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🏀 Five things to know Wednesday
- The Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs’ night went from bad to worse. Wembanyama left Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round series against the Trail Blazers and was later diagnosed with a concussion, which opened the door for Portland to steal a 106-103 stunner on the road. The series now heads to the Pacific Northwest knotted up at one, which puts the Spurs in a precarious position if their superstar misses time. It makes them one of the night’s losers along with the Celtics, who suffered an upset defeat to the 76ers to level that series, as well. Injuries are also a defining characteristic of the Rockets vs. Lakers series. Kevin Durant returned from his knee issue last night for Game 2 although LeBron James looked like he was still prime King James, and Austin Reaves might be available if the series goes the distance.
- Billy Donovan stepped down from his Bulls job. Despite closing his tenure as the fourth-winningest coach in Bulls history, Donovan finished above .500 just once in six years and elected not to pick up his 2026-27 contract option after a 31-win campaign. Donovan remains highly regarded and, according to Matt Norlander, still has interest in coaching. He was a hot name in North Carolina’s search earlier this month and would likely be the top prize on next year’s college coaching carousel if he wishes to return to that level.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 2026 NBA Clutch Player of the Year. And the reigning MVP might not be done accumulating hardware this season, as he is one of three finalists for the ultimate individual award. It was a runaway in the race for CPOY with Gilgeous-Alexander racking up 96 of the 100 first-place votes to become the fourth winner in the young award’s history. He closed the regular season as the league leader in clutch points (175) despite playing in just 27 clutch games.
- Columbus is the next NWSL expansion city. The ownership group that operates the Browns and Crew will soon field a professional women’s soccer club. The NWSL awarded the Haslam Sports Group the rights to the league’s 18th team — which will debut alongside a new team in Atlanta during the 2028 season — for an expansion fee of $205 million. ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the home of the Crew, will serve as home turf for the new squad.
- Mike Vrabel broke his silence on the photos with Diana Russini. Two weeks have passed since photos of Vrabel hugging and holding hands with the NFL reporter surfaced, and he finally spoke on the matter. The photos and their implications have become one of the most viral stories of the offseason — at an inopportune time for the Patriots as they seek to make headlines with their NFL Draft moves rather than off-the-field controversy.
🏈 Do not miss this: Mike Renner’s final big board and more NFL Draft prep
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It’s NFL Draft eve, and the analysts are stirring, especially Mike Renner. His final ranking of the 250 best prospects in the 2026 class is here. Renner called this the hardest big board he’s put together in more than a decade, and if NFL front offices have that same kind of trouble stacking up the best players, then the next three days could feature a lot of surprises.
It doesn’t take a long look at the rankings to find the first eyebrow-raiser. While the debate about which prospect the Jets will take with the No. 2 pick centers around Arvell Reese and David Bailey, Renner actually has Rueben Bain Jr. ranked above both of them as the best edge rusher in the class. Check out his top five overall prospects:
- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
- Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (Fla.)
- Arvell Reese, EDGE/LB, Ohio State
- Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
- Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
We also have a variety of different lenses through which you can view your last-minute draft prep.
📊 Way-too-early women’s college basketball rankings
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Enough dust has settled from the transfer portal window and WNBA Draft that it is now possible to peer into the window of next season in women’s college basketball. Roster changes shook up the pecking order at the top of the sport in the weeks following UCLA’s national championship run — so much so that the Bruins are not even in the top 15 of our way-too-early rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.
Even though Cori Close has work to do if she is to lead her program to consecutive titles, Isabel Gonzalez says that is a task well within this coach’s abilities.
- Gonzalez: “Timea Gardiner missed this past season due to injury, but she was a significant contributor during the Bruins’ 2024 Final Four run and will now become a veteran leader for a young UCLA roster. Close is also bringing reinforcements from the transfer portal, including Donovyn Hunter from TCU, Bonnie Deas from Arkansas and Elina Aarnisalo, who is returning to UCLA after spending one year at North Carolina.”
A few programs climbed the ladder with impressive showings in the roster-building portion of the offseason. For instance, Oklahoma State, with its acquisition of Audi Crooks, slots in at No. 12. Still, the teams to beat are mostly familiar faces. Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley once again lead the pack. Here’s the top five:
- UConn
- South Carolina
- USC
- Texas
- Michigan
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
⚾ Astros at Guardians, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Orioles at Royals, 2:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ Coppa Italia, semifinal: Lazio at Atalanta, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Blue Jays at Angels, 3:07 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Braves at Nationals, 6:45 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Yankees at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 NBA playoffs: Magic at Pistons, Game 2, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Stanley Cup playoffs: Penguins at Flyers, Game 3, 7 p.m. on TNT
⚽ Atlanta United at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. on FS1
⚽ FC Dallas at Minnesota United FC, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 NBA playoffs: Suns at Thunder, Game 2, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Stanley Cup playoffs: Stars at Wild, Game 3, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
⚽ Real Salt Lake at Inter Miami CF, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Dodgers at Giants, 9:45 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 Stanley Cup playoffs: Ducks at Oilers, Game 2, 10 p.m. on TBS
⚽ Los Angeles Football Club at Colorado Rapids, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV