Indianapolis — Caitlin Clark, an Indiana Fever standout, demonstrated her perseverance Monday night.

She overcame an injured left ankle, foul trouble, and frustration that resulted in an unexpected late technical foul to help her squad secure its first win.

Then she grieved what the Fever couldn’t finish.

Tyasha Harris scored 13 of Connecticut’s final 18 points on Monday night, including two free throws with 10.9 seconds left and the game knotted, to lead the Sun to an 88-84 victory over Indiana, which remains winless.

Caitlin Clark | AP News Image

Caitlin Clark Overcomes Injury, But Harris Shines Late To Give Sun 88-84 Win Over Winless Fever

“I believe you can see the progress we’re making, which is why this one hurts so much. We were right there, and we had plenty of chances to win the game, but you didn’t,” Clark explained. “We’ve played the top teams in the league and we were right there with the Sun today.

Indiana’s difficult schedule already includes two games against the WNBA’s runner-up, the New York Liberty, and two more against the Sun, who finished third in the league last season.

The consequence has been a predictable learning curve — four straight losses, the first three by double digits — for a youthful squad led by the league’s newest star, who faced another announced sellout Monday night.

When Clark slumped to the floor at 5:37 left in the first half, grasping at her lower left leg and grimacing in pain until the game was called off a few moments later, the Fever’s prospects appeared to be lost again.

However, after limping into the tunnel near the team bench, retaping her ankle, and going through halftime warmups with her teammates, Clark returned — and looked more like the two-time national college player of the year during the final quarter than she had during the first 15 quarters of her pro career.

Clark finished with 17 points and five assists in the final 10 minutes, nailing 5-of-11 shots and three 3-pointers, including a go-ahead 3 from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse logo that gave Indiana a 70-68 lead with 7:15 remaining and sent the crowd to its feet.

“That was a big shot,” she explained. “We got the audience moving. I mean, the crowd was fantastic.”

caitlin calr \ AP News Image

Caitlin Clark Overcomes Injury, But Harris Shines Late To Give Sun 88-84 Win Over Winless Fever

However, on a night when Alyssa Thomas came just short of a second triple-double versus Indiana this season — 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists — and Harris scored 16 points, three three-pointers, and the game-winning scoring flurry, Indiana’s mistakes proved too expensive.

With 3:37 remaining and Indiana leading 76-75, Clark turned the ball over and collected her fifth foul while attempting to fight for the ball. She was also called for a technical foul after shouting at the refs in exasperation, which the Sun took full advantage of.

Connecticut knotted the game when DaWanna Bonner scored one of two free throws, seized the lead 46 seconds later on Harris’ three-point play, made it 82-78 on Harris’ three with 2:04 left, and broke an 84-84 tie with two more free throws by Harris

Indiana had a chance to tie the game, but Aliyah Boston missed a layup in the final seconds, and Thomas sealed the deal with two free throws.

The Sun’s DiJonai Carrington scored 13 points, while Bonner had 22.

Caitlin Clark Overcomes Injury, But Harris Shines Late To Give Sun 88-84 Win Over Winless Fever

Kelsey Mitchell equaled Clark’s 17 points and five assists, while Alyssa Smith scored 13, and Temi Fagbenle had 11 points and ten rebounds. Boston scored ten.

“This is what you expect from a young team, a lot of growing pains early on, a lot of ups and downs,” Thomas stated. “But they should be proud of how they dealt with a difficult schedule to begin the season. “They did an excellent job today.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Vancouver, British Columbia – The Edmonton Oilers are proving they have more scoring options than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as Edmonton scored three times in the second period and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 7 on Monday night to go to the Western Conference finals.

Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci also scored, while Evan Bouchard assisted twice for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner finished with 15 saves.

“It takes every single guy in here,” Nugent-Hopkins explained. “Definitely proud to get the job done with this group.”

Oilers beat Canucks | AP News Image

Oilers Beat Canucks 3-2 In Game 7 To Advance To Western Conference Final

Draisaitl leads all postseason players with 24 points, McDavid has 21, and Bouchard leads all defensemen with 20. The Canucks kept McDavid off the scoreboard for the third time in seven games and limited Draisaitl to one assist.

Edmonton, back in the conference finals for the second time in three years, will meet Dallas in Game 1 of their series on Thursday night.

Conor Garland and Filip Hronek scored in the third period for Vancouver, while Arturs Silovs made 26 saves.

On Monday, the Canucks were forced to reshuffle their forward lines after learning that leading goal scorer Brock Boeser had been sidelined due to a reported blood clotting issue. Sam Lafferty and Ilya Mikheyev returned for Game 7 after missing the previous two games, but Vasily Podkolzin was scratched.

Kris Knoblauch, coaching in his first Stanley Cup playoffs, praised Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers’ bottom-six forwards for successfully killing a four-minute penalty on Ryan McLeod late in the first period.

“We played, I thought, really well,” Knoblauch said of his team’s first-period performance, in which Edmonton outshot Vancouver 13-2. “That could be a turning point in the game, but our penalty kill, like it has been for almost all the playoffs, has been really solid.”

Silovs was the highlight of the opening session, stopping all 13 shots he faced.

Ceci opened the score with his team’s first shot of the second period, a slap shot from the right point that beat Silovs high to the glove side at 1:16. The Oilers then went on their first power play, with Hyman scoring his playoff-leading 11th goal at 5:20 by tipping Bouchard’s point shot to Silovs’ stick side.

oilers beat canucks | AP News Image

Oilers Beat Canucks 3-2 In Game 7 To Advance To Western Conference Final

With 4:38 remaining, Nugent-Hopkins pushed the advantage to 3-0 with a crisp angle shot. Edmonton scored its first power-play goal in three games.

