William Shatner Slams 'Bizarre' AI-Generated 'Fake News Stories' Claiming He's Dying

William Shatner Slams &x27;Bizarre&x27; AIGenerated &x27;Fake News Stories&x27; Claiming He&x27;s Dying Brenton BlanchetThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM UTC 0 William Shatner attends the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards on March 8, 2026Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage William Shatner is calling out a Facebook page for posting "fake news stories" about him The Star Trek legend warned fans about AIgenerated stories about him that are circulating the internet "They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer, was in some kind of fight with Erika Kirk and that I'm dying.

William Shatner Slams 'Bizarre' AI-Generated 'Fake News Stories' Claiming He's Dying

Brenton BlanchetThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM UTC

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William Shatner attends the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards on March 8, 2026Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage -

William Shatner is calling out a Facebook page for posting "fake news stories" about him

The Star Trek legend warned fans about AI-generated stories about him that are circulating the internet

"They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer, was in some kind of fight with Erika Kirk and that I'm dying. All their stories are monetized. Most of the stories use an AI image of me," he wrote

William Shatner is asking fans to take any shocking social media posts they see about him "with a grain of salt."

The Star Trek icon, 95, called out a Facebook page that he claims is profiting off of his likeness with AI-generated photos and news stories about his well-being. On Thursday, April 2, Shatner addressed the matter on Instagram and X, slamming the page labeled "The Beanstalk Functions Group" for using his image to generate "horrible fake news stories," including one about him dying.

"I wanted to put this out yesterday but given the day and the possibility that it would look like a joke I waited for today," Shatner wrote, referring to April Fools' Day. "There is a page on Facebook that is using AI to create horrible fake news stories about me... They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer, was in some kind of fight with Erika Kirk and that I'm dying. All their stories are monetized. Most of the stories use an AI image of me."

Shatner added that he reported the page to Facebook but the platform yet to remove it. He also wrote that he got in contact with the group's apparent CEO asking him to remove the stories himself.

William Shatner appears at MegaCon Orlando 2026 on March 20, 2026Credit: Gerardo Mora/Getty

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PEOPLE has reached out to reps for Facebook and Meta for comment.

Shatner's screenshots of the AI-generated posts include fake stories about him "fighting cancer," being insulted by Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, lying in a hospital bed and being diagnosed with brain cancer. "None of these stories are true but they apparently seem genuine enough for fans to repost them across social media and send messages of support to me and my family all while the culprits behind the account make money," the actor wrote. "This is the downside of AI and yellow journalism. While can be a wonderful tool in the right hands; it can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands."

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He concluded, "If you see a bizarre story about me; unless you see it posted on one of my verified accounts take it with a grain of salt."

Shatner later added in follow-up posts that "you'd be surprised at how many of my 'fans' believed the images are of me," and that people have to "jump through hoops to get content pulled."

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On March 22, Shatner celebrated his 95th birthday on social media, when he joked that he's "still smokin" in an Instagram post. In the images, Shatner could be seen puffing on a cigar and smiling in front of a sunset. "At 95, I'm still smokin'! 😝," he captioned the snaps. "I've learned two things: Never waste a good cigar. Never trust anyone who says you should 'act your age.' 😉👍🏻"

The actor later confirmed to PEOPLE that he celebrated his big day with a "large family gathering." He previously opened up to PEOPLE about his his heartfelt birthday tradition in 2024. "For the last many years, I have celebrated my birthday by working on a very successful charity called The Hollywood Charity Horse Show. We have been doing it for 35 years and raised millions of dollars for children and veterans," he said.

Shatner added that he was spending that birthday with his family in Las Vegas, saying, "It's going to be a family experience in that wonderful, entertaining city. I'm really looking forward to it."

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William Shatner Slams 'Bizarre' AI-Generated 'Fake News Stories' Claiming He's Dying

William Shatner Slams &x27;Bizarre&x27; AIGenerated &x27;Fake News Stories&x27; Claiming He&x27;s Dyi...

