Good Morning! Today is Monday, April 7th. Here’s what happened over an absolutely fantastic weekend in the weekend in the world of sports.

OVECHKIN BREAKS THE RECORD

Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal yesterday, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in NHL history. Ovi scored two on Friday to tie the record in the same total number of games played as Gretzky, before this power-play wristshot broke the record against the Islanders:

The shot. The celebration. The ceremony afterwards, including a speech by The Great One himself. Truly an incredible moment in sports history. And for added context– Ovechkin accomplished the feat at 39 years old, in a season where he broke his leg. His Washington Capitals have the second-most points in the entire league, too. Congratulations to Alexander the Gr8.

AN AMAZING FINAL FOUR

As if an unbreakable record wasn’t enough, Saturday gave us two outstanding college basketball games:

• Florida took on Houston in a thrilling SEC rivalry game. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, with a nine-point margin midway through the game. But there’s no stopping the Walter Clayton Jr. show. Clayton became the first player in NCAA history to score 30 points back-to-back 30 in the Elite Eight and Final Four since Larry Bird in 1979. The Gators point guard nailed clutch threes and drove confidently through the lane the entire second half, leading Florida to a 79-73 comeback victory.

• For a while on Saturday night, it looked like Florida would be facing the Duke Blue Devils in the national championship game. National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg was dominant against Houston, and his team led by 13 after he sunk a two-point jumper with 10:31 seconds remaining. But the Houston Cougars weren’t done fighting– Duke made just one more basket from the floor the rest of the way. Despite leading by nine points with two minutes left, six points with 34 seconds, and Tyrese Proctor shooting a one-and-one with the lead and 20 seconds remaining, Duke did not win the game. J’Wan Roberts made his free throws and Flagg’s attempted game-winner hit the front iron. The gritty, wear-you-down, Kelvin Sampson-coached Houston Cougars advanced to the national title game by pulling a 70-67 victory straight from the jaws of defeat. A collapse, a comeback… however you frame it, this was an all-time classic, setting the stage for a fantastic final later tonight.

STORYBOOK ENDING FOR PAIGE

What a journey the last four years have been for Paige Bueckers. The National Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021, Bueckers and UConn were upset in the Final Four. Injuries took almost all of her 2022 and 2023 seasons, before they claimed most of her team when she finally returned to action last year. So in her final season as a Husky, with a healthy and uber-talented team around her, Bueckers was on a mission to achieve her ultimate goal. Sure enough, she did.

UConn demolished the number one overall seed UCLA in the Final Four on Friday, before rolling to a record 12th National Championship on Sunday, defeating South Carolina 82-59. With the win, Paige Bueckers sealed her legacy as one of the greatest players at the most dominant college basketball program in the country, while Geno Auriemma became the oldest head coach to win a national title. It’s been eight seasons since UConn last won a championship, and these two fought through a lot to make it back to the top of the game. Just look at how much the win means to them:

NBA

Let’s take a quick moment to remember that not all sports moments will be remembered for their greatness…

Ok, now back to the action:

• Congratulations to the city of Detroit! After posting the worst record in the league a year ago, the Pistons have clinched a playoff spot.

• The Boston Celtics set the record for most threes in a season, passing the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors. So in case you weren’t sure, I believe the East is still run by the defending champs...

• Out West, however, get ready for a slugfest. Just two games in the standings separate the number three and number eight teams! Plus the Lakers, who currently hold the third spot, crushed the number one seed Thunder yesterday. I may try to do a new NBA playoff power rankings this week, but honestly, it’s anyone’s guess who will win this year. Either way, get out your popcorn and clear your schedule, because you don’t want to miss the playoff version of this:

MLB

Unless you care that the Red Sox are beating the Cardinals 18-3* right now on Sunday Night Baseball, just two stories of note after a full weekend:

• The Braves finally got their first win of the season, thanks to eight stellar shutout innings by Spencer Schwellenbach. After a rainout on Sunday, Atlanta is last in the big leagues with a record of 1-8.

• And last but not least, the NL West is stacked– LA, San Francisco, and San Diego have started the year with 8 and 9 wins. Arizona is lurking right behind them, too. Meanwhile, Colorado has called up some exciting rookies and turned a triple play!

*the final score was 18-7. Still not great

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays signed an extraordinary 14-year, $500 million extension late last night. After an offseason of negotiation and speculation, the star first baseman will stay in Toronto after all.

We also had an historic college basketball weekend off the court. The Associated Press named Cooper Flagg the player of the year, just the fourth freshman ever to win the award. And for the first time ever, the AP’s coach of the year award ended in a tie, with honors going to Bruce Pearl and Rick Pitino.

Congratulations to the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2025! Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Sue Bird highlight an incredible group of honorees.

A pair of soccer legends will be leaving their clubs at the end of this season. Kevin de Bruyne announced this is his final season at Manchester City, with rumors that he’ll join an MLS side this summer. Thomas Muller is set to depart Bayern Munich after an incredible 25 years at the German club.

TODAY’S BIG GAME (all times Eastern)

THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Houston vs Florida, 8:50 PM on CBS

“I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing. I think they’re a great team. They’re a great organization,” –Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, speaking about the Los Angeles Dodgers

And a reminder from Coach Sampson to never give up!