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Trakh turns 66 next month. His overall record of 155-114 is second in program history behind Linda Sharp.

“I can’t imagine a more optimal time for all of us to embrace a fresh start,” he said Wednesday in a statement.

USC finished 11-12 overall and eighth in the Pac-12 with an 8-10 mark this season. Four games were canceled due to COVID-19 issues.

Trakh had a 65-50 record in his second stint with USC. His first tenure from 2005-09 produced a 90-64 mark, including two NCAA Tournament appearances, before he resigned for personal reasons.

He had other head coaching stints at Pepperdine and New Mexico.

USC athletic director Mike Bohn said a national search for a new coach would begin immediately.

Rams CB Darious Williams signs restricted free agent tender

THOUSAND OAKS — Cornerback Darious Williams has signed his restricted free agent tender to return to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams confirmed the formality Wednesday for their up-and-coming defensive back.

Williams had four interceptions and 14 passes defensed last season for the Rams, and he added a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown in Los Angeles’ playoff victory at Seattle.

Williams will make $4.766 million in 2021 after his breakout season opposite All-Pro Jalen Ramsey. The former undrafted free agent from UAB has played his way into a key role with the NFL’s No. 1 defense less than three years after the Rams claimed him off waivers from Baltimore.

Williams was given a first-round tender by the Rams, indicating his importance in their secondary. If another team had signed Williams to an offer sheet that the Rams declined to match, they would have received a first-round pick in compensation.

Williams would be an unrestricted free agent in 2022 without a contract extension.

US women to face Sweden in group stage in Olympic soccer

ZURICH — The United States will open the women’s Olympic soccer tournament on July 21 against Sweden, the team that beat the World Cup champion Americans in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

The two teams were drawn into Group G on Wednesday and will also play Australia and New Zealand at the Tokyo Games. The Oceania neighbors will also play on July 21, two days before the Olympics officially open.

Defending champion Germany did not qualify.

Host nation Japan was put into Group E with 2016 bronze medalist Canada, Britain and Chile. The Netherlands, which reached the 2019 World Cup final, will face Brazil, China and Zambia in Group F.

In the men’s tournament, Olympic champion Brazil will face silver medalist Germany in Group D on July 22, one day before the opening ceremony. The group also includes Ivory Coast and Saudi Arabia.

Japan’s men’s team was drawn into Group A with South Africa, Mexico and France, while Spain will face Argentina, Australia and Egypt in Group C. South Korea will take on New Zealand, Romania and Honduras in Group B.

Indy 500 to host 135,000 in largest sports event in pandemic

The Indianapolis 500 is set to be the largest sporting event in the world since the start of the pandemic with 135,000 spectators permitted to attend “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” next month.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Wednesday it worked with the Marion County Public Health Department to determine that 40% of venue capacity can attend the May 30 race on Memorial Day weekend. The speedway is the largest sporting facility in the world with more than 250,000 grandstand seats and the ability to host close to 400,000 on race day throughout the entire property.

The attendance figure was determined after Indianapolis hosted the NCAA men’s basketball tournament through March and into April with limited attendance. The NCAA allowed 8,000 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium for the April 5 men’s championship game.

The Alabama spring football game last weekend hosted 47,218 fans, nearly 10,000 more than a recent Texas Rangers baseball game; an Australian Rules cricket match in Melbourne drew 51,723 in March.

NFL eliminates preseason OTs, defeats onside kick proposal

NFL owners on Wednesday approved eliminating overtime in preseason games and expanded selection of jersey numbers for receivers, running backs and defensive backs.

The league also will allow on-field officials to get certain “objective information” from the replay official and designated members of the officiating department “when clear and obvious video evidence is present.”

“I know in my opinion what subjective looks like,” said Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons and long-time chairman of the powerful competition committee. “And if you get to subjective things in that booth, what is the standard? Do we re-officiate the play?

“In this case, it’s objective (information), there is a way they could assist. We have the technology, really good technology now. Let’s use that technology and try to improve. I do get nervous when it goes beyond that.”

During a virtual meeting, the 32 owners also tabled a proposal by the Philadelphia Eagles that a team be given two chances per game to retain possession after a score by converting a fourth-and-15 play from its 25-yard line. Some owners, general managers and coaches consider that too gimmicky, though they are eager to find a solution to the near-disappearance of the onside kick.

