Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings hosted the Seattle Storm on Monday night.

Skylar Diggins and the Storm were coming off a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Mercury on the road. Meanwhile, the Wings looked to bounce back from a season-opening loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.

Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, had 10 points and seven rebounds in her pro debut against the Lynx.  She did even better Monday in Arlington, Texas, in her second game, but the Storm got the better of the Wings, with a 79-71 road victory. Bueckers looked nothing like a rookie, scoring a team-high 19 points, while adding eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.

For a lot of this game, Dallas actually looked like the superior team, but the second and fourth quarters were not kind to the Wings. Seattle won those quarters by a combined score of 44-25.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with a monster double-double of 23 points and 18 rebounds. Diggins tallied 21 points and nine assists, and Gabby Williams added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights throughout the game. Scroll below for the full recap of Storm vs. Wings:

Storm vs. Wings highlights

Final: Storm 79, Wings 71

The fourth quarter got off to a slow start. With both teams playing to prevent three-pointers, it took over two minutes for the first bucket of the quarter, when after a Bueckers missed jump shot, Kaila Charles was able to grab the rebound and shovel a quick pass to Maddie Siegrist for an easy layup.

After that bucket though, it was all Seattle. The Storm scored eight points before the Wings could record another bucket. Arike Ogunbowale particularly struggled, shooting just 2-of-14 on the night and just 1-of-8 from three. Ogunbowale has earned a little leeway given her strong career, but her poor shooting definitely contributed to Seattle’s loss.

End of Q3: Storm 66, Wings 61

It’s been a back-and-forth affair. Even though the Storm have been leading for most of this game, the push-and-pull from Dallas has been unforgiving. Every time the Storm think they have figured something out, the Wings storm back to make it interesting, outscoring the Storm 20-10 in the third.

Bueckers improved drastically with her ball control between the second and third quarters, recording three assists, a huge part of Dallas’ comeback attempt. Although Bueckers only had four points, she had two rebounds and two steals as well, creating opportunities on both ends of the floor, while Seattle has continued to rely on the Nneka Ogwumike (15 points), Gabby Williams (17), and Skylar Diggins (18) to provide almost all of the scoring. In fact, the rest of the Storm combined only have 14 points. Seattle will need someone else to step up in the final 10 minutes if they want to prevent Dallas from coming back.

End of Q2: Storm 56, Wings 41

Well, if you thought Dallas’ offensive outburst at the end of the first quarter would carry into the second, you’d be dead wrong. It was Seattle that stormed back (buh dum tss), almost furious at their performance at the end of the first.

The Storm outscored their opponents 31-15. Seattle shot 9-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Bueckers especially struggled in this quarter, tallying only five points (only three through the first 9.5 minutes) while recording some unfortunate turnovers in transition that led to points for Seattle. With about three minutes left in the quarter, there was one instance where a missed shot from the Storm led to a counterattack for Dallas. Bueckers tried threading the needle to her teammate who was out in front, but the pass was intercepted by Alysha Clark. On the ensuing defensive possession, Bueckers jumped in the air anticipating a pass, but Gabby Williams just drove past her instead and kicked the ball out to the corner, leading to a three-pointer from Skylar Diggins.

Bueckers has taken some big steps forward in between her first game and tonight. After all, she’s already set a career-high with 11 points, but plays like the one above will make it tough for Dallas to come back in the second half.

End of Q1: Wings 26, Storm 25

It’s been a close game through 10 minutes, with the Storm out in front of the Wings. Dallas’ Paige Bueckers had seven points in the first quarter, including a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to go to give Dallas the lead. The Wings ended the quarter on a 15-7 run.

Dallas’ passing also played a massive role in their comeback in the quarter. The team tallied seven assists on their first eight baskets and nine assists throughout the whole quarter. Myisha Hines-Allen had four of those assists for Dallas. However, Seattle’s Skylar Diggins leads all hoopers with five assists through the first.

Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike leads all scorers with eight, but Dallas’ Bueckers and McCowan are close behind with seven and six respectively.

What time is Storm vs. Wings WNBA game?

