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Brittney Griner signing with Connecticut Sun ahead of move to Houston

Brittney Griner is going to get the chance to play in front of her hometown crowd in Houston.

USA TODAY Sports

She'll just have to wait one more season.

According tomultiple reportsFriday evening, the 10-time WNBA All-Star is signing a seven-figure, multi-year deal with the Connecticut Sun. This will be the last season the team plays in Uncasville, Connecticut, before relocating to Houstonfollowing a sale to the Fertitta family.

Griner, 35, joins the Sun after spending one season with the Atlanta Dream, where she averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.8% from the floor.

The 6-foot-9 Baylor product has had a decorated WNBA career and spent her first 11 professional seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where she won a championship playing alongside Diana Taurasi in 2014. Griner is a six-time All-WNBA selection, a seven-time All-Defense selection and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

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<p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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" /> <p style=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.

Griner has led the WNBA in scoring twice and has been the league’s leader in blocked shots in eight seasons. She needs just 18 blocks to pass Margo Dydek for the most all-time in WNBA history.

Her 55.8% mark from the floor is also the third best career shooting percentage in WNBA history, trailing only Sylvia Fowles and Crystal Langhorne.

Griner had a prime season of her career taken from her in 2022 when she was wrongfully detained in a Russian prison for nearly 10 months. In the season before her arrest, she was second in MVP voting to Jonquel Jones.

Aside from her accomplishments in the WNBA, Griner won a national championship with Baylor in 2013 and was twice named National Player of the Year while playing for Kim Mulkey’s Lady Bears. She also owns three Olympic gold medals while playing for Team USA.

In Connecticut, Griner will team up with a young core of Saniyah Rivers, Aneesah Morrow, Aaliyah Edwards, LeĂŻla Lacan and Diamond Miller — the latter of whom the team recently traded for.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:WNBA star Brittney Griner signing with Connecticut Sun

Brittney Griner signing with Connecticut Sun ahead of move to Houston

Brittney Griner is going to get the chance to play in front of her hometown crowd in Houston. She'll just have to wait one mor...
Lots of players rest and lots of playoff seeds are locked up on a 15-game Friday in the NBA

The Oklahoma City-Denver game could have starred the NBA's two most recent MVPs: the reigning one in Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a three-time winner in Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic.

Associated Press San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, center right, greets fans after an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Friday, April 10, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate) Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, front, confers with referee Zach Zarba in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Friday, April 10, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) From left, Oklahoma City Thunder players Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe look on from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Friday, April 10, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Mavericks Spurs Basketball

Except they both sat out. They weren't alone.

All the other regular starters for the Thunder and Nuggets were ruled out, too. And around the league, no fewer than 168 players — including 14 members of the Memphis Grizzlies, who used only six players ina blowout loss at Utah— were held out on Friday night because of injuries or illnesses.

Every team in the league was playing game 81 — the next-to-last game — of their seasons on Friday night. They're all off Saturday, and then all teams play again Sunday to close the regular season.

Some teams had something to play for Friday. Some did not. Sometimes, that didn't seem to matter.

“If we didn’t clinch (the No. 1 overall seed) coming into tonight, everybody would be playing,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told reporters before the game. “We’ve earned the right through 80 games to manage their bodies and stuff like that.”

Oklahoma City already had the No. 1 seed for the entirety of the postseason wrapped up, so rest and health appear to be the priority for the Thunder.

The Nuggets entered Friday still having seeding to play for, and in Jokic's case,there's still award eligibility to obtain.He needs to play in one more game, which would have to be Sunday if he's going to get on the ballot for MVP, All-NBA and other awards.

“We're all aware of that,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters before the game, then said postgame that “an adult conversation” would be had on Saturday about the best course of action.

Some players got to award eligibility with a few extra minutes to spare.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, needing to play 20 minutes to reach the 65-game standard and be eligible for postseason awards, was taken out after hitting exactly that number of minutes — then went back into the game, evidently having persuaded the Spurs that he needed a bit more on-court work.

He finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assistsin 26 minutes.

“If I had 65 (games) before, I for sure wouldn't have played,” Wembanyama said.

Said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson: “We need as much on-the-job training, on-the-court experience together as we can. That's what we're trying to do without overdoing it.”

