Sports Digest: Women’s college basketball gets its second postseason… – Press Herald

SCHOOLS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The NCAA announced Monday that it is creating another women’s college basketball tournament that will operate as the men’s NIT as a second choice for 32 teams not participating in the NCAA Tournament.

The Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, taking place for the first time this season, provides an equal number of NCAA postseason opportunities for men and women. A second option for women operated by the NCAA was one of the key focuses of an external report on gender equity in the NCAA.

Women’s teams that have failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament in the past were given the opportunity to play in an independently operated WNIT, with a 64-team field, in which teams bid to host games and paid most of your own travel expenses. Hosting that tournament could cost the school tens of thousands of dollars if it goes far enough.

The new Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament will lessen the financial burden on teams. It’s unclear what will happen to postseason WNIT with the start of this new tournament.

HOCKEY

NHL: The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Connor Bedard have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract for the first overall pick in the draft.

The team said Monday that the deal through the 2025-26 season will mean an annual salary cap of $950,000, the maximum allowed. It was announced on Bedard’s 18th birthday.

TENNIS

CLASSIFICATIONS: Carlos Alcaraz remained at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings on Monday by virtue of his victory over No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, and Marketa Vondrousova’s first Grand Slam title lifted her as high as No. 10. , the highest of his career. on the WTA list.

Vondrousova jumped 32 places from No. 42 thanks to her 6-4, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur in Saturday’s final at the All England Club. Vondrousova, a 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, was the lowest-ranked women’s champion and the first unseeded in a grass-court major.

Iga Swiatek could have given up her 15-month-old WTA-ranked position of No. 1 to No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, but she stayed there on Monday. Swiatek lost in the quarterfinals; Sabalenka lost in the semifinals.

The top seven spots in the women’s rankings remained the same on Monday, with Wimbledon 2022 winner Elena Rybakina in third, followed by Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia, Jabeur and Coco Gauff.

The big mover in the men’s rankings was Chris Eubanks, a 27-year-old from Atlanta who rose from a career-high No. 43 ranking to a new career-high of No. 31 after beating No. 5 Tsitsipas and No. 12 seed Cam Norrie en route to his first major quarterfinal before losing to No. 3 Daniil Medvedev.

SOCCER

GOLD CUP: Santiago Gimenez scored after an electrifying sprint in the 88th minute, and Mexico won the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record ninth time with a 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday night in Inglewood, California.

After Edson Álvarez slid to cover an Iván Anderson cross in the Mexico penalty area, Orbelín Pineda dribbled and made a terrific pass into the center circle. The 22-year-old Feyenoord striker got the better of Harold Cummings and past Cummings and Fidel Escobar in the penalty area, where he fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera for his fourth goal in 18 international appearances.

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