Troy Vincent, a former player who oversees league football operations, senses value in something close to the Eagles’ suggestion.

Vegas goaltender dissatisfied with NHL protocols

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner railed against the National Hockey League on Wednesday, saying the league indicated it would relax coronavirus protocols for teams that reached a certain vaccination threshold and then changed course.

He said he had calls with the league and NHL Players’ Association a day earlier and wasn’t satisfied with the answers.

“They told me yesterday they’re surveying all the teams to see who has taken the vaccine and who has not taken the vaccines and they’re not going to change the rules for us as players until all the teams have the vaccines at the same time, so it’s not a competitive edge,” Lehner said. “They’re talking about competitive edge instead of human lives. Competitive edge, human lives. We’re humans, too.”

The NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball have told teams that protocols such as mask-wearing can be relaxed when a certain percentage of personnel are fully vaccinated. Lehner said the NHL showed players the NBA model and promised the same before going back on it.

Lehner spoke at length about mental health issues associated with isolation protocols for players. ___

The Canadian Football League is pushing back the start of its 2021 season and reducing the number of games played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The league announced Wednesday that it plans to kick off the season Aug. 5, nearly two months later than originally planned.

The original schedule was slated to open June 10 with each team playing a full 18-game regular season, but with Canada dealing with a third wave of the virus, the CFL board of governors also decided to reduce the schedule to 14 games. The decision also pushes back the Grey Cup game three weeks, to Dec. 12 in Hamilton, Ontario.

The league stressed that the schedule revision is merely a target date because of the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four of the CFL’s nine franchises operate in Quebec and Ontario, and those provinces are besieged by a third wave of the pandemic. The CFL canceled last season due to the pandemic.

The league hopes the delay will allow for more Canadians to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations and thus increase chances of fans being in the stands at some point once football resumes. That’s crucial for teams, which are heavily reliant on ticket sales to generate operating revenue.

Kings beat Ducks 4-1 as fans return to Staples Center

LOS ANGELES — Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte each had a goal and two assists and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Anze Kopitar and Carl Grundstrom also scored for the Kings, who had gone 14 games since their last win by at least three goals, against St. Louis on March 17. Cal Petersen made 24 saves.

Cam Fowler scored, Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves and the Ducks lost their third straight.

The teams played in front of about 2,000 fans, who were allowed into the Staples Center for the first time in more than a year due to the pandemic.

The Kings took the lead 5:26 into the first. Grundstrom was hit in the back by Athanasiou’s shot from the point, which sent the puck tumbling in past a bewildered Stolarz for his sixth goal.

EPL rebels apologize for Super League mutiny to placate fans

LONDON — England’s Super League rebels finally listened to their fans, just a bit too late.

Even the apologies — on camera from Liverpool owner John Henry and in a letter from Manchester United co-owner Joel Glazer — couldn’t placate anger that their clubs tried to split to form a largely closed European competition.

Under a weight of pressure from supporters, the government and some of their players, the Premier League’s Big Six withdrew from the breakaway Tuesday night, imploding the project as the Spanish and Italian elite clung on.

“The cabal of billionaire owners overplayed their hand and their rapacious appetite for more united an unprecedented array of opponents,” the Football Supporters’ Association said.

The mutineers, who also included Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, didn’t just fail to consult their supporters. Even players and coaching staff at the Premier League champions were left in the dark before the announcement on Sunday that they were quitting UEFA’s Champions League structure to form the Super League.

“I’m sorry, and I alone am responsible for the unnecessary negativity brought forward over the past couple of days,” Henry told Liverpool fans in a video message.

Liverpool players publicly voiced their opposition in a wave of coordinated tweets on Tuesday night to intensify the pressure on Henry to keep the six-time European Cup winners within the long-standing, open competition.

Opt-out decisions throw wrench into NFL draft options

Caleb Farley was the first top prospect to make the decision that has added a whole new layer of uncertainty to the annual crapshoot that is the NFL draft.

The talented Virginia Tech cornerback decided back in July to skip the 2020 season because of the coronavirus. Having lost his mother to cancer in 2018, Farley was unwilling to put another loved one at risk and felt it would be safer to skip the season no matter the impact on his draft status.

Farley had plenty of players follow his lead, including several others set to be high draft picks next week such as LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

Now it’s up to NFL teams to figure out how much to weigh those decisions in their draft evaluations and how to project what kind of prospects they will be.

