It was supposed to be a time to celebrate as the top finishers in the NCAA Division III 5,000-meter title race lined up on the eight-tiered podium to receive their trophies.

The impact of the transfer portal can be felt all around the basketball landscape, and that includes the women's Final Four. It's one contributing factor why the same four teams that reached the Final Four in 2025 are back in 2026. Each one has reached into the transfer portal whether to get a pivotal starter or a just-as-important role player. Gone are the days where programs would only build through getting top high school players. Players enter the transfer portal for different reasons, but teams often sign them for immediate success. lately being able to earn more money through revenue sharing or name, image and likeness deals has become high on that list.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Former Romania coach Mircea Lucescu reportedly suffered a heart attack on Friday morning at the hospital where he is being treated.

Luke Evangelista scored the only goal of the shootout in the eighth round, and the Nashville Predators tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Nashville, Los Angeles and San Jose are now even with 79 points apiece for the second wild-card playoff spot in the West. Steven Stamkos scored his 37th goal and Jonathan Marchessault ended his 14-game goal drought for the Preds, who ended their three-game skid despite blowing a three-goal lead. Juuse Saros stopped 29 shots before turning in a perfect eight-round shootout. Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Joel Armia tied it midway through the third period for the Kings, who have lost six of eight.

Zack Ostapchuk scored his first goal in nearly three months and the San Jose Sharks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory. Collin Graf, William Eklund and Adam Gaudette also scored and Alex Nedeljkovic made 18 saves. San Jose holds the second wild-card spot in the crowded Western Conference, with Nashville and Los Angeles even in points but each with one more game. The Sharks had the worst record in the NHL last season and haven’t made the playoffs since 2018-19. Sharks star Macklin Celebrini was scoreless after having nine points in his previous three games. John Tavares scored a power-play goal for Toronto.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart was activated off injured reserve and backstopped Vegas to a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mitch Marner had three goals and two assists and the Golden Knights scored three times in the third period to defeat the Calgary Flames 6-3 on Thursday night.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring in a loss to Oklahoma City and coach JJ Redick said the league’s scoring leader will have an MRI on Friday. On his final play of the game Thursday night, Doncic spun before trying to go up for a shot against Jalen Williams. There was no contact before he stopped, then lay down on the baseline. He left the game for good with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter. Doncic had posted at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games. He was held to 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges scored 25 points, rookie Kon Knueppel set a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season and finished with 20 points as the Charlotte Hornets rolled past the Phoenix Suns 127-107 on Thursday night.

SEATTLE (AP) — Logan Cooley scored twice for the first of Utah's six straight goals, Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves and Mammoth beat the Seattle Kraken 6-2 on Thursday night for their second straight victory.

De'Aaron Fox scored 22 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs won without Victor Wembanyama, who was rested after a double-double against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. San Antonio had six players in double figures, including Stephon Castle with 20 points. The Spurs improved to 27-2 since Feb. 1 and kept their hopes alive for the top spot in the West. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points, but their second straight loss after winning five a row dropped them to ninth in the play-in tournament standings.

PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Olson, Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubón hit solo homers, Reynaldo López gave up one run over five innings and the Atlanta Braves coasted to a 17-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

San Francisco rookie catcher Daniel Susac went 3 for 3 with a walk in his first four big league at-bats and the Giants rolled over the New York Mets 7-2. The younger brother of former Giants catcher Andrew Susac singled in his first two at-bats off David Peterson, then drew a walk and singled off Sean Manaea. Rafael Devers homered and Casey Schmitt went 3 for 3 with a walk and an RBI for the Giants, who handed the Mets their third straight loss. Robbie Ray gave up two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Former Mets reliever Blade Tidwell worked three scoreless innings to earn his first big league save. Mark Vientos homered for New York.

PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Olson, Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubón hit solo homers, Reynaldo López gave up one run over five innings and the Atlanta Braves coasted to a 17-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jrue Holiday had 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, and the Trail Blazers downed the New Orleans Pelicans 118-106 on Thursday night with Portland's new owners looking on.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have clinched a spot in the NHL playoffs, giving them another chance to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2015.

Donovan Mitchell had 25 points and six rebounds, Max Strus’ 3-pointer with 54 seconds left helped seal it as he scored 24, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 118-111. James Harden contributed 19 points and five assists as the Cavs won for the seventh time in nine games during a stretch playing five times in eight nights. Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points apiece for the Warriors, who were missing Stephen Curry for the 27th straight game but his return could come as soon as Sunday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 in a game in which NBA leading scorer Luka Doncic left due to injury. The Lakers suffered one of their worst losses ever, falling six points short of their record 49-point defeat in 2017. Gilgeous-Alexander outperformed Doncic, who finished with 12 points. Oklahoma City shot 53.9% to turn a matchup between two of the league's hottest teams into a blowout. The Thunder have won 16 of 17. The Lakers had won four straight. The teams will face off again on April 7.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid set up Matt Savoie's power-play goal to pad his NHL-leading points total and help the Edmonton Oilers win their season-high fifth straight game, 3-1 over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Huskies women's basketball coach Tina Langley agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2031-32 season, athletic director Pat Chun announced Thursday.