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A past &34;American Idol&34; winner, a former girl group member, and more stars unmasked as a new champ is named. The Masked Singer season 14 winner revealed in finale as 4 celebs unmasked A past &34;American Idol&34; winner, a former girl group member, and more stars unmasked as a new champ is named. By Jillian Sederholm Jillian Sederholm Jillian Sederholm is news director at . She has worked at EW for more than eight years. Jillian has previously worked as a reporter, social media editor, and homepage producer at NBC News, Digital First Media, Newsday, and Random Lengths News.

A past "American Idol" winner, a former girl group member, and more stars unmasked as a new champ is named.

*The Masked Singer *season 14 winner revealed in finale as 4 celebs unmasked

A past "American Idol" winner, a former girl group member, and more stars unmasked as a new champ is named.

By Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm is news director at *. *She has worked at EW for more than eight years. Jillian has previously worked as a reporter, social media editor, and homepage producer at NBC News, Digital First Media, Newsday, and Random Lengths News.

EW's editorial guidelines

on April 1, 2026 11:37 p.m. ET

Special guest Jessica Simpson, host Nick Cannon, and Galaxy Girl on 'The Masked Singer'. Credit:

Michael Becker/ FOX

*The Masked Singer* season 14 wrapped up with a super-sized finale on April Fools' Day, but the final four's identities were no joke.

Galaxy Girl, Pugcasso, Cat Witch, and Crane were all vying for the Golden Mask trophy. They each performed show-stopping numbers and presented new sets of clues throughout the night, which was made longer thanks to a 20-minute delay mid-episode for East Coast viewers while President Donald Trump addressed the nation.

The pack dwindled as Crane was the first eliminated and revealed to be "Motivation" singer and former Fifth Harmony member Normani. Then, Cat Witch, whose identity has been known to viewers as *Descendants* costar Kylie Cantrall, finally revealed herself to the panel as well. That left Pugcasso and Galaxy Girl as the final two masks. In the end, the painted pup was sent back to the pound and unmasked as "Home" singer and *American Idol *season 11 winner Phillip Phillips.

Crane, host Nick Cannon, panelist Ken Jeong, Catwitch, and Galaxy Girl on 'The Masked Singer'.

Michael Becker/ FOX

That meant Galaxy Girl became *The Masked Singer*'s* *season 14 winner, and was revealed to be "Pieces of Me" singer Ashlee Simpson, whose husband, Evan Ross, was revealed as Stingray earlier this season. Big sis Jessica Simpson was in attendance for the big moment after serving as an in-person clue during the show.

Galaxy Girl succeeds last season's winner, Pearl, a.k.a. country star Gretchen Wilson. Past winners also include Vanessa Hudgens, Amber Riley, Teyana Taylor, Jewel, Wayne Brady, LeAnn Rimes, and the entire lineup of Boyz II Men.

'The Masked Singer' season 14 reveals: See every celebrity eliminated so far

Oscar nominee revealed as 'The Masked Singer' Scarab explains why she did the show

Below, Simpson speaks with ** about her triumphant run on the show, why she didn't perform with her husband as a duo, and that sweet sisterly moment in the finale.

**: Congratulations, you  won* The Masked Singer*! Did you expect that all along?**

**ASHLEE SIMPSON: **No, not at all. Doing this show was something I wanted to do for fun. I thought my kids would love it. It's a show we all watched together as a family.… I kind of thought I'd go off earlier, but as I started doing it, I was like, "Oh, I'm feeling competitive and I'm into it." And it just became this whole fun, exciting game that I was playing.

**We've seen couples compete as pairs before. How did you and Evan end up on the same season but competing separately?**

Both of us got asked to do it separately and we wanted to both do it. So we decided to do it both separately. But when we started doing it together, I did not see him. There were so many rules. So I knew my husband was on set, but I didn't know what he was singing or when he was in rehearsal or whatever, because we weren't allowed to see each other. Sometimes at home I could hear the song he's working on or he could hear the song I'm working on, but we're in different rooms. The idea that both of us were in this secret world at the same time and it was gonna be fun for our kids to see was exciting.

Galaxy Girl; Ashlee Simpson.

