Gabriela Jaquez’s heroics lead UCLA past LSU to first Final Four
Gabriela Jaquez delivered on a key sequence that helped No. 1 seed UCLA hold off third-seeded LSU and send the Bruins to their first-ever Final Four with a 72-65 decision on Sunday in the Spokane Region 1 final. UCLA (34-2) led throughout the second half and by as many 14 points, but LSU went on repeated runs that had the Tigers within striking distance down the stretch. An 8-0 Tigers run late in the fourth quarter made the score 56-53 with 3:24 remaining.
Lauren Betts, who faced suffocating double- and triple-teams throughout her 17-point, seven-rebound performance, split a pair of free throws to push the Bruins lead back to four. Then, after LSU failed to score on the ensuing possession, Jaquez got to the foul line to sink a pair of foul shots. On the other end, Kailyn Gilbert missed a shot and Jaquez snagged a deflection for the rebound. Jaquez then fed Betts in the low post from the wing, relocated to the corner, regained the ball from Betts and fired in a 3-pointer.
Jaquez’s shot extended the UCLA lead to an insurmountable nine-point margin and put an exclamation point on her team-high 18-point, eight-rebound performance. LSU (31-6) got a game-high 28 points from Flau’jae Johnson. Aneesah Morrow added 15 points, but the Bruins limited the nation’s leading rebounder to seven boards before Morrow fouled out.
Morrow also came out for a stretch in the third quarter after a collision with teammate Sa’Myah Smith gave Morrow a broken nose. For her part, Smith finished with 10 rebounds and helped limit UCLA’s Betts to 7-of-14 shooting from the floor. Betts did her part for the Bruins defensively with six blocked shots. UCLA also got three steals from Jaquez. The Bruins went just 21-of-55 on field-goal attempts. However, with 10-of-24 coming from 3-point range — led by Timea Gardiner’s 5-of-8 for 15 points off the bench — UCLA withstood LSU’s 25-of-67 shooting for the game.
NFL insider hints at the holdup between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers
Five potential Tyreek Hill landing spots amid latest trade rumors
Tyreek Hill has ignited a fresh wave of speculation about his future with some social media activity, and potential trade suitors have likely taken note. Hill had a series of cryptic posts on X Sunday that led many to believe he could seek a trade. The first hint came when a user posed a question asking if Miami Dolphins fans would be open to trading the star wide receiver. Hill responded with a smiley face emoji. Hill then found another post where a salary cap expert suggested Hill is a candidate to be traded during the NFL Draft.
Hill reposted the prediction with a peace sign emoji. Hill had to have known how those responses would be interpreted. Remember, this is the same player who indicated he would leave the Dolphins after their season ended. While the two sides were said to have smoothed things over, no one would be shocked if Hill were to ask for a trade in the coming weeks. If Hill does want out of Miami, which teams might have interest in acquiring him? Here are five potential landing spots for the eight-time Pro Bowl selection:
Los Angeles Chargers Ladd McConkey had an outstanding rookie season last year with 82 catches, 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. The former Georgia star looks like a true No. 1 receiver, but the Chargers are not nearly as deep at the wide receiver position as they were in years past. L.A. reacquired Mike Williams in a trade with the New York Jets midway through last season, but the veteran had three or fewer catches in every game.
Justin Herbert is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, and Hill’s speed could add an element to the Chargers’ offense that would be incredibly difficult to stop. Dallas Cowboys How long can Jerry Jones go without making a huge splash? The Cowboys need to sign Micah Parsons to an extension, but they could find a way to do that and add Hill. What better way to welcome new head coach Brian Schottenheimer than by gifting him with a wide receiver duo of Hill and CeeDee Lamb? Dak Prescott will turn 32 this summer.
The quarterback has been banged up in recent years, and his prime will not last forever. You know Jones’ eyes are going to light up if Hill wants a change of scenery. New England Patriots The Patriots just signed Stefon Diggs to a four-year, $69M deal, but the contract is a lot more team-friendly than it sounds. New England also still has nearly $70M in salary cap space, according to Spotrac.
It can easily afford to take on Hill’s $30M salary. If the Patriots want Drake Maye to make a second-year leap, they need to surround him with weapons. A duo of Diggs and Hill would turn New England’s wide receiver room from one of the worst in the league to one of the best in a single offseason. Baltimore Ravens The Ravens signed DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, but he is the latest in a long line of past-their-prime wideouts who have landed in Baltimore. At 31, Hill is still playing his best football. Hill and Zay Flowers could do some serious damage in the same offense.
The Ravens will always be run-first as long as Derrick Henry is healthy, but Hill is the type of player who could push them over the top. Kansas City Chiefs Hill has been open about the fact that he never wanted to leave Kansas City. He simply wanted a new contract, and the two sides could not reach an agreement. Hill has even left the door open for a return to the Chiefs. The Chiefs have solid receivers in Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, but the latter is working his way back from a major knee injury. Travis Kelce’s best days are also behind him. If Kansas City wants to keep its Super Bowl appearance streak alive, adding Hill would be one way to instantly boost its chances.
Watch: Five players, two coaches ejected after Pistons-Timberwolves brawl
Men’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight winners, losers: It pays to be No. 1
The Final Four for the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is set thanks to wins by Houston (69-50) over Tennessee, and Auburn (70-64) over Michigan State. Houston and Auburn now join Florida and Duke in this year’s Final Four in San Antonio where they will play for the national championship.
Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s Elite Eight action. Winner: No. 1 seeds For only the second time since the NCAA men’s tournament expanded to 64 teams, the Final Four will feature all four No. 1 seeds. Florida and Duke took care of their business on Saturday, while Auburn and Houston did the same on Sunday.
And there was very little doubt in either game on Sunday. Houston dominated Tennessee on its way to a 19-point win, while Auburn used a 17-0 first-half run against Michigan State to jump out to a huge first-half lead it would never give up. The 2008 tournament was the only other time all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. Loser:
Tennessee’s first half The Volunteers picked the absolute worst time of the season for their offense to abandon them, scoring just 15 points in the first half of Sunday’s Elite Eight game against Houston. That 15-point performance was historically bad for a team seeded that high in the tournament. Even though they played Houston even in the second half (35-35), it is almost impossible to overcome a 15-point half against one of the best teams in the country.
Winner: The SEC Even though Alabama and Tennessee fell short in the quest to give the conference all four teams in the Final Four, Auburn and Florida still gave the conference two teams, and with them set to face each other in the semifinals, it guarantees that at least one SEC team will be playing for the national championship. That is fitting for the conference that has dominated the season.
Loser: The Big Ten The Big Ten got off to one of the best starts in the tournament through the first two rounds, but quickly saw its teams get knocked off as the tournament went on. So much so that not one team will be representing the conference in the Final Four. Tom Izzo’s Michigan State team was the conference’s last hope on Sunday, and it did not have enough to keep up with Auburn. Winner: KenPom ratings The KenPom ratings are not the end-all, be-all for evaluating college basketball teams, but they do give a pretty good indicator as to which teams are elite, which teams are contenders, and which teams are pretenders.
That rating system could not have been more accurate this season as it correctly nailed the top-four (and arguably top-five) teams in the country. It does not always work out that perfectly for the analytics. It did this season in a very big way. At least for one season, the numbers did not lie at all.
Leave a Reply