TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ugly scene following an NCAA women's basketball game on Thursday night ... a Bowling Green State Univ. player was socked in the face in a handshake line.

The sucker punch went down just seconds after BGSU beat Memphis, 73-60, in a round of 16 game in the women's NIT.

Broadcast cameras showed Bowling Green's Elissa Brett got into some sort of argument with Memphis' Jamirah Shutes ... before Shutes reared back and threw a straight right at Brett's face.

The punch connected flush -- sending Brett crashing to the court. Shutes was immediately restrained by her coach.

Brett stayed down for several moments -- eventually bursting out into tears. She was, thankfully, ultimately able to walk off the court under her own power.

It's unclear what sparked the incident, after the game, BGSU head coach Robyn Fralick told reporters, "We’re still trying to figure out all those things out and what happened."

BGSU, meanwhile, released a statement late Thursday night saying cops are now involved in the situation.

"The incident that took place following tonight's home WNIT game has been turned over to the BGSU Police Department," the school said.

"Bowling Green State University Athletics does not make comments about active police investigations. Our priority is with the health, safety and support of our student-athletes."

U.S. Senator and former NBA star Bill Bradley is remembering his beloved teammate, Willis Reed, following the Knicks legend's tragic passing this week ... saying he'll always remember "The Captain" as "a man with great dignity and strength."

Bradley -- who served as a United States Senator of New Jersey (1979 to 1997) after retiring from the NBA -- joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where he talked about his teammate who remained his friend long after their playing days were over.

Of course, Reed and Bradley won two titles together ('70 & '73) during their stellar careers in The Big Apple ... but Bill believes a big reason why the Knicks took home their first title in 1970 was because Reed shocked everyone and suited up for Game 7, despite being injured.

"He was a tremendous leader," Bradley said. "And, you don't always have players who so overtly put their whole career on the line for their teammates, which is what he did in 1970."

"We won the championship and it was partly inspired by Willis' courage and dedication to his team," Bradley said. "You really just felt everything elevate in The Garden."

Bradley didn't only star on the pro level ... he was one of the greatest college basketball players ever.

His alma mater, Princeton, a #15-seed, will face #6-seed Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday ... after the team pulled off two upset wins over Arizona and Missouri last week.

Bradley -- an AP College Player of the Year who also won Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tourney in 1965 -- doesn't believe the Cinderella run has to end here ... he wholeheartedly believes the Tigers can win.

"They stand a great chance," the 79-year-old said.

"They're playing seemingly well. I like the team and, of course, I respect Mitch a lot and it's great for the university."

Now, the Senator isn't guaranteeing Princeton's going to the Final Four, but like he says ... "anything is possible in sports."

Pat Sajak was simply being funny when he showed off his wrestling skills on a contestant ... so says the guy who took it on the chin, and now he's urging folks to cut the "Wheel of Fortune" host some slack.

We spoke to Fred Jackson who tells us ... as a pro wrestler and a showbiz guy, he absolutely loved the moment, and it was actually one of the highlights of the whole show! He says he's the only one who has any business being upset about it, but he's perfectly OK with it.

ICYMI, the 'Wheel' host came under fire after Tuesday's episode, where Fred revealed he's a pro wrestler ... and after he won the bonus round, PS ran over and applied a wrestling move called the "chicken wing."

Fred found it super funny and all done in jest, adding he understands if it isn't everyone's sense of humor -- but he says all the backlash against Pat is taking it too far.

BTW, Fred says the moment was absolutely not staged -- Pat had a really firm grip on him, and he claims he couldn't get loose if he tried.

No injuries, though, so ... no blood, no foul. Standard 'Wheel' rules.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder and the Univ. of Miami women's basketball team won't play in the Sweet 16 for another couple hours ... but to keep ya occupied in the meantime -- check out 16 sweet photos of the twin hoopers!!

The two Canes superstars have crushed it on the court this year, helping The U make it to the third round of the women's NCAA tournament for the second time in school history.

Haley's leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game, while Hanna has chipped in 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest this year.

But, of course, the sisters have gained national fame for what they've done OFF the court -- as they're two of the most followed people on TikTok.

The ladies make fun vids, dancing and lip-synching -- and have amassed 4.5 MILLION followers!!