Michael Becker / FOX; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

**Did you reach out to any past contestants for advice when you decided to do it?**

I didn't actually reach out to any past contestants. I kind of went into this show not really knowing what to expect. I didn't know what my character was gonna be, but to see that come to life and their vision, that's the coolest thing about this show is the costumes.… I really enjoyed that aspect of it and kind of just being hidden and getting to play around and do different things and kind of become a character.

**Everyone on the panel ended up guessing you at the very end, but what were some of the most surprising guesses they had along the way?**

Emma Stone. There were some really funny ones. Aly & AJ, that was interesting. It was just kind of funny to see what they were guessing. But I feel like once Kelly Osbourne was on [as a guest panelist] she was like, "I know who that is."

**Did any famous friends reach out to say they knew it was you?**

It's been a lot of my daughter's friends from school. Like they're all watching it with their parents and they're like, "Everyone's guessing this is you. Is it you? " So that's been really cute and fun. And then my daughter was at the finale. So was my sister actually.

**Yes! I was going to ask you about her next. What was it like having her there supporting you? She looked so proud watching you.**

That was the best because really what people don't know is how much work goes into this show. It's like you're really there learning a new song. Once you've learned that song, you're onto the next one and so much work goes into it. My sister was proud. She was so proud I made it to the end. And for me, it was like whatever place, everybody was incredible. The whole cast was incredible. So that was fun. But Jessica was so proud of me and my daughter was with her and it was so nice.

**Did you have any close calls navigating your costume?**

Under my mask, it's like you're wearing this really tight thing on your face. It looks like you're about to go swimming or scuba diving. So that part was interesting. And then my costume was hard. No matter what, I'd still go to my knees and everyone was like, "Oh, God, something's falling off. Here we go again." I was lucky with my costume because I could move in it, but it's definitely hard to see or know where you're going.

**I know you have some big performances coming up, Stagecoach Music Festival and L.A. Pride. What can you tell me about those and what you're most excited about?**

I'm definitely looking forward to Stagecoach. I'm doing a fun DJ moment there, and that'll be fun. I'm excited to go to the show. I haven't done Stagecoach yet, and I feel like it's definitely a place that all my mom friends go, and we're gonna have a good time. So I'm really excited about that one. Pride, I went last year. I had a great time. We went and saw Maren Morris last year, and I'm excited to be a part of it this year. I'm really looking forward to that one.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.*

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The Masked Singer season 14 winner revealed in finale as 4 celebs unmasked

A past &34;American Idol&34; winner , a former girl group member, and more stars unmasked as a new champ is named. Th...

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An individual seen wandering through the backyard of Minaj's Hidden Hills home was apprehended by Sheriff's Department deputies Wednesday morning. Trespasser arrested at Nicki Minaj's Los Angeles mansion An individual seen wandering through the backyard of Minaj's Hidden Hills home was apprehended by Sheriff's Department deputies Wednesday morning. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.jpg) Ryan Coleman Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

An individual seen wandering through the backyard of Minaj's Hidden Hills home was apprehended by Sheriff's Department deputies Wednesday morning.

Trespasser arrested at Nicki Minaj's Los Angeles mansion

An individual seen wandering through the backyard of Minaj's Hidden Hills home was apprehended by Sheriff's Department deputies Wednesday morning.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

April 1, 2026 11:47 p.m. ET

Nicki Minaj at the 'Melania' premiere in Washington, D.C., Jan. 29. Credit:

Taylor Hill/WireImage

A trespasser has been arrested at Nicki Minaj's Los Angeles home.

The man was arrested after being apprehended while wandering through Minaj's backyard on Wednesday morning, an officer with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Hidden Hills station confirmed.

The individual was seen wandering around the rapper's mansion in the neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles by neighbors, who called law enforcement. Minaj was not home at the time of the incident, TMZ reported Wednesday.

Nicki Minaj with husband Kenneth Petty in New York City in 2020.

Robert Kamau/GC Images

* *has reached out to representatives for Minaj for comment.

Minaj's $20 million Hidden Hills home was at the center of a contentious, years-long legal battle that was settled in January.