There was also a record shooting effort on Friday.Boston made 29 3-pointers,tying the record for 3s in a game. It was the fourth time in NBA history a team made 29, and the second time this week after Memphis did it on Monday in a loss to Cleveland.

“Hopefully, we didn't use them all up in one game,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Play-in dress rehearsal for Warriors?

Not everybody was resting for the playoffs.

Golden State was building for the postseason — or, at least, what it hopes will be a playoff run. The Warriors are going to the play-in tournament and tuned up by getting Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup together for the first time this season.

“We’ll just take a look at that tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Golden State played Sacramento. “We have a season full of data and film on some of the combinations. But some of decisions we have to make, there’s no data. It’s just kind of a hunch so we have give some of that a look tonight.”

Jazz and Grizzlies combine to use 13 players

Utah — a team that seems to have spent the season ensuring it would have a bottom-four record to guarantee a top-eight draft pick — used seven players in its 147-101 win over Memphis, and was the deeper team.

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Memphis had only six players.

It wasn't the game of the year, to put it mildly.

“Congrats to the Jazz,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “They played a really good game. Shot the ball really well. We knew we had limited bodies going into this game. Guys gave everything they had, but you could see they were extremely fatigued.”

Jazz coach Will Hardy called the game a great way to end Utah's home schedule.

“Just a fun night,” Hardy said.

Playoff picture becomes clearer

Atlantabecame the 11th teamto grab one of the 12 guaranteed playoff spots, rolling past a Cleveland team that sat Donovan Mitchell.

“It feels great,” guard CJ McCollum said after the Hawks clinched either the No. 5 or No. 6 spot in the East. “The guys did a great job of rallying together.”

In other playoff-related news:

— Boston secured No. 2 in the East, behind No. 1 Detroit (which had previously clinched).

— New Yorklocked up No. 3in the East.

— Cleveland is certain to be No. 4 in the East after that loss to the Hawks.

— Atlanta knows it will be in the playoffs, either as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.

— Charlotte will be in the play-in tournament after falling to Detroit.

— Orlando will be in no worse than the 7-vs.-8 play-in game in the East.

— Miami is locked into the 9-vs.-10 play-in game in the East.

— Portland beat the Los Angeles Clippers, giving the Trail Blazers the inside track to the No. 8 seed in the West. The Clippers would have wrapped up No. 8 with a victory, and now need help Sunday to avoid being No. 9. The difference? The teams in the 7-vs.-8 game get two chances to win one game and make the playoffs. The 9-vs.-10 teams have to win two elimination games to advance. “It's a very important win,” Blazers star Deni Avdija said.

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

Lots of players rest and lots of playoff seeds are locked up on a 15-game Friday in the NBA

The Oklahoma City-Denver game could have starred the NBA's two most recent MVPs: the reigning one in Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Al...
Quinta Brunson breaks down Janine and Gregory's relationship cliffhanger on “Abbott Elementary” (exclusive)

Warning: This article contains spoilers fromAbbott Elementaryseason 5, episode 19, "Trip."

Entertainment Weekly Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'Credit: Disney/Gilles Mingasson

Quinta Brunsonknows thatAbbott Elementaryfans will be upset after Wednesday's episode, but she's not making any apologies.

"I don't even want to say I'm sorry," the show's creator and star tellsEntertainment Weekly. "We're all going to go on a nice sun ride with each other [after this], right?"

That remains in question after fans watched Janine (played by Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) teeter on the brink of ending their relationship afterseasons of waiting for them to finally get together.

In the episode aptly titled "Trip," the newly cohabitating couple find themselves unexpectedly at odds while planning a couple's trip. Just when they've finally landed on the Outer Banks as their destination, the itinerary proves to be a continuing source of obstacles between them. First, it's the question of whether to stay at a hotel or an Airbnb — which ends with a compromise of sourcing a B'n'B — only for the mode of transportation to prove truly insurmountable.

Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams on 'Abbott Elementary'Credit: DISNEY/Gilles Mingasson

Although Gregory's inflexibility when it comes to choosing between taking a flight to the Outer Banks versus driving there is expected of the first-grade teacher, it's Janine's refusal to stand down that might be surprising for some fans. But maybe it shouldn't, Brunson reasons.

