Women’s final has huge ratings
South Carolina’s victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in Sunday’s women’s NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN. The only sporting events in the United States to draw a bigger TV audience since 2019 have been football, the World Cup and the Olympics.
The audience numbers are expected to increase when Nielsen releases its final numbers on Tuesday.
It’s the most-watched basketball game since 2019, when the men’s NCAA title game involving Virginia and Texas Tech averaged 19.6 million on CBS.
The Hawkeyes’ victory over Connecticut on Friday night averaged 14.2 million, and their April 1 win over Louisiana State, a rematch of last year’s title game, drew 12.3 million.
ETC. Calipari talking with Arkansas
Longtime Kentucky coach John Calipari was in negotiations to potentially leave and take the men’s basketball coaching job at Arkansas, multiple outlets reported late Sunday.
Arkansas officials have been in discussions with Calipari about the opening, the Arkansas DemocratGazette said, citing anonymous sources. ESPN, also citing anonymous sources, reported Calipari was finalizing a five-year deal.
Churchill Downs countered the lawsuit filed by horse racing owner Amr Zedan with a filing that said the suit should be dismissed because it violates the antiSLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) Act. The filing would, at the very least, seem to slow the legal process. But judge Mitch Perry on Monday scheduled a hearing for next Monday, in which is he will likely rule on this motion and possibly on the larger suit that would allow Bob Baffert horses to participate in races at Churchill Downs, to include the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
Motions need to be filed on Thursday for consideration for Monday’s hearing.
—John Cherwa
Novak Djokovic surpassed another tennis record held by Roger Federer, becoming the oldest man to be ranked No. 1 in the ATP Tour’s computerized rankings. Djokovic is 36 — he turns 37 next month — and is now older than Federer was on his last day atop the rankings in June 2018 . ... In Monaco, two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters after
Laslo Djere of Serbia retired because of injury. Other Monday winners included Grigor Dimitrov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexei Popyrin, Ugo Humbert and Karen Khachanov.
Austin Prock rode to his first career funny car win Sunday, edging Alexis DeJoria in the final round at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Chandler. Also winning titles were Shawn Langdon (top fuel) and Greg Anderson (pro stock).
Nelly Korda won four of the first seven holes, largely making the rest of the final Sunday in the T-Mobile Match Play a formality in beating Leona Maguire 4 and 3 at Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas . ... Dean Burmester of South Africa won for the first time on the LIV Golf League by closing with a four-under 68 and beating Sergio Garcia ina playoff Sunday when the Spaniard hit into the water on the second extra hole at LIV Golf Miami . ... In San Antonio, Akshay Bhatia nearly celebrated too soon, hurting his left shoulder while pumping his arms on a 12-foot birdie to force a playoff. He recovered to make birdie on the first extra hole and win the Texas Open over hard-luck Denny McCarthy to earn a trip to the Masters.
Jerry Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died. He was 81. Grote suffered from heart issues and died in Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said.
Jordan Kyrou scored in the shootout and the Blues beat the Ducks 6-5 Sunday night to preserve their slim playoff hopes. Frank Vatrano and Leo Carlsson each had two goals, and Nikita Nesterenko also scored in the Ducks’ 14th loss in 16 games. Alex Killorn had an assist for his 500th career point, and Lukas Dostal made 26 saves.