The rapper and her husband, Kenneth Petty, were ordered to pay roughly $500,000 to a former security guard who accused Petty of assault at a 2019 concert in Germany. After Minaj and Petty failed to make that payment, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge was expected to authorize the sale of the home to satisfy the judgment, but Minaj paid the sum in full, avoiding a court-ordered sale.

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Minaj and Petty were married in 2019. They share one child, Papa Bear, who is 5. Petty pleaded guilty for failing to register as a sex offender in California in 2021.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

The "Starships" and "Anaconda" rapper, 43, has recently taken heat for her turn toward the conservative end of the political spectrum. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who is gay, blasted Minaj after she referred to him in a January social media post using a homophobic slur.

"People have been asking about responding to Nicki Minaj's unhinged, homophobic tweet about me," Lemon said at the time. "I usually don't respond to this stuff, but let me just say this: Nicki Minaj, stop talking about s--- which you know nothing about. This is out of your depth, by the way. And you are a homophobic bigot."

Later that month, Minaj celebrated becoming one of the first recipients of a "Trump gold card." The new immigration program, inaugurated by President Donald Trump, awards citizenship to anyone who, pending background approval, can "contribute" $1 million to the United States government, on top of a $15,000 processing fee.

"Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President," Minaj wrote in a social media post, showing off the card emblazoned with Trump's face. "Oh CitizenNIKA you are thee moment. Gold Trump card free of charge."

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Bobby Flay Reveals His Favorite Thing Girlfriend Brooke Williamson Cooks for Him

Bobby Flay Reveals His Favorite Thing Girlfriend Brooke Williamson Cooks for Him Erin ClementsThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC 0 Brooke Williamson and Bobby Flay attend the U.S. Open Tennis ChampionshipCredit: John Nacion/Getty Bobby Flay praised Brooke Williamson's yeasted pancakes, calling them their new "house" pancakes The couple, who began dating in March 2025, recently celebrated their first anniversary Flay said fans are highly interested in his relationship with Williamson and her story as a chef Bobby Flay is dishing on Brooke Williamson's skills in the kitchen.

Bobby Flay Reveals His Favorite Thing Girlfriend Brooke Williamson Cooks for Him

Erin ClementsThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC

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Brooke Williamson and Bobby Flay attend the U.S. Open Tennis ChampionshipCredit: John Nacion/Getty -

Bobby Flay praised Brooke Williamson's yeasted pancakes, calling them their new "house" pancakes

The couple, who began dating in March 2025, recently celebrated their first anniversary

Flay said fans are highly interested in his relationship with Williamson and her story as a chef

Bobby Flay is dishing on Brooke Williamson's skills in the kitchen.

While answering questions about Beat Bobby Flay on Instagram, the celebrity chef was asked, "Fav thing chef Brooke cooks for you?"

"Brooklyn has a new recipe for yeasted pancakes that will take over our household as the 'house' pancakes," he replied. "So good!"

The two Food Network stars began dating in March 2025, and Flay, 61, noted that he's frequently asked about his girlfriend of a year, 47.

"I think probably the most popular ones are when people ask me about Brooke and cooking and stuff like that, because for some reason, people are interested in my love life," he said while chatting with PEOPLE at the 2026 South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) in February. ""I'm not really sure why, but they are. So have at it."

Credit: Bobby Flay/Instagram

Flay shared the quick process behind his popular Instagram Q&As.

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"I literally answer those questions, I swear to you, in less than four minutes," he said. "My team gives me the questions, they write through all the questions, they give them to me. I answer them right away. And I want them to be very spontaneous."

Flay also said the episode of his podcast, Bobby on the Beat, that featured an interview with Williamson was the most popular.

Brooke Williamson, Bobby Flay at the 2025 No Kid Hungry Los Angeles Dinner on March 17, 2025Credit: Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty

"People want to hear the story of our relationship," he noted. "And also, she's got her own story as being a chef. So tons of interest there."

Williamson and Flay told PEOPLE at SOBEWFF that they'd be celebrating their first anniversary with a trip to Japan. Flay said Williamson was taking the lead on their travel plans.

