Sports
Vikings Free Agency Moves Get Instant Verdict from PFF
The Minnesota Vikings free agency might be going at a snail’s pace so far, especially when it comes to incoming players. However, there have been two new players added so far in this year’s Vikings free agency, and Pro Football Focus has had its say.
PFF keeps an up-to-date tracker of every team’s moves in free agency and then gives its verdict on the moves that are made.
PFF Weighed In on Minnesota’s Key Additions Right Away
While some teams have a lot to grade as the league broke the record for most spending over the opening four days, Vikings free agency has been quiet with the $16.125 million spent by Minnesota the least amount spent by any team in the league – a stark contrast to last year when the Vikings were second only to the New England Patriots in FA spending.
In the first week of free agency, the Vikings made sure that Jalen Redmond, Andrew DePaola, and Tavierre Thomas were back in Minnesota for 2026, and also put a right-of-refusal tender on Ivan Pace. Only two new faces have been announced as arriving in Minnesota. The big news at quarterback is Kyler Murray and James Pierre, adding depth to the cornerback room. PFF gave their assessment of these moves.
CB James Pierre signs with the Vikings
Similar to Isaiah Rodgers last year, Pierre turned his best season in the league to date into a good contract from the Vikings. Pierre is a couple of years older than Rodgers, turning 30 in September, but if he can put in the same level of performance as last season as the Vikings’ CB3, that will be a significant improvement in the Vikings’ secondary. Here is what PFF had to say about the move.
- 2025 PFF Grade: 86.2
- 2025 PFF WAR: 0.33
- Contract: 2 years, $8.5 million
- PFF Projected Contract: 1 year, $1.25 million
- PFF Deal Grade: Average
Pierre looked really good in limited work in 2025, earning an 86.2 PFF overall grade on 408 snaps, so this is a worthwhile swing of the bat for the Vikings. It’s a bigger contract than PFF was projecting, but even if all he is is a good depth player, it’s a perfectly reasonable signing. The upside is that if Pierre can continue to improve, as we saw this past season, the Vikings could be getting a starting-caliber cornerback for a steal.
Pierre has never been a consistent starter in the NFL, and it would be unusual for that to start at age 30. The contact looks hefty, with the salary cap continuing to grow year on year, and new FA contracts look big every year. If Minnesota can get a couple of seasons of consistent play out of Pierre, this will have been a good deal.
QB Kyler Murray Signs with Vikings
Who were the Vikings going to bring in at QB? It was the story of the offseason, and it became more and more likely that it was going to be Murray as the weeks went by.
We finally got the confirmation, and Murray lands in Minnesota for one year, hoping to prove he can still be the guy and earn another big contract. Here is what PFF had to say about the deal.
- 2025 PFF Grade: 72.2
- 2025 PFF WAR: 0.55
- Contract: 1 year
- PFF Contract Projection: 1 year, $1.3 million
- PFF Contract Grade: Good
After a trying 2025 season that saw Murray play just five games, he lands in an ideal landing spot with the Vikings. Murray hasn’t been as dynamic over the last three years with a 74.3 PFF passing grade, tossing 48 big-time throws compared to 43 turnover-worthy plays, but he’s still a high-ceiling starter who should push J.J. McCarthy. If Murray plays like peak form, this will look like an absolute bargain.
Some are still pushing the agenda of a QB competition, but it would be a surprise if Murray doesn’t start the season as the Vikings’ QB1. In the situation that Minnesota found itself in, bringing in a player of Murray’s caliber and basically no cost has been a stroke of luck.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
Oscar Schwartau climbed off the bench to fire Norwich to a 2-1 win over Millwall – and do their fierce rivals Ipswich a big favour.
The Lions, who started Easter Monday in second, had taken the lead through substitute Mihailo Ivanovic shortly after half-time.
But a long-range rocket from Pelle Mattsson and Schwartau’s winner condemned them to defeat to give the chasing pack – including Norwich’s East Anglian foes Ipswich – a major boost in the race for automatic promotion.
