Jacob Wilson's solo homer (9)
Brady Tkachuk On His Brother's Second Stanley Cup Win: 'Hopefully, the Next Step Is Winning (Olympic) Gold With Him'
For the second year in a row, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was in the thick of a Stanley Cup celebration as a proud brother. Brady had said at the end of the season he had planned to follow Matthew's playoff run from afar this year, but as the sting of elimination faded, he obviously had a change of heart and wanted to be there for his brother.
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Fox News
23 minutes ago
- Fox News
Caitlin Clark has rare shooting woes as Fever fall to Valkyries following fiery Sun matchup
The Indiana Fever did not have to come to Caitlin Clark's defense this time, but the Golden State Valkyries did not make it easy on her on Thursday night. Clark, coming off a game that involved a lot of extracurricular activity after the whistle between herself and the Connecticut Sun, was not her usual sharp-shooting self in the Fever's 88-77 loss to the Valkyries on the road. Clark shot just 3-of-14 from the field, including her seven failed three-point attempts going through the hoop, as the Fever ended up blowing a 13-point lead in this game to fall to 6-6 on the year. Clark tallied 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while turning the ball over six times to Golden State. While Clark struggled from beyond the arc, her teammates did not fare that much better. As a team, the Fever shot just 8-of-29 from three-point land, with Sophie Cunningham, who had been dubbed Clark's "bodyguard" on the court after the previous game against the Sun, being the only one to hit more than one of her attempts. Meanwhile, the Valkyries, led by Kayla Thornton's 16-point night with five three-pointers, now own the same 6-6 record. Golden State also saw major contributions off the bench, with Tiffany Hayes (14 points, five assists, three rebounds), Chloe Bibby (12 points, three rebounds, one assist) and Laeticia Amihere (10 points, three rebounds, three assists) all helping their team overcome a double-digit deficit in the end. For Indiana, Aliyah Boston led the team with 17 points, while Kelsey Mitchell (16 points) and Natasha Howard (13 points) all landed in double digits in that category. However, turnovers played a large factor in the Fever losing their lead, as the Valkyries forced 17 total while committing just seven. This uncharacteristic performance from Clark specifically comes after getting poked in the eye and being shoved to the ground in a very physical WNBA Commissioner's Cup game against the Sun on Tuesday night. Clark was being guarded by Jacy Sheldon when the Sun guard poked her in the eye, and the Fever superstar retaliated by pushing her away. That led to the Sun's Marina Mabrey running over and shoving Clark to the ground while her back was turned. A skirmish broke out, but it would not be the end for both teams. Later in the game, Cunningham wrapped up Sheldon while she was trying to score a basket in the fourth quarter, and it escalated to the point when both players got ejected after their physical altercation underneath the hoop. Indiana ended up winning the game, 88-71, with Clark totaling 20 points and six assists. It was just her second game since returning from injury. However, this certainly is not the way Clark or the Fever wanted to respond after that chippy game against the Sun. Their next opportunity to get back in the win column will be Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Miami Herald
33 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
‘I ain't ... leaving,' Panthers' Sam Bennett says at Miami nightclub celebration
The Florida Panthers continued their Stanley Cup championship celebration Thursday night into Friday morning by traveling south to Miami for a night at E11even, a world-famous nightclub where they also partied after their first title a year ago. Amid the frenzied party — which included Sam Reinhart climbing a stripper pole, Brad Marchand crowd surfing and, yes, plenty of booze flowing — a key player might have revealed big news regarding his future with the team. Center Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoffs MVP and is slated to become a free agent on July 1, told the crowd from the main stage that he intends to stay with the team long-term. 'I ain't [expletive] leaving!' Bennett proclaimed to the crowd partying with the team. Now, nothing is official on a deal just yet, but Bennett is a player the Panthers are prioritizing bringing back. He has been an identity player for the franchise during the past few years with his combination of physicality and scoring touch embodying the exact style of play Florida has been honing for three years under coach Paul Maurice. His stellar postseason — he led the league with 15 goals while also finishing second with 107 hits — made for the case that his price tag could skyrocket if he chooses to test the open market. But Bennett has found a home in Florida and saw a career resurgence here. After struggling to take off to start his career with the Calgary Flames, Bennett thrived when given an expanded opportunity with the Panthers. Bennett has put up 196 points (95 goals, 101 assists) over 289 regular-season games while laying out 616 hits and blocking 151 shots. In the playoffs, Bennett has 29 goals and 59 points in 77 career games for the Panthers. For comparison, Bennett had just 140 points (67 goals, 73 assists) in 402 games in Calgary. He also knows their window to contend for titles is still wide open. 'It's harder than I ever imagined to win the Stanley Cup once and twice was even harder,' Bennett said Tuesday after Florida secured the win. 'It's a huge honor to be a part of this group. I'm not going to take it for granted. I love being here, and I love this team. It's a remarkable team to be part of, just from the whole the staff to the players to the management, owner, the coaches, like truly, everyone is world class here.' And if he holds true to his word from Thursday night, he's not going anywhere. In addition to Bennett, Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are Florida's other key players set to enter free agency. The Panthers only have $19 million in cap space, but president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said he sees a path where all three could be re-signed. Meanwhile, for a glimpse of how things went down at E11ven, look below. The party will surely continue throughout town over the next couple days before the team's official parade on Sunday.