"She's doing them all, because I'm not a Tokyo expert by any means," he said. "Brooke is so focused in on where we're eating, where we're going. So if you have any questions about what we're doing, you need to call her."

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Bobby Flay Reveals His Favorite Thing Girlfriend Brooke Williamson Cooks for Him

Bobby Flay Reveals His Favorite Thing Girlfriend Brooke Williamson Cooks for Him Erin ClementsThu, April 2, 2026 at 5...

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Undrafted and washed out: The unpredictable college to NBA pipeline

Undrafted and washed out: The unpredictable college to NBA pipeline Andrew Greif Thu, April 2, 2026 at 1:19 PM UTC 0 Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images (Leila Register) The award for the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament's Final Four comes with prestige. Past winners form an exclusive club, including Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Magic Johnson. The honor comes with a small trophy, too, one mailed to winners once March Madness concludes, an NCAA spokesperson said. What it no longer comes with, though, is job security.

Undrafted and washed out: The unpredictable college to NBA pipeline

Andrew Greif Thu, April 2, 2026 at 1:19 PM UTC

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Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images (Leila Register)

The award for the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament's Final Four comes with prestige. Past winners form an exclusive club, including Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Magic Johnson.

The honor comes with a small trophy, too, one mailed to winners once March Madness concludes, an NCAA spokesperson said.

What it no longer comes with, though, is job security.

"It's a lot different," past winner Patrick Ewing told NBC News, "from when I played."

Proving that a player could come up clutch on college hoops' biggest stage was once a reliable indicator of a can't-miss prospect. Since the start of the modern era of the NBA draft in 1966, 28 of the next 42 Final Four Most Outstanding Players were selected within the first 10 picks of their drafts.

Not every winner would go on to become Hall of Famers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the former all-time NBA scoring leader, or the quartet of Isiah Thomas, James Worthy, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ewing, who won Most Outstanding Player from 1981 to 1985. Yet many carved out long, lucrative careers; in that same span that started in 1966, 25 winners went on to spend at least a decade in the NBA.

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But since 2012 — when one-and-done star Anthony Davis earned the award, was drafted No. 1 overall and began a career that could likely, one day, land him in the Hall of Fame — the last 12 Most Outstanding Player winners have combined for zero All-Star appearances. Four have gone undrafted. Three others quickly washed out of the NBA.

Tristen Newton had no doubt that winning the honor in 2024 while leading Connecticut to its second consecutive national championship helped his case when he auditioned in front of NBA teams. It "was one of the first things that teams would mention" during their interviews, Newton told NBC News.

"But nowadays," he added, "teams in the NBA are looking for, I guess, the younger guys than the more-ready guy who can come and contribute."

Tristen Newton of Connecticut dunks against Northwestern in 2024. (Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images file) (Jamie Schwaberow)

Newton, 24, learned that on draft night, when he was selected 49th overall in a 58-player draft. In two seasons, Newton, a 6-foot-5 guard, has appeared in eight NBA games while playing primarily in the NBA's developmental minor league.

He added that "NBA and college careers, I guess those are two different — they don't really correlate with each other anymore."

Winning Most Outstanding Player is but one of hundreds of data points NBA teams use to evaluate prospects, from how they play on the court to how they carry themselves off it. Indeed, two executives of NBA teams, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor about the draft process, said they didn't even realize the past connection between winners of the award and often strong NBA careers. They viewed a strong performance in the tournament and particularly the Final Four as a helpful line in a player's broader résumé but not a difference-maker. Conversely, struggling in the tournament wouldn't be held against a prospect who had played well all season, an executive said.

When Ewing left Georgetown for the NBA in 1985 and was drafted first overall by the New York Knicks, he was the definition of a college superstar. He had led the Hoyas to three NCAA championship games in four seasons, winning once, and he remains so closely intertwined with his college success, in fact, that this month AT&T placed him in not one but two ads playing throughout the NCAA Tournament.

