Smith, pitcher Clayton Kershaw
  • Japan: designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
  • Puerto Rico: closer Edwin Díaz
  • Korea: infielder Hyeseong Kim
  • Great Britain: pitcher Antonio Knowles
  • Israel: infielder Jake Gelof
  • Netherlands: pitcher Shawndrick Oduber
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Four Braves players will participate in 2026 World Baseball Classic

ATLANTA, GA AUGUST 22: Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) is embraced by teammate Ozzie Albies (1) after hitting his 15th home run during the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves on August 22nd, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The rosters for the 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic have been revealed and as it turns out, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t be the only Atlanta Braves representative at the WBC. In fact, Acuña won’t have to wait too long to see a few of his teammates turn into opponents during Pool D action in Miami, Florida.

The Netherlands will have three Braves players on their squad for the WBC. Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar and Chadwick Tromp will be representing Honkbal as part of the Dutch squad. Curaçao is part of the overall Kingdom of Netherlands, so that explains how they’re eligible to put on the Oranje crowns, as usual.

They’ll also be led by Andruw Jones in the dugout. This has already been an eventful offseason for Jones, as the Braves legend recently completed a ballot comeback by making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite starting with the lowest first-ballot votes of any player who eventually earned induction. So if you’re a Braves fan who may not have any particular rooting interest outside of your particular country of origin or the United States, this oughta be the team you root for during this year’s WBC.

As I mentioned earlier, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t have to wait long to lock horns with his teammates. Venezuela is set to face off against the Netherlands at high noon on Friday, March 6. If you’re into the WBC then that’s definitely a game to circle on your calendar just based off of the Braves representation, alone.

In other news, Team USA will have a little bit of Braves flavor in the dugout as well. Former Braves star catcher Brian McCann and former Braves manager and coach Fredi Gonzalez will be on (former Braves player, himself) Mark DeRosa’s coaching staff for the American team at the WBC. Both McCann and Gonzalez are listed as “Assistant Managers” on the official roster page for Team USA, so there’s that.

Free agents Julio Teheran and Eddie Rosario will be playing for Colombia and Puerto Rico, respectively, so there’s another couple of guys to root for here in Braves Country. I don’t think anybody around here is going to forget what he did for the Braves during the 2021 Postseason, right? Also, Julio Teheran needs no introduction around here as well, as he spent plenty of time pitching productive innings for the Braves over the course of his career.

So if you’re counting the coaches involved in this thing, there are plenty of guys who are either currently with the Braves or have been heavily associated with the Braves in the past participating in this year’s World Baseball Classic. If we don’t see either Team USA, the Netherlands or Venezuela (or even Colombia or Puerto Rico) make a deep run then here’s hoping that the four Braves players involved all have a healthy tournament as well so that they can be ready to go for the regular season. Are y’all looking forward to this? Will you be rooting for Team USA or will you be pulling for another country? Let us know!

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Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman are among 11 Cubs in the World Baseball Classic

xx Cubs will leave the Sloan Park complex in early March to take part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Here are all the North Siders who will participate.

Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong heads a three-player Cubs delegation to the USA team for the World Baseball Classic. New Cub Alex Bregman will also play for Team USA, as will left-handed starter Matthew Boyd. Former Cub Brad Keller is also on the USA team. And, former Cubs manager David Ross will be the bullpen coach for Team USA.

Other Cubs who will play in the WBC:

Seiya Suzuki will join Samurai Japan. Shōta Imanaga, though, will not pitch for his home country in this year’s WBC. Imanaga, as you might recall, started the 2023 WBC championship game for Japan against Team USA. Instead, Imanaga will stay back in Cubs spring camp, so he can take regular turns in the Cubs spring rotation.

Jameson Taillon will pitch for Team Canada. Both of Taillon’s parents were born in Canada, though the Cubs right-hander was born in Florida. Former Cub Owen Caissie, a native of suburban Toronto, will also be on the Canadian team.

Cubs minor leaguer Jonathon Long, who was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2025, will play for Chinese Taipei. Long’s mother is Taiwanese.

The right-hander most likely to be the Cubs closer this year, Daniel Palencia, will be part of the pitching staff for Venezuela’s WBC entry.