The Seattle Storm will play the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, May 19, 2025. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Storm vs. Wings WNBA game: TV, stream

• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Location: College Park Center (Arlington, Texas)
• TV: NBATV, KFAA (Dallas), CW (Seattle)
• Stream: WNBA League Pass

Predictions for Storm vs. Wings:

Tyree writes, ‘Bueckers paced all Dallas Wings starters with 30 minutes in her debut and amassed 10 points alongside seven rebounds and a pair of assists. She wasn’t far off 22.5 despite shooting just 3-for-10 from the field against Minnesota. The WNBA is a step up from college but Bueckers shot better than 52% from the field in all four of her campaigns at UConn and only fell short of 41.0% from three in 2021-22.’

Dewey writes, ‘Seattle’s offense was stuck in mud in its season opener, while the Wings put up a cool 84 points in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx – who were one of the best defensive teams in the WNBA last season. Trading away Loyd for draft capital signaled to me that the Storm were willing to take a step back, and they lack proven scoring options after Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike.’

Edgington writes, ‘Paige Bueckers did score 10 points in her first WNBA game, but did so on only 30% shooting and zero made threes, along with four free throws. Hopefully, having first-game jitters out of the way, she has a more efficient shooting night against the Storm.’

While he had to wait until the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to hear his name called, the 144th pick didn’t have to wait long before inking his deal to play in the league.

The Cleveland Browns announced on Monday that they have signed Sanders to his rookie deal. The contract is a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. For reference, fellow 2025 draft pick and current teammate Dillon Gabriel will eventually receive a slotted four-year deal worth $6.2 million for being drafted two rounds earlier.

It hasn’t been an easy road this offseason, but the ink is dried and now the work begins. Here’s what to know about Sanders’ first NFL contract.

Shedeur Sanders contract details

Sanders signed a four-year deal worth $4.6 million.

The quarterback will carry an average annual value (AAV) of about $1.16 million and received a signing bonus of $446,553, according to Spotrac.

It represents a steep drop from the contract that is slotted in the first round, which would’ve been a four-year deal worth over $40 million in total value if drafted inside the top five.

Early in the process, Sanders was considered in the running for the No. 2 pick, which later became his college teammate, Travis Hunter. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ two-way player received a contract worth $46.5 million in total value.

Sanders carried an NIL evaluation of $6.5 million, according to On3 Sports, but elected to pass on his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

The move hasn’t worked out from a monetary standpoint, but he did land on a team that presents an opportunity to start. It’s a crowded room in Cleveland, but anyone’s guess who eventually ends up with the job.

So while it’s a rocky start for Sanders in the pros, things change quickly – especially if he outplays that rookie deal.

The San Francisco 49ers continue to dole out big-money contract extensions to their best players. Their latest extension is for linebacker Fred Warner.

Warner and the 49ers agreed to a three-year, $63 million contract extension including $56 million guaranteed, a source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon.

This is the second extension Warner’s signed since the 49ers drafted him in the third round, No. 70 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of BYU. He’s only missed one regular season game in seven years in the league and was a starter immediately.

Warner was a first-team All-Pro in 2020, the same year he made his first Pro Bowl. He’s made both in each of the last three seasons as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Warner had two years left on the extension he’d signed prior to the 2021 season. That deal made him the highest-paid linebacker in the league and this new extension does so again.

Warner joins tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy among 49ers players who signed multi-year extensions this offseason. Kittle became the highest-paid tight end in the league with his deal.

The 2025 season marks Warner’s age-29 campaign and his eighth in the NFL. San Francisco’s defense could look much different this fall after losing players in free agency and bringing in new talent via the NFL Draft. Longtime coordinator Robert Saleh is back in the building as well.

Fred Warner stats

Since Warner entered the league in 2018, only three players have tallied more tackles than him: Bobby Wagner, Roquan Smith and Foyesade Oluokun.

Here’s how his stats have looked every season:

• 2018 (16 games): 124 tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery
• 2019 (16 games): 118 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one interception, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles
• 2020 (16 games): 125 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, six passes defensed, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
• 2021 (16 games): 137 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries
• 2022 (17 games): 130 tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception, 10 passes defensed, one forced fumble
• 2023 (17 games): 132 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, four forced fumbles
• 2024 (17 games): 131 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, four forced fumbles

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is looking a little different entering Year 2.

