A man known as Cockroach is the No. 1 seed in the International Axe Throwing Championships this weekend, which is extremely on brand for a sport born as a niche hobby. How this “big old group of weirdos" found passion and community in axe throwing: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

NBA veteran Terry Rozier is part of a gambling case where authorities say he accepted a bribe to leave a game early. There are new charges in the case.

Inside the world of competitive axe throwing: Custom hatchets, crazy nicknames and a diverse community of self-described weirdos - www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

ICYMI, I wrote about NFL players finding stress relief on the water. Randy Moss talks about his new YouTube show, a former NFL linebacker explains fly fishing, and Riley Leonard catches a stray from Michael Pittman Jr.: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Contrary to the flurry of movement in the women's basketball transfer portal, Hannah Hidalgo is staying put. Hidalgo explains her decision to return to Notre Dame for her senior season in an interview with @usatodaysports: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

“You either catch ‘em or you don’t.” Fishing is football’s quiet obsession, with Steelers WR Michael Pittman Jr., Randy Moss and Joe Cummings among those who find a flow state on the water: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

DR Congo's national soccer team has 'no change' in World Cup travel plans despite the ongoing Ebola crisis: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

It’s clear the traditional way of moving up the coaching ladder hasn’t worked for Black coaches. So now some have been trying a different path. 🔗: tinyurl.com/2anhfdza 📷: Raj Mehta/Getty Images

An Olympian with an ostomy bag? Cass Bargell is trying to make it happen. She already played in the Rugby World Cup, years after she was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis and had four surgeries. Now she wants to rep the U.S. at LA28. Cass’ incredible journey:

The Houston Comets held their first news conference today and addressed questions about the trademark dispute, Connecticut staff transition and facilities. Some answers were clearer than others. Read about what's next and see renderings of the Comets' new digs: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

At a presser introducing the Houston Comets, Rockets president Gretchen Sheirr said, “We feel very good that we’re using Comets” despite the WNBA’s ongoing fight to register a trademark for the name.

Total boss status: “King said she even had to write an essay on Title IX, a law King played a pivotal role in getting passed.” Great story by Cyd!

The people who really understand Jason Collins' impact are those who walked his same path: Out queer male athletes. So I called some of them. “Without him, I don’t know if the rest of us that came out after him, if it would have been as easy.” Story: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Jason Collins made it so “never” would no longer be a barrier to other gay men coming out during their playing careers. Collins was the first so no one else had to be.

A new WNBA season means a clean slate in Dallas. With a new coach guiding a retooled roster including No. 1 picks Azzi Fudd & Paige Bueckers, the Wings are hoping to get their rebuild off the ground and return to the playoffs. “You can tell everybody wants to be here. They’re hungry for success.”

Murry Gunty, the founder and CEO of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, used his private investment firm to buy the teams on his son’s path to NCAA Division I college hockey. Then, he made the pathway more expensive for almost everyone else.

Arike Ogunbowale was eligible for the WNBA supermax but explains why she took a discount on her Dallas Wings contract extension: “It was a no-brainer” www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

While Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez accidentally revealed today that the team will play all 2027 home games at American Airlines Center, Wings CEO Greg Bibb told me that the deal is not finalized and is in "advanced negotiations" — www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Take that, glass ceiling! Cherie DeVaux becomes first female trainer to win Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Adam Silver is in the house at Toyota Center for Game 6 of Rockets-Lakers

Cutest thing you’ll see today: Rockets guard Aaron Holiday’s son watching his warmups and mimicking his jumper

Reed Sheppard, whose late mistake cost the Rockets Game 3, has been super clutch tonight and is demonstrating how to mentally move past a bad performance

I covered Emina when she was in college at Louisville. A smart player and electric scorer with a fascinating backstory. My 2019 profile of Ekić: www.courier-journal.com/story/sports...

The WNBA’s plan to revive the Houston Comets in 2027 has hit a snag. The league is locked in a trademark dispute with a mysterious company over the Comets name: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Hello, I wrote about the Rockets again Reed Sheppard opened up about the mental side of his game and how it’s helped him flourish in his second NBA season: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

No issue with the question or answer. Multiple things can be true: - The basketball dynamic between teammates who are romantically involved is newsworthy - The question could've been asked in a different setting (1-on-1) - There are distinct considerations for heterosexual vs. queer relationships

I would watch paint dry if Kevin Harlan was calling it

Hello, I wrote about the Rockets again Reed Sheppard opened up about the mental side of his game and how it’s helped him flourish in his second NBA season: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Update from the Sixers, that Embiid's surgery has been completed and deemed successful.