Javier Assad, who was a star for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, will pitch for his home country again. This season, though, he might wind up starting the year at Triple-A Iowa.

Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray, who played for Double-A Knoxville in the Cubs system last year, will take the field for Great Britain’s WBC team. Murray was born in the Bahamas, part of the British Commonwealth.

There had been some rumors that Anthony Rizzo might play for Italy, but that’s not going to happen. Former Cub prospect Alex Maestri, who was in the organization from 2006-10 and went on pitch several seasons in Japan and Korea, will be Team Italy’s pitching coach. Team Italy will play an exhibition game against the Cubs March 3 at Sloan Park before heading to pool play in Houston.

Right-hander Yacksel Rios, who the Cubs signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, A’s and Mariners from 2017-23.

Lastly, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will compete for his home country, Panama.

You can find all the info about the WBC here, including pool groups and schedules. It all begins March 4. Personally, I’m excited. I love the WBC and so does Josh and he and I will have extensive coverage of this tournament.

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Koby Altman clarifies why Cavs didn’t get under the second apron

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 16: Koby Altman speaks during a press conference announcing a WNBA franchise in Cleveland on September 16, 2025 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Kolin/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will finish this season above the second apron. They made moves — like sending away Lonzo Ball and two second-round picks — that helped them closer to ducking below that threshold. They were just under $3.9 million away from getting out of it going into deadline day, but they weren’t able to make any moves to fully get below the second apron.

The Cavs should be able to get under the second apron during the summer. Doing so would open up avenues for them to aggregate contracts in possible trades. However, some issues come with not getting out of the second apron now.

For one, the Cavs aren’t able to trade a first-round pick seven years out now because they will finish the season in the second apron. And, they will need to be out of the second apron for three of the next four seasons to unfreeze what would be the 2032 first-round pick and trade it. Additionally, that pick moves to the back of the first round until it’s unfrozen.

It’s worth noting that the Stepien rule essentially froze the ‘32 pick anyway, but that’s a longer discussion that may not be germane to this conversation.

In the end, dealing Ball and saving money on the De’Andre Hunter trade merely cut luxury tax payments for the ownership group and made things easier to manage next offseason.

According to Koby Altman, that’s okay. The team didn’t want to make a move to get out of the second apron that hurt this current team.

“At the end of the day, for us to get under the second apron, we would’ve had to lose a rotational piece right now,” Altman said. “That was hard for us to do. Let’s make this run. … What gives us the best chance to win? And it’s certainly not trading a rotational player at the deadline. So we’ll address that in the summer. Sure, we got close, but I still think it was a really, really successful trade deadline for us.”

All of the Cavs’ moves this deadline were to improve the current team. Undercutting those decisions by getting rid of a rotation player just to get under the second apron wouldn’t have made sense. At the same time, there’s reprucutions for not being able to shed a little more salary. And they’ll be feeling those effects down the road.

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Harris notches double-double as No. 25 North Carolina women take down Clemson 53-44

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris notched a double-double to lead No. 25 North Carolina 53-44 over Clemson on Thursday.

Harris scored 17 on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals. It was her fourth double-double of the season for the Tar Heels (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lanie Grant added 16 points, going 6 of 10 from the floor. Indya Nivar added nine points, seven assists and two steals.

Rusne Augustinaite led the Tigers (16-8, 7-5) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

It’s the sixth consecutive win for the Tar Heels, all in ACC play. It’s their 10th in a row over the Tigers, whose three-game win streak ended.

The Tar Heels dominated the paint with a 32-10 advantage on points in the paint, and a nine-rebound advantage overall.

The Tigers had a 24-22 lead at the half after a 10-2 run over the first seven minutes of the second quarter. The Tar Heels responded with a 13-2 run in the third quarter to build a five-point lead. They built their largest lead in the final minute of the game as it turned into a foul and free throw affair.

Up next

Clemson will host Boston College on Sunday.

North Carolina will face Wake Forest on the road on Sunday. ___

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Artemi Panarin 'pretty proud' to have played for Rangers: 'That’s a great organization'

In his introductory news conference with the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday after getting traded from the Rangers on Wednesday, Artemi Panarin spoke about his time in New York, which spanned nearly seven seasons before ultimately coming to an unfortunate ending as the Blueshirts look to shake things up in the midst of a disappointing season.