New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
2025 NBA Draft: Knicks have the 50th pick. Who could they select?
As we await the blue-and-orange smoke to reveal itself above Madison Square Garden, signaling the New York Knicks have hired a new head coach, let's quickly turn our attention to the 2025 NBA Draft. New York has the 50th pick Wednesday, which isn't sexy. But the franchise has come a long way from the days of draft night being the most exciting viewing experience of the season. Nothing wrong with a little give and take. Advertisement Given the Knicks' financial situation, landing a veteran college player who could contribute on the floor immediately with their lone selection would be a home run. It also might behoove New York to get someone it can draft-and-stash for a later date. Both options make sense for this iteration of the Knicks. With less than a week until the annual event, here are five names New York could potentially land at pick No. 50. From January 1 until the end of the regular season, the Knicks ranked 20th in 3-point percentage. You can never have too much shooting. *Enter Brea* The 22-year-old is probably the best 3-point shooter in the draft. Well, not probably. Brea is the best 3-point shooter in the draft. He spent his first four college seasons playing at Dayton, where, as a senior, he knocked down a berserk 49.8 percent of his 3s (on 6.1 attempts per game). In his final college season with Kentucky, Brea made 43.5 percent of his 3s (5.9 attempts per game). Brea has good footwork, which should allow him to be a good movement shooter at the next level. He's got long arms and a quick release. Brea also is a smart player in the half court and can catch you by surprise with some of his passes. The reason Brea will go late in the draft is likely due to his age, lack of athleticism and defensive struggles. However, if the Knicks can get someone who can come in, eat up seven to 10 minutes per game, make open shots and get paid like a second-round pick, that would be very beneficial to their roster construction. "HE HAS BEEN A FLAMETHROWER FOR KENTUCKY!" 🔥 Koby Brea is up to 21 PTS after his third triple 📈#MarchMadness @KentuckyMBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2025 Splitting his time between three different colleges, Peavy showed to be a quick-twitch athlete at the college level who should be physically ready for the NBA on Day 1. He's a big, strong physical wing who makes his presence felt when in transition and going downhill. He's also an active and smart cutter. Defensively, Peavy can guard multiple positions and, while he tends to be aggressive, he does have good timing and instincts. Advertisement As it pertains to Peavy as a shooter, I have good and bad news. The good news is that he improved from 3-point distance every year. Peavy rarely even attempted 3s during his first four collegiate seasons, and he also rarely ever made the ones he did take. In his final season, Peavy knocked down 40 percent of his 4.1 attempts per game. He has shown great growth in that area of his game. The bad news is that he never shot better than 66 percent from the free-throw line in college, leaving some scouts I talked to with questions on if his touch as a shooter will translate to the NBA. Peavy has flaws, which is why he'll likely go somewhere in the range that the Knicks are selecting. However, his physical tools, defensive chops and potential improvements as a shooter are worth looking into. Unlike Brea and Peavy, Pate would be a bit more of a project. He's a big guard who isn't built like most 19-year-old players and already has professional experience. The thing that sticks out most to me when watching Pate is the blend of craftiness and explosion he can put on display when attacking the rim. When he gets a full head of steam, with his size, it's tough for defenders to stay in front of him. On top of that, he can stop on a dime. He can pull off up-and-unders in traffic. There's some good stuff there. Pate's offensive game really pops in transition. He loves to get out and run. He had some fierce finishes at the rim during the G League season. The shooting, though, has a long way to go. Pate's release is a bit funky. His feet aren't ever square to the basket, and it's almost like he's turning his body 90 degrees before releasing the ball. Teams will need to really work with him there. Overall, though, Pate is young, athletic and has some skill to him. He certainly could be worth a flyer for a team that is already filled with veteran pieces. Dink Pate gets the first bucket of the 2025 #NBADraftCombine! @CapitanesCDMX — NBA G League (@nbagleague) May 14, 2025 Watkins, a CAA client, is tough. He likes to defend. He isn't afraid of contact. He likes to get out in transition. Watkins has a 6-foot-11 wingspan and isn't afraid to use it on either side of the floor. I don't think Watkins does anything great, but he does a lot of stuff well. A few scouts I talked to call him a well-rounded second-round prospect who they view as a safe pick around the area New York is selecting. Watkins is a solid rebounder for his size. He's not a bad passer either. He does take tough shots sometimes and averaged way too many 3s last season (5.2) for someone who has been a below-average 3-point shooter throughout college. There's a reason he's slotted to go somewhere between Nos. 40 to 55. Advertisement It wouldn't surprise me if Watkins ended up in a team's rotation as a rookie. Again, he plays tough and has good size. He can make plays with the ball or without it. Watkins just needs to work on his shot selection and work really hard to develop his shooting, both stationary and off the dribble. If Sanders' 3-point shooting popped a bit more, I think he would be going much earlier than where he is projected to get drafted. He's a smooth, big guard who played point guard throughout his college career. Sanders has good footwork, and he's patient and crafty in the pick-and-roll. Sanders reminds me a bit of Kyle Anderson, or a very, very poor man's version of Cade Cunningham. Sanders' offensive game is very deliberate, predicated on footwork, and he uses his big frame. The biggest knock on Sanders, who started his college career at Cal Poly, is his lack of athleticism. He won't blow past anyone off the dribble. He won't win a foot race in transition. He also may have issues staying in front of quicker players at the next level. Yet, all of those things were said about Anderson when he came into the NBA, and 11 years later, he's still going. I'm a fan of Sanders. (Writer's note: I'm a sucker for big, slow guards whose success relies on fundamentals and footwork.) I'm not saying Sanders is for sure going to be an impactful NBA player. I'm just saying I tend to believe in players with a high IQ and good fundamentals figuring out how to stick around more than I do athletic players with a low IQ. Sanders lands in the former group. (Photo of Dink Pate of G League Ignite: Cooper Neill / NBAE via Getty Images)
