March 29, 2022
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OTD 40 years ago, 19-year-old Michael Jordan hit a game-winner against Georgetown to win the 1982 NCAA men’s national championship. Speaking of college thrillers…
Paige Bueckers Cementing Superstar Status, Earning Potential
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Design: John Regula
In the first multiple-overtime game ever in a women’s regional final, Paige Bueckers carried UConn to its record-extending 14th straight Final Four.
The reigning Player of the Year scored 15 of her game-high 27 points in the extra periods in UConn’s 91-87 double-OT win over NC State on Monday.
Per league rules, Bueckers will not be eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2023. But she’s already a superstar — and arguably the face of women’s college basketball — with the NIL success to prove it.
The 20-year-old became [[link removed]] Gatorade’s first college athlete partner in November, and also has NIL deals with StockX and Cash App.She has [[link removed]] the highest earning potential per social media post ($62.9K) among all remaining March Madness athletes.Last summer, the Wall Street Journal projected [[link removed]] Bueckers could earn $1M per year.Under the WNBA’s current rookie scale, she would be eligible for a three-year, $226,668 deal — with a $91,181 club option for a fourth year.
Of course, Geno Auriemma’s squad is bigger than one superstar: Guards Azzi Fudd and Christyn Williams combined for 40 points Monday, leading the offense before Bueckers’ late explosion.
UConn will need all their depth with trusted forward Dorka Juhasz (wrist) likely out for the rest of the tournament.
The Huskies are second favorites (+250) for a national title and will have to get past powerhouse Stanford (+350) on Friday, and then likely the championship favorite, South Carolina (-125).
Albert Pujols Can Join 700-HR Club in Final Season
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports/Design: John Regula
After signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract [[link removed]] to return to the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols announced: “This is it for me.”
In 2021 with the Angels and Dodgers, he hit 17 homers in 109 games to bring him within 21 HRs of the 700 club.
The surefire Hall of Famer will already go down as one of the best hitters of all time — but can he end his career with a milestone only achieved by Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth?
Pujols is 42 and hasn’t hit 20+ home runs since 2019; Baseball Reference projects [[link removed]] 16 home runs in 2022.He’s currently fifth all-time in HRs (679), 17 behind Alex Rodriguez.Pujols is third all-time in RBI (2,150), just 64 behind Ruth, ninth in runs created (2,243), and 12th in hits (3,301). He’s a three-time MVP, 10-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger winner, and two-time World Series champion.
In 2004, the Cardinals made him just the ninth $100 million player in the league, and in 2011, he signed a 10-year, $240 million deal — making him the second player in MLB history to sign a $200 million contract.
Pujols has earned more than $344 million over the course of his career, and his net worth [[link removed]]($170M) is the fourth-highest among active and retired players.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KAULIG RACING
The Path to Racing Success
Matt Kaulig [[link removed]] doesn’t fit the mold of a typical NASCAR team owner. He isn’t a former driver, he is a business owner and former sponsor who saw the value of the marketing behind NASCAR.
From starting LeafFilter in his basement to establishing a winning racing team, Kaulig has continually developed new ventures that flourish. In just six years, Kaulig Racing has established itself as a leader of the next generation of NASCAR [[link removed]].
In the first episode [[link removed]] of our new series, Behind the Wheel: Inside the Next-Gen of Racing, our Editor in Chief Ernest Baker chats with Matt Kaulig on his unconventional path to racing, success, and what he’s learned along the way.
Watch now [[link removed]].
Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith Proves Why She’s a $1M Star
Scott Utterback-USA TODAY NETWORK/Design: John Regula
Louisville rode the hot hand of its own superstar sophomore on Monday to punch its ticket to the women’s Final Four — the fourth in school history.
Hailey Van Lith — the first Cardinal women’s player with four consecutive 20-point tournament games — finished with 22, three rebounds, and two steals as the 1-seed topped Michigan 62-50.
Van Lith continues to establish herself as one of the nation’s top players — and one of the most marketable, who could be worth an estimated [[link removed]] $1 million in NIL rights.
Van Lith, the first Louisville athlete with a jersey for sale, averages 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.In August 2021, she became the first women’s college basketball player to sign an NIL representation deal with Octagon Sports & Entertainment Agency.She has agreements with Adidas, Twitch, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Ready Nutrition, among others.Among all remaining March Madness players, she has [[link removed]] the second-highest earning potential per social media post ($44.2K) behind UConn’s Paige Bueckers.
The Cardinals are seeking the program’s first title after reaching the 2009 and 2013 title games.
Of the remaining four teams, Louisville has the worst odds (+850) to win the title, though at Van Lith’s best — when she scores 20-plus — the Cardinals are a perfect 11-0.
Making Headlines
Jason Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks
NFL: The league approved a proposal to change postseason overtime rules to allow both teams one possession, per multiple reports; the current system will remain in place for the regular season. Also: The league expanded the Rooney Rule to include women and mandated all 32 teams to hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant this season.
NBA: Cavs center Evan Mobley (14.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG) is out indefinitely after spraining his left ankle on Monday; the 20-year-old is frontrunner for Rookie of the Year (-450).
Golf: Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta for an intended practice round, per Sports Illustrated [[link removed]], fueling speculation that he will play in the Masters. The 15-time major winner has not played in a regular PGA Tour event since being injured in a February 2021 car crash.
Written by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Anthony Puccio [[link removed]], Chris Kuc [[link removed]]
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