“We’re talking about top 10, top 15 players that you haven’t seen in over a year,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. “It’s challenging. It really is because you don’t know where they are physically. There’s a difference between working out and being in good shape and then football shape. I think it’s going to play a big part into this year’s draft in terms of teams just wanting to know what they see.”

McShay said he believes some teams will opt to take players who played in 2020 over those who sat out if the grades are similar but most of those top players are still expected to go off the board in the top half of the first round.

Canadian Football League delays start of season

The Canadian Football League is pushing back the start of its 2021 season and reducing the number of games played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The league announced Wednesday that it plans to kick off the season Aug. 5, nearly two months later than originally planned.

The original schedule was slated to open June 10 with each team playing a full 18-game regular season, but with Canada dealing with a third wave of the virus, the CFL board of governors also decided to reduce the schedule to 14 games. The decision also pushes back the Grey Cup game three weeks, to Dec. 12 in Hamilton, Ontario.

The league stressed that the schedule revision is merely a target date because of the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four of the CFL’s nine franchises operate in Quebec and Ontario, and those provinces are besieged by a third wave of the pandemic. The CFL canceled last season due to the pandemic.

The league hopes the delay will allow for more Canadians to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations and thus increase chances of fans being in the stands at some point once football resumes. That’s crucial for teams, which are heavily reliant on ticket sales to generate operating revenue.

Athlete protests remain banned at Tokyo Olympics, IOC says

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Athlete protests and political messages will remain banned at the Olympics, the IOC said Wednesday, after a survey found that a majority of competitors were in favor of keeping the ban in place.

That means raising a fist on the podium — like American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously did at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics — or taking a knee would still risk punishment at the Tokyo Games this year.

The IOC said it surveyed more than 3,500 athletes over the past year and that 70% said it was “not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views” on the field of play or at the opening or closing ceremony.

The survey also showed 67% of respondents disapproved of podium demonstrations.

The IOC has not said what consequences athletes may face for protesting, but a “proportionate” range of punishments will be drafted before the games, said Kirsty Coventry, who represents athletes on the IOC executive board.

Smith and Carlos were both expelled from the 1968 Olympics after their salute.

Maldonado, Astros agree to contract for ‘22 adding $5.5M

HOUSTON — Catcher Martín Maldonado and the Houston Astros have agreed to a $5.5 million, one-year contract for 2022.

The deal announced Wednesday includes a $5 million salary for 2022 and a $5 million team option for 2023 with a $500,000 buyout. The 2023 salary would become guaranteed if Maldonado plays in 90 or more games this year.

His contract provides that he get a hotel suite on road trips plus award bonuses.

Maldonado is making $3.5 million in 2021, the second season of a $7 million, two-year contract. His 2020 pay was reduced to about $1.296 million by the coronavirus pandemic.

A Gold Glove winner in 2017, the 34-year-old Maldonado is 3 for 34 (.088) with no RBIs in 37 plate appearances this season. He has a .216 career average with 69 homers and 244 RBIs.

The Astros credit him for helping 15 rookie pitchers last season, including 10 who made their major league debuts.

Brewers sign Strange-Gordon to minor league contract

MILWAUKEE — Former All-Star Dee Strange-Gordon has signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and been assigned to the alternate training site in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Strange-Gordon, who turns 33 on Thursday, had gone to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds with a minor league contract and was released on March 26 after hitting .281 with no homers and four RBIs in 32 at-bats over 10 games.

He had been working out at shortstop with the Reds. Strange-Gordon has primarily played second base and also has experience in the outfield.

The Brewers wanted to address some depth concerns in the infield after trading Orlando Arcia to the Atlanta Braves this month and losing Tim Lopes and Mark Mathias to injuries in spring training. Lopes and Mathias are both on the 60-day injured list.

Padres lefty Adrian Morejon has Tommy John surgery

SAN DIEGO — San Diego Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon had Tommy John surgery on Tuesday.

The operation on the 22-year-old from Cuba was performed by Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, head physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Morejon came out of his second start of the season, at Texas on April 11, after throwing just 16 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. He had no record and a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.

The Padres signed Morejon to an $11 million bonus in July 2016 as the top pitching prospect in the 2016-17 international class. He made his big league debut on July 21, 2019. He’s made 16 appearances in three seasons, including eight starts, and is 2-2 with a 5.91 ERA.