To his credit, Panarin spoke well about his former organization despite the rocky breakup.

"It’s a lot of good memories," he said. "Obviously, a couple of conference finals, always had a great group of guys there too. It’s a pretty good atmosphere and obviously, when you’re winning, it’s pretty helpful and you’re in a good mood every day."

Signed to a seven-year, $81.5 million deal in 2019 after some excellent stints with the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets in his first four seasons in the NHL, Panarin had an illustrious career for the Rangers. The left winger compiled 205 goals and 402 assists in 482 games played and helped New York get into the playoffs four times, including a span of three straight postseason appearances from 2022-2024.

During that three-year stint, the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice but were unable to break through to the Stanley Cup either time and are still looking for their first championship since the 1993-94 season.

"Obviously, that’s a great organization," Panarin said. "The New York Rangers, an original six team, huge history. I was pretty proud for playing for those guys."

The veteran also made sure to thank the fans and pledged to make a video for everyone after things settled down for him and his family, who are clearly still trying to process the entire situation after such a long tenure in New York. Panarin even said that he doesn't like switching back and forth with teams and that he didn't want to go anywhere just as a rental. 

Ultimately, the 34-year-old signed a two-year contract extension with Los Angeles following the trade, which almost certainly helped him with his decision as other playoff contenders were vying for him as well.

Panarin also discussed contract extension talks that he and the Rangers had (and didn't have), saying they talked about an extension before the season and that was basically it. Nevertheless, he also acknowledged GM Chris Drury's hands being tied with how bad the season started for the team and at some point realized his future with the team was in jeopardy.

"I feel like maybe 15 games ago when we started losing everything [I realized] it was possible [to get traded]," Panarin said. "And then when we lost to Boston like 10-1 or something like that, I would say that I already understood that even if Chris wanted to give me a deal, he probably can’t now because we’re kind of struggling here the whole team and we probably need some changes."

Now with the Kings, Panarin is ready for a new chapter in his career and is eager to get going in Los Angeles, even if he doesn't know what his role will be yet or where he will play. With the NHL Olympic break running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24, Panarin will have to wait quite a while before he suits up for his new team, but he sees the pause as a good thing.

"It’s probably perfect timing because the Olympic break is pretty long this year and it gives me some time to get used to my new team," he said.

And regardless of where he's at now or how things ended in New York, Panarin will always have a connection with the Rangers and what they accomplished together.

"I feel like when you play for one team a long time, it will always be in your heart," he said.

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Every Yankees player participating in 2026 World Baseball Classic

The rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic have been announced and the Yankees are well represented.

Aaron Judge, the reigning AL MVP and Yankees captain, is the headliner for Team USA. The slugger will participate in the WBC for the first time and was named captain for his country as they look to win the tournament for the second time since the event -- which takes place every four years -- began in 2006. 

The Yankees will also see a pair of relievers represent their respective countries while one of the organization's top prospects will make his debut in the WBC. Elmer Rodriguez, the Yankees' No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will pitch for Team Puerto Rico. Rodriguez, 22, was acquired by the Yankees from the Red Sox in the Carlos Narvaez deal, and he quickly rose through the ranks in 2025.

In 27 games (26 starts), Rodriguez pitched to a 2.58 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He struck out 176 batters across 150 innings pitched through all three levels of the Yankees' minor league system.

Here is every Yankees player we know are participating for the various teams in this iteration of the WBC...

  • Aaron Judge - USA
  • David Bednar - USA
  • Camilo Doval - Dominican Republic
  • Austin Wells - Dominican Republic
  • Amed Rosario - Dominican Republic
  • Elmer Rodriguez - Puerto Rico
  • Fernando Cruz - Puerto Rico
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. - Great Britain

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to run from March 5-17. 

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Every Mets player participating in 2026 World Baseball Classic

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is upon us, and there are plenty of representatives for the Mets in this year's tournament. 

New York always has plenty of players participating in each WBC, for better or worse. Shortstop Francisco Lindor has represented his home country of Puerto Rico proudly -- although he won't play this time around -- while former reliever Edwin Diaz did the same, although that resulted in a lost season for the All-Star closer. The Mets hope that doesn't happen this time as they'll have their top prospect, Nolan McLean, participating this year. 

