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…