MON SIX

WASHINGTON — Every UConn pregame shootaround ends with a made half-court shot. On Sunday, hours before the Huskies' Elite Eight game againstDuke, it was Silas Demary Jr. who hit the heave to close out the session.

"I guess you could say we work on it," said Demary.

It's hardly a high-percentage shot, which is why it takes a handful of tries for even high-level college basketball players to hit. Hoopers all over cook up scenarios in their head of connecting on that long-range, last-second attempt. Most of those dreams play out in driveways and empty gyms with nary a soul around to see.

Three, two, one…

Athletes at all levels have dreamed about this scenario. UConn's Braylon Mullins has, too. Except on Sunday, the clock really was running down. And there were 19,502 fans crowding Capital One Arena, all watching as Mullins let it fly from a few steps inside half court, just off the March Madness logo. They call it that for a reason.

Mullins hit the shot.The Shot, as it might be called around Storrs, Connecticut, for years to come. Mullins said in the ensuing chaos that he thought his heave had tied the game, but it actually put the Huskies ahead, 73-72. The Blue Devils had less than a second to respond, and they couldn't get a shot off.

Ballgame. History. Madness? Oh yeah.

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"That's an epic," Huskies coach Dan Hurley said. "Just another chapter in the UConn-Duke NCAA Tournament dramatics."

It took some time for the celebration to wind down — confetti fell, Final Four hats were donned and every celebratory song in the book blasted. Eventually, UConn players climbed the ladder, one by one, to cut down the net. Mullins went last, happy to reunite with the nylon he had miraculously found from some 40 feet away.

Mullins said he didn't make his half-court attempt in warmups. But he made it when it mattered. And he'll always have a piece that piece of net with him — just like he'll always have that moment.

"The Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis," said senior captain Alex Karaban, credited with the assist on the game-winner.

Mullins, a freshman from Greenfield, Indiana, had missed his first four 3-point tries of the game. At one point, UConn was 1-for-18 from deep. But he didn't have time to consider the odds or his team's poor performance up to that point from behind the arc — much lessSteph Curryrange.

Once the ball left his hands, Mullins said everything felt like slow motion. But the seconds before that unfolded at a frenetic pace. The inbound, the double team, the steal.

It briefly looked as if the game would come down to Karaban. The UConn captain and two-time champion had a look at the basket after Mullins passed the ball ahead to him. Like the rest of his teammates, he had a tough shooting night to that point. Though he had just found the bottom of the net a few possessions prior, Karaban saw 6-foot-9 Cameron Boozer in front of him and didn't like his chances, so he threw it back to Mullins for the win.

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"When I saw him release it, I was like, 'That really might go in,'" Karaban said.

If all of that sounds improbable, consider that the Huskies trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half. Karaban went into halftime scoreless with his team down 15. But two nights earlier in the Sweet 16, UConn had built a 19-point lead on No. 3 Michigan State only to see the Spartans claw all the way back in a game that was also decided in the final minute.

Just as the Huskies had blown that lead, they began to chip into Duke's. Karaban's first points cut the deficit to single digits. And Demary drained a pair of corner 3-pointers in the second half to get the lid off the basket, paving the way for Karaban and Mullins' heroics down the stretch.

"We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made," Hurley said. "And one of the most brilliant shooters you'll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot."

Hurley said the game was a microcosm of No. 3 UConn's season. Resilience, fortitude — all those kinds of coach-speak words that turn even a skeptic into a believer when you consider what the past few years of Huskies hoops have looked like.

"Three out of four" was the main message out of UConn in the throes of the postgame celebration, as in the Huskies have now been to three of the last four Finals Fours. The last two trips in 2023 and 2024 saw Hurley and Co. cut down the nets after two national titles. Only UCLA under John Wooden has ever won three championships in a four-year span.

UConn (33-5) is still two wins away from another title. Next up is the No. 3 seed from the South Region, Illinois, a tough team the Huskies beat back in November (6:09 p.m. ET on TBS). And on the other side of the bracket is a heavyweight matchup between No. 1 seeds Arizona and Michigan (8:49 p.m. ET on TBS).

Hurley conceded this team is not like the ones that went back-to-back. Those groups were dominant, hardly needing any Mullins-level heroics to put a game away. They rolled through the tournament, leaving wreckage in their wake.

"We've had to win a lot of close games throughout the year," Hurley said. "And I think that that honestly just gave us a level of comfortability in a game that it's a one-possession game, it's a two-possession game, we've been in this spot before."

This road has been harder, particularly in the regional, where both UConn games were decided in the clutch. But that also might make the success that much sweeter.

Whatever awaits the Huskies in Indianapolis, a few miles away from where Mullins grew up dreaming of playing in the Big Dance, they'll always have this night in the nation's capital when he brought new meaning to March Madness.

UConn Huskies players congratulate Braylon Mullins after his last-second 3-pointer in an Elite Eight NCAA Tournament game against the Duke Blue Devils in Washington on March 29, 2026.

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Related: Illinois Advances to NCAA Tournament Final Four for First Time Since 2005

Related: Elite 8 Game Grinds to Awkward Halt After Arena Horn Goes Rogue in Houston

This story was originally published byAthlon Sportson Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in theCollege Basketballsection. Add Athlon Sports as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

TheGolden State Warriorsare back in action on Sunday in a road game against theDenver Nuggets. They are looking to keep their hot streak alive after winning three straight games.

