A Masters golf primer, plus Geno's meltdown

Doug Engle / Florida Times-Union Share full articleThe Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. It was a big night, so we’re getting right to the news. Coming up: Let’s first consider that UConn had won 54 straight games, 53 of them by double-digits. They routed the Gamecocks in last year’s title game. And yet South Carolina seemed more confident throughout last night’s 62-48 victory, clamping down on National Player of the Year Sarah Strong, outrebounding the Huskies by 15, hitting several big shots … they were all-around superior, and it was impressive. So what, getting back to that elephant in the room, was UConn head coach Geno Auriemma so worked up about? First, Auriemma ranted wildly about the refs during the fourth quarter break. Then, in the waning seconds, he said something to South Carolina coach Dawn Staley that triggered a shouting match and stole the moment from the Gamecocks. Staley still sought him out for a handshake, but he just walked down the tunnel. He later told reporters he was upset because Staley didn’t give him a pregame handshake — and actually she did? Bizarre behavior from a coach in his 25th Final Four, or at any level, really. Read more about it all here. For now, as Staley said afterward, “We move on.” Sunday’s championship (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) will be the fourth in five years for the Gamecocks, and the first ever for the Bruins, who scrapped their way past Texas 51-44 in a game that UCLA coach Cori Close likened to rugby. The Longhorns pulled within three in the final seconds, but Bruins center Lauren Betts sealed it with a block on Texas’s Madison Booker. After, Betts could be heard on the broadcast screaming at her teammates: “We’re playing in the national championship!” Fun. Carleton tops WNBA expansion draft The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo filled out the bulk of their rosters with expansion picks yesterday, though the college draft and free agency are still to come during the league’s ultra-compact player movement window. With the No. 1 pick, Portland opted for Canadian forward Bridget Carleton, a Lynx starter who helped Minnesota reach the 2024 Finals and finish with the WNBA’s best record last season, then Toronto followed with Belgian point guard Julie Allemand from the Sparks at No. 2. See the draft’s winners and losers here. Lakers star Luka Dončić will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a hamstring strain. Not good. The first round starts two weeks from today. Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to drop 50. Amid a league investigation, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s healthy enough to play and it’s a “slap in the face” that the Bucks are sitting him. Wow. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd made a dramatic Final Four’s eve announcement that he’s staying put, signing a five-year extension. 19-year-old Pirates uber-prospect Konnor Griffin drilled a two-strike RBI double in his first MLB at-bat, then raced home on a single. Welcome to the bigs, indeed. Cubs starter Cade Horton exited after just 17 pitches against Cleveland with right forearm discomfort. 😬 More here. President Trump signed another executive order on college sports, including limiting athletes to one unrestricted transfer. Our analysis here. 📰 Find more news here 24/7. Golf season is well underway. We’ve seen heartwarming wins and incredible comebacks. But in the general sports consciousness, the Masters — starting Thursday — represents the “real” start of golf season. Like the NBA on Christmas. Thus I wanted to take a snapshot of where we are before a barrage of preview content coming this week, with help from some friends. And it all starts with the best golfer in the world: Scottie Scheffler has had a tough run (by his standards) this year. Blip or legitimate cause for worry this weekend?  💬 Gabby Herzig: Blip. He will be just fine. I believe the commentary around his recent struggles (struggles, meaning two finishes just outside the top 20) will fuel the world No. 1 further. Last time we heard Scheffler speak about his swing, he explained that he’s just working on his “feel for the clubhead.” And, according to Scheffler, that all stems from his connection to the club — which is his grip. To me, that signals a fine-tuning of fundamentals, not necessarily a difficult swing change or a core mechanics issue. Despite Scheffler experiencing some sub-standard iron play in recent weeks, I don’t think it rules him out of the Masters at all. What’s the most interesting non-Scheffler storyline for the Masters that we aren’t talking about? 💬 Brody Miller: Quietly, this is a super weird Masters buildup. Nine of the top 12 favorites haven’t played in the last three weeks. Only three players in Masters history have won without playing the two weeks prior. Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa have back issues. Scheffler stepped away as his second kid was born. There’s very little understanding of who the best players are right now. Really, the only big stars we know for sure are playing well? Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm over at LIV (*ducks*). Brody, Gabby and the rest of our stellar golf team will be on the grounds in Augusta the entire week, so expect more by the day. And don’t forget to sign up for our special-edition golf newsletter here. 📺 NCAAM: Final Four 6-8:49 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV/HBO Max We’ve got your Final Four power rankings and your staff predictions. Here are a couple more fun storylines to boot: Also, since three of these teams will ultimately go home losers, the most satisfied sports fans will be, as always, the haters. We didn’t forget you guys. 📺 Soccer: Port Vale at Chelsea 12:15 p.m. on ESPN+ If you need a madness fix after an overall chalky March: Port Vale are probably about to get relegated from League One — England’s third tier — and yet they could reach the FA Cup semifinal if they beat the Premier League giants here. Probably not going to happen, but tune in if it’s close in the final 15 minutes. Port Vale are the ones in the sweet no-sponsor tribute kit. Get tickets to games like this here. Dawn Staley’s record-breaking 2021 pay raise at South Carolina was about more than just her salary. Five years later, the ripple effects are clear. Coming to Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft? First, welcome. Second, make sure to have some non-sports fun, too. My two favorite art museums in town are the Warhol and the Mattress Factory. I’ve hit both in the past month, and they’re worth the visit. — Alex Iniguez Is the U.S. men’s national team good enough to make America care about the World Cup? Paul Tenorio weighs in. Trader Joe’s Ketchup Flavored Lattice Potato Chips are in the running for my snack of the summer (snack of the summer > song of the summer). I find this seasoning actually brighter and more acidic than normal ketchup. TBH I wish ketchup tasted as good as these chips. — Noah Chestnut Melanie Anzidei takes us to Colombia for a look at growing a once-unimaginable domestic league. It’s the first installment of a new monthly series about women’s soccer around the world. I asked my fellow Wirecutter journalists how they make cooking less of a chore. Their tips and tools — like using a blender to make pancakes or repurposing a waffle maker to turn out egg bites — can make getting a good meal on the table much easier, even on the busiest nights. — Maki Yazawa I’m trying to make my family break up with an unnamed pod-based coffee system, so we’re testing out the xBloom Studio on a trial run. So far, it’s the most impressive coffee machine I have, and my daughter lovingly calls it “COFFEE ROBOT.” — Chris Branch Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The death of former Wisconsin tight end Jack Pugh, at 24. Story here. 📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms