December 19, 2025 4:22 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky combined for 34 points to lead Texas A&M to a 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 sweep of Pittsburgh on Thursday, punching their ticket to the national championship game. The No. 3 seed Aggies (28-4) advance to the final for the first time in program history after never advancing past the Elite Eight. En route to the final, the Aggies knocked off two No. 1 seeds in a previously undefeated Nebraska team, and Pitt, along with No. 2 seed Louisville. Pitt had not been swept a single time this season before Thursday.
December 19, 2025 4:26 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA players have authorized their union’s executive council to call a strike if necessary. That’s according to an announcement Thursday by the WNBPA. The union and league have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement for the past few months, extending the deadline a couple of times with the latest one set to expire Jan. 9. This move gives union negotiators another tool to use in talks. The union said there was overwhelming support in the vote to allow the executive council to call for a strike when it sees fit. Players and owners have been negotiating regularly.
December 18, 2025 2:52 am
PITTSBURGH — A Chicago-based investment company is close to buying the Pittsburgh Penguins from Fenway Sports Group. Multiple outlets, citing anonymous sources, report that the Hoffmann Family of Companies is nearing a deal to buy the Penguins from Fenway Sports Group. Financial details haven’t been released, though Forbes recently valued the team at around $1.7 billion. Any agreement would have to be approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors. The sale would end FSG’s brief ownership of the five-time Stanley Cup winners. FSG purchased the Penguins in late 2021.
December 18, 2025 4:40 am
In NCAA volleyball, it’s Final Four time with Texas A&M facing Pittsburgh and Wisconsin against Kentucky on Thursday. The winners advance to Sunday’s championship match. The Aggies and Badgers recently defeated top seeds Nebraska and Texas. Last year’s championship game drew 1.3 million viewers, and attendance records have been set annually since 2019, except for 2020. The national championship airs live on ABC for the third year. The sport’s growth includes daughters of former professional athletes, like Cari Spears, daughter of WNBA and NFL players. The NCAA anticipates continued growth and excitement in the sport.
December 18, 2025 4:42 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has started rehab after surgery to repair two torn knee ligaments. The team is optimistic he could return early next season. The surgery was performed Monday night in Dallas, a day after Mahomes was injured in a game against the Chargers. Recovery typically takes about nine months, but it varies. The Chiefs are out of playoff contention after losing to the Chargers. Backup Gardner Minshew will lead the team for the final three games. Several other key players are also dealing with injuries, including Rashee Rice, who is in the concussion protocol. Mahomes plans to continue his rehab in Kansas City.
December 18, 2025 4:41 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel says his decision to start Ewers on Sunday against the Bengals came down to who he felt gave the Dolphins the best chance to win. The decision came after Tagovailoa struggled in a 28-15 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night that eliminated Miami from playoff contention. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and hasn’t played up to his contract after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024. He said he was disappointed by the benching and unsure what his future with the team will look like.
December 17, 2025 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had four assists and became the fourth-fastest active player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on Tuesday night. Connor McDavid scored twice and added two assists. Evan Bouchard added a power-play goal and an assist, while Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers, who have won six of their last nine. Sidney Crosby had an assist for Pittsburgh and moved within one point of tying Mario Lemieux’s franchise record of 1,723 points. Tommy Novak, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Danton Heinen scored for the Penguins.
December 17, 2025 2:54 am
The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year contract for the 2026 season. Soto, who turns 31 on February 11, posted a 4.18 ERA (60.1ip/28er) and 70 strikeouts in 70 combined outings split between Baltimore and New York (NL) during the 2025 season. His 70 appearances last season were tied for the ninth-most among all left-handed relievers in Major League Baseball. Soto held opponents to a .156 batting average against (14-for-90) versus his slider in 2025, the sixth-best mark among all left-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball against that pitch (minimum 90 at-bats). Soto was named an American League All-Star with Detroit during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. His 30 saves in 2022 were the fifth-most in the American League and the 10th-most in all of Major League Baseball. Soto is one of only five Major League pitchers to make at least 60 appearances in each of the last
December 17, 2025 4:32 am
Curt Cignetti has been named The Associated Press coach of the year in college football for the second consecutive season. He is the first coach to win the award back-to-back since it was first presented in 1998. Cignetti has led Indiana to unprecedented success, with a 24-2 record over two seasons. The Hoosiers are 13-0 this year, Big Ten champions for the first time since 1967, and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. Cignetti received 47 first-place votes. Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea received two each, and Virginia’s Tony Elliott got one.
December 17, 2025 4:31 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is considering a quarterback change after Tua Tagovailoa’s continued struggles this season. Those were magnified in Monday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that eliminated Miami from playoff contention for the second straight season. Tagovailoa threw for just 65 yards through three quarters, and the areas in which he has appeared to regress were evident again, from questionable decision-making to a lack of mobility that has hampered him throughout the season. McDaniel said he would give “more clarity” on his quarterback decision on Wednesday.