For the first 52 minutes, the Canucks struggled to create any dangerous scoring chances, but Garland’s unassisted slot shot with 8:23 left in the third energized the team and its fans. Hronek pulled Vancouver within one with 4:36 remaining, and the Canucks maintained the pressure until the final bell.

“For the most part, I thought we played well,” said Draisaitl, who famously called the 2023-24 season a ‘Cup or Bust’ after the Oilers were eliminated in the second round of the 2023 playoffs. “Would we like to keep things a little less stressful? “Yes, probably.”

Vancouver scored 0 for 3 on the power play, while Edmonton scored 1 for 2. The Oilers were 20 for 23 on the penalty kill in the series.

After allowing one goal on 15 shots in his return to the net for Edmonton’s Game 6 victory, Skinner faced only 17 shots in Game 7, including five in the third period.

But that made for a challenging night.

“They were able to make plays, but just weren’t able to get shots on net,” Skinner stated. “I was working quite hard, believe it or not. But I didn’t have many shots, which is a compliment to the players up front.

The Oilers advanced to 8-4 all-time in Game 7, while the Canucks dropped to 6-7.

Oilers Beat Canucks| Ap news Image

Oilers Beat Canucks 3-2 In Game 7 To Advance To Western Conference Final

The Canucks were making their first playoff appearance in front of a crowd since 2015. Despite losing Vezina Trophy nominee Thatcher Demko to injury after the first game of the first round, the Vancouver Canucks advanced for the first time since the 2020 playoff bubble.

After the game, Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet underlined his team’s progress since he took over the bench in January 2023.

“They put respect back to that jersey and into this city,” he stated. “Fans have got something to be proud of.”

SOURCE – (PA)

The organization announced on Sunday night the passing of Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center dubbed “Mr. Raider” for his resilience in the face of several injuries. It was his 86th birthday.

It took some time to determine the cause of death.

“The Original Raider,” the team declared in a statement shared on the social media site X. Jim’s impact on the American Football League and professional football in general is impossible to overestimate, as he personifies consistency. His leadership and perseverance distinguished the successful Raider teams of the 1960s and 1970s.

Otto continued to be associated with the Raiders following their 2020 relocation to Las Vegas. After the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 27-14 in January to close the season, he was one of numerous former players in the locker room.

Jim Otto | AP News Image

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

The defense ended with the Las Vegas Raiders. Otto was a “complete legend & incredible person,” according to a post made by Maxx Crosby on X.

In 1960, Jim joined the Raiders during their initial season in the American Football League and remained a regular for the following fifteen years.

He had nine knee surgeries during his playing career, although he never missed a game due to an injury. He participated in 210 straight regular-season games and 308 straight overall. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.

Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon famously remarked, “He’s a warrior.” “Jim comes to mind when you think of the rugged, vintage Raider.”

Considered one of the AFL’s all-time greats, Jim was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said, “Jim personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders.” He was known as “The Original Raider,” guiding a brand-new franchise from its birth through its initial golden age in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His renowned dependability—210 straight starts in the AFL and NFL—and the honors he has received bear witness to his commitment to the team and the sport.

Otto had reportedly undergone more than fifty surgeries, most of them for wounds sustained playing football. Those suffered from crippling neck and back issues, arthritis, and repeated joint replacements. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.

After his career, Jim also experienced two significant infections and prostate cancer.

He declared, “I can tolerate any kind of surgery in the world, with the exception of internal procedures.” Correcting your nose, knee, elbows, or anything else is insignificant if it is purely cosmetic.

Otto participated in nine AFL All-Star games and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowls while donning his renowned No. 00 jersey, a play on his name, “Aught-oh.” Jim was elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

“I always tried to stay one step ahead of everyone else in my career,” Otto once remarked. “I was the best center every day that I trotted onto the field. I desired to be that way. I kept playing at that caliber and according to those standards.

Otto played a crucial role as the Raiders rose to prominence as one of the top teams in the NFL. After losing to Green Bay in the 1967 Super Bowl, the squad finished with seven division victories in his remaining eight seasons.

Jim Otto | AP News Image

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

He played offensive line alongside fellow Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw and Art Shell during his last seasons. Those Raiders dominated their opponents on the physical level.

“Some intimidation was present,” he claimed. “The football team and Oakland’s fan base made it difficult for teams to visit.

The Raiders were known for their intense partying and impressive play. Players would reportedly arrive before bed check at 11 p.m. and then leave again.

“They were all at practice the next morning, regardless of what had happened the previous evening,” Otto remarked.

Otto was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, on January 5, 1938. He was raised in extreme poverty and briefly lived with his family in a chicken coop. He departed to play football at the University of Miami, where he excelled as a linebacker and center.

In 1959, he was not selected by the NFL, but instead, he signed with the Raiders of the newly formed AFL the following year. Of the players who participated in the AFL for all ten years, he was one of only twenty.

Otto most recently served as the group’s director of special projects. In addition to making public appearances for the team, he arranged get-togethers for past players and fan gatherings in the luxury boxes.

Jim Otto | AP News Image

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

He also significantly impacted the negotiations to return the franchise to Oakland from Los Angeles prior to the 1995 campaign. In 2020, the Raiders moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas.

My wife Sally, son Jim Jr., daughter-in-law Leah, and fourteen grandchildren (Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie) survive Otto.

SOURCE – (AP)