A’ja Wilson stood atop the WNBA again, winning an unprecedented fourth MVP as her Las Vegas Aces earned a third championship in four seasons. For that, she earned The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the first time. It’s the second consecutive year a basketball player won the award after Caitlin Clark was honored in 2024. A group of 47 sports journalists from the AP and its members voted. Wilson received 17 votes, tennis star Aryna Sabalenka was second with nine and Paige Bueckers was third with five.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers to the practice, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team had not yet made an official announcement. Rivers took his last NFL snap with the Colts in a playoff loss following the 2020 season. He announced his retirement in January 2021. The move comes less than 24 hours after Colts coach Shane Steichen confirmed Indy’s starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, would miss the rest of this season with a torn right Achilles tendon and that backup Riley Leonard injured his right knee.
Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts have had a rough week, marking a first in NFL history. Mahomes threw three interceptions and no touchdowns in the Chiefs' 20-10 loss to Houston, ending Kansas City's nine-year division title streak. Hurts threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in the Eagles' 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers. This is the first time both Super Bowl quarterbacks from the previous season threw at least three interceptions and no touchdowns in the same week. Mahomes' performance was the worst for a Chiefs QB since 2010, and Hurts made history with two turnovers on the same play.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR Chairman Jim France has testified in the federal antitrust lawsuit filed by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The lawsuit challenges NASCAR's revenue-sharing model and charter system. France, who testified on the eighth day of the trial, has refused to make charters permanent, despite pleas from top team owners. NASCAR introduced charters in 2016 to help teams financially. The latest revenue-sharing offer increased annual revenue but didn't meet all team demands. The jury will decide if NASCAR violated antitrust laws, with potential damages estimated at $364.7 million for 23XI and Front Row.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Schwarber is staying with the Philadelphia Phillies, agreeing to a $150 million, five-year contract. Schwarber set career bests this year with a National League-leading 56 homers and a major league-high 132 RBIs along with a .240 batting average and .928 OPS. He also scored a career-high 111 runs in leading the club to its second straight NL East title. Schwarber’s 23 homers against left-handed pitching set a major league record for a lefty batter, surpassing 22 by Stan Musial in 1949 and Matt Olson in 2021.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that reliever Edwin Díaz has agreed to $69 million, three-year contract with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. A three-time All-Star who turns 32 on March 22, Díaz joins a Dodgers bullpen that struggled last season, causing the team to shift rookie Roki Sasaki to closer in the postseason. Relying on a 97-98 mph fastball and slider, Díaz became a fan favorite at Citi Field, where horns blared and fans danced when he entered games to “Narco” by Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet.
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has won The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the fourth time, tying with Lance Armstrong, LeBron James and Tiger Woods for most among male honorees. Ohtani received 29 of 47 votes in balloting among sports journalists from the AP and its members. The AP award has been given out since 1931. The Japanese baseball superstar's two-way dominance culminated in a repeat World Series title for his Los Angeles Dodgers. Among Ohtani's goals for 2026 are staying healthy so he can play in every game and to keep working on his English-speaking skills so he bridge the gap with his U.S. fans.
Liverpool picked up a much-needed win over Inter Milan in the Champions League without Mohamed Salah while Barcelona and Bayern Munich celebrated comeback wins and Chelsea lost. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up instead of the usual Salah to score the 88th-minute penalty which earned Liverpool a 1-0 win over one of the competition’s best-performing teams. Barcelona beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 and Chelsea lost 2-1 to Atalanta. Bayern Munich’s 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl produced an audacious bit of skill to continue his high-scoring start to life in the Champions League in a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon.
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s public support for Donald Trump and a peace prize awarded to the U.S. president are the subjects of formal complaints to the global soccer body’s ethics investigators. FairSquare, a London-based human rights nonprofit, said Tuesday it filed requests for investigations into Infantino’s alleged breaches of FIFA’s statutory duty to be politically neutral. FIFA said its ethics committee does not comment on potential ongoing cases, and could not confirm receiving the complaint. It is unclear if the case will be taken up. Infantino has aligned FIFA with Trump and the U.S. government ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi has become the first back-to-back MVP in Major League Soccer history. The 38-year-old Argentine star was announced Tuesday as this year’s winner of the league’s top individual honor. This achievement adds to Messi’s long list of career accomplishments. He scored 29 goals and made 19 assists during the regular season and led Inter Miami to its first MLS Cup title. Messi joins Preki as the only two-time MVP in MLS history. Inter Miami’s value has soared since Messi’s arrival, and he recently signed a three-year extension with the team.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 4 San Jose 1
Final Tampa Bay 6 Montreal 1
Final SO Anaheim 4 Pittsburgh 3
Final New Jersey 4 Ottawa 3
Final SO N-Y Islanders 5 Vegas 4
Final Carolina 4 Columbus 1
Final Dallas 4 Winnipeg 3
Final Boston 5 St. Louis 2
Final OT Buffalo 4 Edmonton 3
Final SO Nashville 4 Colorado 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2)Michigan 89 Villanova 61
Final (5)UConn 77 (18)Florida 73
Final (10)BYU 67 Clemson 64
Final (13)Illinois 88 Ohio State 80
Final (24)Virginia 84 Maryland-Eastern Shore 60