Which award battles are too close to call? Tim Bontemps unveils his official ballot for MVP, All-NBA, Sixth Man and every major honor.

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Shubman Gill highlighted his responsibility as a finisher in such situations and expressed his determination to correct that in upcoming matches.

Jeremiah Smith headlines the list, while Arch Manning cracks top five but isn't QB1

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) Kennedy Wesley scored her first international goal and had an assist after entering as a substitution after halftime, Naomi Girma and Rose Lavelle each added a goal and the United States beat Japan 3-0 in a friendly Friday night. Claudia Dickey had three saves for the United States. Wesley, who replaced Tierna Davidson, played a header from the left post to Girma, who headed home the finish from point-blank range to make it 1-0 in the 47th minute. Davidson took a hard fall in the 30th and was evaluated for a few minutes, but was able to finish the first half. Lavelle gave the United States a 2-0 lead in the 56th minute. After Japan was dispossessed near midfield, Trinity Rodman played a through ball to Lavelle, who outraced the defense down the middle of the field and slipped a shot from the edge of the penalty box inside the left post. Lavelle has played a role in 10 scores five goals and five assists in her last 10 games. Wesley scored her on a volley off a corner kick played in by Jaedyn Shaw to make it 3-0 in the 64th minute. The United States outshot Japan 9-1 in the first half, but the game was a scoreless tie at halftime.Japans Miyabi Moriya replaced Hikaru Kitagawa, who was carried off by trainers with an injury in the 25th minute. The game was played in temperatures hovering around freezing at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids in MLS. Snowfall earlier in the day covered the field several hours before the game. It was the final match of an unusual three-game series against Japan. The United States won the first last week in San Jose, California, 2-1. Japan won the second 1-0 in Seattle on Tuesday night, snapping a 10-game U.S. winning streak. The United States hadn't lost since falling 2-1 to Portugal on Oct. 23 last year. The Americans hadn't been shut out in 42 games. Coach Emma Hayes swapped her entire starting lineup in the second game as the team develops its player pool for World Cup qualifying later this year. It was the fourth time in Hayes' tenure that she started a completely different lineup in consecutive games. Japan was coming off a championship run in the Womens Asian Cup. The team outscored its opponents 29-1 and defeated hosts Australia 1-0 in the final. Known for their technical prowess, the Japanese also defeated the United States in last year's SheBelieves Cup. Theyre a world-class team, Hayes said heading into Friday night's game. I think when you win the first one, inevitably, the second one becomes that challenge. They are a top side, so we have to give them a lot of credit. So, game on for the third game.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Liberty announced Friday that forward Breanna Stewart, center Jonquel Jones and guard Sabrina Ionescu all have signed multiyear deals to return to the team.

Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali explained his preference for PSL's Karachi Kings, highlighting more playing time and a shorter schedule as key reasons for skipping IPL.

The Americans got two wins in three games against the Asian champions, as well as a valuable learning experience

The Columbus Aviators (1-3) earned their first franchise win by beating the Dallas Renegades 28-14 in front of an electric home crowd at Historic Crew Stadium April 17.The Aviators' previous game was a 28-23 road loss, also against the Renegades (3-1). Columbus played that game without head coach Ted Ginn Jr. The former Ohio State wide receiver had been arrested on charges of DWI. Aviators staff handed out navy "United We Fly" flags to a majority of the 8,729 in the stands. Despite Historic Crew Stadium being half empty, the fans caused the press box to shake on every opponent's third down.At the two-minute warning in the first half, the wave started in the "Flightdecke," the Aviators fan section whose name is an homage to the Crew's supporters' section, the Nordecke.Down 14-7 with one minute remaining in the half, Ginn Jr. challenged a missed pass interference call to keep possession. Such a "super challenge" is unique to the UFL. One play later, quarterback Jalan McClendon threw a pass towards the left corner of the endzone. Making an almost-impossible acrobatic effort, wide receiver Keke Chism reeled in the pass with one hand and spun his body toward the pylon for a touchdown.OH MY GOODNESS KEKE CHISM PLAY OF THE YEAR BELONGS TO THE @UFLAviators pic.twitter.com/GSY2Rgo6Vd UFLonFOX (@UFLonFOX) April 18, 2026Chism, a Missouri product, broke out an "O-H-I-O" touchdown celebration.On the first possession of the second half, McClendon sprinted towards the end zone from the five-yard line. Despite the open lane in front of him, he fumbled the ball just before entry. Players from both teams pounced. Aviators tight end Alize Mack recovered it for the first Aviators' lead of the game.After trading punts, the Aviators, who set a league record with 47 rushing attempts, embarked on an 18-play, 97-yard drive that lasted just over 10 minutes. There was mostly a lull in crowd noise in between chunk-yardage plays, but several times the video board woke fans up. One fan, who was featured twice, took his shirt off and riled up the crowd. A couple "O-H-I-O, A-VI-A-TORS" chants broke out.Finally, Aviators running back Toa Taua pushed in a two-yard touchdown, marking the first time the Aviators have owned a two-touchdown lead at any point this season. Aviators safety Smoke Monday sealed the victory with an interception. Monday and his teammates climbed the wall past the end zone and celebrated on top of the Crew Stadium stage. Ginn Jr. got a water cooler dumped on his head for his first win ever as a head coach.The Aviators return to play on May 1 against the Houston Gamblers.This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Aviators' first franchise win comes in front of home crowd

Three-time WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston has agreed to a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever, her agent told ESPN.