The Tractor Boys made the opportunity count as they came from behind and boosted their hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Birmingham at Portman Road.
The visitors stuck first through Carlos Vicente, before goals just before the break from Ben Johnson and Kasey McAteer delivered a win that took Ipswich into second, while still having games in hand over Millwall and Middlesbrough.
At the opposite end of the table, Jordan Ayew’s late goal denied Sheffield Wednesday their first home win of the Championship season but it was not enough to drag Leicester out of the relegation zone as they drew 1-1 with the league’s bottom side.
With Wednesday’s demotion having been confirmed for months amid administration, their replacement in the Championship was confirmed on Easter Monday as Lincoln City sealed promotion from League One, returning to the second tier for the first time in 65 years.
Blackburn, meanwhile, kept their third successive clean sheet as they were held to a goalless draw by fellow relegation battlers West Brom.
Following the earlier draw in the relegation dogfight between Portsmouth and Oxford, in which Andre Dozzell’s 87th-minute equaliser saved a point for 10-man Pompey, both sides knew a win would hand a significant boost to their survival chances, but neither were able to capitalise.
There was a play-off boost to be had second-half goals from Jaydon Banel and Carlton Morris earned Derby a comfortable 2-0 win over Stoke to boost their own chances of a top-six finish.
But the same could not be said for Watford, with Charlton indebted to goalkeeper Will Mannion as his heroics helped them record a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.
Charlton manager Nathan Jones revealed after the match that Conor Coady had been taken to hospital after being knocked out by taking Tom Ince’s shot straight to the head, which caused a lengthy stoppage.
An inspired second-half performance from goalkeeper Radek Vitek helped Bristol City make it maximum points from two games under interim head coach Roy Hodgson with a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United at Ashton Gate.
And at Loftus Road, Thierry Small scored an unfortunate own goal to help Queens Park Rangers extend their unbeaten run to four games after a 1-1 draw at Preston.
The Championship’s two top sides are still yet to play later on Easter Monday, with Middlesbrough facing Swansea while leaders Coventry travel to fifth-place Hull.
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In a stunner on the opening day of 2026 WNBA free agency, the Chicago Sky have traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for multiple first-round picks. The Sky will receive the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, while the Dream will also get swap rights to the Sky’s 2028 second-round pick.
Reese, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was named an All-Star in each of her first two seasons while setting rebounding records. She ended last season on poor terms with the Sky, however, and a breakup always seemed to be in the cards even though she told reporters in December that she planned to return to Chicago.
“Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. “We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond. We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”
Late last season, Reese came under significant criticism for an interview she gave to the Chicago Tribune in which she called out the front office, coaching staff and teammates. She eventually apologized, but was suspended for one half of a game. Between that suspension, a league suspension for accumulating too many technical fouls and a back injury, Reese missed the team’s final four games.
“I’m not settling for the same shit we did this year,” Reese said in September. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.
“I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
Now that the first major move of the offseason is complete, let’s grade the trade for both teams:
Dream grade: A
- Atlanta receives: Angel Reese, 2028 second-round pick swap
The offseason has only just begun, and the Dream are already one of the big winners.
After making a number of big moves last winter, including signing Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner — both now free agents — and hiring Karl Smesko as their new coach, the Dream won a franchise-record 30 games and finished second in the league in offensive rating (108.2), defensive rating (98.9) and net rating (plus-9.3).
They were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Fever, however, and that defeat showed that they needed a bit more talent to move from great regular-season team to true playoff contender.
Enter Reese.
While Reese has her weaknesses — interior finishing and turnovers, primarily — she is one of the most exciting young players in the league and made significant strides last season, when she averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals and once again led the league in rebounding.
It remains to be seen what the Dream will do in free agency, particularly in the frontcourt, where it’s hard to imagine both Jones and Griner will be back. Whatever happens, though, the Dream now have a core of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Reese and Te-Hina Paopao, and they will add the No. 13 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
That’s an extremely dynamic group that is going to dominate on the glass and will be a nightmare for other teams to play against. Howard is coming off an All-Defensive Second Team honor and both Gray and Reese were borderline All-Defensive candidates last season.
