The Sportsletter - No Repeat. No-Hitter. No Fools.

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 2, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

April 1st was no fool in sports. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more star-studded and memorable night of women’s college basketball (maybe ever?). A royal rumble in the Elite 8 was a special occasion for the women's game, and it was downright box office. Caitlin Clark: Nine 3s, 41 points. We’ll tell the tales.

Plus, the earliest no-hitter in MLB history and another 50-piece in the NBA headline a night brimming with highlights. Ready?

Letter Rip!

NCAAW

Royal Rumble to the Final Four

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

#1 Iowa & #3 UConn Punch Women’s Final Four Tickets After Night of Legendary Battles Against #3 LSU & #1 USC

It was two of the best showdowns the Women’s NCAA Tournament could've possibly delivered in the Elite 8, and it did. Fans got records, highlights and moments aplenty in what was (likely) a record-setting viewership moment last night for women's hoops. Caitlin Clark (41 points) and Iowa exacted revenge on Angel Reese and LSU in a rematch of last year’s championship. No repeat Final Four for the Tigers. Paige Bueckers and UConn were too much for freshman Juju Watkins and USC. Epic stat lines were etched into each box score as some of the game's biggest stars laid it all on the floor. Let’s highlight some royal performances.

Royalty in the Elite 8

Caitlin Clark (IOWA): 41 pts, 7 rebs, 12 asts

Juju Watkins (USC): 29 pts, 10 rebs

Paige Bueckers (CONN): 28 pts, 10 rebs, 6 asts

Aaliyah Edwards (CONN): 24 pts, 6 rebs

McKenzie Forbes (USC): 24 pts

Flau’Jae Johnson (LSU): 23 pts, 6 rebs

Angel Reese (LSU): 17 pts, 20 rebs, 4 asts, 3 blks

#1 Iowa def. #3 LSU (94-87)

The rematch! Everybody had this one circled when the brackets came out two weeks ago. Caitlin Clark was cooking once again. She had 41 points via nine 3s and a dozen dimes to lead Iowa past LSU in a high-scoring thriller. And while Clark had an all-time performance, her supporting cast was amazing, too. Kate Martin (21 pts) and Sydney Affolter (16 pts) both shot 50 percent from the floor. LSU was rolling in the first quarter, but the Hawkeyes went up double digits in the 3rd and never looked back. Lots of emotion in this one. Iowa advances to their third Final Four (second straight).

Caitlin Clark Records (Last Night)

Most Division I 3-PT FGs Made

Most NCAAW Tournament 3-PT FGs Made

Most NCAAW Tournament Assists

#3 UConn def. #1 USC (80-73)

It was experience vs. youth for the nightcap in Portland, and experience won out. UConn, led by senior Aaliyah Edwards (24 pts) and junior Paige Bueckers (28 pts), pulled away late to take down freshman sensation Juju Watkins (29 pts) and USC. It was a one-point game (65-64) with 4:14 remaining before Bueckers and Edwards sparked a 10-0 UConn run. The Huskies held the Trojans to just 31-percent shooting, and it was still a tight contest. Geno Auriemma's bunch just keeps finding ways to get back to the Final Four. No other program comes close. UConn advances to their 23rd Final Four.

Most Final Fours by Program (NCAAW)

UConn: 23

Tennessee: 18

Stanford: 15

Louisiana Tech: 10

The stage is set! Four teams remain with the semifinals slated for Friday. The underdogs from NC State will get a crack at unbeaten SC in an all-Carolinas duel, and fans will be treated to Clark-Bueckers in a must-see clash.

Women’s Final Four Schedule

#1 S. Carolina vs. #3 NC State (Fri. 7:00 pm ET)

#1 Iowa vs. #3 UConn (Fri. 9:00 pm ET)

Championship: Sunday (3:00 pm ET)

SI: Caitlin Clark Ties NCAA Tournament Record With Nine 3s, Sends Iowa Back to Final Four

MLB

The Earliest No-No... Ever?

Photo: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Astros’ Ronel Blanco Throws No-Hitter in 8th Career Start — Earliest No-No in MLB History

The Houston Astros got their first win of the season Monday night after a weekend sweep-job by the Yankees. Quite the way to earn your team's first victory, here. Astros' ace Ronel Blanco made his season debut — only his eighth career start — and clean-sheeted the Blue Jays (10-0) for a no-hitter. The 30-year-old Dominican was throwing so much smoke, he struck out the side in the 4th inning and needed only nine pitches in the 6th and 11 in the 7th. Toronto was helpless. Blanco wouldn’t have been on the Astros’ roster to start the season if not for injuries to Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy. It was also the 17th no-hitter in franchise history, the first of the 2024 MLB season, and just the fourth no-no in a pitcher’s season debut. Goodness.