In 1985, however, the pathway to the NBA was far more limited than it is four decades later. With only a few exceptions, being eligible for the draft then required a player to be at least three years out of high school, and international players often had to be at least 21. Of the 24 players taken in that year's first round, just three were international; last year, international players accounted for more than a third of the first round.

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A record 135 foreign-born players were on NBA rosters at the start of this season, many of whom never played collegiately. That has meant more competition for a few roster spots.

"When I played, there was a few guys from Europe that was in the league or from Africa with Hakeem and Dikembe [Mutombo] and those guys. But now it's a lot larger pot," Ewing said.

And many foreign players, he said, are the "cream of the crop" — such as Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who have combined to win the Most Valuable Player award in five of the last seven NBA seasons. They never played a second in college.

It isn't that players are leaving college worse than in previous eras, said a high-ranking NBA team executive who has helped oversee college scouting. Younger players now have access to better technology, equipment and health care. But the difficulty of sticking in the NBA for even decorated college players has increased as eligibility rules have changed and, as a result, so have the draft preferences of NBA teams. Since 2006, draft-eligible prospects must be 19 and a year removed from high school.

"The thought is always you get these younger guys in your [NBA or G-League] program and they don't have to worry about school and you can really develop their bodies and games and make them better players," an NBA team executive said. "The old-school mentality was 'I just want ready-made players who can win games,' and that's changed in the NBA. We're spending more time developing guys than winning right off the bat with them."

In theory, a younger prospect arrives with fewer bad habits and can play longer.

"I think they definitely want younger guys," said Walter Clayton Jr., who was 22 when he won the 2025 tournament's Most Outstanding Player with Florida. Clayton was drafted 18th overall and now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Walter Clayton Jr. of Florida, center, celebrates with teammates after the national championship game in San Antonio in April 2025. (Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images file) (Jamie Schwaberow)

There's another major difference, too.

The fact that "the game is so different is the first hurdle," the executive said.

Translating what worked in college to the NBA used to be easier, because the styles at both levels were similar. But the college and pro game have diverged. A decade ago, college teams averaged 18.6 3-pointers per game and NBA teams 24.1. This season, the college average crept to a record average of 23.2; pros, meanwhile, are taking 37.

Adjusting to the NBA means getting used to more skilled opponents and roles that can be wildly different from the responsibilities college stars were used to, Clayton said. But certain aspects of playing well under the pressure and spotlight of a Final Four do carry over to the pros, he said.

"Being able to stay calm in high-pressure situations, it definitely helped me," he said. "Some teams view that as a characteristic or an intangible."

As the latest tournament began in late March, the Grizzlies set up televisions showing March Madness action around the arena for players to watch. Florida players on last year's national championship team began pinging messages back and forth in a group chat, Clayton said. The memories were nice. But now, he has a job to do — sticking in the NBA, which is not given.

"The award is the award," Clayton said. "I'm appreciative of it, but it's kind of in the past. Just gotta get adjusted at this level and make things happen here."

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Undrafted and washed out: The unpredictable college to NBA pipeline

Undrafted and washed out: The unpredictable college to NBA pipeline Andrew Greif Thu, April 2, 2026 at 1:19 PM UTC 0 Leil...

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Cardinals star Masyn Winn involved in car crash — hours after his game-winning hit against Mets

Cardinals star Masyn Winn involved in car crash — hours after his gamewinning hit against Mets Nicholas McEntyreThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:58 AM UTC 0 An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows St. Louis Cardinals players celebrate with Masyn Winn after the shortstop hit a walkoff single against the New York Mets on April 1, 2026 St. Louis Cardinals star Masyn Winn was involved in a car crash hours after he tallied his first gamewinning hit Wednesday afternoon against the New York Mets. The 24yearold shortstop was driving along Interstate 64 near St.

Cardinals star Masyn Winn involved in car crash — hours after his game-winning hit against Mets

Nicholas McEntyreThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:58 AM UTC

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An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows St. Louis Cardinals players celebrate with Masyn Winn after the shortstop hit a walk-off single against the New York Mets on April 1, 2026

St. Louis Cardinals star Masyn Winn was involved in a car crash hours after he tallied his first game-winning hit Wednesday afternoon against the New York Mets.