Plus, best of all for the Dream, they didn’t have to give up much to get Reese. Barring some sort of disaster, they’re going to be a playoff team for the forseeable future, so their 2027 and 2028 firsts will likely be in the teens. If that does end up being the case, that’s nothing for a player of Reese’s caliber.
Sky grade: F
- Chicago receives: Dream’s 2027 first-round pick, Dream’s 2028 first-round pick
What do you even say about the Sky at this point? General manager Jeff Pagliocca’s process continues to be a disaster.
Ahead of last season, the Sky traded the No. 3 pick (Sonia Citron), a 2027 first-round pick swap and a 2027 second-round pick to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Ariel Atkins. Prior to the expansion draft, the Sky sent the No. 17 overall pick in 2026 to the Portland Fire for the No. 21 pick in 2026, and the No. 26 pick in 2026 to the Toronto Tempo in exchange for both expansion teams passing on their unprotected players. Now, they’ve sent Angel Reese and a 2028 second-round swap to the Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
Let’s recap:
- Out: Angel Reese, Sonia Citron, 2027 first-round swap, No. 17 in 2026, No. 26 in 2026, 2027 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick
- In: Ariel Atkins, No. 26 in 2026, Dream’s first-round pick in 2027, Dream’s first-round pick in 2028
That’s absurd. Especially considering that by trading Reese, it greatly increases the odds that they’re going to be worse than the Mystics this season and will have to swap first-round picks. By the way, Atkins is an unrestricted free agent and they don’t have the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft because they owed the Minnesota Lynx a first-round swap in the original deal to acquire Reese prior to the 2024 draft.
The Sky are a combined 23-61 in the last two seasons, and Kamilla Cardoso is the only productive young player they have to show for it. They’ll add the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, which will help, and 2025 first-round pick Ajša Sivka should come over this season, but she’s likely just a role player. Maybe Hailey Van Lith or Maddy Westbeld improve, but neither showed much during their rookie seasons. Unless the Dream fall apart unexpectedly, the firsts they got from Atlanta in 2027 and 2028 are unlikely to provide impact players. Plus, the Sky have not been a free-agent destination.
The future looks bleak in Chicago, and there’s no reason to trust this front office to turn things around. Not only because of the moves they’ve made, but the way they handled the Reese saga late last season.
Reese was in the wrong when she made her comments to the Tribune. Even though she had some valid points, publicly criticizing everyone in the organization, including teammates, is never the right move. But the organization should have handled that situation in-house.
Releasing an over-the-top statement saying the franchise “values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player,” then suspending Reese for one half of a game was bizarre, especially while she was paying through a back injury, and seems to have permanently damaged the relationship with their best and most important player.
Now, just a few months later, the Sky have essentially dumped Reese for a few lottery tickets in the draft and dealt their own rebuild a significant blow.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior praised Barcelona star Lamine Yamal
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior praised Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for publicly condemning anti-Muslim chants in a recent match, saying players need to stick together in the fight against discrimination.
Vinicius spoke Monday, less than a week after Yamal criticized the chants by Spanish fans in Spain’s friendly against Egypt last Tuesday. Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chants were disrespectful and intolerable.
Vinicius, a Brazil international, has been often subjected to racist taunts while playing in Europe and is vocal about the fight against racism. He said “it’s always complicated” to talk about the subject but “these things happen a lot.”
“Hopefully we can continue with this fight,” he said. “It’s important that Lamine speaks about it. It could help others. We are famous, we have money, we can balance these things better, but the poor people and the Blacks who are everywhere, they surely struggle more than we do. So we have to stick together, those who have a stronger voice, the players “
In a Champions League match last month in Lisbon, Vinicius accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a monkey after the Brazil forward celebrated in front of the home fans when he scored for Madrid. Benfica fans insulted Vinicius from the stands.
“I’m not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as well,” Vinicius said. “But if we keep fighting together, I think future players and people in general won’t have to go through this again.”
