Sports

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer World Wrestling Entertainment has had plenty of dominant characters over the past 50 years, but Roman Reigns continues to set his path. When Reigns faces Cody Rhodes on Sunday in the main event of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, it will be his 944th consecutive day

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer HOUSTON (AP) — The college basketball season started with familiar faces and ended up with an unexpected Final Four. North Carolina was the preseason No. 1-ranked team only to miss the NCAA Tournament. Fellow bluebloods like Duke and Kentucky all fell out of the rankings at points. And reigning

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried exited his opening day start against the Washington Nationals with a strained left hamstring after 3 1/3 innings. Fried left Thursday’s 7-2 win after wincing as he ran to cover first base to retire the first Washington batter in the

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have signed wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter and re-signed guard Alex Bars. Carter caught 46 passes for 538 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Los Angeles Chargers. He also averaged 11.7 yards on 29 punt returns and

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer Tickets prices on the secondary market are substantially higher for the women’s Final Four than for the men. The women play in a much smaller venue, but they also have more recognizable names in the their Final Four. Only UConn on the men’s side is anything close to a

Two-time champion Wolfsburg advanced to the semifinals of the women’s Champions League for the second year in a row after defeating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on aggregate. After the German team won 1-0 at the Parc des Princes last week, Alexandra Popp’s goal in the 20th minute proved decisive in front of 14,367 fans at the

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on another show for NFL coaches, general managers and scouts. This one was a follow-up to his record-setting performance at the combine earlier this month and ended with an impressive backflip at midfield. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound quarterback skipped all the

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Marcus Stroman is getting used to Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock. And it’s no small deal for the Chicago Cubs right-hander. “It’s tough,” he said. “It’s a big adjustment.” Stroman committed baseball’s first regular-season pitch-clock violation Thursday in the third inning of the Cubs’ 4-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — James Shields has returned to Tropicana Field to symbolically retire from a club he helped transform from perennial loser to playoff contender. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Tampa Bay Rays’ season opener against the Detroit Tigers. It was more than a decade after last throwing a

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer MIAMI (AP) — The New York Mets placed Justin Verlander on the injured list with a strained upper back muscle on opening day, sidelining the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before his first appearance with the team. The Mets announced that Verlander has a low-grade teres major strain

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried has exited his opening day start against the Washington Nationals with left hamstring discomfort after 3 1/3 innings. Fried left Thursday’s game after wincing as he ran to cover first base to retire the first Washington batter in the fourth inning. Braves manager Brian Snitker and

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have made seven-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez the fourth captain in franchise history. The news came before their opener against the Minnesota Twins. The rare title is a reward for one of the club’s most popular players. Aaron Judge of

By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer Frank Solich will make his first public appearance at Memorial Stadium in 20 years when Nebraska honors him at its spring game on April 22. Athletic director Trev Alberts says Solich’s return is long overdue. Solich was a fullback for Bob Devaney’s Cornhuskers in the 1960s and a

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — JR Payne received a five-year contract extension Thursday after leading the Colorado women’s basketball team to its first Sweet 16 appearance in 21 years. The extension announced by athletic director Rick George keeps Payne under contract through the 2027-28 season. “After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and

PARIS (AP) — French coach Hervé Renard has been appointed to guide France’s women’s team at the World Cup this summer then at the Paris Olympics next year. The French federation says the 54-year-old Renard signed a contract that runs until August 2024. Renard quit as coach of Saudi Arabia’s national team, ending a four-year

By RAFIQ MAQBOOL Associated Press MUMBAI, India (AP) — In a glittering splash of luxury fashion, Dior transformed Mumbai’s grand, historic Gateway of India monument into a runway laden with celebrity, beauty and craftsmanship. Flanked by the brightly lit, iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel, the spectacular decor turned the heritage site in India’s entertainment and

By The Associated Press The Final Four for the national championship in women’s basketball is set. Defending champion South Carolina will face Iowa and AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark in the second semifinal. LSU will face Virginia Tech in the first game. The Final Four is in Dallas on Friday and the championship

LUQUE, Paraguay (AP) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino says Argentina is capable of hosting the Under-20 World Cup in place of Indonesia though no decision has been announced. Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights amid political turmoil over Israel’s participation. Infantino says a new host will be announced within days. He says Argentina “surely can

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge rang in opening day the same way he marked many nights last season: with a home run. In his first game as New York Yankees captain, Judge hit a solo drive in the first inning off San Francisco’s Logan Webb, a 422-foot shot into the netting above Monument Park

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer Marty Walsh is just beginning to understand the situation he walked into as head of the NHL Players’ Association. Less than two weeks into his new job, the former U.S. Secretary of Labor has already figured out two major concerns for players. Walsh knows they want to get back