Page 15 - aruba-today-20230331

A15
SPORTS Friday 31 March 2023
Iowa's Caitlin Clark wins AP Player of the Year

By DOUG FEINBERG Iowa go 26-6. Clark has 984
AP Basketball Writer points, the sixth-most in a
DALLAS (AP) — Caitlin Clark season by any player in Di-
has put together one of the vision I women's history. She
greatest individual seasons also has over 300 assists.
in NCAA history with eye- "She is spectacular. I don't
popping offensive num- know how else to describe
bers. what she does on the bas-
Iowa's junior guard, though, ketball court," Bluder said.
saved her best perfor- Clark accepted the award
mance for the game's big- in front of her Hawkeye
gest stage, recording the teammates. One of whom
first 40-point triple-double asked Clark who were fa-
in NCAA history to get Iowa vorite teammate was and
to the Final Four for the first the point guard deftly side-
time in 30 years. stepped it by saying that
Clark was honored Thurs- they "all were here favor-
day as The Associated ite."
Press women's basketball Next up for the Hawkeyes is
Player of the Year. She re- undefeated South Carolina
ceived 20 votes from the in the national semifinals.
28-member national media The Gamecocks are led by
panel that votes on the AP Aliyah Boston, last season's
Top 25 each week. Voting Associated Press Sports Products Director Barry Bedlan is flanked by Indiana head coach Teri Mo- winner of the award. She
was done before March ren and Iowa's Caitlin Clark at a press conference after both was introduced as the AP Coach of garnered the other eight
the Year and AP Player of the Year Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Dallas.
Madness began. Associated Press votes this season.
"It's a huge honor," Clark "There's so many great
said. "I picked a place that The Iowa coaching staff of some of the children in that you know are going players, more than just me
I perfectly fit into and that's surprised Clark by sharing the hospital congratulating through a hard time," said and (Aliyah)," Clark told the
allowed me to show my that she won the award Clark on an outstanding Clark, who grew up in Iowa. AP. "You can go on and
skill set. I'd be lying if I said while they were visiting the season, and in the middle "Being able to give joy to on and list the tremendous
it didn't mean something. Iowa Children's Hospital — of it, Iowa coach Lisa Blud- people that watch you players. I think that's really
It's not the reason you play a place near and dear to er popped on the screen to play and watch your team good for our game when
basketball, it's just some- her. It also has huge ties to tell her she won. play is amazing." there's a lot of great play-
thing that comes along the Hawkeyes athletic de- "I'm there for inspiring the She averaged 27.0 points, ers. That's what is going to
with getting to do what you partment. next generation and be- 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds help this game grow more
love." They put together a video ing there for the people during the season to help than anything else."q

Pickleball Slam: Roddick, Agassi, McEnroe, Chang take swings

By HOWARD FENDRICH “As I’m walking through the that, frankly, I don’t know “Today, right now, nobody way.”
AP National Writer (pickleball) rules, I saw they that people have the truly knows the top pickle- Likening the appeal of Sun-
When Andy Roddick took away my youth with time to learn.” ESPN/ABC ball players. No one can day’s event to what drew
agreed to join John McEn- (limited) movement, and have shown pickleball in even name maybe the top fans to “The Match,” a tele-
roe, Andre Agassi and Mi- they took away my serve the past, there is a deal in 50 pickleball players,” said vised golf exhibition that
chael Chang at the Pick- with having to serve under- place with one league for Levy, the former president began under his watch
leball Slam, the 2003 U.S. hand,” Roddick said with a some of its competitions, of Turner Networks. “(But) at Turner with Tiger Woods
Open champion figured he chuckle, “so I’m not really and there are ongoing dis- it’s a huge rising phenome- playing against Phil Mickel-
had two distinct advantag- sure what’s left.” cussions with others. non in sport. And we decid- son in 2018, Levy said: “I’ve
es against the three other He will face Chang, then “We’re obviously not writing ed to jump in, in a unique done this magic before.”q
International Tennis Hall of McEnroe will take on big checks for pickleball at
Fame inductees participat- Agassi, before a McEnroe- this moment,” said Tim Bun-
ing in the made-for-TV exhi- Chang vs. Agassi-Roddick nell, ESPN senior vice presi-
bition in Hollywood, Florida. doubles competition at dent of programming. “The
At age 40, Roddick is the the Pickleball Slam the lat- stage of development for
junior member of the quar- est in a series of attempts the sport is: We’re all still fig-
tet (McEnroe is 64, Agassi to draw eyeballs to a sport uring out how it translates in
52, Chang 51). And Rod- taking over courts in neigh- the media world. We know
dick’s serve, which topped borhoods all over while still how it translates participa-
150 mph back in his days finding its footing on televi- tion-wise.”
on the tennis tour, was the sion. Horizon Sports & Experi-
fastest among the group “Everyone likes it instantly. ences (HS&E) is producing
of retired Grand Slam title It’s pretty well-regarded by the Pickleball Slam in tan-
winners who signed up for people that play it,” Rod- dem with InsideOut Sports
something that features dick said. “But you also and Entertainment (ISE).
a $1 million purse and airs don’t know if it will ever The idea, HS&E co-CEO
Sunday on ESPN at noon translate to TV and be a David Levy explained, was
Eastern, before the March very watchable product for bold-faced names from Andy Roddick returns a shot to Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the third
round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Sept. 2,
Madness women’s cham- without knowing the ins one racket sport to help 2012, in New York.
pionship game. and outs and nuances promote another. Associated Press