Cavaliers’ Dylan Windler has knee surgery, out indefinitely

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers swingman Dylan Windler underwent surgery on his left knee and will be sidelined indefinitely — another blow for the rookie.

A first-round draft pick in 2019, Windler has been slowed by injuries in his young career. His first NBA season was wiped out by a stress fracture in his left leg suffered just before training camp.

He made his pro debut this season but broke his left wrist in the Cavaliers’ opener and was sidelined for a month.

The team said Windler had the knee procedure on Tuesday at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The Cavaliers said the operation was to “address ongoing patella tendinopathy concerns” and came after consultation between Dr. Brian Cole, who performed the surgery, and Dr. James Rosneck, the team physician.

Pacers’ Sampson gets 1-game suspension for headbutting Mills

INDIANAPOLIS — The already short-handed Indiana Pacers will play Oklahoma City on Wednesday night without forward JaKarr Sampson after the NBA announced he would serve a one-game suspension following his ejection during Monday’s loss to San Antonio.

Sampson received a flagrant two foul and automatic ejection early in the fourth quarter against the Spurs. The incident began as Sampson and San Antonio guard Patty Mills fought for a rebound, resulting in a shoving match. Sampson then confronted Mills and headbutted him before Spurs forward Rudy Gay shoved Sampson.

Mills and Gay both received technical fouls for their part in the altercation. The league fined Mills $25,000 and Gay $20,000.

Indiana has lost three in a row. Oklahoma City has lost 11 consecutive games.

Atlanta Dream fire president and GM Chris Sienko

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Dream have fired president and general manager Chris Sienko.

He came to the team in 2017 as general manager and was promoted to president the following year.

“The Dream and Chris Sienko have parted ways,” the team said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We thank Chris for his contributions.”

The Dream won a franchise-record 23 games in the 2018 regular season and reached the semifinals of the playoffs. Sienko was honored as the league’s Executive of the Year that season.

Atlanta has struggled lately, going 15-41 over the last two seasons. The Dream drafted Chennedy Carter last year and took Aari McDonald with the No. 3 pick last week.

They underwent a highly publicized ownership change in February, when former Atlanta guard Renee Montgomery purchased the team as part of a three-member investor group. Real estate investor Larry Gottesdiener was approved as majority owner of the team. The investor group also includes Suzanne Abair, president of Northland Investment Corp. in Massachusetts, the firm Gottesdiener founded.

The ownership change followed pressure on former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican who angered WNBA players with her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives, to sell her share of the Dream.

After Super League climbdown, City and Spurs win in EPL

A tough week for Manchester City and Tottenham, two of the rebel clubs in the aborted Super League project, got even more difficult when they fell behind on their return to Premier League action on Wednesday.

Both teams recovered to register vital wins and leave them in good spirits for their next match — their meeting at Wembley Stadium for the English League Cup final on Sunday.

City fought back from conceding a goal after just 20 seconds to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and move 11 points clear in its march to a third league title in four years. A maximum of eight points are needed by Pep Guardiola’s team from its final five games.

Each side had a man sent off at Villa Park, with City defender John Stones’ straight red card for a reckless lunge late in the first half ruling him out for three matches — starting with the cup final.

Tottenham needed a 90th-minute penalty from Son Heung-min to clinch a 2-1 victory over Southampton and close to within two points of fourth-place Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.

It was a great way for Ryan Mason to start his interim tenure as manager, as the replacement for the fired Jose Mourinho. At 29 years, 312 days, Mason became the youngest person to manage a team in a Premier League game, a proud moment for the former Tottenham midfielder who was forced to retire in 2018 after failing to fully recover from a fractured skull sustained during an FA Cup match.

They were the first games for City and Tottenham since they were pressured into withdrawing from a breakaway Super League which they had formed with 10 of Europe’s other elite clubs.

Dortmund beats Union Berlin to keep CL hopes alive

BERLIN — Raphaël Guerreiro scored late for Borussia Dortmund to seal a hard-fought 2-0 Bundesliga win over Union Berlin on Wednesday and maintain its Champions League qualification hopes.

Marco Reus’ first-half goal set Dortmund on its way to a win that keeps it four points behind Eintracht Frankfurt in the last qualification place for the Champions League with four games of the season remaining.

