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Portland Thorns begin title defense with dominant win

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

Reigning National Women’s Soccer League MVP Sophia Smith scored in the 22nd minute and the defending champion Portland Thorns opened the season with a 4-0 victory at home over the Orlando Pride on Sunday.It was the 100th victory for the Thorns, the first NWSL team to reach that milestone. Portland, which has won three league titles, unfurled its 2022 championship banner at Providence Park before the game.Morgan Weaver scored an early goal for the Thorns before Smith’s goal off a pass from Christine Sinclair made it 2-0. Hina Sugita added a third goal for the Thorns in the 49th.Michele Vasconcelos added a final goal for the Thorns in the 76th. It was her first goal for the Thorns and first NWSL goal since she was with the Chicago Red Stars in 2019.Smith has scored in the season opener for three straight years.NJ/NY GOTHAM FC 2, ANGEL CITY 1Lynn Williams scored in the 64th minute to cap a come-from-behind 2-1 win for NJ/NY Gotham FC over Angel City FC on Sunday evening. The road victo...

Caitlin Clark leads Iowa to first Final Four since 1993

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Caitlin Clark put on a show with 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to help No. 2 seed Iowa beat fifth-seeded Louisville 97-83 on Sunday and send the Hawkeyes to their first women’s Final Four in 30 years.The unanimous first-team All-American was as dominant as she’s been all season in getting the Hawkeyes to Dallas for the women’s NCAA Tournament national semifinals on Friday night. The Seattle 4 Region champion will face the winner of the Greenville 1 region that has South Carolina playing Maryland on Monday night.Iowa (30-6) hadn’t been to the Final Four since Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer led the team to its lone appearance in 1993. Before Sunday, the team had only been to one other Elite Eight — in 2019 — since the Final Four team.Clark had the 11th triple-double of her career and the 19th in NCAA Tournament history. She had the first 30- and 40-point triple-double in March Madness history.Trailing by five at the half, Louisvill...

Towns makes 2 late 3-pointers, lifts TWolves over Warriors

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play after Kyle Anderson stole a pass by Draymond Green, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the Golden State Warriors 99-96 on Sunday night to keep things interesting in the wild Western Conference playoff standings.Jordan Poole gave Golden State the lead on a 3-pointer with 1:28 left, moments after Towns had connected from deep. Poole, who had a game-high 27 points, then secured a rebound on the other end. The Warriors had a chance with 9.9 seconds left but Stephen Curry couldn’t corral Poole’s errant pass, then Curry missed a contested 3 from the baseline just before the final buzzer. Towns had 14 points and five rebounds in his second outing following a 52-game absence with a strained right calf. He returned Wednesday against Atlanta.Green fouled Rudy Gobert with 27.7 seconds left to save a likely dunk, and Gobert missed the first of his two free throws. Green went down hard takin...

Rushed daylight-saving decision puts Lebanon in 2 time zones

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese government’s last-minute decision to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan resulted in mass confusion Sunday.With some institutions implementing the change while others refused, many Lebanese have found themselves in the position of juggling work and school schedules in different time zones — in a country that is just 88 kilometers (55 miles) at its widest point.In some cases, the debate took on a sectarian nature, with many Christian politicians and institutions, including the small nation’s largest church, the Maronite Church, rejecting the move.The small Mediterranean country normally sets its clocks forward an hour on the last Sunday in March, which aligns with most European countries.However, on Thursday, the government announced a decision by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to push the start of daylight saving to April 21.No reason was given for the decision, but a video of a meetin...

Pastrnak hits 50-goal mark as Bruins top Canes in shootout

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — David Pastrnak eclipsed the 50-goal mark by scoring twice and the Boston Bruins won their seventh game in a row by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout Sunday.Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk scored in the shootout in a matchup of Eastern Conference division leaders.Jakub Lauko also scored for the Bruins, who earned their 57th victory and are five wins shy of matching the all-time NHL record with nine regular-season games to play. Charlie McAvoy had two assists and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.Jack Drury, Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, who won three of their previous four games. Brett Pesce had two assists and Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots.MAPLE LEAFS 3, PREDATORS 2NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — John Tavares scored two goals and added an assist, Joseph Woll made 22 saves and Toronto has won two of its last three.Alexander Kerfoot also scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs are seven points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for se...