"This is a girl who has, over the years, learned to stand up for what she wants and to not compromise as much," the Emmy winner points out. "We talked about that a lot in the [writers'] room. Her learning, especially with a trip — there was a trip she wanted to take a few seasons ago and she was going to compromise for the sake of her mother and she learned not to do that. So she's trying to exercise that. She's trying to exercise her wants and getting what she needs."

And who couldn't respect the way Janine confronted Gregory about his less-than-compromising compromise of deciding they should go to Atlantic City instead of the Outer Banks?!

But between Janine's hard-won backbone and Gregory's doggedness, the episode-long back and forth ends with the unthinkable; the argument about their contrasting ideas for vacation ends with Janine suggesting that maybe, in light of their difficultly, they should break up.

This is why they say you should take a vacation before you move in together!

Despite the surety that fans would be sent into a tizzy over that emotional cliffhanger, Brunson shared that the fight was something she and the sitcom writers were excited about seeing played out.

"I think [we were excited] because Jeanine and Gregory are two characters we know very well, and more than anything, two characters wethinkwe know very well. So we think we know their relationship. We feel settled with it," she says. "But I think as with any relationship, the inside has its own dynamics. And I thought that they've been in such an easy ride since they got together, it was interesting to all of us to see some different layers there."

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Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'Credit: Disney/Gilles Mingasson

Brunson says she and the writers posed the question of what could be under the surface of Janine and Gregory's relationship to be unearthed, leading to their trials and tribulations on Wednesday.

"Gregory and Janine haven't had this kind of conflict yet," she adds. "So now it's like, what happens when these two developed characters — who have learned a lot of lessons and have done a lot of growing up — come to this kind of point in their relationship?"

But the actress notes that the fight between Janine and Gregory wasn't created simply for the sake of it; it also served as a "moment of growth" for Gregory. "I think that Gregory is a really solutions-based character, and I feel like he's like, 'I provided the solution. That's it.' And that's not always the case when it comes to our interpersonal relationships," she says. "I think that's true for all relationships, romantic, work relationships, and friendships. You really want to try to find something that actually works for both people, and that's just not always easy to do."

Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'Credit: Gilles Mingasson/Disney

It was also a moment of challenge for Brunson and Williams behind the scenes. "We've been doing this for a long time now and you kind of get used to being able to play certain things with your character," Brunson says. "We're used to playing with the kids, we're used to playing nice and fun, and we're used to playing dramatic in other elements, but this was a new challenge for him and I as actors."

"It's kind of fun," the actress adds, laughing. "It's the stuff that makes you feel like you're back in acting class, your character, a new element throne at it, something new to develop. Who is Gregory in this moment? Who is Janine in this moment? And it's fun, honestly, as actors. This last episode and the one where they move in with each other were both episodes where Tyler and I felt a challenge in how we do these things to make sense."

Brunson shares that the challenge went beyond just her and Williams — even the episode's director and supervising director, Razan Ghalayini and Randall Einhorn, respectively, held "a longer tone meeting than usual."

"We really took the time to be like, how is this going to feel? This is a monumental moment for these two characters, as well as our writer of this episode, Ava Coleman," Brunson says. "I felt like we had a two-part tone meeting, which we very rarely do, because this is a big moment. And then on set, same. We took more time to shoot these scenes than we normally would because we really wanted to feel it out in rehearsal and feel it out in the direction."

Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary'Credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC via Getty Images

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She continues, "There were smaller elements like Razan choosing to shoot farther away rather than in closeups in certain scenes. Sometimes it was like, 'Oh, we need to be a bit further away for this because even our camera crew in the show doesn't feel like they should be this close to this discussion. This is between these two characters.' So it was a fun challenge for all of us."

Hopefully the knowledge that the crew behind the cameras were working hard to bring the drama will make any fans feeling personally victimized by the cliffhanger ending of Wednesday's episode feel better!

