WNBA star Kelsey Plum re-signs with Sparks on special one-year contract

WNBA star Kelsey Plumis staying in Los Angeles.

On Sunday,ESPN reportedthe two-time WNBA champion and four-time All-Star is re-signing with theLos Angeles Sparks. After being traded to Los Angeles ahead of the 2025 season, Plum averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals her first year in a Sparks uniform.

Plum's new contract is a one-year deal and reportedly worth $999,999. The franchise gave Plum a core designation on April 7, clearing a pathway for her to receive a supermax deal worth $1.4 million. However, the veteran guard reportedly took a smaller deal to give Los Angeles more flexibility to continue building a title-contending roster.

Plum's signing comes after an eventful week for the Sparks. On Sunday, the franchise also traded forward Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky in exchange for veteran guard Ariel Atkins. Jackson spent two seasons with Los Angeles after she was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick during the 2024 WNBA Draft. Atkins joins Los Angeles after seven seasons with the Washington Mystics and one with Sky.

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With the Women's Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year's event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year's top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it's time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round?

Here's USA TODAY's latest 2026 WNBA mock draft: 1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
- After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas's lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles, G, TCU
- Minnesota doesn't struggle to move the ball, but adding Miles into the mix gives the Lynx the ability to take their offensive movement up a level. The TCU guard has a high basketball IQ, which should help her with the rookie learning curve on a team with championship aspirations. Head coach Cheryl Reeve can also bring out the best in Miles defensive skills as she adjusts to WNBA play.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Seattle Storm: Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
- Fudd had a very underwhelming NCAA Tournament aside from her second round game against Syracuse. The slump won't stop her from being drafted. The UConn guard's shot is still the purest in college basketball, and her ability to be an offensive threat at any moment is something you don't see as often at the rookie level. Fudd also rarely wastes a movement or a shot, making her a prime candidate to draft.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. Chicago Sky: Kiki Rice, G, UCLA
- Until veteran Courtney Vandersloot returns, the Sky need a guard who can facilitate, score when needed and defend. Rice, who finished a career year in a UCLA uniform, has proven she can do it all. The senior guard has improved her ability to read opposing defenses, maintain patience with solid footwork and recover in help defense. Rice would also take some pressure off Hailey Van Lith, who struggled during her rookie season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Toronto Tempo: Flau'jae Johnson, G, LSU
- Johnson has a score-first mentality, and she does it in a variety of ways: midrange, downhill in the paint and from the 3-point line. She's one of the top defensive guards in the 2026 class, and if she can improve her defensive awareness at the pro level, she can become an elite two-way guard. Head coach Sandy Brondello should also be a tremendous asset to Johnson's growth.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Portland Fire: Ta'Niya Latson, G, South Carolina
- Latson's NCAA Tournament run was a mixed bag. That shouldn't hurt her WNBA draft stock, but it wasn't hard to notice as the level of competition rose (with games against TCU, UConn and UCLA), she struggled to find her shot or ways to contribute. At the pro level, she'll be asked to do more, and she'll need to lean into her aggressiveness to have success.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. Golden State Valkyries: Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA
- If a team gives her any space, Jaquez will make them pay. The guard can do it all, with assists, 3-pointers, in the paint, on the boards or by creating a steal. She should fit well within Golden State's "hard hat and lunch pail" culture, where they pride themselves on having energy on both sides of the ball.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Washington Mystics: Raven Johnson, G South Carolina
- While Johnson has proven she can score when needed, it's her facilitation skills and defense that will make her a top 10 pick. The South Carolina guard does a great job of feeding her bigs and spreading the offense out to find the best shot. She is also a lockdown defender who leaves little room for error and isn't afraid of anyone on a court, regardless of size.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Indiana Fever: Gianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA
- Kneepkens ended her college career shooting nearly 50-40-90, which is impressive and rare in today's college landscape. The UCLA guard's game isn't flashy, but it's often timely. Kneepkens knows how to step into the big moments, as she did in the national championship when she delivered two massive 3-point baskets during an extended Bruins' run.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Atlanta Dream: Madina Okot, C, South Carolina
- Atlanta needs depth. Adding Okot would help the Dream with their post presence and perimeter shooting. The South Carolina big can score from multiple levels and will crash the glass. If Atlanta brings veteran center Brittney Griner back, Okot would learn from one of the best in league history at the position.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Seattle Storm: Marta Suarez, F, TCU
- Suarez's NCAA Tournament run wasn't great, but she did have a breakout game against Virginia during the Sweet 16, which included a career high 33 points plus 10 rebounds. The outing was a glimpse of Suarez at her best, which could entice Seattle to add Suarez as depth now and starter later.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Connecticut Sun: Cotie McMahon, F, Ole Miss
- McMahon would work well in a young core of players like Saniya Rivers, Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow. The Ole Miss forward is a utility piece that the Sun could utilize to its advantage. She does most of her damage in the paint ― Connecticut's specialty ― and could also help facilitate, if needed. Once McMahon gets crisper as a defender, she'll be dynamite at the next level.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars

