Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE LSU TIGERS
Back in the Elite Eight, LSU players drew rings with black markers to state their intentions: They weren't there to win a few games. They were there to win it all.
The Tigers made good on their bold proclamation in record-setting fashion, defeating Iowa, 102-85, in the title game to claim the program's first championship.
- The 102 points are a women's championship record.
- LSU went 11-for-17 (64.7%) from 3 after going 7-for-38 (18.4%) from deep in the prior three games.
- Angel Reese finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It was her record-breaking 34th double-double of the season, and she earned the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
- Reese was far from alone though: Jasmine Carson had 22 points (21 in the first half) after not scoring in the previous three games, Alexis Morris had 21 points (19 in the second half) and LaDazhia Williams had 20 (10 in each half).
It's that last bullet point that stands out. When Reese struggled with early fouls, Carson came out of nowhere to provide a huge boost in the Tigers' record-setting 59-point first half. In the second half, when LSU had to close it out against Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark (30 points) and Iowa's explosive offense, Morris took over. Williams was a steadying force throughout.
Leading the charge was coach Kim Mulkey, who now has four titles. Only Geno Auriemma (11) and Pat Summitt (8) have more, but Mulkey is the first women's coach ever to win a title at two schools (Baylor, LSU). The Tigers arrived in full force in year two under Mulkey, well ahead of schedule, writes our Isabel Gonzalez.
- Gonzalez: "Angel Reese -- who transferred from Maryland last season -- said she trusted Mulkey could take her game to another level, but she was still surprised by how the season ended on Sunday. 'I had so many goals coming into LSU, but I didn't think I was going to win a national championship within my first year at LSU,' she said. 'I'm just happy for this team. Coach Mulkey, I appreciate you. I can't thank you enough for this opportunity to play under you and get better.'"
For more on the win:
- Clark had no issue with Reese's trash talk (and you shouldn't either).
- Morris' magical path to becoming a champion started back at Baylor with Mulkey
This capped a truly remarkable tournament. There were huge upsets, late drama and Clark's record-setting run. It was a wonderful, game-changing past few weeks for the sport of women's college basketball, and with Clark, Reese, Paige Bueckers and plenty of other stars returning, the future is very bright.
Let's just hope we don't get those refs, like, ever again.
Honorable mentions
- Victor Wembanyama had a ridiculous dunk.
- Austin Reeves is getting his own shoe.
- Congrats to LaMarcus Aldridge, an under-appreciated star, for calling it a career.
- Corey Conners won the Texas Open.
- Kyle Larson won at Richmond.
And not such a good morning for...
THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Trail Blazers, recently eliminated from playoff contention, are playing without...
- Their leading scorer (Damian Lillard)
- Their second-leading scorer (Anfernee Simons)
- Their third-leading scorer (Jerami Grant)
- Their fourth-leading scorer (Jusuf Nurkic)
- Their fifth-leading scorer (Cam Reddish)
Entering Sunday, they had lost five straight and 11 of 12. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, are right in the thick of the play-in race in the West and have everything to play for.
But Portland beat Minnesota, 107-105, on Sunday as 19.5-point underdogs, the largest upset since at least 1995 -- as far back as our data goes.
Let's not mince words here: This is an atrocious loss. The Timberwolves have lost three straight and blown double-digit leads in each. The only good news is both the Thunder and Mavericks lost, so Minnesota remains ninth in the West, one game ahead of Oklahoma City and two ahead of Dallas.
Not so honorable mentions
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo got suspended one game.
- The Vikings' stadium needs updates even though it's still very new.
How UConn and San Diego State took different paths to title game 🏀
One got here at the buzzer. The other got here via domination after domination. San Diego State and UConn may have taken different paths, but they're both 40 minutes away from a national title.
Lamont Butler's buzzer beater led the Aztecs over Florida Atlantic 72-71 on Saturday, the first true buzzer beater of the men's NCAA Tournament.
- Why didn't Brian Dutcher call a timeout before Butler's shot? "I was out of plays."
- It capped a rally from 14 points down, San Diego State's biggest comeback of the season.
- Florida Atlantic will be back, writes our Gary Parrish.
UConn didn't make things as dramatic, leading by as much as 20 and eventually winning 72-59 over Miami. The 13-point win is the Huskies' smallest this Tournament.
- Here's our Matt Norlander on UConn's dominance.
- The Huskies don't look like a 4 seed, but it was the right placement, writes our bracketologist Jerry Palm.
Looking to tonight: Do the Aztecs have a chance? Our Kyle Boone broke down the game into several categories, and they have an advantage in one area. As for his pick, though? He's rolling with the Huskies.
- Boone: "No team during this year's NCAA Tournament has been able to touch UConn, and if I'm throwing down some cheddar on a potential outcome Monday, it's on betting that trend continues. ... SDSU has a viable defense that could give UConn trouble, and its size matches up well with the Huskies' front line, but the inside-out balance and depth of this Dan Hurley-coached club is drubbing teams -- and SDSU may be next. Pick: UConn -7.5"
Here's more...
- Expert picks
- How to watch
- Full preview
- Dutcher and UConn's Dan Hurley are both coach's sons.
MLB Power Rankings: Astros still on top ⚾
Opening Day and Opening Weekend have come and gone, but if you missed any of the action, don't worry: Matt Snyder's first in-season Power Rankings of the year are here.
- 1. Astros (prev: 1)
- 2. Yankees (prev: 5)
- 3. Braves (prev: 3)
- 4. Padres (prev: 2)
- 5. Rays (prev: 8)
The biggest riser, though, was one of three undefeated teams left, along with the Rays and Twins.
- Snyder: "Rangers: Encouraging start, other than Jacob deGrom being knocked around the yard. For now we'll assume that was a one-off, which makes the opening series a success."
The Phillies, on the wrong end of the Rangers' sweep, were the biggest fallers, going from ninth to 18th. Yikes! Good thing there's 159 games to go. Deep breaths, Philly fans.
Here's what else stood out from the first four days.
- Giancarlo Stanton, like his teammate Aaron Judge, hits the ball a long way. This homer went 485 feet.
- Kodai Senga's "Ghost Fork" pitch gives batters nightmares.
- The first three-homer game of the season belongs to Trayce Thompson.
- Jazz Chisholm in center field isn't off to a great start.
- Poor, poor Orioles.
NBA, NBPA agree to new collective bargaining agreement 🏀
The NBA and the players association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that runs for seven years, with an opt-out option one year before expiration.
Here are the key details:
- The in-season tournament! It could start next season and will feature regular-season pool play and an eight-team, single-elimination championship.
- Individual player awards and honors include a 65-game minimum for eligibility -- an attempt to fix the league's load management issues.
- Players are no longer prohibited from using marijuana.
- Lowering the minimum draft age remains on hold.
You can see more details from the deal here, unless you're Draymond Green, who is not a fan of the agreement.
What we're watching Monday 📺
🏀 Men's National Championship: San Diego State vs. UConn, 9:20 p.m. on CBS