Abbott Elementaryairs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET onABC.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Quinta Brunson breaks down Janine and Gregory's relationship cliffhanger on “Abbott Elementary” (exclusive)

Warning: This article contains spoilers fromAbbott Elementaryseason 5, episode 19, "Trip." Quinta Brunsonknows thatAbbo...
Jayson Tatum scores 24 for Celtics in 1st game at Madison Square Garden since Achilles injury but Knicks win, 112-106

In his first game at Madison Square Garden sincesuffering a torn Achillesin last year’s NBA playoffs, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points in the Boston Celtics’ 112-106 loss over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

Yahoo Sports

The Knicks held a 72-59 lead at the 6:56 mark of the third quarter before Boston surged ahead with a 24-9 run to take a two-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics went ahead 89-83 on consecutive 3-pointers by Baylor Scheierman and Tatum before the Knicks tied the score at 92-92 after scoring seven unanswered points.

From there, Boston took the lead three times and the Knicks tied the score before finally going ahead 99-98 on a Karl-Anthony Towns 3-pointer. The lead changed four more times before New York went up 109-104 on a free throw from Jalen Brunson and 3-pointer by Josh Hart. After Nikola Vučević rebounded in a missed 3 by Peyton Pritchard, Hart followed up with the dagger from long-range for the final margin.

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Hart finished with a game-high 26 points, followed by 25 and 10 assists from Brunson. Towns added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who improved their record to 52-28 to keep hold onthe third seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics played without leading scorer Jaylen Brown, whosat out with tendinitisin his left Achilles tendon with the team playing the first of back-to-back games. Boston hosts the New Orleans Pelicans (26-54) at TD Garden on Friday.

This story will be updated with more information.

Jayson Tatum scores 24 for Celtics in 1st game at Madison Square Garden since Achilles injury but Knicks win, 112-106

In his first game at Madison Square Garden sincesuffering a torn Achillesin last year’s NBA playoffs, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points in ...
Daniel Hauser, Wisconsin edge North Dakota to reach Frozen Four final

Wisconsin scored twice in a 27-second span in the first period and Daniel Hauser made 21 saves en route to a 2-1 win over No. 2 North Dakota on Thursday in the first Frozen Four semifinal at Las Vegas.

Field Level Media

Simon Tassy and Ryan Botterill netted the quick-fire goals for the Badgers (24-12-2), who shrugged off North Dakota's last-minute tally to move within one win of their seventh national championship and first since 2006.

The Badgers will face Denver in the final on Saturday after the Pioneers edged No. 1 Michigan 4-3 in double overtime later Thursday night.

Hauser outdueled North Dakota's Jan Spunar (35 saves) in a battle of freshman goalies, making 12 stops in the second period. Spunar and the Fighting Hawks (29-10-1) shut out both Merrimack and Quinnipiac in the Sioux Falls, S.D., regional to reach the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016.

For North Dakota, Ellis Rickwood broke Hauser's shutout bid with 51.8 seconds left in regulation.

Wisconsin finished with a dominant 37-22 advantage in shots and went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Hauser set the tone for a Wisconsin-dominated first period 4:24 in, stopping North Dakota's first shot on goal of the game when Tyler Young slipped a pass from behind the net to set up a point-blank chance for Cody Croal.

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Denting the scoreboard first at 12:54, Tassy stepped into a wrist shot as he slid down into the right circle and received Vasily Zelenov's feed out of a battle in the corner.

Botterill doubled the Badger lead at 13:21. Defenseman Ben Dexheimer -- whose overtime game-winner was the difference against Michigan State in the Worcester, Mass., regional -- made a diagonal feed out of his own end to Botterill, who broke in at the blue line and beat two defenders for a shot that trickled five-hole on Spunar.

After being outshot 18-4 in the opening stanza, North Dakota pressured out of the first intermission, and Hauser made a key stop on Will Zellers' partial breakaway early in the second.

Wisconsin also killed off a two-man disadvantage for 1:57 before the halfway mark of the second period before the Badgers' Oliver Tulk made up for a defensive-zone turnover with a perfect diving backcheck to disrupt Ollie Josephson's potential try in the final minute.

One of North Dakota's best chances in the third came with 8:30 left and while short-handed, as Cole Reschny cut through two defenders and clanked a backhand shot off the crossbar.

With Spunar pulled for an extra attacker, Dylan James' wraparound attempt found the stick of Rickwood in front for a point-blank wrist shot goal atop the crease, but the Fighting Hawks got no closer than 2-1.

