AP Sports Digest

Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.

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UPCOMING

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SOC--WCUP-FRANCE

DESCRIPTION: Rayan Cherki’s magical skills are just what France needs in tight games at the World Cup. The 22-year-old enjoyed a brilliant first season with Manchester City, lighting up the Premier League with his maverick skills and amazing passing. By Jerome Pugmire. Text, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 5:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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US-MUHAMMAD ALI ANNIVERSARY

DESCRIPTION: Muhammad Ali’s legacy extends beyond his stinging right jab, world titles and Olympic gold medal, to the heart and compassion he showed long after he left the ring, his wife Lonnie Ali said.

UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 8:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text, Video

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SOF--NCAA-WCWS PREVIEW

DESCRIPTION: Preview of the Women’s College World Series final, a rematch of defending champion Texas and Texas Tech. By Tim Willert.

UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 2:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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BKN-NBA FINALS COVERAGE

FORMATS: Photo, Text

1. WITH: BKN-NBA FINALS COVERAGE

2. DESCRIPTION: Coverage of the NBA playoffs

3. UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT

4. WITH: BKN-NBA FINALS-BETTING ODDS

5. DESCRIPTION: The San Antonio Spurs are favored to beat the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

6. UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT

7. WITH: BKN-NBA FINALS-BRUNSON

8. DESCRIPTION: Jalen Brunson is playing for more in these NBA Finals than a chance to be on the best team in the league. If he can lead his team to the title, the point guard will have a case as the best player in New York Knicks history.

9. UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT

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HKN--NHL PLAYOFFS COVERAGE

FORMATS: Photo, Text

10. WITH: HKN--STANLEY CUP

11. DESCRIPTION: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. By Aaron Beard. Text, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m. ET.

12. UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

13. WITH: HKN--STANLEY CUP-ROSTER BUILDING CONTRAST

14. DESCRIPTION: From their inception, the Vegas Golden Knights have been aggressive in making one big move after another to assemble the most talented roster money can buy in a salary-cap system. The Carolina Hurricanes have been far more careful, not just in terms of spending but to draft and acquire players to fit into coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system. One will see its method lead to hoisting the Stanley Cup this spring. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. Text, photos.

15. UPCOMING: By 06/02/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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BBO--RANGERS-DEGROM

Rangers ace Jacob deGrom gets his 100th major league win on his son’s 3rd birthday

SUMMARY: On his son Nolan’s birthday, Jacob deGrom got the whole family a gift he’ll never forget. The two-time Cy Young Award winner tossed five scoreless innings to earn his 100th career win as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. The right-hander notched his 99th victory May 10 when he threw seven scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs. In his first three attempts at reaching the century mark, the 37-year-old deGrom went 0-2 while allowing 12 runs over 15 innings. He finished 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five May starts, but Monday night was different after the calendar flipped to June. He yielded just four hits and struck out eight to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game.

WORDS: 416 - MOVED: 06/02/2026 12:47 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:38deb6f41f2d148fcd607410302d263b&mediaType=text

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BBO--RANGERS-CARDINALS

Jacob deGrom earns 100th career win on 4th try as Rangers top Cardinals 2-1

SUMMARY: Jacob deGrom tossed five scoreless innings to earn his 100th career win and Ezequiel Duran had three hits as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. A two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, the 37-year-old deGrom allowed four hits and struck out eight in his fourth attempt at the milestone victory. The right-hander went 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five May starts and has not won this season when allowing multiple runs. Jacob Latz pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game. Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. Joc Pederson had an RBI single for Texas, and Duran hit a run-scoring double.

WORDS: 266 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 11:06 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:78f40c7a6b769aad74c2b18e084bdeef&mediaType=text

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BKC--KENTUCKY-MOMCILOVIC

Sharpshooter Milan Mimcilovic commits to Kentucky after pulling out of NBA draft

SUMMARY: Former Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic has committed to Kentucky, giving coach Mark Pope one of the best players in the transfer portal. Momcilovic announced his decision on Instagram less than a week after pulling his name out of the NBA draft. A 6-foot-8 forward, Momcilovic led the nation in 3-point shooting at shooting 48.7% on 7.5 attempts per game last season and was fifth nationally in 3-pointers made. He made at least five 3-pointers in a game 10 times in 2025-26, including eight against Arizona in the Big 12 tournament. Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while leading Iowa State to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years.

WORDS: 192 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 10:53 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:59b996a5d1e9dd61e518db8c2252ed86&mediaType=text

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FBN--BROWNS-RAMS TRADE

Browns trade 2-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to Rams

SUMMARY: The Cleveland Browns traded two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal. The Browns will acquire pass rusher and linebacker Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round selection, a second-round pick in 2028 and a 2029 third-round selection. Garrett is expected to report to the Rams’ facility on Tuesday and have a news conference to discuss the trade. Garrett was not seen at the Browns’ facility during offseason workouts. Coach Todd Monken said two weeks ago he had not had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett since being hired in late January.