With the Women's Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year's event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year's top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it's time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round?Here's USA TODAY's latest 2026 WNBA mock draft:1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA- After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas's lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess.

“Ariel is a proven winner and one of the most respected two-way guards in this league,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said about acquiring Atkins. “She’s a champion, an elite defender and someone who understands what it takes to win in big moments. Her professionalism, competitiveness and versatility make her a perfect fit for our franchise and a key piece in our pursuit of a championship.”

On April 11, forward Dearica Hamby re-signed with the team on a three-year deal for close to $3.5 million,ESPN reported. Hamby averaged 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals last season in LA, where she has spent the past three years. The team alsosigned guard Erica Wheeler, who will come back to the Sparks, where she played in 2021.

Rounding out the Sparks' signings this week is 10-timeWNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike, who returns to the Sparks after two seasons in Seattle. Ogwumike originally joined the team in 2012, playing 12 seasons and winning a championship in 2016. She then moved on to the Storm in 2024 before returning to the franchise that drafted her.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Why Kelsey Plum re-signed with Sparks on a lower deal to help build roster

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 12, 2026

WNBA star Kelsey Plum re-signs with Sparks on special one-year contract

WNBA star Kelsey Plumis staying in Los Angeles. On Sunday,ESPN reportedthe two-time WNBA champion and four-time All-Star is re-sig...

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Justin Rose rues his miscues through Amen Corner and another lost chance at winning the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Perhaps the only solace Justin Rose can take from another Sundayheartbreak at the Mastersis that he didn’t finish second again.

APTOPIX Masters Golf

He finished in a four-way tie for third.

The popular 45-year-old Englishman, wholost a playoffto Rory McIlroy last year, ended up two shots behind him on Sunday. For a brief moment, it was Rose with a two-shot lead in thefinal round at Augusta National,until a series of mistakes through Amen Corner and a couple of birdies by the defending champ through the same stretch of holes dealt Rose another dose of disappointment.

Two-time champion Scottie Scheffler made a late charge to finish second at 11 under, and Rose was another shot back, along with Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Cameron Young, who played in the final group with McIlroy but never got anything going.

“Just a chance that got away,” Rose lamented afterward.

He's had a lot of them on the picturesque grounds of Augusta National.

Rose has finished second three times, including another playoff loss to Sergio Garcia. The only players to be runner-up more often in the Masters are Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Tom Weiskopf — and Nicklaus and Hogan each won more than one green jacket.

“I feel like with a sudden-death loss,” Rose said, “you kind of know you got to the house. You've done everything it took to win. Then it comes down to a flick of a coin at times. Whereas today I felt like, yeah, there was an opportunity to do better.”

Rose began the day three shots back of McIlroy and Young, but by the time he made the turn, he had reached 12 under and was back in contention. McIlroy and Young had started to falter, and Scheffler had yet to make his move, and that left Rose in the middle of the fairway at the long, par-4 11th with a two-shot lead in the final round of the Masters.

He proceeded to hang his approach shot so far right that it ended up wide of the greenside bunker, the first ominous sign of trouble. Rose followed with a good pitch, but he missed the 15-footer for par and his lead was trimmed in half.

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Then, at the par-3 12th — perhaps the most famous par 3 in the world — Rose flew the green from 155 yards. His ball came to rest on a slight downhill lie, and he left the ensuing chip short of the green, leading to a second consecutive bogey.

“You get on the 12th tee, you've got to be 100 percent in the moment,” Rose said. “Landed two yards too far and kind of put me in a funny spot where I had a pine cone right next to my ball that I wanted to move. It kind of made me try to chip that a bit of a different way, because I kind of had to use the toe of the club and hit a bit of a hook-chip.”

Yet it may have been the final hole of Amen Corner that Rose will regret most. He gave himself a 40-footer for eagle at the par-5 13th, which would have pulled him alongside McIlroy at 12 under. Instead of making it, a three-putt par further zapped his momentum.

Rose did get up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 15th, but he missed a 3-footer at 17, and his chances of winning were over.

