NCAA eyes cash for women's teams

Despite huge TV ratings and unprecedented attention for women's basketball, teams in the NCAA Tournament don't cash in like their male counterparts.

NCAA president Charlie Baker hopes that will change as early as next season.

Under the current system, men's teams that make the tournament are rewarded with financial performance dollars — known as units. It has been estimated that teams in this year's men's field can make millions, the value increasing the deeper they go in the tournament.

While nothing has been approved yet, Baker said the finance committee is targeting the 2024-25 season to give women's teams financial compensation. The NCAA signed a new eight-year deal with ESPN worth US$115 million per year for 40 sports.

The NCAA still needs to figure out how units would be distributed, how much they would be worth and how conferences would be involved. To take effect in time for next year, the proposal would have to be approved in a Division I membership vote during the NCAA convention in January.

Interest in NCAA women's hoops has skyrocketed the past few years. Attendance and viewership are up exponentially. The Final Four game between Iowa and Uconn on Friday night drew a record 14.2 million viewers. South Carolina's 87-75 victory over Iowa in Sunday's championship game was expected to surpass that number.

The Canadian women's hockey team was prepared for a wrinkle in their world championship schedule due to Monday's solar eclipse. Canada faced defending champion the U.S. on Monday night in Utica, N.Y., which saw a “deep partial” 99.4 per cent eclipse at 3:24 p.m., not long before the Canadian team headed to the Adirondack Center to prepare for their game.

All 10 participating countries are staying at a hotel 40 kilometres from the arena.

The Canadian team budgeted an extra half-hour of travel time to get to the Adirondack Bank Center.

Forwards Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning, Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Artemi Panarin of the Rangers were named the NHL'S three stars Monday.

Kucherov earned firststar honours after registering 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in four games.

Crosby had five goals and an assist in four contests, while Panarin scored two goals and six assists in four games.

Baseball's Hall of Fame will unveil a bronze statue of Hank Aaron May 23 on the first floor of its museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The hall made the announcement Monday on the 50th anniversary of Aaron's 715th home run, which topped the record 714 hit by Babe Ruth in a career from 1914-35.

Aaron hit 755 home runs from 1954-76, a mark that stood until Barry Bonds hit 762 from 1986-2007, a feat assisted by performance-enhancing drugs.