But Union left the result in doubt until the 88th minute, when Julian Brandt set up Guerreiro to score on a counterattack.

Union forward Markus Ingvartsen struck the crossbar in the first minute and the visitors maintained their early pressure.

Dortmund’s breakthrough in the 25th minute had more than a touch of fortune.

Union goalkeeper Andrea Luthe was penalized for bringing down Reus, though replays suggested it was a dive. Still, the penalty was given after a VAR check.

Luthe then atoned by saving Erling Haaland’s penalty, and his effort from the rebound, before defender Robin Knoch’s attempted clearance off the line went in off the inrushing Reus.

Inter draws 1-1 at Spezia but extends lead to 10 points

MILAN — Inter Milan was held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Spezia but still extended its lead at the top of the Serie A table on Wednesday.

Ivan Perišić canceled out Diego Farias’ opener for Spezia as Inter moved 10 points above second-place AC Milan after the Rossoneri lost 2-1 at home to Sassuolo.

“It’s inevitable to feel a bit of pressure, especially as lots of our players are challenging for something important for the first time,” Inter coach Antonio Conte said. “But it’s OK, the performance was there. We must live with the pressure.”

Juventus came from behind to win 3-1 against Parma to move into third ahead of Atalanta’s match at Roma on Thursday.

Spezia remained five points above the relegation zone.

Inter was one of the three Italian clubs involved in the attempt to launch a Super League. Along with Juventus and Milan, the Nerazzurri abandoned the project on Wednesday.

Benzema scores twice as Madrid beats Cádiz in Spanish league

MADRID — Karim Benzema scored two goals and set up another to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Cádiz in the Spanish league in the team’s first game since the implosion of the proposed Super League.

The Cádiz players wore T-shirts before the game condemning the Super League, which was proposed by some of Europe’s top clubs on Sunday but essentially folded within days. Madrid president Florentino Pérez had been one of the key figures behind the proposal.

Álvaro Odriozola also scored as Madrid pulled within a point of Spanish league leader Atlético Madrid ahead of its game against Huesca on Thursday. Madrid had lost ground last weekend after being held to draw at Getafe.

Madrid was without several players because of injuries and suspensions, including captain Sergio Ramos and midfielder Federico Valverde, who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Earlier, Sevilla defeated Levante 1-0 to move to third place and keep alive its title chances.

Youssef En-Nesyri scored early in the second half to give Sevilla its fourth straight victory — and sixth in its last seven league matches.

Nadal advances, Fognini defaulted at Barcelona Open

BARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal needed three sets to beat his 111th-ranked opponent in his first match at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday, while Fabio Fognini was disqualified for alleged verbal abuse.

Fognini was defaulted while trailing 6-0, 4-4 against qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain, after a line judge told the chair umpire that the ninth-seeded Italian had used foul language.

Fognini denied wrongdoing and was upset as he left the court, breaking his racket after hitting it at the net post on his way out.

“What happened to me was inexplicable,” he told Spanish media. “I’m going to investigate it. I paid for something that I didn’t do.”

Nadal had to overcome a slow start to defeat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 at the clay-court tournament.

The Spaniard lost the first two games and struggled to hold his serve in the third. He recovered quickly after losing the first set and cruised in the second, then broke early in the third.

Nadal will face two-time Barcelona champion Kei Nishikori of Japan, who defeated Cristian Garin of Chile 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1.

Nadal is seeking a record 12th title in the Barcelona tournament. He won the event six times in its last nine editions. The Barcelona Open was not played last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kontaveit upsets Kenin 7-5, 6-4 to reach Stuttgart quarters

STUTTGART, Germany — Anett Kontaveit upset fourth-ranked Sofia Kenin 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinals.

The 27th-ranked Kontaveit, who reached the final in the last edition of the tournament in 2019, claimed her 12th win against a top-12 opponent by beating Kenin in 94 minutes.

The American fended off nine break points until Kontaveit converted her 10th to win the first set, while errors cost Kenin the second.

Top-seeded Ashleigh Barty defeated home favorite Laura Siegemund 6-0, 7-5, and Marketa Vondrousova beat Czech compatriot Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 7-6.

Sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova, the 2018 champion, won 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 against the 137th-ranked Tamara Korpatsch in their first-round match.

Pliskova will next face Jelena Ostapenko, who defeated Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele 6-4, 7-5.