Vinicius spoke on the eve of the first leg between Madrid and Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Apr 06 2026 | 9:06 PM IST
Aug 25, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts during the second half of a WNBA game against the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Chicago Sky traded two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream on Monday.
In exchange, Chicago receives Atlanta’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and the right to swap second-round picks in 2028.
Reese, 23, led the WNBA in rebounding in each of her first two seasons, averaging 13.1 per game in 2024 and 12.6 last season. Those are the two highest single-season marks in league history.
“This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a release. “Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky. We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond.
“We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”
Reese has recorded 49 double-doubles in 64 career games.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”
The Dream finished 30-14 last season, setting a franchise record for wins. Drafted seventh overall out of LSU in 2024, Reese has averaged 14.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals through her first two seasons.
“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” said Dream general manager Dan Padover. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.”
Reese expressed frustrations with the Sky during last season’s 10-34 campaign.
“I’m not settling for the same s–t we did this year,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune in September. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. “… I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
The Sky suspended her for the first half of their Sept. 7 game due to the comments deemed “detrimental to the team.” Reese ended up sitting out the final four games of the season, reportedly for a back injury. She later apologized to her teammates.
–Field Level Media
Raffaele Palladino was ‘satisfied’ with Atalanta’s 3-0 victory away to Lecce, which put them back in the race for the top four. ‘It was the first of eight finals, we’ll keep climbing that mountain.’
La Dea put themselves right back in the race for a top four finish and return to the Champions League, as they started the final sprint of eight rounds with a 3-0 victory away to Lecce.
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Giorgio Scalvini opened the scoring in the first half at the Stadio Via del Mare, followed by Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori, while Marco Carnesecchi never really had a save to make.
Palladino believes in Atalanta comeback
LECCE, ITALY – APRIL 06: Raffaele Palladino Atalanta BC head coach during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Atalanta BC at Stadio Via del Mare on April 06, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
“This was a game with many hidden dangers, as the first after the break for international duty is always complicated to get everyone back together again,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.
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“It wasn’t easy to prepare for this, the two teams also struggled with the heat as the temperature is changing, so that made the passing too predictable.
“We adjusted as time went on and did well to attack the space. I’m satisfied with the performance, another clean sheet also gives confidence to the defence.
“It was the first of eight Finals, now we must continue our climb up that mountain.”
LECCE, ITALY – APRIL 06: Giacomo Raspadori of Atalanta BC celebrates after scoring his side third goal during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Atalanta BC at Stadio Via del Mare on April 06, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
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If Champions League football and a top four finish seemed improbable when Palladino took over from Ivan Juric in November, the situation is very different now.
Atalanta are within five points of fourth place after Como were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese today.
“We expected Lecce to be aggressive, as this was a decisive match for them, so I liked the maturity shown by my team in dealing with that early strong approach,” continued Palladino.
“We let them have their runs down the flanks with Banda and Pierotti, but blocked off the channels with quality, technique and dynamism.”
Having been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 by Bayern Munich, Atalanta are still in the Coppa Italia semi-final, having drawn the first leg 2-2 with Lazio.
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“Now we have two head-to-head clashes coming up, plus the Coppa Italia semi-final, so I asked the team to raise the bar. Everyone is really involved in this fight,” continued the coach.
“Our DNA is to attack and defend together, the players know how much I care about everyone contributing to the two phases. We need altruism in the final third to find the player in the best position to score, I saw some of that today, and we could’ve won by a wider margin.”
It is not just Como’s draw that represented a boost for Atalanta, but Roma losing 5-2 to Inter also means La Dea are within a point of their former boss Gian Piero Gasperini in sixth.
“Obviously, those results were positive for us, I tried to keep the lads concentrated on our own path. I asked them to finish off this journey by giving their all, then we will see where we end up,” concluded Palladino.
An engaging tale lies behind Blue Door’s name, the talented debutant who conquered the Group 3 $250,000 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Blue Door, a filly by Stay Inside out of Notting Hill, owes her title to a revelation from owner John Singleton.
“My daughter, Jess, was living at Notting Hill in London and I went to visit here last year,” Singleton told Racing And Sports.