WORDS: 1384 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 10:14 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d4b1e6a527fe3a5aa808b27a5851caa3&mediaType=text

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HKN--STANLEY CUP-THE MARNER EFFECT

The Mitch Marner Effect: How one decision put Vegas and Carolina on a Stanley Cup Final path

SUMMARY: Mitch Marner had the opportunity to accept a trade to Carolina at the deadline in March 2025. Instead, he chose to stay in Toronto rather than be part of a deal for Mikko Rantanen and went on to sign with Vegas last summer. The decision caused a wave of events that led the Hurricanes and Golden Knights to this stage. Carolina got Logan Stankoven — perhaps their best player this playoffs — back from Dallas for Rantanen along with picks that helped get defenseman K’Andre Miller and the salary cap space to sign Nikolaj Ehlers. Vegas got Marner, who has been its best player and now gets to face a team he could have joined with the Stanley Cup on the line.

WORDS: 820 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 8:49 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8c7318e516db041504411f71be3ade5e&mediaType=text

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BKN--OBIT-RICK ADELMAN

Hall of Famer Rick Adelman, who won more than 1,000 games and took 2 teams to NBA Finals, dies at 79

SUMMARY: Rick Adelman, a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who played for seven NBA seasons before becoming one of the game’s all-time winningest coaches, has died, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday. Adelman, the father of Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman, was 79. The cause of his death was not immediately announced. Rick Adelman won 1,042 games as an NBA coach, 10th-most in league history. Only Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl coached more games and had a better winning percentage than Adelman.

WORDS: 833 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 8:43 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4702ccef9cafbe0e9938dcc3754e5d9d&mediaType=text

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BBO--LABOR

Baseball players’ chief says union ‘has never been broken’ and will fight MLB’s salary cap proposal

SUMMARY: The head of the baseball players’ association insists the union will fight management’s salary cap proposal. Major League Baseball proposed a salary cap last week and seems set to start a lockout after the current labor contract expires Dec. 1. Interim executive director Bruce Meyer says the union has never been broken and never will be. He emphasized that baseball players have always been the most unified, which is why they don’t have a salary cap. Negotiators have not scheduled the next bargaining session.

WORDS: 1101 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 8:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7ea902bcaa4aa8692a23d027705703e1&mediaType=text

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TEN--FRENCH OPEN

Aryna Sabalenka ends Naomi Osaka’s fashion show in Paris and advances to French Open quarterfinals

SUMMARY: Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 to reach the French Open quarterfinals and move one step closer to finally winning the clay-court Grand Slam after losing last year’s final to Coco Gauff. It was the first women’s night match at Roland Garros in three years and Osaka entered the court wearing a golden bomber jacket over her gold sequin playing dress trailing a tiered train with puffs of tulle. Sabalenka wore more standard tennis attire: A slightly sheer black flared tennis dress with a red underlayer plus diamond necklaces. Sabalenka improved to 3-1 in her career against Osaka who was playing in the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time.

WORDS: 740 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 7:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0cbf7b17b7b979c181cf58c3cb84f363&mediaType=text

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BKL--FEVER-CLARK-WHITE

Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White say all is good while downplaying sideline spat video

SUMMARY: Two-time WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark made one thing perfectly clear Monday — she enjoys playing for coach Stephanie White and anyone who infers otherwise is just plain wrong. A few minutes later, White said she also appreciates coaching Clark. Two days after cameras caught the Indiana star and the Fever coach engaged in what appeared to be a brief sideline spat, Clark and White explained the confrontation was not the result of some deep-seeded dispute but rather the result of two highly competitive women fighting to win a game.

WORDS: 714 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 7:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:82a98b7ed6d25a8748bd597d30dac5b8&mediaType=text

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TEN--SERENA WILLIAMS-COMEBACK

Serena Williams is coming back to tennis at 44, returning to the sport she dominated for decades

SUMMARY: Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at the age of 44 after nearly four years away from the sport. The WTA Tour has announced that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles at the upcoming Queen’s Club grass-court tournament. The Queen’s Club tournament starts June 8. Williams has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. Williams said at the time she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis. The WTA says Williams will play “with a partner to be announced in due course.”

WORDS: 1062 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 7:19 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b0696e1d76b0e7695d6e7d6fc4a78875&mediaType=text

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FBN--EAGLES-PATRIOTS TRADE

Eagles trade receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots, setting up reunion with coach Mike Vrabel

SUMMARY: The Philadelphia Eagles have traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. The Eagles will receive a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round pick in 2027 for the three-time Pro Bowler. The trade comes after a frustrating 2025 season for Brown in Philadelphia, in which he had grown dispirited with an Eagles offense that played uninspired football at times while the team failed to defend its Super Bowl title. Brown’s arrival in New England will be a reunion with coach Mike Vrabel, who Brown played under for three seasons after being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2019.

WORDS: 814 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 6:08 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b06ebfa7d849c10b5efc8efe9cb52ed8&mediaType=text

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RAC--BELMONT STAKES-DRAW

Renegade is the 2-1 favorite for the Belmont Stakes rematch with Derby winner Golden Tempo

SUMMARY: Renegade opened as the 2-1 favorite for the 158th Belmont Stakes, drawing post position No. 4. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Renegade finished second in the Kentucky Derby. Derby winner Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux, is the 9-2 third choice and starts in post position No. 9. Golden Tempo made history as the first horse trained by a woman to win the Derby. Bill Mott’s Chief Wallabee is the second choice at 3-1. The Belmont is taking place at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York for the third and final time before returning to Belmont Park next year.

