WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - UConn is back in a familiar place - the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Joining the Huskies as top seeds are Notre Dame, Louisville and Mississippi State.
The Huskies enter as the lone unbeaten team and will be vying for their 12th national championship. It’s the ninth time that UConn has entered the NCAAs undefeated, including last year when the Huskies went in as the overwhelming favorite before their 111-game winning streak ended with a loss to Mississippi State in the Final Four.
This year’s Final Four is in Columbus, Ohio, and will take place on March 30. The national championship game is on Sunday, April 1.
Defending national champion South Carolina and A’ja Wilson await as a possible Elite Eight matchup for UConn in the Albany Regional. The Gamecocks are the two-seed.
TENNIS
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - Venus Williams defeated younger sister Serena 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, her first win in the sibling rivalry since 2014.
It was the sisters’ earliest meeting since a 17-year-old Venus beat 16-year-old Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. They played for the first time since last year’s Australian Open final, when a pregnant Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam title.
Venus closed out the 1 ½-hour match on her second match point when Serena’s forehand service return sailed long. It was one of Serena’s 41 unforced errors, including 17 on the forehand side.
Serena still owns a 17-12 advantage overall, although Venus evened their WTA Tour head-to-head meetings at 7-7.
HOCKEY
WASHINGTON (AP) - Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach 600 goals as the Washington Capitals moved back into first place by beating the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime.
Ovechkin scored in each of the first two periods to get to 42 this season. The Russian winger became the 20th player and fourth-fastest in NHL history to 600 goals and is on pace to lead the league in goals for the seventh time.
At the 5:33 mark of the second period, Ovechkin got three chances at the side of the net and put a rebound past a sprawling Connor Hellebuyck to become just the fourth player in NHL history to score 600 goals in under 1,000 games.
The only players to score 600 faster were Wayne Gretzky (718 games), Mario Lemieux (719) and Brett Hull (900).
PRO FOOTBALL
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Richard Sherman spent seven years tormenting the San Francisco 49ers with his lockdown coverage, colorful trash talk and celebratory turkey eating at midfield.
Now the star cornerback has decided to join the enemy, signing a three-year contract with the 49ers almost immediately after being let go by the Seattle Seahawks last Friday.
The former Stanford star has returned to the Bay Area since he wanted to stay on the West Coast to be close to his parents in Los Angeles and his soon-to-be wife’s family in Seattle.
Getting the chance to stay in the NFC West and play the Seahawks twice each year was an added bonus.
Sherman, who turns 30 later this month, is coming off an Achilles tendon injury that cost him half of the 2017 season. Sherman also had a cleanup surgery on his opposite ankle during the offseason. That led to Seattle’s decision that he wasn’t worth his $13 million salary for 2018.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills have moved up nine spots in the draft by swapping first-round picks with the Cincinnati Bengals, who also acquired high-priced left tackle Cordy Glenn as part of the trade.
The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because teams are not allowed to announce trades until the NFL’s new business year opens Wednesday. Buffalo moved up to the No. 12 spot in the draft by trading the first of its two opening-round selections, 21st overall. The Bills also have the No. 22 pick.
Buffalo also traded its fifth-round pick (158th overall) for the Bengals’ sixth-round selection (187th) as part of the Bills’ second major trade in three days. On Friday, Buffalo traded starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for a third-round pick.
The moves help place the Bills in position to use one of their first-round picks to draft a quarterback.
Glenn has been a Bills starter since his rookie season in 2012. He was limited to six games last year because of an injury to his left foot that eventually required surgery.
BASEBALL
The Colorado Rockies finalized a $5 million, one-year deal to bring back three-time All-Star and popular clubhouse leader Carlos Gonzalez. His agreement includes $3 million in potential bonuses based on days on the active roster.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Free agent Neil Walker and the Yankees agreed to a one-year contract worth $4 million, giving New York a veteran infielder who figures to allow prospects Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar more time to mature in the minor leagues.
Walker likely will start at second base and Brandon Drury, acquired from Arizona last month, will play third.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Jake Arrieta and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized a $75 million, three-year contract, a deal that could be worth up to $135 million over five seasons.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Minnesota Twins finalized a $12 million, one-year contract with right-hander Lance Lynn, another patient, low-risk move toward strengthening their pitching staff.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Oakland Athletics landed a new starting catcher, finalizing a $6.5 million, one-year contract with free agent Jonathan Lucroy. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star batted .265 with six home runs and 40 RBIs in 123 games last season for Texas and Colorado.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Hall of Famer and New York Yankees special adviser Reggie Jackson is on the disabled list. The 71-year-old Jackson will have knee surgery Tuesday after tripping and falling during a walk Monday morning. The team said Jackson, an instructor at spring training, was in “good spirits.”
SOCCER
CHICAGO (AP) - Brad Friedel, Carlos Bocanegra and Thierry Henry are among first-year eligibles nominated for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s class of 2018. Also on the ballot for the first time are Juan Pablo Angel, Bobby Convey, Jay DeMerit, Stuart Holden, Eddie Johnson and Lori Lindsey.
PRO BASKETBALL
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Khris Middleton scored 24 points and the Milwaukee Bucks sent the Memphis Grizzlies to their 18th consecutive loss with a 121-103 victory.
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