Breanna Stewart, who teamed with fellow WNBA star Kelsey Plum on a letter to the players' association this week expressing concerns about the state of labor talks with the league, said Wednesday she feels better about where things stand and is convinced players are still unified in what they want in the next collective bargaining agreement.Stewart was part of a call with other members of the players' executive committee on Tuesday night, hours after the letter that she and Plum wrote to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson one where they expressed serious concerns about how (the union) is handling the current negotiations.Several media outlets, including The Associated Press, obtained copies of the letter, which was dated Monday.The call made me feel better," Stewart told AP, speaking after her Mist team finished its final shootaround practice in advance of Wednesday night's Unrivaled championship game against the Phantom team that features Plum. Sometimes hard conversations need to be had. I felt better after it and know that we finished that call understanding that were representing the larger body (of players) and we have work to be done and were going to do that work.There is obviously urgency to get a deal done.The WNBA has told the players union that it needs to get a deal in place by this coming Tuesday to start the season on time. That would allow the new CBA to be written and signed by the end of the month, which would in theory be followed by expansion drafts for the new franchises in Portland and Toronto during the first week of April. Free agency would follow, signings could start on April 12, training camps would open about a week later and the season would begin May 8.The league and the players have been unable to reach a new collective bargaining agreement since the union opted out of the previous deal.Stewart and Plum are in unique roles; both are vice presidents of the players' association, both are among the biggest names in women's basketball, and both have been dealing with the CBA uncertainty while on Unrivaled playoff runs with their clubs.Ive always approached anything in life, any adversity, by staying in the game, Plum said after shootaround Wednesday, when asked about simultaneously dealing with an Unrivaled title push amid the WNBA's labor uncertainty. I'm a human being. It's hard. I definitely have moments, but at the end of the day, I know my heart. I know Im super excited about tonight, and when you work all year for something, you want to finish it.Added Stewart: We've been in CBA negotiations for more than just the past two weeks. Its been 17, 18 months. I dont know exactly how long. And to be able to compartmentalize that hasnt been easy.In the letter, Stewart and Plum said WNBA players are at one of the most consequential moments in the history of this league and called upon Jackson to provide many things, including: a detailed breakdown of the WNBA's expenses and revenue. analysis between the potential losses players would face in a delayed or strike-shortened season vs. the gains that could be earned through a new CBA. player opinions on the WNBA's latest proposal. clarity on the rookie salary scale. an explanation of what Jackson thinks the executive committee's role and responsibilities should be in this process.Stewart said it wasn't her intention for the letter to get out publicly.This is a letter that was meant for Terri, and for the EC, for us to really have a conversation and stay strong in all the things that were negotiating, and I believe that we are, Stewart said. We are still unified and understanding what were fighting for and thats the messaging that we had on our call last night. ... Our main goal is to make sure that we have the best possible deal for all players.___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Liam Rosenior has taken the significant step of axing Robert Sanchez from Chelsea's starting lineup ahead of their crucial trip to Aston Villa.The Spanish goalkeeper endured an uncomfortable afternoon during the Blues' weekend defeat to Arsenal, appearing uncertain when playing out from the back on several occasions.Supporters have questioned whether Sanchez could have done more to prevent Jurien Timber's decisive goal in that match.Danish stopper Filip Jorgensen, aged 23, will take his place between the posts as Rosenior seeks a response from his side in a pivotal fixture for their Champions League qualification hopes.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayJorgensen's promotion comes with its own complications, however, as the young Dane carries difficult memories from this very venue.During Chelsea's previous visit to Villa Park, it was Jorgensen's mistake that proved decisive, allowing Marco Asensio to net an 89th-minute winner against the Blues.Now in his second campaign at Stamford Bridge following a 21 million transfer, the goalkeeper will be looking to exorcise those ghosts in what represents his ninth Premier League outing since joining the club.His two top-flight appearances this term, against Manchester United and Manchester City, both ended without clean sheets.The decision to rotate his goalkeepers comes amid Chelsea's extraordinary expenditure on shot-stoppers during the Todd Boehly era.Over the past six years, the west London club has invested more than 161 million on various keepers, a figure that includes Jorgensen's 21 million arrival.Sanchez, a three-time Spain international, joined from Brighton in summer 2023 for a fee reaching up to 25 million, making him one of the more modest acquisitions during the ownership group's 1.5 billion spending spree.The Seagulls have benefited handsomely from their relationship with Chelsea, also receiving substantial sums for Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro in recent seasons.LATEST SPORT NEWSPremier League confirms 18 new kick-off dates as Man City vs Arsenal title decider announcedHarry Maguire retrial finally goes ahead after four failed attempts following brawl in 2020Premier League club hides replies on X after fans called for manager to be sackedDespite the criticism directed at Sanchez, his campaign statistics tell a more favourable story, with the Spaniard recording 10 clean sheets across 27 outings this season.That tally places him second in the division, trailing only fellow countryman David Raya, who many consider the finest goalkeeper currently operating in European football.The stakes could hardly be higher for Chelsea as they prepare to face Unai Emery's side at Villa Park.The Blues currently sit six points adrift of Villa in the battle for a top-four berth, making this fixture potentially decisive in determining whether Rosenior's men secure Champions League football next term.Chelsea have collected eight points from their last five league games.Unai Emerys side has seen a significant "collapse of form", managing only one win in their last six matches across all competitions. Injuries to key midfielders John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, and Boubacar Kamara have severely impacted their creative output.