The 24-year-old shortstop was driving along Interstate 64 near St. Louis at the time of the single-car crash, the Cardinals said in a statement, according to Fox 2 Now.

"We are grateful that he is OK, and thank the first responders in our community who helped Masyn tonight," the team said.

St. Louis Cardinals players celebrate with Masyn Winn after the shortstop hit a walk-off single against the New York Mets on April 1, 2026. AP

Wet pavement was ruled the cause of the crash, according to the report.

Winn was alone in the car at the time of the incident and was helped by both police officers and officials from the Cardinals' security and medical staff.

He was transported to a hospital for evaluation, where he was found not to have suffered any serious injuries and was later released.

It was not known if Winn would be available for the Cardinals' afternoon game in Detroit on Thursday.

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The Post has reached out to the Cardinals.

Masyn Winn hits a walk-off single against the Mets in the bottom of the 11th inning at Busch Stadium on April 1, 2026. Getty Images

Cardinals' Masyn Winn is mobbed by his teammates after his game winning hit. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Winn struck a bloop single into short right field with two outs in the 11th to propel the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Mets, winning the series two games to three.

The walk-off was the first of Winn's career after making his debut with St. Louis in August 2023.

Coincidentally, Winn had also recorded his first big league hit against the Mets, an infield single on Aug. 18, 2023, where then-Mets first baseman Pete Alonso tossed the ball into the stands.

Alonso, now with the Orioles, sent Winn a bottle of 1942 tequila and a signed bat as a peace offering after his on-field blunder.

"I just wanted to send him something because I didn't want him to think about anything," Alonso said at the time. "I just wanted to send him something because I didn't want him to think about anything."

The fan who caught the ball later returned it to the Cardinals and Winn.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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Source: Sports

Published: April 2, 2026 at 11:27AM on Source: PRIME TIME

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April 02, 2026

Cardinals star Masyn Winn involved in car crash — hours after his game-winning hit against Mets

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70 days to the World Cup: Sweden sneaks into 2026 tournament without a qualifying win

70 days to the World Cup: Sweden sneaks into 2026 tournament without a qualifying win Sean LeahyThu, April 2, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC 0 The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament's return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world's biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year's global event. Good fortune has been on Sweden's side during their road to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. It was unique journey and one that usually would benefit a host nation.

70 days to the World Cup: Sweden sneaks into 2026 tournament without a qualifying win

Sean LeahyThu, April 2, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC

0

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament's return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world's biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year's global event.

Good fortune has been on Sweden's side during their road to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

It was unique journey and one that usually would benefit a host nation.

The Blågult went winless in the group stage during qualifying, losing four and drawing two to finish at the bottom of Group B. Yet, Sweden had earned in the UEFA playoffs in Path B with Ukraine, Poland and Albania, two wins away from going to the World Cup.

But, how?

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In order to find the answer you need to go back to November 2024 when Sweden defeated Slovakia 2-1 on an Alexander Isak 48th-minute goal. That win secured the Swedes first place in Group 1 of Nations League C and promotion to League B for the next campaign.

Due to the Nations League format, the top four overall group winners that finished outside of the top two places in their respective World Cup qualifying groups were able to advance to the World Cup playoffs. Sweden was part of that group, which put them into the Path B semifinal against Ukraine.

Viktor Gyökeres netted a hat-trick during the 3-1 win over Ukraine, and five days later scored the tie-breaking goal in the 88th minute against Poland to secure Sweden's spot in this summer's tournament.

2026 World Cup countdown: 100 days of facts, stats and stories (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

The wins were the first two under new manager Graham Potter, who was initially hired on a short-term basis in October.

Sweden will now join Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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Source: Sports

Published: April 2, 2026 at 11:27AM on Source: PRIME TIME

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byPrime Sky

in

April 02, 2026

70 days to the World Cup: Sweden sneaks into 2026 tournament without a qualifying win

70 days to the World Cup: Sweden sneaks into 2026 tournament without a qualifying win Sean LeahyThu, April 2, 2026 a...

Read More