The Earliest No-No Ever: A no-hitter on April 1 is the earliest calendar-date no-no ever recorded in MLB history. The previous record was April 4 by Hideo Nomo (Red Sox, 2001).

Blanco’s Masterpiece

9 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 2 BB | 7 Ks | 105 Pitches

Watch: Astros' Ronel Blanco Fires 1st No-Hitter of 2024 MLB Season

Sporting News: Who is Ronel Blanco? Meet the 30-Year-Old Astros Pitcher With the 1st No-Hitter of 2024

NFL

R.I.P. Vontae Davis

Photo: Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images

Former Pro Bowler Vontae Davis, Famous for Retiring at Halftime in 2018, Found Unresponsive in Florida Home

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis passed away at the age of 35 on Monday. He was discovered unresponsive in his Miami home. Few details have been revealed about the incident, but many players and former teammates offered their condolences yesterday to a guy many said was a joy to play with. Some fans may remember Davis for his top-level play on the field, but he made national news in 2018 for his abrupt retirement in the middle of a game. Davis left the stadium at halftime of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 2 game in one of the most memorable sports retirements ever.

“I went to the bench after that series and it just hit me. I don’t belong on that field anymore.” — Vontae Davis

Davis played ten seasons in the NFL (2009-2018) and was one of the league’s elite defensive backs for much of that time. He spent three seasons in Miami and six seasons in Indianapolis where he earned two pro bowl nods before playing 1.5 games for the Bills. The local examiner is still investigating the cause of death. His brother, Vernon Davis, was also an NFL tight end.

ESPN: Vontae Davis Quit the NFL Midgame, Here’s What Happened Next

Sporting News: Remembering Vontae Davis’ Monster 2014 Season With the Colts

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏀 NBA

Celtics def. Hornets (118-104)

Pacers def. Nets (133-111)

Suns def. Pelicans (124-111)

*Devin Booker (52 pts) Stats 3rd 50-Piece of the Season

Full NBA Scoreboard

⚾️ MLB

Angels def. Marlins (7-4)

*Mike Trout Hits 473-Ft Moonshot in 2-HR Night

Yankees def. D-Backs (5-2)

*Anthony Volpe (4-for-4) Powers Yankees to 5-0

Pirates def. Nationals (8-4)

*Pittsburgh’s First 5-0 Start Since 1983

Cubs def. Rockies (5-0)

*Rookie Shoto Imanaga Ks 9 in Debut Shutout

Full MLB Scoreboard

🏒 NHL

Red Wings def. Lightning (4-2)

Penguins def. Rangers (5-2)

Islanders def. Flyers (4-3, OT)

Blue Jackets def. Avalanche (4-1)

*Danil Tarasov Stifles Avs With 45 Saves

Maple Leafs def. Panthers (6-4)

*Auston Matthews (2G) Notches 61st & 62nd

Full NHL Scoreboard

STORYLINES

⚾️ New MLB Power Rankings

After 5-6 games, nothing is certain. But a few teams have shown some level of readiness for the 2024 MLB season. The Yankees, Pirates and Tigers among them. Here’s where all 30 teams stand after opening weekend. (Bleacher Report)

🏀 NCAA-to-NBA Observations

Purdue’s star center has cemented his draft stock, but a different big man is the tournament’s biggest riser. Plus, Alabama’s Jalen Brunson clone and an early look at the Final Four. Here are 11 NBA observations on the NCAA Tournament. (The Ringer)

🏈 Stat Comps for NFL Draft QBs

When it comes to the NFL draft, we pretty much know two things. First, teams will overdraft quarterbacks. Second, a lot of these QBs will either bomb or won't be able to make their teams any better. (ESPN+)

NEWS 📰

🏀 76ers’ Joel Embiid Could Make Return From Injury Tonight (CBS Sports)

🏀 Lakers NBA Title Ring Gifted to Kobe Bryant’s Father Sells for $927K (ESPN)

🏁 Formula 1 Owners Liberty Media Buy MotoGP for $4.5 Billion (Forbes)

🏈 Former Lions DB Cameron Sutton Turns Himself In After Weeks of Evading Police for Domestic Battery Allegations (CNN)

🏀 Andy Enfield Announced as New SMU Basketball Coach (CBS News)

🏀 Tennessee Women’s Coach Kellie Harper Fired After 5 Seasons (Yahoo! Sports)

⚾️ Rangers 3B Josh Jung Suffers Broken Wrist After Hit-by-Pitch (CBS Sports)

🏈 Arizona Cardinals Ordered to Pay Ex-VP Terry McDonough $3 Million for Defamation (ESPN)

🏈 Chiefs Sign Journeyman QB Carson Wentz to 1-Year Deal (NBC Sports)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

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