Two-time champion Angelique Kerber eased past Ekaterine Gorgodze 6-2, 6-2 to book a second-round meeting against Elina Svitolina.

IIHF: Women’s world hockey championships in Canada postponed

The International Ice Hockey Federation is scrambling to reschedule the women’s world hockey championships after health officials in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Wednesday scrapped plans to hold the tournament next month because of COVID-19 concerns.

IIHF chief Rene Fasel told The Associated Press by phone he was blindsided by the decision, which was made at essentially the last minute. Teams were preparing to travel to Canada over the next two days to satisfy the nation’s quarantine regulations for foreign travelers.

The 10-team tournament was scheduled to be held from May 6-16 in Halifax and Truro, the same communities that were supposed to host the event a year ago before it was called off. The IIHF had already pushed back the event’s opening by a month due to recommendations from health officials.

Fasel said the focus is now on rescheduling the tournament to potentially this summer and holding it in either Nova Scotia, elsewhere in Canada or finding another host nation. He said the initial plan is to have Nova Scotia host the event in August.

NCAA volleyball semis: Kentucky-Washington, Texas-Wisconsin

OMAHA, Neb. — Alli Stumler had a premonition she and her Kentucky teammates would break through this year and reach the NCAA national semifinals for the first time in program history.

It hit her when she was in Pittsburgh to attend the 2019 championship match as a spectator.

“Got to see the game, the warmups, all the media time they got to do and I was talking about how awesome and how cool it was for such an opportunity,” she said. “I kept imagining our team, that next year this is our team.”

This tournament was moved from the fall to spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The field was reduced from 64 to 48 teams and it is being played entirely at the CHI Health Center.

The second-seeded Wildcats (22-1) will face No. 6 Washington (20-3) in the first semifinal Thursday night. No. 1 Wisconsin (18-0), which lost to Stanford in the national championship match in 2019, plays No. 4 Texas (26-1) in the second semifinal. The winners meet for the championship Saturday night.

Kentucky is in the NCAA tournament for the 16th straight time and lost in the regional semifinals in its last three appearances. It was Washington that eliminated the Wildcats in 2019.

“We have a lot of players dedicated to this game and we take our losses the last couple seasons to heart and take them seriously,” Stumler said. “Coming for revenge each year, for sure.”

Kentucky has beaten six straight opponents 3-0 since its only loss, a five-setter at Florida on March 27.

Washington, in the final four for the fifth time and first since 2013, has won all three of its tournament matches in five sets. The Huskies are the only team since the rally scoring era began in 2001 to win three straight that went the distance in the tournament.

Former star safety T.J. Ward announces retirement from NFL

T.J. Ward, the walk-on at Oregon who became a key part of Denver’s famed “No Fly Zone” secondary that helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50, officially announced his retirement on Wednesday.

Ward played eight seasons in the NFL, earning All-Rookie team honors, two trips to the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He last played for the Buccaneers in 2017, although he spent a month with the Cardinals last season.

“This period came fast, and yet it felt prolonged,” Ward wrote in an open letter announcing his retirement. “We each have our own journey in this life and in this sport, and I proudly followed mine until my football path was complete.”

A second-round pick by the Browns in 2010, Ward played eight seasons in the NFL, including three in Denver, where he teamed with Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, Darius Stewart and Bradley Roby to form one of the best defensive backfields in the game.

The “No Fly Zone” was the backbone of Denver’s dominant defense that led the Broncos to a 24-10 win over Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, which was Hall of Famer Peyton Manning’s farewell game.

Alaphilippe, Van der Breggen win Flèche Wallonne races

HUY, Belgium — Julian Alaphilippe earned his third victory in the Flèche Wallonne one-day classic on Wednesday, overtaking Spanish Vuelta champion Primoz Roglič on the final ascent to the finish line.

Roglič, the Tour de France runner-up, attacked up the grueling Mur de Huy about 350 meters out but couldn’t hold off the 28-year-old Frenchman, who also won in 2018 and ‘19.

The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider finished the 194-kilometer (120-mile) course in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 25 seconds. Roglič was credited with the same time and five-time winner Alejandro Valverde of Spain was third, six seconds back.

Alaphilippe, the world champion, wagged his finger and smiled after edging the Slovenian at the finish of the 85th edition of the race. Other three-time winners include Belgian great Eddy Merckx.