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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FBN--STEELERS-ROOKIES

DESCRIPTION: PITTSBURGH — Derrick Harmon showed up for his first day of work as a pro on Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick’s heart still heavy following the passing of his mother, who died shortly after the defensive tackle was taken with the 21st overall pick. By Will Graves. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 2:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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CAR--NASCAR-KANSAS-BUESCHER’S BACK

DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Kan. — One year ago, Chris Buescher was beaten by Kyle Larson at Kansas Speedway by less than a blink of an eye. The official margin of victory was 0.001 seconds, the closest in NASCAR history. The Cup Series is back this weekend for its annual spring race and nobody has forgotten about it. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m. CT.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 3:03 p.m. EDT, Text

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HKO--WORLDS

DESCRIPTION: The United States opens the ice hockey world championship against Denmark while defending champion Czech Republic plays Switzerland in a replay of last year’s final. Also, Sweden faces Slovakia and Finland meets Austria.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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FBN--BUCCANEERS ROOKIES

DESCRIPTION: TAMPA, Fla. — Desmond Watson, the defensive lineman who made headlines for weighing more than 400 pounds, and Shilo Sanders make their debut with the Bucs at the team’s rookie camp. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. Story on merits.

ON MERITS: By 05/09/2025 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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FBN--EGYPTIAN LION

DESCRIPTION: ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have a minicamp for their rookies, including former Boise State defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, the first Egyptian drafted by an NFL team. UPCOMING: 550 words, photos by 6 p.m.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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GLF--TRUIST CHAMPIONSHIP

DESCRIPTION: The second round of the Truist Championship, a PGA Tour signature event at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course. By Bob Lentz. 600 words.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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FBN--RAIDERS-JEANTY

DESCRIPTION: HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders get an early look at running back Ashton Jeanty in rookie camp. He was the club’s No. 6 overall draft pick. By Mark Anderson. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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GLF--LPGA TOUR

DESCRIPTION: JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Jeeno Thitikul has a two-shot lead going into the second round of the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National. Defending champion Nelly Korda was four behind. Upcoming: 500 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 7:30 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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BBO--CUBS-METS

DESCRIPTION: NEW YORK -- Clay Holmes (4-1) pitches for the New York Mets against Jameson Taillon (2-1) and the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series between National League division leaders.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 10:10 p.m. EDT, Text

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HKN--STARS-JETS

DESCRIPTION: WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg play Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series. 6:30 p.m. Central start. 450 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 05/09/2025 10:30 p.m. EDT, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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FBC--NORTH CAROLINA-BELICHICK-HUDSON

UNC: Belichick’s girlfriend ‘welcome’ at football facilities after report she had been banned

SUMMARY: North Carolina says the girlfriend of football coach Bill Belichick is “welcome” at its football facilities amid a report that 24-year-old Jordon Hudson had been banned. In Friday’s statement, the school said Hudson isn’t a school employee but will “continue to manage” activities related to Belichick’s personal brand outside of his coaching duties. That statement followed a report from the video podcast by sportswriter and broadcaster Pablo Torre. It comes a week after Belichick defended Hudson for interjecting during a CBS interviewer’s questions about their relationship. Belichick won six Super Bowls as a head coach but is a first-time college coach.

WORDS: 403 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 1:39 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c285b7072ef767385f449a9120764363&mediaType=text

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SOC--WWCUP-48 TEAMS

FIFA confirms Women’s World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when US is expected to host

SUMMARY: The Women’s World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when the United States is expected to host the tournament, FIFA confirmed Friday. FIFA has wanted to expand the women’s tournament from 32 teams to match the men’s World Cup which has 48 teams for the first time next year, when the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. The decision follows one month after FIFA said it had just one candidate bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments — the U.S. followed by the United Kingdom. FIFA is expected to confirm these two hosts next year. Brazil will host a 32-team Women’s World Cup in 2027.