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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You know all about the Power 5 conferences in college basketball. You hear about those more than any other, and those groups often dominate the March Madness conversation. There are 26 other conferences out there, however, and our goal is to get you up to speed on the teams, players and fights in the standings to know before the conference tournaments, Selection Sunday and the official start of March Madness. Its time for you to get to know a mid-major: this time, its the Atlantic Sun. The Atlantic Sun formed in 1978, and was originally known as the Trans America Athletic Conference it also used to encompass a larger geographic range of the country than it does now, when it is more centrally located in the southeast and mid-Atlantic. In 2001, it was renamed to better reflect its current geography. It might need another update at some point, however, as the conference is dropping from its current 12 teams to just seven for the 2026-2027 academic year. All 12 teams made it into the Atlantic Sun conference tournament, which began on March 4. The top four teams earned byes into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winners of the first-round games. Simple, to the point. Also simple and to the point: the automatic bid is the only way for an Atlantic Sun squad to make it to March Madness, whether mens or womens basketball. That has been the case for each of the last three years, and none of the teams are close enough to the bubble to force the issue this time around. Atlantic Sun Mens College Basketball Leaders: Central Arkansas and Austin Peay tied atop the conference at 15-3, but it was the former that won the tiebreaker thanks to a head-to-head W. Next up is 13-5 Queens and 12-6 Lipscomb; after that, every team in the Atlantic Sun is under .500. Florida Gulf Coast and West Georgia finished 8-10. Eastern Kentucky, Bellarmine and Stetson are all 7-11. North Florida (5-13) and North Alabama (4-14) bring up the rear. Austin Peay might be the second seed, but its the top ASUN team in the NCAA Evaluation Tool, at 154. Central Arkansas isnt far behind (164), with Lipscomb close by (174) as well. After that there is a bit more of a gap, with Queens (201) the only other team to not be in the bottom-100 or so the "or so" is because FGC just avoids that fate at 262 of 365. Bellarmine (8-seed) defeated Jacksonville (9) in the opening game of the ASUN tournament on March 4, 82-79. FGC (5) faces North Alabama (12), Eastern Kentucky (7) goes up against Stetson (10) and West Georgia (6) takes on North Florida (11) to determine which teams move on to the quarterfinals to matchup with the top four seeds on March 6. Austin Peay is intriguing, as it is by no means dominant even within the conference, but it does a whole lot of things pretty well, and that has all added up. It averaged the second-most points of any ASUN team during conference play, at 83.6, which it combined with the fourth-fewest allowed, 76.0. The only categories it ranks first in are free throws and free-throw attempts, but its above-average or even second in pretty much everything else. To reinforce how close Austin Peay and Central Arkansas have been this year, the two are actually tied in points per game in ASUN play, but the Bears have had the better defense, at 74.6 points allowed. Central Arkansas is first in steals and forced turnovers and a bit better at rebounds than Austin Peay, but not markedly so. The two match up fairly well, and compared to their conference competition dont make a ton of exploitable mistakes. That being said, the gap between the points the two score and those they allow is notthatlarge. This is a conference that gives up quite a few points, and these two just give up fewer: Central Arkansas defense, for instance, ranks 204th in points per game nationally even as its second in ASUN. Atlantic Sun -Womens College Basketball Leaders: Eastern Kentucky won the top seed outright, going 15-3. Jacksonville (2-seed) and Central Arkansas (3-seed) were next, at 13-5, with the former getting the head-to-head tiebreaker. Stetson finished 12-6, while FGC and North Alabama were 11-7. West Georgia is the last team over .500, at 10-8, with Austin Peay (8-10), Lipscomb (7-11), North Florida (4-14) and Queens (4-14) following. Last is Bellarmine, which did not win a single conference game its 0-18. The womens tournament already had its first day, with Austin Peay advancing over Lipscomb (63-56), Florida Gulf Coast defeating Bellarmine (94-28), West Georgia downing North Florida in overtime and North Alabama sneaking by Queens, 57-55. The top seed one in every instance: on Thursday, the quarterfinals begin with Eastern Kentucky vs. Austin Peay, Stetson against FGC, Jacksonville taking on West Georgia and Central Arkansas matching up with North Alabama. Central Arkansas is the top team in the conference by NET, at 103, followed closely by Eastern Kentucky at 109. Jacksonville is 144th and FGC 150th, while Austin Peay and Stetson make up the last of the top-200 squads. West Georgia is 234th, and North Alabama right behind it at 236. There is some clustering going on, but it wont feel quite as close unless the few teams in the 200s get knocked out in the next round. Whats odd about West Georgias placement is that it has the top player in the conference by Player Efficiency Rating in sophomore forward Destiny Jones. Jones is not just the leading rebounder for the conference, but she isthe rebounder on West Georgia, picking up a full 20% of the teams total that also leads ASUN, as does her offensive rebound percentage. West Georgia scores the third-most points in the Atlantic Sun despite being as far back in NET as it is, but thats because it struggles on defense: out of the conferences 12 teams, it ranks 11th. Please remember that one of these teams lost all 18 conference games. Eastern Kentucky is far more balanced, with the second-most points scored and third-fewest allowed; Jacksonville is also unbalanced, leading in scoring but allowing nearly 66 per game, eighth in ASUN. Central Arkansas has the opposite problem, in that its the best defense in the conference, allowing just 56.1 points per game, but scoring 67.7 that can work with that level of defense, but like with Jacksonville and West Georgia, it leaves little room for error. The defense has been truly working, however: Central Arkansas ranks 25th in the nation in points allowed per game, and 84th in adjusted Defensive Rating.

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