“I noticed all the doors in her street were painted blue and when Jess went out, I thought why not paint her door red.
“But when Jess came home, she wasn’t happy and suspected it was me. So, I had to have the door painted blue again.”
At $4.40, Blue Door, raced alongside Singleton’s daughter, prevailed in a battle by half a neck against the fast-closing but unfortunate The Next Episode ($2.80 favourite), followed a length adrift by Under Focus ($5.50) in third.
The preparation by trainer Bjorn Baker stood out, as he opted for only one 900m trial before thrusting the filly into Group 3 company for her career opener.
“We don’t often ask a two-year-old to go straight into a stakes race on debut but she’s very good,” Baker said of Blue Door.
“They don’t often trial like that, as the punters’ will know, and I like them to me there and have a raceday test, we make no secret of that, but the way she did it and the time she ran, she looked to have plenty left.
“She’s shown exceptional ability since we’ve had her. She was a great trial winner and great to win for Singo and the team.
“I’m not sure if he’ll shout the bar today, but I’m going to make the most of it.”
Blue Door earned high acclaim from jockey Rachel King, who sat outside the leader, dominated the straight, and withstood the challenge from The Next Episode, who recovered from last after missing the kick.
“I was a little wary off only one trial, I know she was very impressive in her trial, but we would always like them to have two,” King said.”But her gallop on Tuesday was super so I knew she’d taken plenty of benefit from that trial,
“She tired late the last 50m, but she’s got a great attitude, she’s a real race horse, she wants to win. She’s very professional, she’s got that will to win and wants to find the line.”
Visit premier betting sites to access racing odds for events like the Kindergarten Stakes.
The training operation of Ciaron Maher often yields imported runners excelling in winter with superior staying power.
Mukhtalif, bred in Ireland, wasted no time making his mark Down Under by claiming the Robert Taranto Handicap at 1800m on Caulfield’s track this past Saturday, pointing to a rosy outlook in his fresh environment.
With Ben Allen riding as the $4.60 top pick from the layers, Mukhtalif led the way upfront and held on for a two-length triumph over Figlio D’Argento ($5.50), as Merchant Flyer ($11) was a short half-head back in third.
The gelding had previously notched wins at Newmarket and York, before joining new interests comprising the My Racehorse Syndicate and Jack Turnbull, national assistant to Ciaron Maher. The team has no intention of accelerating the gelding’s program immediately, per Turnbull.
Turnbull outlined intentions to exploit the gelding’s light rating as they incrementally raise his competition standard.
“Whilst he’s fresh, I don’t think we’ll have to rush him up in trip,” Turnbull said.
“There’s an 1800-metre race at Flemington, at the end of the month, April 25, so that was our next possible option if we did win here.
“But we’ll see how he is. He’s not slow, he’s just one of those horses you have to be careful how you ride him.
“He was well bought and hopefully he’s our next progressive winter stayer.”
Despite the wide starting position, Allen pressed on to take up the trail of the second-place finisher before striking the front not long after the bend.
“We didn’t think he would be as forward in the run as he was,” Turnbull said.
“He did a fraction of work to get to where he did, but then he relaxed well for Ben thereafter and had a couple of cheap sectionals and then built.
“He’s the type that can build and once he didn’t get caught out on that tempo, he was able to build and was strong through the line.”
Allen observed that Mukhtalif was still keen to extend despite his dominant win.
“When the others caught up over the line he wanted to go again and it took me a while to pull him up,” Allen said.
Visit betting sites to find racing odds for events akin to the Robert Taranto Handicap.
The international break is coming just a few weeks into the 2026 NWSL regular season, but plenty of players across the league made statements with individual performances before departing for national team duty.
That means it’s time for Attacking Third’s team of the week. It’s not easy to take a 16-team league, comprised of over 400 players, and narrow things down to eleven players, but that doesn’t stop us.
After weekly fixtures across the 2026 NWSL season, Attacking Third analysts will select a team of the week, head coach, and honorary captain based on performances across the weekend. Here you’ll find a mix of highlights of plays, analysis from our experts, and some official Opta stats for you to enjoy.