WORDS: 129 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 1:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d704552d045d133a3e08f7bf35154735&mediaType=text

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TEN--ITALIAN OPEN

Alcaraz beats Lajovic in return from injury at Italian Open; No. 1 Sabalenka advances

SUMMARY: Carlos Alcaraz returned from a brief injury layoff with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic at the Italian Open. The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open last month due to an upper right leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final. He also had a left leg injury. Alcaraz wore a long black brace that covered the upper portion of his right leg and stretched down to just below his knee. Alcaraz is preparing to defend his title at the French Open. Roland Garros starts May 25. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka opened with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Anastasia Potapova.

WORDS: 339 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 1:03 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3359f551be1812804392ed0bb4b455dd&mediaType=text

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SOC--CHAMPIONS LEAGUE-ENGLAND

England’s record six teams in next Champions League set to fuel wealth gap in European soccer

SUMMARY: England will send a record six teams into the Champions League next season. It’s further fueling the wealthy Premier League’s financial power over the rest of Europe. Manchester United and Tottenham advanced Thursday to an all-English final of the second-tier Europa League. The winner will earn entry into the next Champions League where the prize money is typically four times greater. England already earned a bonus fifth Champions League entry next season because of its teams’ collective European results this season. England’s surge comes in the season that total UEFA prize money increases by 25%.

WORDS: 837 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 12:47 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ab97fdf081dc1df338e4827bfddd23dd&mediaType=text

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BKN--WARRIORS-GREEN

Warriors’ Draymond Green tells reporters he’s tired of portrayal as an ‘angry Black man’

SUMMARY: Golden State’s Draymond Green will receive a warning letter from the NBA after getting his fifth technical foul of these playoffs, and the fiery forward says he’s grown tired of being portrayed as an “angry Black man” on the court. Green — who has made headlines numerous times in his career for his physicality on the court — made that comment after Golden State’s loss to Minnesota on Thursday night, a game where he got a technical foul after flailing his arms and making contact after getting fouled by Timberwolves’ Naz Reid.

WORDS: 414 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 12:03 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:11f540b60e1463d4b157ed78e83c23e0&mediaType=text

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TEN--VATICAN-POPE-TENNIS

Pope Leo XIV is a tennis player. Tsitsipas would be happy to hit some balls with him

SUMMARY: It was fitting that when Pope Leo XIV was elected the Italian Open tennis tournament was being played just up the road from the Vatican. Because tennis is the sport that the first American pope likes to play. Leo said in a 2023 interview with the Augustinian Order that “I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player.” Greek pro Stefanos Tsitsipas says he would be happy to hit some balls with Leo if he finds the time. Tsitsipas says “I feel like figures like this maybe can teach humans things” and that “I feel lucky that I was here when that got announced.”

WORDS: 321 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 11:53 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e7f11a708f0da646458c1770ba0e3737&mediaType=text

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BKL--SKY-ANGEL’S ENCORE

Angel Reese is ready to start winning in the WNBA after injuries and record-setting season

SUMMARY: Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is ready to start winning in the WNBA after setting records as a rookie. Reese helped the league soar to new heights in popularity after she and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark took their rivalry from the college ranks to the pros. But the wins for Reese didn’t come the way they had at LSU. That’s something she wants to change. The season opens with a matchup at Indiana on May 17. Reese says the Sky “were right there every night” last year. Chicago finished 10th in the WNBA at 13-27 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

WORDS: 897 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 11:42 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:492458daeff653a66d872daa2c6754fd&mediaType=text

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SPORTS--IRELAND-WOMEN’S DRESS CODE

Skorts vs. shorts uniform debate brimming in Irish sport camogie as women push for choice

SUMMARY: A small Irish sport has become the latest battleground for female athletes protesting against their dress codes — in this case “skorts.” Camogie, a female version of hurling, doesn’t allow players to wear shorts. But that rule is being challenged as outdated and the debate is headed for a showdown Saturday when Cork and Waterford square off in a final. The teams say in a joint statement: “We will be togged out wearing shorts. That is our choice.” Players complain that “skorts” — shorts that have extra fabric to resemble skirts — are uncomfortable. The governing Camogie Association has called a May 22 meeting but last year the same body rejected proposals that would have authorized shorts.