“I definitely put on some pounds,” Harrison said to reporters during Monday’s press conference at the Cardinals offseason workouts. “I added some muscle to my body.”

A bulked-up Harrison is hoping the added muscle will help him during his sophomore season.

“Football is a physical game. A lot of contested situations,” Harrison explained. “As well as you got to receive contested catch situations, run after the catch and things like that.”

Expectations were high for Harrison as soon as he stepped foot in the NFL. He was the first wide receiver selected in the 2024 NFL Draft when the Cardinals picked him No. 4 overall. He compiled 62 receptions, 885 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie.

His numbers were certainly good. But they fell short of the top wide receiver prospect expectations attached to him. He finished fifth among rookies in receptions and receiving yards.

There were times where Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Harrison didn’t appear on the same page, which contributed to him tallying only two games of over 100 receiving yards in his first year. Arizona’s passing offense ranked in the bottom half of the league and the club finished the regular season with an 8-9 record.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Harrison said. “For me, every season no matter how it goes, I’m always looking to improve and get better for next season.”

Harrison told reporters he has another level he can unlock this year as he’s grown more accustomed to the NFL.

“I definitely do have a switch I can switch on more probably next year,” Harrison said. “I think that just comes with being comfortable playing the game, playing at the speed of the NFL and things like that.”

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is certainly of the mindset Harrison is going to make a leap in Year 2. Gannon appeared on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio this offseason and said he’s “excited” for the step Harrison takes in 2025.

‘When the staff is in place, the jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think that’s where guys make a huge jump,’ Gannon said. ‘This guy played unbelievable ball for us, but if you talk to him, he’d be the first to tell you, like, ‘I need to get better at these couple things,’ and, man, he has went to work on them. He has went to work on them. He looks awesome out there right now. I’m really excited to see where his game goes.’

Gannon continued, ‘I’m not gonna speak truth into the universe but just wait until this guy plays this year.’

The Cardinals have finished last in the NFC West in two of the past three years. Arizona hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2021. They certainly can use a breakout year from their No. 1 wide receiver.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars are facing each other in the NHL Western Conference finals for the second year in a row, starting Wednesday night in Dallas.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in a rematch of the 2023 series. That series will open on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

That leaves four possible matchups in the Stanley Cup Final: Stars vs. Hurricanes, Stars vs. Panthers, Oilers vs. Hurricanes or Oilers vs. Panthers, last year’s championship round.

Which matchup would be the best one to watch? All have their merits. USA TODAY ranks the four possibilities for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final:

1. Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers

Why not a rematch? Last year’s Stanley Cup Final certainly was entertaining, at least by the end. Florida won the first three games and appeared poised to sweep, only to be blown out 8-1 in Game 4. The Oilers forced a Game 7, but the Panthers found their game and won 2-1 at home for their first Stanley Cup title.

Both teams are filled with stars and are deeper than they were last season. Edmonton and Florida have the top offenses of the four remaining teams. Plus, the storylines abound. Can the Panthers repeat, and would we call them a dynasty if they do after three consecutive trips to the final? Will the Oilers become the first Canadian team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup? Will Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, last year’s playoff MVP, and Leon Draisaitl win their first championships? The Oilers would have home-ice advantage this time.

2. Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Want some fresher faces? This one works. Dallas was last in the final in 2020, Carolina in 2006. Plus, there is the Mikko Rantanen factor. He already beat the Colorado Avalanche this postseason after that team surprisingly traded him to the Hurricanes earlier in the season. He would have a chance to knock off another former team because the Hurricanes dealt him to the Stars when they feared he wouldn’t sign in Carolina. He has been a force in the playoffs with a league-best nine goals and 19 points. The Hurricanes, though, have been good at neutralizing other teams’ stars. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov is right behind Rantanen with eight goals.

3. Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers

These teams were well-represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off, so there is top-end talent. The Finnish Olympic team certainly would be paying attention. These teams also have the best remaining power plays. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Stars coach Peter DeBoer are friends and are highly quotable. We would want this to go to Game 7 because DeBoer is 9-0 in winner-take-all games and Maurice is 6-0.