If you’re keeping track of who made past lineups, check out our previous team of the week.
Now onto the team of the week:
Goalkeeper: Abby Smith (Denver Summit FC)
If Denver is Summit FC, goalkeeper Abby Smith is the whole damn mountain. The goalkeeper made a massive save to keep things scoreless against Seattle, and now leads the league in saves (23) and co-leads in clean sheets (three).
Defender: Janine Sonis (Denver Summit FC)
Eventually, Denver Summit will have to shift draws into wins, but for now, we’re enjoying their strong defensive shifts. Outside back Janine Sonis is back on our team of the week with her repeated efforts to engage in offensive plays and shut down attacks. She led the team in total touches (93), chances created (three), and recoveries (10).
Defender: Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC)
There are no longer questions about who is holding things down for San Diego’s backline, thanks to Kennedy Wesley. The centerback is proving she’s a key component of the Wave’s spine up the pitch, and she even took a bit of punishment over the weekend. She led the team in fouls suffered (five) and winning free kicks, helping the group control a close game against Boston.
Defender: Sarah Gorden (Angel City FC)
Angel City centerback Sarah Gorden was back in the starting lineup after missing a couple of games for player rotation and reminded everyone why she’s a lockdown defender. It’s not an easy task to limit Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda, and yet somehow it looked that way. She led the team in total touches (91) and clearances (six), all while making shot-taking difficult for the opposition.
Defender: Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit)
Despite a scary moment when two teammates collided, Tara Rudd briefly walked away bloodied and returned with a headbandage to help secure the Washington Spirit’s first win of the season. Rudd led the team in clearances (four) and was in the mix shutting down plays, going up for headers, and getting shots on target. A hard-fought victory and a place earned on the team of the week.
Midfielder: Hayley McCutcheon (Orlando Pride)
Sometimes when the goals aren’t coming, your reliable, veteran, deep-lying midfielder just has to put her boot through the ball, and everything will be ok. That’s Orlando Pride’s Hayley McCutcheon, who scored not one, but two goals, including the game winner.
Midfielder: Croix Bethune (Kansas City Current)
Temwa Chawinga’s return to play came with plenty of celebration for Kansas City and neutrals alike. But it was this attacking sequence started by Croix Bethune that earned her a place on the team of the week. A massive lob to switch the build-up in play and helped snap a three-game losing streak.
Midfielder: Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)
There’s nothing worse than a visiting team coming into your house and stealing all the momentum to start the game. Thankfully for the North Carolina Courage, Manaka Matsukubo was there to nail an equalizer and steal back the home-field advantage for a bit.
Forward: Kiki Van Zanten (Houston Dash)
There’s no comeback player of the year or most improved player of the year award in NWSL (yet), but if there were, Kiki Van Zanten would be getting early praise for it. She scored two goals for Houston in their win over Louisville, but what was more impressive was how quickly she got two shots off in the same play. If it doesn’t go in with your right foot, there’s always the left foot.
Forward: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current)
Kansas City may have missed Temwa Chawinga to start the season, but the home crowd really missed celebrating Michelle Cooper’s goals at CPKC Stadium, her first since June 2025. Cooper is the key to unlocking the Current’s attack at times, and other times, she can just create her own shot.
Forward: Ludmila (San Diego Wave)
Brazilian international Ludmila was one of San Diego’s big offseason signings, and she finally has her first goal. She got on the end of a long ball and made her shot count from a difficult angle. As if this Wave team needed more attacking weapons, watch out.
Coach: Seb Hines (Orlando Pride)
Undefeated in four games and heading into the international break on a win, head coach Seb Hines has his team in a solid position and eager for more success. The break is coming at a good time for the Pride to allow some extra rest for Marta, and everyone is hopeful for a not-so-serious injury update on Jacqueline Ovalle. In the meantime, Hines and his crew can manage the next steps when the international break is over.