WORDS: 575 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 10:25 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:36950f13dedfcf5ef03cac179a698860&mediaType=text

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BBO--RED SOX-DEVERS

Rafael Devers tells Red Sox he won’t move to 1B, tells front office to ‘do their jobs’ finding one

SUMMARY: Rafael Devers is the Boston Red Sox’s designated hitter. And he’s not interested in another position switch. Speaking with reporters for the first time since Triston Casas was ruled out for the season after rupturing his left knee tendon and undergoing surgery, Devers said on Thursday that Red Sox management approached him about the idea of filling in as Boston’s first baseman. The three-time All-Star doesn’t see it in his best interest to make another position switch after being asked to move from third base to DH during spring training after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third.

WORDS: 536 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 10:12 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6b555bbf156f83bcc4f2ce6ce9d6b29a&mediaType=text

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CAR--NASCAR-BUESCHER’S BACK

Chris Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway, reliving the closest Cup Series finish in NASCAR history

SUMMARY: Chris Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway this week, and he’s being forced to relive the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. He thought he had won the spring race a year ago, only to learn on the cool-down lap that Kyle Larson had edged him at the finish line by 0.001 seconds. Buescher is pragmatic when he’s asked about the race, pointing out that “if it was 1,000th of a second for fifth and sixth, it wouldn’t have stung.” But on that day, it happened to be for the win. And it did sting.

WORDS: 769 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 9:35 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9ca063d285a686805edaa9047afdee7e&mediaType=text

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US--NEW POPE-SPORTS

Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties

SUMMARY: The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV became a topic of conversation almost as soon as the white smoke emerged from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, also attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977. Chicago’s two baseball teams were front and center as sports fans reacted to the news. It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. But his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. The pope is a White Sox fan.

WORDS: 539 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 9:28 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4cbba3bb0a8219059fffeb309e534dfd&mediaType=text

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CRI--INDIA-IPL SUSPENDED

India suspends its top cricket tournament, the IPL, for a week amid military tensions with Pakistan

SUMMARY: India’s biggest domestic cricket tournament has been suspended for one week following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, which features top players from around the world and attracts hundreds of millions of TV viewers, was halted with immediate effect, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said. The decision comes after a night of artillery exchanges between Indian and Pakistani soldiers across their frontier in Kashmir, amid a growing military standoff that erupted following an attack on tourists in the India-controlled portion of the disputed region. The IPL is the most popular cricket tournament in the world and runs between March and May.

WORDS: 405 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 6:25 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:bb520f2875640bbe8600a0ae12eee6e7&mediaType=text

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FBN--HEAVIEST PLAYERS

Bucs rookie Desmond Watson, at 464 pounds, tops list of the NFL’s heaviest players

SUMMARY: Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Desmond Watson already has made NFL history — as the league’s heaviest player. The 6-foot-6, 464-pound defensive tackle from Florida signed with his hometown Bucs after going undrafted and will begin his NFL journey during Tampa Bay’s three-day rookie minicamp this weekend. He’s sure to get plenty of attention. While no current NFL player tops 400 pounds — Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele is the heaviest at 380 — there have been a few who have played at or near four bills. The list includes Aaron Gibson, Nate Newton, Bryant McKinnie and William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

WORDS: 704 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d300d2d88eb5bf3addad15784f3da565&mediaType=text

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HKN--OILERS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Draisaitl scores in OT to give Oilers a 5-4 win over Golden Knights and a 2-0 series lead

SUMMARY: Leon Draisaitl took a pass from Connor McDavid and scored off the rush at 15:20 of overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night and a 2-0 lead in the second-round series. After failing to capitalize on a five-minute power play when Vegas defenseman Nicolas Roy was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking 5:37 into overtime, the Oilers didn’t waste the opportunity later when the NHL’s most dynamic offensive duo combined for the winner. Vasily Podkolzin, Jake Walman, Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers, and Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists. Calvin Pickard made 28 saves. Game 3 is Saturday night in Edmonton.

WORDS: 600 - MOVED: 05/09/2025 2:31 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4a67704db87c32de935524ba16b06853&mediaType=text

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MOVING TOMORROW

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—NBA, NHL playoffs