No repeat championship for South Carolina. No perfect season. S.C. got “Clarked.” Iowa’s Caitlan Clark is the most electrifying player in college basketball, women’s or men’s. Clark’s 41 points lifted Iowa to a stunning 77-73 semifinal upset win in Dallas, and a berth in Sunday night’s title game against LSU.
That didn’t take Kim Mulkey very long, did it? In only her second year in Baton Rouge, Mulkey’s Lady Tigers are in their first ever championship game. LSU was 0-5 in the semis until Friday night’s 79-72 victory over one-seed Virginia Tech. Mulkey is seeking her fourth national title after winning three at Baylor.
Men’s semis tonight in Houston. I like San Diego State and UConn.
After burning some serious midnight oil, the NBA and the Players Association hammered out a new seven-year deal. The agreement was announced very early Saturday morning. There’s stuff in it about luxury tax adjustments that makes my head hurt. More interesting to me is that now players will have to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason honors like MVP or All-NBA. Love it. The idea is to cap some of this “load management” garbage. Basketball players should play basketball.
Another sports labor agreement has more historical significance, in my view. For the first time, minor league baseball players are protected by a CBA. That was long overdue. Yes, major league players make stupid money. But the treatment of minor leaguers has been absolutely abusive.
A fond farewell to one of the NFL’s greatest power running backs. Former Packers’ All-Pro fullback John Brockington has passed away at the age of 74. Selected with the 9th pick in the 1971 draft, Big Brock gained 5,024 yards in seven seasons in Green Bay.