Honorary captain: Spirit medical staff
A scary head-to-head collision on the pitch between teammates Tara Rudd and Lucia Di Guglielmo led to a concussion substitution for Di Guglielmo and some head bandages for Rudd. Swift reaction bythe medical staff came to the aid, and we honor their efforts with a spot on our team of the week.
IPL 2026: File photo of Sunrisers Hyderabad© BCCI
Sunrisers Hyderabad find themselves in a tricky spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. They have lost two of their three games, and their much-famed batting line-up is yet to fire. The latest loss for the former champions came against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. SRH got off to a horrific start as they were reduced to 26/4 in 7.1 overs. Thanks to fifties from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen, SRH recovered to score 156/9.
In reply, LSG captain Rishabh Pant scored 68* off 50 balls as they chased down the 157-run target in 19.5 overs. The winning run was scored by Pant as he hit Jaydev Unadkat for a boundary. Interestingly, before the ball could reach the boundary, LSG bowler Avesh Khan, in a moment of celebration, hit the ball back into the ground.
While there were calls on social media that Avesh’s act should have resulted in a ‘dead ball’, replays clearly showed that there was no fielder nearby and it was not a case of obstructing the field.
“But there is chatter that Sunrisers may write to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over this episode and also a couple of other instances,” a report on Cricbuzz claimed.
“Sources say the franchise is unhappy with the way Heinrich Klaasen was given out, caught at the boundary line by Phil Salt off Romario Shepherd in their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Similarly, they are not too pleased with the way Abhishek Sharma was given out in their second match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on April 2. It is understood that concerns have also been raised over Varun Chakravarthy’s catch off Blessing Muzarabani at deep square leg.”
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Pro wrestling star Trevor Lee signed a deal with Major League Wrestling (MLW) and will continue performing with the company as the Southern Crown champion.
Lee, who wrestled in WWE as Cameron Grimes, returned to MLW for sporadic appearances after he was released. He faced off against Mistico at MLW Eric Bischoff’s One Shot, appeared at Battle Riot VIII in January and a handful of Fusion tapings.
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Trevor Lee gets the crowd riled up during a Major League Wrestling show. (Major League Wrestling)
He won the MLW Southern Crown Championship in a Bunkhouse Stampede match against Andrew Everett, Beastman, Diego Hill, Festus, Ikuro Kwon, Jesus Rodriguez, Josh Bishop, Matthew Justice and Paul Walter Hauser.
“I’m just excited to be able to really kind of do anything,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “You know, these past couple of years, I’ve been kind of waiting on a good opportunity and I feel like MLW is kind of presenting that opportunity. I really liked the ability to be able to work with CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), to be able to work with New Japan.
“So, it’s really cool to see what’s going to come out of this.”
Lee is among former WWE wrestlers who have joined MLW over the last few years. Matt Riddle, Killer Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Shotzi Blackheart, Donovan Dijak, Bishop Dyer, Austin Aries, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Priscilla Kelly and several others have all competed in WWE at one point or another.
PRO WRESTLING STARS KILLER KROSS, SCARLETT BORDEAUX TALK ‘VERY SIMPLE DECISION’ TO WORK IN MLW AGAIN
It also helps that MLW founder Court Bauer has a WWE background as well.
“I think what really entices me to want to work with MLW is that they do have a great production,” Lee explained. “When you watch the product, it looks good. The crowds are big, the crowds are loud. That’s really kind of all you’re asking for, especially when you kind of take a step down.
“MLW isn’t WWE, but they’re not an indie either. They’re right there. So, it’s nice to be able to be at a place that can represent you well, show you well, and also give you a good batch of talent to work with as well with so many different companies that can come through there.”
Lee, 32, said he wanted to keep showing the pro wrestling world that he can still perform at a high level.
Major League Wrestling’s Trevor Lee seen in action during a show. (Major League Wrestling)
“I just want to be able to show that I’m more than just like a comedy promo act. I can have these elite tier matches and that’s really what my goal is with MLW – to see how far we can go,” he said.
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He said he hoped to be able to square up with Aries, Riddle, Dijak as well as CMLL and New Japan competitors.
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