“I was by no means free and clear, and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done, but I was right in position,” Rose said. “I was really in control. First 10 holes I felt like I was — yeah, I was. And the mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done. I was playing great, but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner.”

The majors have caused Rose plenty of heartache over the years. He was second at the British Open in 2024, and third at the PGA Championship earlier in his career. The three runner-up finishes in the Masters have put his name on the large, silver trophy depicting the Augusta National clubhouse, but not in the column that belongs to the winners.

His only major title remains the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.

Rose isn't giving up, though. Far from it.

“I’ve really kind of re-kicked on and re-energized my career and myself, and have a lot of belief in myself that there is a lot of runway ahead,” he said. “These are the tournaments I focus on. These are the tournaments why I practice. These are the tournaments that get me going that sort of extra mile to sort of have to show up and keep being in these great arenas.”

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 12, 2026

Justin Rose rues his miscues through Amen Corner and another lost chance at winning the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Perhaps the only solace Justin Rose can take from another Sundayheartbreak at the Mastersis that he didn’t finish s...

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'Heart ripped out of my chest': Tommy John surgery devastating for Zach Eflin

BALTIMORE —Zach Eflindid not come this far to go right back to the starting line. That’s why, when he felt his elbow seize and his extension vanish not quite four innings into his 2026 season, what came next hit even harder.

"Really," he says, "just felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest."

Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his elbow April 8, eight days after leaving his first start of the season in the fourth inning. His 2026 season will consist of just 11 outs recorded, as he undergoes the grueling rehab thousands of pitchers before him endured.

Yet this elbow reconstruction marks Eflin’s second major surgery in eight months: In August, he underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy, a back procedure that was to sideline him four to eight months.

It was brutal timing: Eflin was set to hit the free agent market in just two months. At the time of his back surgery, he expressed an interest in returning to theBaltimore Orioles, even as he faced major uncertainty undergoing a major procedure at 31.

Yet the Orioles made the reunion happen, signing him in December to a one-year deal that guarantees him $10 million – $2 million coming on a buyout of a $25 million 2027 option.

With trade and free agent acquisitionsShane BazandChris Bassittaboard, Eflin figured to start the year on the IL as he recovered from back surgery. Yet he startled the club with his health and performance in spring and cracked the opening rotation.

"I never felt better in my career before," says Eflin Sunday, April 12 in his first public comments since getting injured. "Some of that had to do with added mobility I gained in spring training, from getting my bone spur out of the back and the herniation fixed."

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Now Eflin, who has won 68 games in 189 career starts, and accumulated 12.9 WAR, wonders if the elbow was ready for such mobility. He was rolling in his start against the Texas Rangers, striking out seven of the 17 batters he’d faced when he felt the elbow seize.

"I had felt amazing for three innings. Then in the fourth inning, it took one pitch," he says. "An up-and-away heater or cutter and it felt like a hamstring cramp in my elbow. Literally I’d never felt anything in my elbow.

"I couldn’t extend my arm. I couldn’t do anything. It’s frustrating, but it’s reality and you’re going to live with it."

His spot in the rotation will likely be taken by right-hander Dean Kremer, the veteran innings-eater who was optioned to Class AAA at the start of the season.

Once again, Eflin expressed a desire for yet another reunion with Baltimore. It makes sense on one level: The club will surely decline his $25 million option, but since they owe him a $2 million buyout, it perhaps enhances the odds they can fold in another year that takes into account his likely absence until roughly midseason in 2027.

Either way, Eflin has an idea the path he’s embarking upon. It’s just a bit devastating that he’s back at square one again so soon.

"Take rehab seriously. Go to war every single day trying to get better," he says. "Continue to lift people up in any way I can. Serve wherever I’m called. At the end of the day, do everything I can to make sure my entire body’s ready the next time I come out.

"Which is what we did this offseason. It’s kind of a head-scratcher for me. I know God’s timing is always perfect and I’ll serve wherever called."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Zach Eflin injury, Tommy John surgery devastating for Orioles pitcher

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 12, 2026

'Heart ripped out of my chest': Tommy John surgery devastating for Zach Eflin

BALTIMORE —Zach Eflindid not come this far to go right back to the starting line. That’s why, when he felt his elbow seize and his exte...

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Man was wounded by ICE officers more than half a dozen times, attorney says

Theman ICE shot two days agoin Northern California "has a long recovery ahead of him" after he was wounded more than half a dozen times, according to his attorney, who visited him at the hospital for the first time Thursday.

