Minnesota Teams

⚾ Twins Home Opener Today! After 194 days away, Minnesota Twins baseball is back at Target Field on Friday. If you're heading out, festivities kicked off early with a Breakfast on the Plaza — check local listings for first pitch time and what to bring.

🏀 Timberwolves at 76ers Tonight The Wolves are in Philadelphia for a Friday night matchup worth watching. Anthony Edwards has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, though he's unfortunately become ineligible for All-NBA honors due to a league rule requiring players to appear in at least 65 games. Keep an eye on this one as Minnesota pushes toward the playoffs.

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NBA

The 65-Game Rule Controversy The big story in the NBA right now is a rule that says players need to play in at least 65 games to qualify for awards like MVP or All-NBA. Both Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) and Luka Dončić (Lakers) have fallen short of that threshold due to injuries — though Dončić may still have a technical path to eligibility. Fans and writers are frustrated because the rule was meant to discourage load management, but it's now punishing legitimately injured stars.

MVP Race Heating Up A poll of 100 NBA insiders has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) leading the MVP race, with Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio making a late push. Think of it as the league's version of a "Player of the Year" award.

WNBA Growing Fast Two brand-new WNBA teams — the Portland Fire and a team called Tempo — held their expansion drafts this week, picking their first-ever rosters. Portland made Bridget Carleton the No. 1 overall pick. The league now has 15 teams, which is a big deal for women's basketball.

LeBron vs. Memphis Lakers star LeBron James made headlines by suggesting the Memphis Grizzlies should just relocate. A couple of NBA head coaches pushed back, defending Memphis and its basketball culture. It's the kind of off-court drama that tends to follow LeBron everywhere.

NBA Investigating the Bucks The league is looking into how the Milwaukee Bucks have been handling star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's availability. Giannis told reporters he's healthy but is being held out anyway — which raised some eyebrows around the league.

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MLB

Baseball is Back in Full Swing The 2026 MLB season is underway, and the Twins' home opener is the big local headline (see above). It's early, so no major pennant race drama yet.

Meet Konnor Griffin, Baseball's Most Hyped Teenager The Pittsburgh Pirates called up 19-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin this week for his MLB debut, and baseball fans are very excited. He's considered the top prospect in all of baseball — think of him as a highly-touted rookie who skipped the long minor-league wait and jumped straight to the big leagues. His name is being mentioned alongside other legendary hyped debuts like Shohei Ohtani and Paul Skenes.

Ozzie Guillén Gets His Number Retired The Chicago White Sox announced they'll retire the number 13 of Ozzie Guillén, the manager who led them to their 2005 World Series title. Guillén also played shortstop for the team for 13 seasons, making it a fitting tribute.

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NHL

Playoff Crunch Time The NHL regular season is winding down, with fewer than 10 games left for every team. The Philadelphia Flyers are on the bubble — they need a win Friday plus some help from other results just to sneak into the playoffs. If you like last-minute drama, this is the week to pay attention.

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College Sports

Final Four Weekend Is Here! The men's NCAA Tournament is down to its final four teams, with semifinal games on Saturday. UConn is one of the teams still standing, largely thanks to freshman Braylon Mullins, who hit a jaw-dropping shot to beat Duke in the previous round. Arizona is also in the mix, led by big man Koa Peat.

Women's Final Four Too The women's tournament Final Four is also happening this weekend in Phoenix, and for once it's an all-No.-1-seeds affair — meaning the four best teams all made it. UConn and South Carolina, two perennial powerhouses, face off Friday.

Trump Signs College Sports Order President Trump signed an executive order aimed at college athletics, pushing for limits on player transfers, capping eligibility, and reforming the NIL system (the rules that allow college athletes to get paid by sponsors). It's a big political development for college sports, though the details are still being sorted out.

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Other Sports

Phil Mickelson Out of the Masters Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson announced he won't be playing in the 2026 Masters at Augusta this year due to a personal health matter. It's only the second time since 1995 that he won't be in the field — a notable absence at golf's most prestigious event.

Kentucky Derby Prep Season The Kentucky Derby is about four weeks away (first Saturday in May), and this weekend features some key prep races including the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. If you enjoy the pageantry of the Derby, now's the time to start paying attention to which horses are building momentum.