Yesterday, Rory McIlroy confirmed his status as one of golf’s all-time greats, becoming the fourth golfer ever to win back-to-back Masters, and the first since Tiger Woods in the early 2000s. He showed a lot of mental fortitude in the process. We’ll dive in below.
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Also, the WNBA saw a flurry of major free agent moves over the weekend. Our Doha Madani will fill you in. As always, check NBC News for more coverage.
Master of the Universe
At the end of the second round Friday at Augusta National, McIlroy held a six-stroke lead — the largest lead, at that point in the tournament, in Masters history.
A day later, he squandered it and found himself tied for first place. Yesterday, he was actually trailing after he carded a double bogey on the fourth hole and a bogey on the sixth.
“I don’t make it easy,” McIlroy said afterward.
Instead, he dug deep and birdied four of the next seven holes to retake control.
“You have a lot of time to think,” McIlroy said. “You’re out there a long time. There’s a long time between shots. There’s a long time between rounds. Of all the big sports, I do think it is the most mental. It’s the most challenging mentally.”
At moments, McIlroy found himself thinking of his parents, who were there watching and had missed his win the year prior. He had to convince them to come, because, he said, “they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren’t here.”
On Sunday night, the McIlroys were able to celebrate all of their son’s achievements. Only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods had ever won back-to-back Masters. This was also McIlroy’s sixth major; he’s now tied with Faldo for the most by a European player all-time.
“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket, and I get two in a row,” McIlroy said. “I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off.”
For more on his big win, read Patricia Duffy of NBC Sports.
WNBA Free Agency
Women’s basketball fans are going from March Madness to April Abundance — and, by abundance, I mean the sheer volume of messages being sent in my group chat discussing free agent signings this past week. A process that normally takes weeks was jam-packed into a few short days. Here are some of the biggest moves that created waves and made heads spin:
The New York Liberty are expected to retain three of their best players — Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart — and signed Satou Sabally to form what might be considered a superteam in the WNBA. Sabally played at Oregon with Ionescu and just had an impressive playoff run with the Phoenix Mercury.
Nneka Ogwumike, who helped lead the CBA negotiations for the players union, chose to depart Seattle and return to the Los Angeles Sparks. The West Coast team chose Ogwumike first in the 2012 WNBA draft and she won the Rookie of the Year award, an MVP trophy and a WNBA championship in her 12 years there before moving to Seattle in 2024.
The Dallas Wings, who finished 2025 last in the league, made major moves as they sought to build a team around All-Star Paige Bueckers. Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale re-signed in a two-year deal and the team brought on defensive gem Alanna Smith, who had been rumored to be in talks with the Liberty. Ogunbowale and Smith played on the same Unrivaled team during the offseason, winning the 3-vs-3 league championship together.
Acquiring Angel Reese from Chicago was the biggest news for the Atlanta Dream this last week, but the Dream also re-signed many of their own players. Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada, Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard are all coming back.
But in Minnesota, the “StudBudz” are breaking up. Natisha Hiedeman signed with the Seattle Storm, splitting up the hilarity of her friendship with Courtney Williams while the two played for the Lynx.
Keep an eye on the Lynx and Storm tonight during the WNBA draft. These are both teams with winning pedigrees that have just been gutted, losing some key players in the past week. They hope to restock with some talent tonight. The regular season is about a month away; games start May 8.
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What We’re Reading
We take a look at why the demand for the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is pushing up ticket prices.
Phil Garner, Astros manager who led the team to its first World Series appearance, dies at 76.
With the NBA regular season wrapped, here’s a look at the season from hell for the Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll be looking for a new coach, now that Doc Rivers is done after three seasons.
Patriots QB Drake Maye knows another Super Bowl appearance isn’t guaranteed.
Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar suffered facial fractures after being hit with a puck during a game over the weekend.
What We’re Watching
The WNBA draft is tonight and the Dallas Wings own the No. 1 pick. Who will they select to pair with budding star Paige Bueckers?
Will they take her former college teammate, Azzi Fudd? Or will they take the super-skilled Awa Fam Thiam, a 6-foot-4 center from Spain? Also: Where will the UCLA stars go, fresh off their national title? Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez are all expected to be picked in round one. Want a primer? Read the NBC Sports mock draft.
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: WNBA draft, on ESPN
- 9:30 p.m.: Los Angeles Kings vs. Seattle Kraken, on ESPN
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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