General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: April 13, 2026, 11:30 PM ET
WNBA Draft & Roster Moves
The 2026 WNBA Draft espn.com saw a landmark year for UCLA women's basketball espn.com, as the national champions became the first program to produce five first-round selections—including Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic, and Gianna Kneepkens—and six players taken overall, setting a new benchmark for collegiate dominance. The evening began with Azzi Fudd going No. 1 espn.com to Dallas, where she will reunite with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, while Minnesota secured Olivia Miles at the second spot. League expansion news emerged as Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed the WNBA is targeting espn.com its first-ever international game in 2027. Meanwhile, free agency saw significant movement, with the Phoenix Mercury retaining espn.com their core by re-signing four-time All-Star Kahleah Copper and two-time champion DeWanna Bonner.
Further shakeups continued across the league as the Chicago Sky traded Ariel Atkins espn.com to the Sparks for the 2024 No. 4 pick, Rickea Jackson, while simultaneously making a massive signing splash by securing seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins and Azura Stevens. The Los Angeles Sparks reinforced espn.com their roster by finalizing a multiyear deal with three-time All-Star Dearica Hamby, and Kelsey Plum is reportedly signing a one-year espn.com contract worth $999,999 to stay in Los Angeles. In New York, the Liberty managed to lock down two key players, with Satou Sabally agreeing to a multiyear deal and Jonquel Jones also committing long-term espn.com. Elsewhere, the Minnesota Lynx retained espn.com veterans Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride on two-year agreements, and the Indiana Fever secured Sophie Cunningham on a one-year pact following her free agency bbc.com.
College Hoops Transfers & Commitments
College basketball saw several high-profile transfers conclude over the weekend, reshaping conference rosters for the upcoming season. Louisville landed two key transfers espn.com on Sunday, securing former Kansas center Flory Bidunga and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, bolstering their depth significantly. Texas A&M added prolific scorer espn.com P.J. Haggerty, who transferred from Kansas State, while Texas successfully courted Colorado freshman Isaiah Johnson, who averaged 16.9 points and 3.0 assists last season, to join the Longhorns via the portal espn.com. In other movement, Providence star transfer Stefan Vaaks committed to Illinois, joining a program that also recently secured a commitment from transfer guard Vaaks espn.com. Meanwhile, Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic announced he is entering both the NBA draft and the transfer portal following his strong season espn.com.
Recruiting news also delivered notable shifts, as five-star guard Dylan Mingo reopened his recruitment espn.com after previously committing to North Carolina in February, instantly becoming the top uncommitted guard in the senior class. This departure came as UNC, under new coach Michael Malone, secured its first major incoming addition in Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday espn.com. Adding to the churn in the 2027 class, four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati, rated as the ESPN No. 2 QB prospect, decommitted from Illinois espn.com, signaling potential volatility in early rankings.
Football & Spring Game Updates
The spring football slate concluded with several key storylines, including Alabama QB Keelon Russell providing a glimpse of an electrifying future for the Crimson Tide offense. Russell, a five-star recruit from the 2025 class who redshirted last year, delivered a performance described as "video game" espn.com during the spring contest. In Florida, new head coach Jon Sumrall issued a stern challenge to his squad, demanding increased strength, particularly from the offensive line, stating it was time to "wake this beast up espn.com" ahead of the fall season. Meanwhile, Colorado coach Deion Sanders, addressing health concerns after a challenging 3-9 campaign, assured reporters during the Buffaloes' spring game that his "health is 'good,' I'm good' espn.com".
Golf Majors & Player Fines
Rory McIlroy successfully defended his title at the Masters, holding off Scheffler by 1 shot espn.com to secure back-to-back green jackets in a performance where he overcame a Saturday collapse. McIlroy managed to secure the win after erasing a six-shot lead espn.com that had evaporated the previous day. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had mounted a challenge, firing a career-low, 7-under 65 in the third round to climb back into contention entering the final day espn.com. The tournament also featured some drama, as Sergio García, playing alongside former champion Jon Rahm, broke his driver espn.com on the second hole following an outburst and received a code-of-conduct warning. Separately, tennis star Daniil Medvedev was hit in the wallet espn.com by the ATP, receiving a $7,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after repeatedly smashing his racket during a loss at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Combat Sports & Wrestling Updates
UFC 327 delivered an action-packed card where nearly every bout exceeded expectations espn.com, though the main event saw new light-heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg suffer an apparent knee injury early in the first round. Despite the hobbling, Ulberg managed to KO Jiří Procházka espn.com with a left hook to claim the vacant title, a victory witnessed by President Donald Trump, who later urged the UFC to add a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit to a White House event card espn.com. In professional wrestling, the final episode of WWE 'Raw' provided key analysis ahead of Wrestle Mania 42 in Las Vegas, as Andreas Hale recounted the essential moments espn.com leading into the major event.
International Rugby & CricketIn European rugby, the Champions Cup saw reigning champions** Bordeaux defeat Toulouse bbc.com to set up a semi-final clash against English holders Bath, while Leinster secured a home semi-final against Toulon after comfortably beating Sale Sharks in the quarter-finals following a slow start bbc.com. Welsh rugby faces another internal reckoning as the latest extraordinary general meeting (EGM) convened at the Principality Stadium on Monday evening to address ongoing structural issues as warned by CEO Abi Tierney bbc.com. Across the English Channel, Scotland secured a hard-fought 24-19 victory over Wales in Cardiff, marking a successful start to the Women's Six Nations under new coach Sione Fukofuka who is half-Tongan and half-Kiwi bbc.com. In cricket, Wisden harshly criticized the England team's performance during their Australian Ashes tour, labeling them "feckless, reckless and legless bbc.com".*
NASCAR, NBA & Miscellaneous Sports News
NASCAR saw Ty Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, secure his first Cup Series victory espn.com in overtime at Bristol Motor Speedway, outdueling Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson in Tennessee. In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets clinched the Western Conference's third seed after Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in the first half of their 128-118 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on the final day bbc.com, while the Atlanta Hawks secured the Southeast Division title and an NBA playoff berth with a Friday win over Cleveland by a 124-102 margin bbc.com. On a personal note, ESPN broadcaster and Hall of Famer Dick Vitale announced he will soon begin immunotherapy treatment after revealing a diagnosis of melanoma in his lung and liver cavity earlier this week espn.com.