Jim Trotter

CLEVELAND — Everyone wanted to talk about the game, which was expected after the women’s basketball team held off Iowa and second national championship in three years. But Dawn Staley also wanted to talk about the other game. Actually, that’s not strong enough. She was going to discuss it. Advertisement Basketball has played such an important role in her life that she protects it as fiercely as a mother would a newborn. Her love for it is matched only by her respect for it. So even as question…

CLEVELAND — There weren’t screams of outrage across the basketball landscape when the coaching staffs for Saturday’s inaugural Women’s College All-Star Game were announced several weeks ago, but there were whispers and raised eyebrows. Did you hear? Can you believe it? What were they thinking? The questions revolved around the inclusion of Cynthia Cooper as a volunteer assistant. While definitely a basketball legend, which is how she and the three other coaches were described in the announcement…

The Athletic has live coverage of in the women’s . CLEVELAND — Just when you thought this women’s season couldn’t give any more, just when you thought it had drained itself of record on-court performances, all-time viewership numbers and compelling grudge matches, it is giving us an opportunity to witness all three in one game, pitting Iowa against in the national championship showdown most fans and every ABC executive wanted. Advertisement It had to end this way, right? Great player versus gr…

CLEVELAND — Beneath the dim lights of their locker room in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, members of the South Carolina women’s basketball team curled up or stretched out on the carpeted floor. couldn’t help but smile. She has likened her job to running a daycare and reiterated her point by posting a video of the slumber session. Advertisement “Get your mats,” she wrote. “You don’t have (to) sleep … but you … have to lie down. #daycareduty” What began as a playful moment quickly turned into a long…

Oftentimes when society takes what is perceived to be a significant step forward, we stop and ask whether we are witnessing a movement or a moment. That question seems particularly relevant today as we near the finish line of the most memorable and consequential season in women’s collegiate basketball history. Advertisement An entity once marginalized by fans and broadcast partners alike is suddenly as hot as fish grease. The Associated Press is reporting that tickets to the women’s Final Four a…

When the name of a sport’s biggest superstar surfaces in a gambling scandal, it’s obviously news. So, yes, the question of whether superstar Shohei Ohtani authorized $4.5 million in payouts to an illegal bookmaker deserves every headline it has garnered. That said, I’m having a hard time getting as worked up about the “integrity of the game” argument as others who are spouting its importance. Advertisement That particular talking point lost credibility with me the minute sports leagues and team…

Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith does not have a history of speaking out on controversial issues, so his public criticism of the University of Florida’s decision to and fire the 13 employees within the department is noteworthy. “I’m utterly disgusted by UF’s decision and the precedent that it sets,” the Florida alum posted Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We cannot continue to believe and trust that a team of leaders all made up of the same background will make the right decision…

Rick Pitino has forgotten more basketball than most of us will ever know. In 35 seasons as a college coach, he has made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances with five different programs. He was the first to take three different teams to the Final Four, the first to win NCAA championships with two different universities, and his last losing record was 1981, a streak that spans 32 seasons and stretches the borders of believability. But in addition to being a Hall of Fame coach, with an 848-305 record th…

The 2024 WM Phoenix Open should be remembered for Nick Taylor’s magnificent performance, which began with a course record-tying 60 in the first round and ended with three consecutive birdies on Sunday, the last of which gave him a two-hole, sudden-death playoff victory over Charley Hoffman at TPC Scottsdale. But years from now, when reflecting on what took place, we are more likely to remember the drunkenness, boorishness and unruliness of fans than we are the brilliance of Taylor and the other…

The Athletic has live coverage of . It’s a big sporting weekend not only for the , which will hold its marquee event Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs meet in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, but also for NCAA , which will start the day by featuring a transcendent star’s quest for history, then highlight a showdown between elite programs and iconic coaches. Advertisement The fact there is no outward concern about being overshadowed by excessive pregame shows for the Super…

I was rummaging through a storage cabinet for important documents Friday when I came across a manila envelope. I knew it wasn’t what I was looking for because the envelope was too thin, but I opened it anyway, curious about the contents. Inside was a nine-page printout of the feature story I had written and submitted to my Sports Illustrated editors years ago on then-Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The black print against white paper was double-spaced and bordered by handwritten note…

HOUSTON — Even after the confetti had fallen and the national championship trophy had been lifted, thanks in part to a dominant performance by his unit, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter still had an edge to him. “You know what,” he said. “Nobody really talked about how good our defense was. We took that personal, the players took that personal.” He was referring to media day late last week, when most of the questions he received focused on the explosiveness of the offense and not the stingin…

PASADENA, Calif. — It’s easy to tell when does not want to entertain a question. He tends to pause for an extended time, ramble about something only slightly related to the topic at hand, then redirect the discussion to a place that is safer and less intrusive. Monday night’s news conference after ’s 27-20 overtime defeat of in a College Football Playoff semifinal was the latest example. Some context: Harbaugh regularly talks about “reaching the apex” and standing in the rarefied air that belo…

Hours after was suspended indefinitely for striking an opponent — the discipline came weeks after he was suspended five games for choke-holding an opponent, months after he was suspended one game for stomping on the chest of another opponent, and just over a year after he was fined for punching a teammate — coach Steve Kerr met with reporters to discuss his talented yet troubled forward. Advertisement Kerr spoke with candor and empathy, as he often does when faced with a delicate situation. He…

ATLANTA — As coach Willie Simmons wiped the sweat and tears from his eyes, as his Florida A&M players shouted into their phones, as the Rattler faithful danced in the stands and hopped on the confetti-covered field in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the importance of the Cricket Celebration Bowl was never more obvious. Since the game was established in 2015 to decide the Black college national champion, matching the first-place football teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic confer…

One of the challenges of being a visionary is that others can’t always see what you see. Dr. Dennis Thomas knows this from experience. In 2004, Thomas helped broker the deal to have the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) open their football seasons against each other. While others patted themselves on the back and saw it as a job well done, Thomas saw it as an opportunity for something bigger and better. Advertisement Then, as the commissioner of t…

It’s easy to understand why professional golfers might push back against the plan to reduce the distance that balls travel in the air, but using recreational players as a prop to oppose the change is disingenuous at best and laughable at worst. will not negatively affect club golfers or weekend warriors who fantasize about being the next Happy Gilmore. It will not materially change your score. The reduction is so negligible as to be insignificant. Advertisement But when professionals such as Kee…

Mack Brown is 72 years old. His first season as a college football player was 1969 and his first year as a college coach was 1973. He is the only person to win 100 games with multiple programs, first at Texas, then at North Carolina, his current place of employment, and in 2005, he led the to an undefeated season and national championship. Advertisement He has been involved with the game as a player, coach or analyst for all of his adult life, which means his words have credibility when he disc…

LAS VEGAS — The deadline for casting ballots is Monday, which meant quarterback still had time to remind voters why he was widely considered a front-runner for the award through the first month and a half of the season. While short of sublime, his performance in a 34-31 victory over in the final Pac-12 championship game could resonate with some because it highlighted the importance of resilience and leadership and summoning the ability to turn darkness into light. Advertisement Every outing…

is among the most insightful individuals in professional sports. His background, frankness and fearlessness make his perspective welcome and needed in conversations that are meaningful or mundane. Draymond Green is also among the most confounding individuals in professional sports. Even when the talented forward knows better, he doesn’t always do better, which should be a concern for the as they seek a fifth title since 2015. Advertisement Green met with the media Sunday for the first time sin…