WORDS: 477 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 6:06 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:20d21f868a9b5304028f77f797b6bbf5&mediaType=text

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FBN--STAR TRADES-HISTORY

Myles Garrett follows Micah Parsons’ path as the latest star player traded in his prime

SUMMARY: The deal to send two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams puts him in company with several other great players who have been traded away in the NFL. The deal for Garrett came about nine months after another stunner involving a star pass rusher with Micah Parsons being dealt from Dallas to Green Bay just before the start of last season. Garrett wasn’t the only star player traded Monday, with Philadelphia dealing receiver A.J. Brown to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder.

WORDS: 1153 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 5:50 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b8fc63282ae5c120cfd02191746e66e7&mediaType=text

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BKN--ON BASKETBALL-NBA FINALS-WEMBY

Wemby vs. the Knicks: It’s fitting that a marquee matchup awaits in the NBA Finals

SUMMARY: The marquee outside of Madison Square Garden in December 1949 once promoted the following event, which was happening a couple of days later: “Geo Mikan vs Knicks.” Not “Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York Knicks.” Just Mikan. The NBA’s first one-of-a-kind big man. It feels like history repeating itself now. The NBA Finals start Wednesday, with the San Antonio Spurs facing the Knicks for the title. And the marquee for this series — in San Antonio, in New York, in Paris and countless other points around the globe — may as well say “Wemby vs Knicks.” Victor Wembanyama keeps stepping onto bigger and bigger stages.

WORDS: 881 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 5:33 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8f91dbd1cee1115c41d07a39709547b2&mediaType=text

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HKN--STANLEY CUP PREVIEW

Vegas and Carolina rugged and rolling as they open a Stanley Cup Final nearly a decade in the making

SUMMARY: This Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes is nearly a decade in the making for each franchise. Vegas has only been around for nine years, but this is a third trip to the final, three years removed from hoisting the Cup in 2023. Carolina has been building to this in the eight seasons Rod Brind’Amour has been coach but had never gotten past the third round. Two different paths made them NHL powerhouses, and changes over the past several months got them to this showdown for hockey’s hallowed trophy.

WORDS: 1060 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 5:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6d57c169590080775efc560d6b554612&mediaType=text

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BBO--ATHLETICS-SACRAMENTO PARK

Athletics pitchers struggle in their temporary hitter-friendly home ballpark

SUMMARY: Yankees manager Aaron Boone had just finished a successful road series but still felt a bit exasperated after New York took two of three games against the Athletics in the minor league stadium that torments pitchers and fielders alike. Less than halfway through their second season at their temporary home at Sutter Health Park in the Sacramento area, the A’s are still trying to deal with the challenges of a ballpark that inflates offensive numbers.

WORDS: 820 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 3:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2387a7a8697c90e9f1f1efad10cd569d&mediaType=text

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BKN--NBA FINALS-MANAGEMENT MATTERS

Big market, small market, same NBA Finals stage: How the Knicks and Spurs got here so differently

SUMMARY: Getting to the NBA Finals proves that the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs have made plenty of smart moves along the way. You need a star, like a Jalen Brunson or a Victor Wembanyama. They need some help. They need the right coach. But this finals matchup, which starts Wednesday in San Antonio, also shows that there’s no one way to get all those things done. Knicks vs. Spurs isn’t just a clash for the NBA title, it’s a clash in styles as well.

WORDS: 1146 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 3:07 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c3b40ee2927cb7152aa40cbbaace09c4&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-US-PEPI

Pepi hung up on US coach last time, now watched his dad’s tears of joy after making World Cup team

SUMMARY: Ricardo Pepi hung up the phone when then-U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter called him in November 2022 with the decision to leave him off the World Cup roster. He was in a car with his dad on May 22 when he received a message from Mauricio Pochettino confirming his spot in this year’s American squad. Pepi is competing for playing time with Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright ahead of the team’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12. Still only 23, Pepi has scored 13 goals in 36 international appearances. His journey includes stints in MLS, Germany and the Netherlands, showcasing his growth and resilience.

WORDS: 742 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 2:55 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b3368e4fb383a10db3388dc7ed5fced5&mediaType=text

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FBN--GIANTS-RECEIVER SIGNINGS

Giants add receivers Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and returner Braxton Berrios

SUMMARY: Odell Beckham Jr. is returning to the New York Giants. The 33-year-old receiver signed with the Giants on Monday after visiting and working out with them in April. Beckham joined after wideout Gunner Olszewski tore his right Achilles tendon in an offseason workout practice last week. There is also uncertainty at the position with Malik Nabers recovering from a torn ACL and no guarantee he will be ready to play by Week 1 in September. The Giants also signed receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios, according to a person with knowledge of the moves.

WORDS: 312 - MOVED: 06/01/2026 2:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fb0948e3c88401c048100c32c0c2ff54&mediaType=text

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