In addition, Clay Holmes will join McLean and play for Team USA, but the biggest name to play in the WBC will be Juan Soto.

The Mets slugger will rejoin team Dominican Republic as they look to capture the WBC championship. Soto participated in the 2023 tournament and showed out on the world stage. Through four games, Soto went 6-for-15 with three doubles, two home runs and three RBI. However, DR finished third in Pool D (behind Venezuela and Puerto Rico) and did not make it out of the group stage. 

Here is every Mets player participating for the various teams in this iteration of the WBC...

  • Clay Holmes - USA
  • Nolan McLean - USA
  • Juan Soto - Dominican Republic
  • Huascar Brazoban - Dominican Republic
  • Mark Vientos - Nicaragua
  • Robert Stock - Israel
  • Jordan Geber - Israel
  • Ben Simon - Israel
  • Alex Carillo - Mexico
  • Daniel Duarte - Mexico
  • Nick Morabito - Italy
  • Jared Young - Canada
  • Daviel Hurtado - Cuba
  • Jose Ramos - Panama
  • Carlos Guzman - Venezuela

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to run from March 5-17. 

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2026 NBA Trade Deadline Winners, Losers: analysis, recap including James Harden, Anthony Davis deals

The NBA Trade Deadline is in the rear view mirror, and it was wild, both for the trades we did see — James Harden to Cleveland, Anthony Davis to the discount-shopping Wizards — and for the ones we did not. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee. Ja Morant is still a Grizzly.

Let's break down the winners and losers from a roller coaster week around the NBA.

Winner: James Harden

A month ago, nobody saw a James Harden trade coming, but life moves fast in the NBA. Harden is now in Cleveland, Darius Garland is in Los Angeles with the Clippers along with some good draft picks, and it impacts the race in the East directly.

Out of all that, James Harden is the biggest winner. The Beard wanted two things: 1) To be on a team where he could make a deep run and maybe compete for a ring; 2) Get to a team willing to pay him going forward. He got those things… we think.

Harden goes to a Cleveland team that stumbled out of the gate this season — in large part due to Garland's toe injuries — but had started to find its footing in the East. Cleveland had the No. 1 offense in the NBA a season ago, which had fallen to ninth, but Harden should make the Cavaliers' offense elite again. In part because the Cavaliers struggled when Donovan Mitchell was off the floor, now staggering him and Harden keeps an elite creator on the court at all times. There are concerns about how Harden's isolation-heavy — he runs a higher percentage of iso plays than any lead ball handler in the league this season — will mesh with Mitchell and the Cavaliers' faster tempo and ball movement, but coach Kenny Atkinson said he's not worried, that great players figure out how to make it work.

"The number one thing that stands out is his IQ, his feel for the game," Atkinson said of Harden. "We're "big believers that IQ translates to playoff success."

For the Cavaliers, this was an all-in move — and they needed to make it. While everyone has discussed how Giannis Antetokounmpo can be a free agent in 2027 and the pressure that puts on Milwaukee, Cleveland is in exactly the same place with Mitchell. For the Clippers, it's a realization that the Kawhi Lenard and James Harden era has run its course, and it's better to start pivoting too early rather than too late.

Winner: New York Knicks

New York was a winner on two fronts this trade deadline.

One is that Giannis Antetokounmpo was not traded. The Knicks did not have the draft picks or young players to get a trade done at the deadline, but during the summer they have more picks and more flexibility. Getting Antetokounmpo to Madison Square Garden will still require him to put his thumb on the scale and demand it, but at least the Knicks are still in the race.

They also were a winner by picking up guard Jose Alvarado — the New York native who played his high school ball at Christ the King in Queens comes home. Alvarado is a guy who changes games with his energy off the bench — he could have the kind of impact for the Knicks that TJ McConnell did for the Pacers during their Finals run a year ago. He has that kind of impact with his defense and scoring.

Winner: Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks do not want to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. For his part, Antetokounmpo would like to stay in Milwaukee and win there.

"What I want deep down in my heart is I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career and win here," Antetokounmpo said recently in an interview.