Haley and Hanna, though, won't be worrying much about social media Friday ... they've got a tall task ahead of them in Villanova coming up at 11:30 AM PT.

The No. 4-seed Wildcats are the favorite, but the No. 9-seed Hurricanes are no stranger to winning as the underdog -- they just knocked off No. 1-seed Indiana on Monday night.

Tom Brady never played for the Raiders, but he still made his way to Sin City in retirement -- the 7-time Super Bowl champion just became a part owner of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces!!

Raiders and Aces owner Mark Davis made the announcement minutes ago ... saying, "Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court. Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole."

The team says TB12 first got hooked on the Aces when he had a courtside seat as LV beat the Connecticut Sun during a home game on May 31, 2022.

Brady -- who also owns a Major League Pickleball team -- released a statement on the business venture ... saying, "I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization."

"My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters' games -- They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me."

Brady added he loves what the players and coaches on the Aces, as well as the league as a whole, have been able to do to improve the sport and inspire young athletes.

"To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor."

Naturally, Brady joins a winning team -- the Aces secured the WNBA championship last season.

No word on how much Brady's piece of the Aces is worth -- reports have estimated the average WNBA team to be valued at $13.7 million -- but considering the guy made a ton of money on and off the field over the course of his 23-year career, he can spot the dough.

Chevy Chase met LeBron James for the first time Wednesday night at the Suns-Lakers game -- and the two icons seemed to really hit it off, sharing a warm embrace with one another on the court at Crypto.com Arena.

Chase -- a longtime Lakers fan who frequented games during the "Showtime Era" -- was invited by Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis, wife of Kurt Rambis, to attend the Western Conference showdown between Phoenix and L.A.

Chevy didn't get to see LeBron play -- King James is still sidelined with a foot injury -- but the 79-year-old comedian got some face time with the Lakers superstar nonetheless ... and the guys really seemed to enjoy their interaction.

Chase hit up the game with his agent, Darren Prince -- and when he wasn't chatting with LeBron, he was taking pics courtside with Jeanie, and her fiancé, actor/comedian Jay Mohr.

Chevy wasn't the only legend at the game ... rapper Lil Wayne and NFL free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were also courtside watching Devin Booker and Chris Paul go at it with Anthony Davis.

There will be no summer renaissance for Beyoncé and Adidas this year ... the two powerhouses have mutually agreed to part ways.

The Wall Street Journal reports Beyoncé's custom clothing line Ivy Park fell WAY below its 2022 sales projections of $250 mil ... only bringing in roughly $40 mil to close out the year.

Those numbers were also considerably lower than 2021's tally of $93 million ... and fresh marketing campaigns with celebs such as Irina Shayk, Yara Shahidi, Megan Thee Stallion and current hip hop it-girl Ice Spice weren't able to rouse the public's interest at the cash register.

Before cutting ties, 2023's projections were shifted from $335 mill to $65 mill. Beyoncé's contract is finished at the end of the year but is still on track to earn her $20 mil annual salary.

What's also interesting about the split is Beyoncé is set to embark on her Renaissance World Tour ... which could've brought in huge merch sales for Ivy Park.

Conor McGregor put down the UFC gloves and threw on his Dad hat Wednesday ... taking his fiancee and kids out to Disney World for a family outing -- and it was cute as hell!!

Check out photos we obtained of The Notorious and his partner, Dee Devlin, inside of Animal Kingdom in Florida ... he showed he truly does have a softer side, pushing his kids around in strollers -- while snagging them gifts all over the park.

You can see in some of the images, he got an Avatar-themed spear for his little ones ... and even appeared to get an Avatar tail for one of the munchkins, too.

No mouse ears for McGregor -- he opted for a cap promoting his beer -- but Devlin was in the spirit, rockin' a Minnie hat.

Witnesses tell us McGregor, who had security in tow for the trip, was in a great mood -- as was Dee, who was all smiles.

Of course, McGregor is known to be a huge fan of the Mouse ... he was spotted at Disneyland back in 2020, cheesin' in a Donald Duck hat.

Tyson Fury is in a MUCH better mood after going TF off on Oleksandr Usyk earlier Thursday ... 'cause the boxing superstar announced his wife is pregnant with their 7th baby!!