4. Edmonton Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes

This would be the top remaining offense (Edmonton) vs. the best defense (Carolina), though the Hurricanes’ style isn’t always the most exciting to watch. This would also be a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes led that series 3-1, but the eighth-seeded Oilers fought back before Carolina won in Game 7. Rod Brind’Amour was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup as Hurricanes captain. Will he get to lift the trophy for the first time as a coach?

In reality, Rafael Devers is among the least of the Boston Red Sox’s worries.

Devers’ reticence – or flat-out refusal – to move to first base after he agreed to a shift to designated hitter created plenty of headlines and prompted owner John Henry to fly to Kansas City and talk it out with his $313.5 million slugger.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Henry didn’t pack any pitching reinforcements on the plane.

Since that summit, Devers has been nearly unstoppable – with 15 hits in 34 at-bats, three homers and 13 RBIs in nine games. But the Red Sox are slowly slipping from shouting distance of the first-place New York Yankees, with 11 losses in their past 17 games to fall six spots in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

It might have been 12 losses in 17 games if not for Devers, who saved them with his first career walk-off homer against Atlanta on Saturday.

A few hours later in the series finale, he erased an early deficit 3-0 with a grand slam. But the Red Sox gave up that lead and more, as they’ve done often lately. In losing five of its last six, Boston has twice given up 10 runs in a game and 14 in another. Their rotation ERA now languishes at 4.28, 22nd in the majors.

And nowadays, that means it doesn’t much matter how many runs the Red Sox score.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

• Feeling the change of the guard: Stalwarts Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes cut as Dalton Rushing steps on the scene.

2. Detroit Tigers (+2)

• Tigers win Jackson Jobe’s first eight starts, setting franchise record.

3. New York Mets (-1)

• Edwin Diaz, now 10-for-10 in save chances, ramps his fastball back up to 99 mph.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (+5)

• At least Jose Alvarado’s PED suspension came well before the trade deadline.

5. San Diego Padres (-2)

• Almost mathematically eliminated in the Vedder Cup.

6. San Francisco Giants (-)

• Wilmer Flores, RBI machine, wins epic battle against Mason Miller for walk-off walk.

7. Chicago Cubs (-1)

• PCA vs. the White Sox was no match: 8-for-14, nine RBIs, four extra-base hits.

8. New York Yankees (-1)

• Jonathan Loaisiga’s return a nice boost for bullpen.

9. Seattle Mariners (-)

• There’s a new ace in town and his name is Bryan Woo.

10. Cleveland Guardians (-)

• Shane Bieber getting closer to a rehab assignment.

11. Minnesota Twins (+7)

• You win 13 in a row, you jump 14 spots in the standings. Them’s the rules.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

• Started the year 1-10 on the road; just finished 7-2 road trip.

13. Kansas City Royals (-2)

• Those heavy footsteps you hear? Jac Caglianone is one step from the big leagues.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (+1)

• Will be more than halfway done with Dodgers after three-game road set this week.

15. Houston Astros (-1)

• Thirteen come-from-behind wins.

16. Texas Rangers (+3)

• Evan Carter’s injury woes continue with quad strain.

17. Cincinnati Reds (+3)

• Is Will Benson happening? He slams five homers in four games.

18. Atlanta Braves (+3)

• They climb over .500, just in time to welcome back Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.

19. Boston Red Sox (-6)

• Kristian Campbell sliding to first to create room for Marcelo Mayer would be a helluva fix.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (-4)

• Tigers show how far they have to go to be playoff team

21. Milwaukee Brewers (-4)

• Jackson Chourio dropped to sixth in order, promptly strikes out four times.

22. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

• Chandler Simpson survives unsettling slide at home plate.

23. Athletics (-)

• Yolo County vs. San Francisco doesn’t quite have the same ring.

24. Washington Nationals (-)

• Michael Soroka wins first game since July 2023.

25. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

• First three-game sweep over Dodgers since 2010.

26. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

• 15-30 record matches 2019 start, when they lost 108 games.

27. Miami Marlins (-)

• Sandy Alcantara drops his sixth straight decision, a career high.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

• Shut out in eight of their 32 losses.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

• .University of Tampa product Jordan Leasure racking up 12.9 strikeouts per nine.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

• 8-38, a pace that would knock the White Sox out of the record books.

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