By not trading him at the deadline, only good things happen for Milwaukee. First, the Bucks should have a lottery pick in a deep 2026 NBA Draft that they can trade. (Yes, Antetokounmpo said after the deadline he wants to make a playoff push with this team, but he remains out, and this team remains bad.) The Bucks will have up to three first-round picks to trade plus movable salaries such as Kyle Kuzma's — could that be enough to land another star player or two, which convinces Antetokounmpo to stay? It's what has happened in the past: the Bucks traded for Jrue Holiday once and for Damian Lillard another time — and Antetokounmpo signed an extension and stayed in Milwaukee both times. The Bucks will try to go this route.

If that fails and Milwaukee has to trade Antetokounmpo, the offers during the summer — which suitors like the Knicks, Lakers and Heat will have more picks and more flexibility — will be better than the ones they deemed insufficient at the deadline.

Loser: Nico Harrison, Luka Doncic trade

This feels like beating a dead horse, but we're going to do it anyway. Because it's so stunningly bad. We had deemed the Luka Dončić trade a loser when it happened, but this trade deadline cemented its legacy as one of the worst trades in NBA history.

For the record, the Mavericks ultimately traded one of the top five players in the world entering his prime for Max Christie, three first-round picks (with all three likely being in the 20s at best), three second-round picks, and about $50 million in cap space. That's it.

This is not a reflection on the current Dallas front office, which did what it had to do to clean up Nico Harrison's mess with this salary dump trade, getting the team out of the luxury tax and clearing the books to retool around Cooper Flagg. Still, now that Anthony Davis is traded, we couldn't just let this go.

Winner: Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic is a rock-solid 15-year pro, a two-time All-Star at the center spot who can score in the paint or knock down 3-pointers. But over those 15 years, he has made the playoffs just four times, has never gotten past the first round, and has played in just 16 total games.

Which is why it's good to see him traded to Boston, where he will not just get meaningful minutes but also meaningful playoff minutes. Whether Jayson Tatum returns or not, this Celtics team — with its ability to score behind a brilliant season from Jaylen Brown and its barrage of 3-pointers — is a threat to beat anyone. Vucevic could find himself in the biggest games of his life. He's a free agent after this season, and if he's willing to sign at the right price, he could be back in Boston next year.

He deserves it. I can't wait to see it.

Loser: Sacramento Kings

What is the plan in Sacramento, exactly?

Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan — three veterans that the Kings have talked about trading for more than a year — are still on the roster. While the Kings did find a trade for Keon Ellis, the guys they need to trade — even if it's just a salary dump — are still on the roster. Make it make sense.

Winner: Indiana Pacers

Indiana trading for Ivica Zubac from the Clippers sets them up beautifully to bounce back next season when Tyrese Haliburton is healthy again following his torn Achilles. While the price was a couple of good first-round picks, these are the kind of trades you make when you're a Finals team trying to improve.

Zubac is more of an old-school big compared to Myles Turner (who was there for the Finals run then left in free agency), but he sets some of the best picks in the league, is great on the roll or ducking-in on sets, and he is a much better defender (a big who knows how to use that size to clog the lane). Zubac is averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds per game this season, numbers slightly down from last season, but a key factor is that other teams have focused more on slowing him (especially before Kawhi Leonard got healthy).

Indiana got better with this trade.

(About those picks: One is the Pacers 2026 first-round pick, but protected 1-4 and 10-30 — meaning if it's 5-9, the Clippers get it now. Indiana is tanking hard this season. They have the third-worst record in the NBA, and the Pacers want to keep it that way. We're not going to see a lot of Zubac. If the Pacers can add a top-four pick to this roster, they become that much more dangerous next season.)

Winner: Utah Jazz

This is how you hit the accelerator on the rebuild timeline.

Utah developed a strong young core: Point guard Keyonte George; a coveted big man in Walker Kessler (who they have to re-sign); and last year's No. 5 pick Ace Bailey has put in the work and is finding his rhythm (the game is clearly slowing down for him, and he's had some big nights). They also still had Lauri Markkanen.

Now you add Jaren Jackson Jr. and another high lottery pick next June to this group, and Utah is a team on the rise. There are questions to work out about fit, but Will Hardy is a very good coach, and he's going to have some very talented players next year. (And it is next year, Utah is tanking to keep their top-eight protected pick this season — if it's ninth or higher it goes to OKC — so don't expect Jackson to play that much this year.)