Just hours ago, the Gypsy King publicly unleashed on Usyk after the two sides couldn't agree on terms to throw hands in the ring next month ... cussing up a storm and claiming his potential opponent was scared.

But Tyson transformed into a completely different man a short time after ... smiling from ear to ear as he shared the big news on Instagram.

"All is not lost!" Tyson said. "I get to do Date night with my beautiful pregnant wife [Paris]. 7th [baby] incoming."

"fantastic news to cheer me up."

Of course, Fury has previously made his intentions to expand their family very clear ... saying he was ready to put a "bun in her oven" last year.

The Furys have kids ranging from one to 13 years ... and even with lucky #7 on the way, there's no telling when they'll be done growing their family!!

Terence Crawford's Nebraska home was allegedly burglarized, TMZ Sports has learned ... and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry stolen, including two luxury watches worth over 100 grand apiece.

The alleged theft occurred at the undefeated boxer's home in Omaha between March 17 and March 20, according to a Douglas County Sheriff's Office incident report.

Per the report, the unknown suspect(s) broke into his home and stole several pieces of jewelry. The haul included two gold chains featuring the logo "TBC" -- Crawford's initials -- a "Bud" personalized gold chain, and a gold cross necklace.

Two incredibly expensive watches were also reported stolen -- a diamond Patek Philippe watch and an Audemars Piguet and bracelet set.

All told, the pieces totaled over $317K ... and Crawford is asking for the public's help, even offering a hefty reward.

“I got 100k for whoever know who broke in my house and stole my jewelry," the 35-year-old announced.

This isn't the first time Crawford's home has been robbed. According to DCSO, an unknown suspect took a gold Rolex, worth a little over $137K, from the same residence in Oct. 2021.

Crawford -- 39-0 and one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world -- has been ordered to defend his WBO welterweight title against Alexis Rocha ... though boxing fans badly want him to fight fellow future Hall of Fame fighter Errol Spence in a super fight this year.

The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warm-up jerseys for Pride Night on Sunday, according to a report ... citing security concerns for their Russian players after the country passed an anti-LGBTQ law making it illegal to promote "gay propaganda" in Russia.

According to the Associated Press, the Blackhawks -- who've worn Pride warmup jerseys before -- ultimately decided against wearing the jerseys this season for the April 12 celebration after consulting with security officials ... who took into account president Vladimir Putin's newly-expanded law which makes it illegal for anyone to promote gay relationships as "normal."

Of course, the Blackhawks call Chicago home ... but the team has several Russian players on the roster, including defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who is a Moscow native. There are also players on the team with family members living in Russia.

Chicago's decision comes just days after San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer refused to participate in his team's Pride event, saying his Christian beliefs won't allow him to wear a Pride-themed jersey.

“I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and follow him," Reimer said. "I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.

"In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life. I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey."

As for the Blackhawks, they have yet to officially announce the decision.

Tyson Fury is LIVID with Oleksandr Usyk after their fight negotiations came to a screeching halt this week ... with the heavyweight champion calling his potential opponent a "bug-eyed, gappy teeth, ugly little rat bastard" after the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

"You little slimy f***er," Fury (33-0-1) said in the scathing clip on Thursday. "Tried all week to get out of it, begging for a rematch [clause] like a little girl. You got your rematch [clause] and didn’t even want to fight at that."

Fury and Usyk (20-0) were initially slated to fight on April 29 ... but that ain't happening now, after both sides couldn't see eye-to-eye over how to handle a potential second bout.

Fury claims his team presented the best possible outcome ... but ultimately, Usyk never wanted to fight him in the first place.

"You little shithouse p***y," Fury added. "Always know, p***y, that you were never man enough to tangle with the Gypsy King ever in your life, you little s***house. You little 14-stone coward. You little s***bag, you rat little bastard."

Fury wasn't done there ... but you get the gist.

There's still hope the fight between the two undefeated boxers -- which would have been a four-belt unification bout -- can still happen ... but fans will have to wait.

Olivia Culpo's younger sib, Sophia, confirmed her relationship with NFL player Braxton Berrios went kaput ... with the model/influencer firing off a number of TikToks with her sister about living the single life.