--Field Level Media

Daniel Hauser, Wisconsin edge North Dakota to reach Frozen Four final

Wisconsin scored twice in a 27-second span in the first period and Daniel Hauser made 21 saves en route to a 2-1 win over No. 2 North D...
Sia Seemingly Mocks Ex-Husband After Custody Settlement

Siaseemingly took a jab after new details surfaced about her custody settlement andchild supportagreement with her estranged husband,Daniel Bernad. The singer famously keeps her private life out of the spotlight, but she took to social media after reports claimed she would pay a large monthly amount for their young son as part of a joint custody deal. On April 8, Sia posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) that many readers interpreted as a swipe at Bernad, writing, “good dads get jobs.”

Sia seemingly reacts to custody settlement update in scathing tweet

After the post,PEOPLEreported that Sia agreed to pay Daniel Bernad $42,500 a month in child support for their 2-year-old son, Somersault “Summi” Wonder Bernard, under a jointcustody settlement. Moreover, the outlet reported that the payments started on April 1 and will go on until the child turns 18, or longer under certain school conditions. Sia will reportedly also cover private school tuition, extracurricular activities, and health insurance.

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Thesingerallegedly filed for divorce from Bernad in March 2025 after getting married in 2022 and welcoming their son the following year. She later added more context in anotherposton X, writing, “I’m a sober working mom trying to buy peace,” and adding, “I have primary custody of our son and since I am the only parent earning income I still have to pay California’s incredibly high child support.” In the same thread, she further described the past year as extremely difficult and ended with, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”

As perPEOPLE, Bernad asked the court for sole legal and physical custody settlement in October and accused Sia of substance issues. However, the singer denied those claims in court filings and said she had stayed sober. A judge reportedly later denied Bernad’s request for sole custody.

The postSia Seemingly Mocks Ex-Husband After Custody Settlementappeared first onReality Tea.

Sia Seemingly Mocks Ex-Husband After Custody Settlement

Siaseemingly took a jab after new details surfaced about her custody settlement andchild supportagreement with her estranged husband,Daniel...
North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday its testing spree this week involved various new weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads, as it pushes to expand nuclear-capable forces aimed at rival South Korea.

Associated Press A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea Koreas Tensions

The report by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected North Koreafiring multiple missilesfrom an eastern coastal area in its second round of launches in two days.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the tests lasted three days starting Monday and also included demonstrations of anti-aircraft weapons, purported electromagnetic weapons systems and carbon-fiber bombs.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles launched Wednesday flew 240 to 700 kilometers (150 to 434 miles) before falling into the sea, and that it also detected at least one projectile launched Tuesday from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said none of the weapons fired Wednesday entered waters within its exclusive economic zone, while the U.S. military said the North Korean launches on Tuesday and Wednesday posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies.

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KCNA said the latest tests included demonstrations of cluster-munition warhead systems mounted on the nuclear-capable Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles, which resemble Russia’s Iskander missiles in their design for low-altitude, maneuverable flight to evade missile defense systems. The report said the launches confirmed that the short-range missile, when armed with such warheads, “can reduce to ashes any target covering an area of 6.5-7 hectares (16 to 17.2 acres) with the highest-density power.”

Jang Do-young, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a briefing that the military was analyzing the launches while sharing information with U.S. and Japanese counterparts, but declined to provide specific assessments about the North’s claims of progress in its military capabilities.

The launches underscored continuing tensions between the Koreas, blunting South Korean hopes for warmer relations.

In a statement Tuesday night, Jang Kum Chol, a first vice minister at Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, said South Korea would always remain the North’s “most hostile enemy state” and mocked Seoul’s liberal government for seeking to reviverestore long-stalled dialogue, calling its officials “world-startling fools.”

North Korean leaderKim Jong Unhas suspended virtually all diplomacy with Seoul and Washington since the collapse of his nuclear talks with President Donald Trump in 2019, and has since accelerated the development of nuclear-capable missiles that threaten U.S. allies in Asia as well as the U.S. mainland.

Kim has also pursued closer ties with Russia, China and other countries embroiled in confrontations with the United States as he looks to break out of isolation and strengthen his regional footing. North Korean state media says Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in the country on Thursday for a two-day trip in the latest round of diplomacy between the countries.

North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday its testing spree this week involved various new weapons systems, including ballist...

 

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