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, has had at least three significant operations to patch up his wounds, including a visible one in his face, Patrick Kolasinski, the lawyer representing Mendoza Hernandez and his family, said on a virtual media call following the hospital visit.

According to Kolasinski, Mendoza Hernandez insists that ICE officers who pulled him over opened fired at him first and that that's why he backed up the car.

“He was trying to get away because he’d already been shot at, and he was just scared that he was going to die,” Kolasinski said.

Kolasinski said it's unclear exactly how many bullets struck Mendoza Hernandez because of "what they do when they enter your body."

ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement Tuesday that Mendoza Hernandez “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over. Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public.”

Kolasinski said Mendoza Hernandez told him he thought it was a routine traffic stop when officers pulled him over Tuesday morning while he was on his way to work rehabilitating buildings.

According to Mendoza Hernandez, officers identified themselves as ICE personnel after he handed over his driver's license at their request. Kolasinski said. When the ICE officers told him they were going to take him into custody, Mendoza Hernandez asked to call his wife, Kolasinski said.

"The situation spiraled out of hand," Kolasinski said, after officers kept telling Mendoza Hernandez to step out of his vehicle but he stayed in the car and kept asking to contact his wife. "He was simply saying he wanted to call his wife, and somebody shot him," Kolasinski said.

Awitness dashcam videoobtained byNBC affiliate KCRAof Sacramento shows three officers standing around a stopped car on the side of the road, with one of the officers appearing to be touching its driver-side window.

When the car begins to back up and turn, the officer who was standing by the driver-side window draws his weapon and appears to open fire at the driver. The car quickly hits another car parked behind it. At least two of the agents have weapons drawn, pointing at the car. The driver then pulls forward toward where the officers are standing and turns sharply. The video ends showing the car driving over the roadway median.

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It's not clear from the video, which has no sound, when the shots were fired.

Kolasinski said Mendoza Hernandez told him "he moved backwards, as we see in the video, because he was trying to get away, because he was being shot at. It's not that his movement of the vehicle triggered the shooting, but quite the other way around."

Lyons said the officers conducted a targeted stop because Mendoza was “an 18th Street Gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder.”

Kolasinski and Mendoza Hernandez’s fiancée, Cindy,rebutted the agency’s narrativeat a news conference Wednesday. They said Mendoza Hernandez was never in a gang.

Kolasinski has shared a court document from El Salvador that shows Mendoza Hernandez was acquitted in October 2019 after he was accused of murder. There's no mention in the document that he belonged to a gang or had committed gang activity.

NBC News reached out to DHS about the court documents from El Salvador on Wednesday but didn't receive a response. When NBC News asked DHS on Thursday about Mendoza Hernandez's allegations that ICE shot first, it referred to Lyons' statement Tuesday.

Mendoza Hernandez, a dual citizen of El Salvador and Mexico, came to the U.S. in 2019 following his acquittal. Kolasinski said Thursday that he lacks legal immigration status.

According to Kolasinski, Mendoza Hernandez isn't under arrest or being detained as a suspect. The Justice Department declined to comment on Mendoza's case Thursday.

Kolasinski added that Mendoza Hernandez is expected to be moved out of intensive care later Thursday after having spent most of the past two days unconscious because of medication and “significant pain” from his injuries.

NBC News has reached to the hospital in Modesto where Mendoza Hernandez is being treated but has not received an immediate response.

“We’re very hopeful for his recovery,” Kolasinski said.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 11, 2026

Man was wounded by ICE officers more than half a dozen times, attorney says

Theman ICE shot two days agoin Northern California "has a long recovery ahead of him" after he was wounded more than half a d...

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Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante wins the Hobey Baker Award

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante received the Hobey Baker Award on Friday night, an honor that goes to the nation's top college hockey player.

Plante is the seventh player from that program to win the Hobey Baker and the first since defenseman Scott Perunovich in 2020.

Denver defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and Michigan forward T.J. Hughes were the other finalists.

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Plante, selected in the second round of the 2024 NHL draft by the Detroit Red Wings, had 25 goals and 52 points this season, the most by a Duluth player since the 2011-12 season.

His father, Derek, was a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist in 1993 while at Duluth. Derek Plante played in the NHL from 1993-2001 and is a scout for the Ottawa Senators. They are the second father-son combination to be a finalist, joining North Dakota's Jason Blake in 1999 and Jackson Blake in 2024.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 11, 2026

Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante wins the Hobey Baker Award

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante received the Hobey Baker Award on Friday night, an honor that goes to th...

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