Lindsey Vonn needs one more surgery following the horrific crash that ended her Olympics return in 2026. She details her post-Games whirlwind. ⤵️ 🔗: tinyurl.com/bdkjka9t 📷: Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty Images

📍Phoenix National Championship game. UCLA. South Carolina. For all the glory.

“I think the city has been hungry for this, you know?” “We have a home for our trophies, we have a home for our legends.” Caught up with the Houston Comets Big Three – Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson – about the team’s impending return:

UConn is headed back to the Final Four. Leading the way is Sarah Strong, the Huskies' latest superstar who very seldom lets her mask slip. Read her story in print today or online here: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Imagine telling an 11-year-old girl she can’t compete b/c she has a condition called DSD. Or making accepting discrimination the price all women must pay to compete. When people say transphobia hurts all women, this is what is meant. And the IOC did it willingly.

The Chicago Bulls waived Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team” after the guard made anti-LGBT comments in one of several religious rants on Instagram live this week. Developing story here:

Vic Schaefer and Texas are going back to the Final Four after blowing out Michigan 77-41 in the Elite Eight. “I think he’s evolved a lot as an offensive coach,” Texas associate head coach Elena Lovato told me last week about Schaefer.

Two bylines by yours truly on today's @usatodaysports.usatoday.com print front. - On Vic Schaefer, whose Longhorns play in the Elite Eight tonight: www.usatoday.com/story/sports... - On Illinois star freshman Keaton Wagler: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Keaton Wagler was an unheralded recruit. Now, he has Illinois in the Final Four. “He always adapts, adjusts to anything that’s in front of him. He’s such a big guy, really, most important player to us. When he adjusts like that we all follow him.” www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

From the buzzer malfunction during the Iowa-Illinois Elite Eight game in Houston, an unlikely hero emerges. Meet Kevin Johnson, aka Air Horn Guy: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Illinois is one of the top rebounding teams in the country for the third straight season. During the Illini’s Elite Eight run, two freshmen are leading the way on the boards. “I think the secret sauce is just, it’s something you emphasize every single day.” www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

“Two people familiar with the sale of the Sun told USA TODAY Sports that an official announcement is expected to come Monday, March 30.”

Two seasons ago, Ben McCollum was coaching D2 hoops (and winning titles). The first-year Iowa coach hasn’t changed how he operates since then. With a broken marker and unbreakable resolve, McCollum and the Hawkeyes keep on dancing into the Elite Eight: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

“Since the IOC began allowing the participation of transgender athletes in 2004, only one openly transgender woman has competed at the Olympics, a weightlifter from New Zealand who did not make it past her opening round of competition at the Tokyo Games.” One.

Few accolades have eluded Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer during his career. Is a national title finally within reach? “I think doing it for him is another reason we go so hard,” Texas guard Rori Harmon said. “With this team, how special they are, they're good enough,” Schaefer said.

Basement battles, twin fistfights seeded the Nebraska Huskers’ Hoiberg-led rennaissance www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

After last year's Final Four defeat, the Texas Longhorns are marching into the Sweet 16 with an edge. “The edge comes from Rori Harmon,” Vic Schaefer said. “She isn’t ready for it to be over.” How Harmon became the glue of the Longhorns' program: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

In the last 5 seasons, Rori Harmon has become the heart and soul of Texas women’s basketball – not just because of what she does on the court, but because of who she is off it. “I’m not afraid to fail because I know there’s plenty of opportunities to try again and do better.” On Rori’s last rodeo:

In the last 5 seasons, Rori Harmon has become the heart and soul of Texas women’s basketball – not just because of what she does on the court, but because of who she is off it. “I’m not afraid to fail because I know there’s plenty of opportunities to try again and do better.” On Rori’s last rodeo:

A pit that was too shallow. An old, damaged floor. No A/C. Iowa State coaches and gymnasts from the last 20 years describe outdated, unsafe facilities – conditions they believe show ISU’s lack of commitment to gymnastics way before the program was cut. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...