ST. PAUL. Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy scored his 39th and 40th goals, Kirill Kaprizov added his 40th and the Minnesota Wild wrapped up a playoff spot with a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Phoenix guard Collin Gillespie set the Suns’ franchise record for 3-pointers in a season on Thursday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Patrick Kane scored a pivotal goal in the same building where he scored a Stanley Cup Final winner, Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Lucas Raymond had one to lead the Detroit Red Wings past the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on Thursday night.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel walked into the postgame news conference and was greeted by a handful of television cameras blocking his path to the podium when suddenly out jumped head coach Charles Lee, who doused him with a bottle of water before embracing his …

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, who began the season on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder injury, was reinstated ahead of the team’s road series against the Los Angeles Angels. Crawford, 31, played in one game on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday, going 0 for 4 with one walk and one strikeout. He was slated to play in two rehab games, but Wednesday’s game for Tacoma was rained out. Infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma and right-hander Ryan Loutos was placed on unconditional release waivers to make room for Crawford.

All Times EDT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had two goals and three assists and Dawson Mercer scored twice as the New Jersey Devils beat the Washington Capitals 7-3 on Thursday night.

DETROIT (AP) — Anthony Edwards is ineligible for NBA postseason awards because he can't reach the 65-game minimum after the Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out him out against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, listing his right knee injury and an illness.

DETROIT (AP) — All-Star guard Cade Cunningham of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons will be out at least another week in his recovery from a collapsed left lung.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Cirelli registered his second career hat trick, Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three points, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division after a 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Lauren Coughlin showed her familiarity with Shadow Creek by opening with a 5-under 67, putting her in a three-way tie for the lead Thursday with Nasa Hataoka and Women's British Open champion Miyu Yamashita in the Aramco Championship.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the third period and 28 overall as the Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Logan Stankoven scored two goals in the first nine minutes, and the Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth for the eighth season in a row by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on Thursday night.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Lars Eller broke a third-period tie and the Ottawa Senators prevented Buffalo from wrapping up a drought-breaking playoff spot Thursday night, beating the Sabres 4-1.

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Daniss Jenkins scored 26 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-108 on Thursday night as both teams were without a superstar.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris was denied in his bid for a preliminary injunction as he seeks a seventh season of eligibility.

NEW YORK (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 48th and 49th goals of the season, and the Montreal Canadiens won their seventh game in a row to move closer to making the playoffs by defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges scored 25 points, rookie Kon Knueppel set a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season and finished with 20 points as the Charlotte Hornets rolled past the Phoenix Suns 127-107 on Thursday night.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Mark Hubbard was bold all the way to the end, taking on a creek at the par-5 18th and converting his sixth birdie over his final eight holes Thursday to post a 7-under 65 at dark for one-shot lead in the storm-delayed opening round at the Valero Texas.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — While the Portland Trail Blazers have emphasized developing young talent in recent years, new owner Tom Dundon says that mindset is shifting toward loftier goals.

Shea Ralph of Vanderbilt has been named The Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year. Ralph led the Commodores to the most successful season in school history, finishing 29-5. The team returned just one starter and tied for second in the Southeastern Conference. They earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16. Ralph received 23 votes from the 31-member national media panel. She is the first Vanderbilt coach to win the award, which started in 1994-95.

Women's college basketball has become an outlier above the median when it comes to height. While the height for an average American woman is 5-foot-3, women's college basketball is loaded with players over six feet tall. The Final Four this weekend will be a prime example. The repeat Final Four of UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas have a combined 36 players who are six feet or taller. And they're not just back-to-the-basket bigs. Today's frontcourt players have a variety of skills, scoring in the post but also off the dribble, in the midrange and occasionally from the 3-point line. Several of the sport's best frontcourt players will be in this year's Final Four, including first-team All-Americans Lauren Betts of UCLA to UConn's Sarah Strong.

Two-time All-Pro cornerback and 2019 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, who last played in 2024, has announced his retirement.

After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president." That's according to newly released body camera footage that also shows that Woods appeared astonished as he was handcuffed. It's not clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump. Woods said he was looking at his phone when his speeding Land Rover clipped a truck and rolled onto its side. The video also shows that deputies found painkiller pills in Woods’ pocket after the crash. Woods entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Konnor Griffin Era will begin on Friday in Pittsburgh.

This year’s Final Four at the women’s NCAA Tournament features a quartet of powerhouse programs, teams that have overwhelmed almost all of their opponents with superior talent and veteran coaching. They have size. They are athletic. They have pedigree. But they haven’t faced a ton of on-court adversity — particularly in March. That could change on Friday night when UConn faces South Carolina and Texas meets UCLA in the national semifinals at Mortgage Matchup Center. After beating up on inferior adversaries for the majority of March, it’s time for the game’s elite to pick on someone their own size.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Everywhere UConn guard Braylon Mullins looked Sunday night and Monday, he saw the same thing — another replay of his heroic 35-foot, game-winning 3-pointer to beat Duke.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Lawyers for the family of an Oklahoma junior college basketball player who died after suffering a head injury during a game said Thursday the student had been struck by another player's elbow and accused the team of not providing proper medical care before putting him ba…

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Three-time champion Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Masters on Thursday, citing a personal health matter with his family that kept him out of all but one of the five LIV Golf events this year.

LONDON (AP) — Heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora arrived to a press conference on an army tank alongside British politician Nigel Farage on Thursday.