Broncos’ Payton says Jeudy, Sutton aren’t on the trade block

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The NFL’s veteran wide receiver market is a little thinner after Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton declared neither Jerry Jeudy nor Courtland Sutton are on the trade block.Payton made the comments while speaking to the NFL Network on Sunday, the first day of the league’s spring owners meetings in Arizona. “We’re not trading those two players,” Payton said, acknowledging the Broncos have received inquiries about the availability of the wide receivers who combined for 1,801 yards receiving and eight TD receptions in 2022.“We’ve received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players,” Payton said. “But we’re in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we’re void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we’re working with.”The Broncos have just five picks in the NFL draft n...

3 gun bills advance in the House

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Three gun bills that advanced in the Senate have now advanced in the House as well. However, they are not ready for Governor Jared Polis just yet. Two passed the third hearing over the weekend and the other passed the second hearing Sunday with the third hearing scheduled for Monday. The bills would broaden red flag laws, give gun violence victims more pathways to suing firearm dealers and manufacturers and raise the age for all firearm purchases to 21. Bill extending red flag laws advancesThe red flag bill advanced to a third hearing Sunday and is scheduled to be heard Monday. Essentially the bill allows others, including licensed medical care providers, licensed mental health-care providers, licensed educators, and district attorneys, to petition for an extreme risk protection order. Aurora interim police chief: ‘Juvenile crime is a huge issue’ But the bill has had intense opposition equally as high as the supporters who back it. State representative and a spon...

Local organizations working to curb youth violence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) -- After a violent weekend in the metro area involving teens, FOX31 talked with two people who work with youth on a daily basis. Lumumba Sayers and his business partner Shalonda Palmer said the problem goes beyond guns. “It’s definitely more than just a gun issue. A lot of kids don’t love themselves,” Sayers said. “They don’t know what direction they’re heading in and they don’t have anyone to give them that outstanding guidance to lead them in the right direction.” Sayers is the founder of Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts (HHHH), an organization that helps youth and adults become self-sufficient and resist negative influences. “You’d be surprised how many kids can’t tell you what they love about themselves,” Sayers said. Palmer, the CEO of Star Girlz Empowerment, said she sees the same thing.  Teenage boy shot, killed outside Aurora mall "Some people are just living to be living and there’s no purpose behind where they’re living,” Palmer said. Bot...

Navy veteran's SUV stolen with daughter's ashes inside

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A Navy veteran is searching for his daughter's ashes, which were packed in his SUV that was stolen.John Ratcliff told FOX31 he was preparing to move from Colorado to Florida and had packed many of his belongings in his 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. “It had all my old uniforms, my mementos from the Navy, all my pictures,” he said. He said the most painful thing is losing his daughter’s ashes. He said she passed away in 2020. “Have a heart, just be a human, why would anybody see those ashes and not give them back?” he said. Family identifies victim in fatal hit-and-run, says she was their ‘North Star’ The SUV was stolen from a parking lot at a hotel near E. 40th Avenue and Chambers Road on Jan. 27. Surveillance video showed a yellow car entering the lot, then a man leaving that car and walking around the SUV. He gets inside the SUV, starts it and drives away, followed by the yellow car.Ratcliff said the ignition switch was broken and anyone could have used a makeshift ke...

Why Celtics’ Marcus Smart was ejected in win over Spurs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:29:10 GMT

Marcus Smart was ejected for the third time this season in the Celtics’ victory over the Spurs on Sunday night after an official seemingly thought he crossed the line with his vocabulary.With 1:14 remaining in the third quarter, Smart was assessed his second technical foul after picking up his first just 104 seconds before. After the game, crew chief John Goble explained to a pool reporter that the Celtics point guard was assessed his technical foul for “using derogatory language directed at a game official.”Smart pleaded innocence after being ejected. He shrugged while raising both of his arms and appeared to say, “I didn’t do nothing,” to his Celtics teammates and coaching staff as he walked off the floor and into the locker room. He was not available to reporters after the game.Smart was also ejected earlier this season in the Celtics’ loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City and earlier this month when he was tossed in Atlanta after a skirmish with Hawks star Trae Young. Smart could...