Rumors surrounding the end of the couple were circulating for weeks ... after fans noticed the once-inseparable duo suddenly stopped appearing on each other's social media platforms.

In fact, Braxton -- who signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this month -- elected to take his mother on a Hawaiian vacation last week ... which, no disrespect to moms across the globe, seemed like what someone would do if they didn't wanna waste a getaway trip that was already booked prior to a breakup.

Sophia addressed the speculation head-on with a number of TikToks on Wednesday ... enlisting her sister, Aurora -- who separated from her husband in early 2022 -- to help her make some post-split content for her followers.

In one video, the youngest Culpo refers to Aurora and herself as "the single sisters" ... and in the follow-up, they jokingly use audio that references mental breakdowns as they sip wine and snack while laying in bed.

If you need any more convincing, the proof is in the captions ... with hashtags like #breakuptiktok and #singlelife.

Sophia and Braxton went public with their relationship in early 2021 ... and it's unclear when the split became official, but the last time he appeared on her page was November 2022.

We take it both sides will have no problem finding love again.

Mark Cuban ripped the NBA refs who officiated his team's Wednesday night game against the Warriors, accusing the crew of screwing up a critical call in a crucial game, potentially costing the squad a win (and maybe even a playoff berth), and now his Mavs are protesting the 127-125 loss.

The call in question went down in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, when Warriors center Kevon Looney had an uncontested dunk on an inbound out of a timeout because the Mavs were lined up on the wrong side of the court, which Cuban blames on the refs.

"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened," Cuban tweeted. "The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out the official changed the call and never told us."

He continued ... "Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. "Never said a word to us. They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2-point game."

Cuban called it the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA," adding, "All they had to do was tell us and they didn't."

"There was quite a few people out of position," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. "It's correctable, but you first have to admit there was a mistake."

After the game, crew chief Sean Wright gave the refs side of the story, and they're saying they didn't do anything wrong.

"Initially on the floor, the original signal was in fact Golden State ball as this can be seen on video," Wright told The Athletic. "There is a second signal but that signal is for a mandatory timeout that was due to the Mavs."

And, sure enough, video seems to support what the officiating crew is saying.

Meanwhile, GSW coach Steve Kerr said he was confused when he saw the Mavs lined up on the other end of the court because he felt it was pretty clear the Warriors were getting possession of the ball.

Tom Brady appeared to react to Gisele Bündchen's recent divorce comments by sharing a mysterious quote from a famed American poet on social media -- one that referenced dealing with "the betrayal of false friends."

Brady posted a Ralph Waldo Emerson passage on his IG story Thursday morning ... some 24 hours after Gisele's comments to Vanity Fair about their breakup dropped.

The post was all about the definition of success ... and in a part of it, it said in order to win at life, ya gotta "endure the betrayal of false friends."

Of course, it also explained success means laughing a lot, appreciating beauty, leaving the world a better place and more ... but the "betrayal" line stuck out most.

Unclear if it was a response to Gisele -- who told Vanity Fair that her split from Tom was due to a myriad of issues the couple had, including his football career -- but many are interpreting it that way. And, let's be honest ... Tom's a smart guy, and he knows what people are going to think.

Brady has yet to directly comment on the interview -- but he did include three heart emojis when he shared the post.

As we reported, Brady and Gisele officially divorced in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. Bündchen has been seen in Costa Rica with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente often in wake of the split, though they've denied they're dating.

NFL free agent Foster Moreau says he has cancer ... revealing Wednesday he was diagnosed following a routine physical with New Orleans Saints team doctors earlier this month.

Moreau explained on his Twitter page that he had been down in Louisiana talking with New Orleans brass about potentially signing on for the 2023 season ... when Saints medical personnel discovered he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the body's immune system.

The former Las Vegas Raiders tight end called the news "life changing" ... and he said he will now have to step away from football to fight the disease.

The 25-year-old, though, vowed to beat it ... writing in his statement, "I'll go kick this thing's ass and get back to doing what I love!"

The news sucks for Moreau ... the former fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft had just played out his entire rookie contract, and seemed to be in line for a big payday in free agency.

But, he appeared upbeat in his social media statement nonetheless ... telling all of his fans he has a huge support group that'll help him on his road to recovery.

Get well soon, Foster.