Golden State has been on a heater despite its current injury crisis.Steph Curryis still out of action as he continues to nurse alingering knee injury. Moses Moody recently joinedJimmy Butleron the injury list after the former underwent surgery to address a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

Al Horford remains out with a right soleus strain and missed his ninth straight game for the Warriors on Sunday. Guard Will Richard was forced to sit out against the Nuggets as well with a heel injury.

The good news for the Warriors is that theyofficially clinched a play-in spoteven before Sunday's game. TheHouston Rocketsdefeated theNew Orleans Pelicansearlier in the day, thereby locking the Warriors' spot in the play-in tournament.

Unfortunately for Golden State, they lost another player during the Nuggets game. The team revealed more bad news after center Quinten Post exited the contest in the second half due to a foot injury.

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The Warriors announced that Post will miss the remainder of the game due to right foot soreness.

Post is no star, but the second-year power forward has been a key rotation piece for head coach Steve Kerr. Entering Sunday's contest, the 25-year-old had averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 triples in 17.5 minutes per contest.

The Warriors have not provided the full details of Post's injury, but the fact that he was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game is not a good sign. For now, his status for Golden State's next game can be considered in question.

The Warriors return to action on Wednesday with a home matchup againstVictor Wembanyamaand theSan Antonio Spurs.

Related: Warriors Facing Potential Season-Ending Steph Curry Decision After Friday's Announcement

This story was originally published byAthlon Sportson Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in theNBAsection. Add Athlon Sports as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

Indiana FeverguardCaitlin Clarkis one of the smartest female basketball players today, and theNBAthought they could use her insights to help break down one of their games.

TheWNBAsuperstar has had an exciting weekend as she dabbled in sports media coverage. First, she served as a photographer during theIndiana Pacers' game against theLos Angeles Lakers. Then, a few days later, she appeared on the NBC broadcast booth as part of the team covering theNew York Knicks–Oklahoma City Thundergame on Sunday.

Clark joined Maria Taylor, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady on the pregame show and discussed a wide range of topics. They talked about the upcoming matchup between two title contenders,Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, and her photos ofLeBron Jamesthat she posted on her social media accounts.

The panel also took the opportunity to ask about her experiencephotographing the Lakers superstar.

"I swear we made eye contact, so I sat down the camera, and I smiled at him, and he just looked at me with a straight face. I'm like 'he didn't even see me,' but the photos turned out well," she told the like an excited fan.

She also said that James is her Greatest of All Time.

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It was a short stint, but the WNBA showed its approval by commenting on the Fever's Instagram post about their player's side gig.

Other Instagram users also thought she did a good job during the broadcast.

"She did incredible 👏👏👏 and looked very classy 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼," one commented.

"CC22, you crushed it, such a natural. I can't wait to see you ND the Fevers play! Looking for a productive year for you and the teams! Go Fever!!!! 🔥🔥🔥," another one wrote.

Clark's basketball career is still young, but becoming an analyst is not a far-fetched path for her. She minored in Communication Studies in college, and most importantly, her basketball IQ is regarded as among the best of her generation.

Related: WNBA Star's Caitlin Clark Comment Draws Attention

This story was originally published byAthlon Sportson Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in theWNBAsection. Add Athlon Sports as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

There's something about a bright and bold color complemented with a sharp silhouette that instantly shifts a red carpet moment from pretty to unforgettable. That's exactly whatFlorence Pughmanaged to deliver at the recentBvlgarievent. She stepped out in a striking vintage piece from Elie Saab's SS06 couture collection. The high-couture pick helped her flaunt her oh-so-enviable curves in the floor-length ensemble.

Florence Pugh stuns in strapless green Elie Saab gown for Bvlgari

Florence Pugh looked amazing at the star-studded Bvlgari event, wearing a beyond-striking vintage piece fromElie Saab's SS06 couturecollection. This worked wonders for her toned frame. The strapless gown, gorgeously crafted from vivid lime-green satin material, hugged her frame with intricate ruching. The ensemble was gathered at the waist before cascading into a fluid skirt that moved along with the diva.

The statement-worthy gown also featured a fiery twist with a high side slit, which helped her show off her legs, along with elongating them. The slit itself did most of the talking. After all, it was clearly dramatic, unapologetic, and just risky enough to keep all the eyes locked right in.

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What further elevated the whole look was the overall styling game. Pugh paired the archival couture ensemble with Bvlgari's Eclettica high jewellery, which looked amazing. She went with a statement-worthy sapphire pendant set against diamonds. This ended up adding depth and contrast to the monochrome green.

For her hair and makeup, Pugh's softly sculpted blonde waves and minimal makeup kept the focus exactly where it should be, on the craftsmanship and silhouette of the gown and the accessory choices. In a sea of predictable red carpet gowns, this one landed with quite an impact. Bold color, archival fashion, and a silhouette knew exactly how far to push it.

Originally reported by Mehak Walia onThe Fashion Spot.

The postFlorence Pugh's Strapless Elie Saab Gown Boasts Dangerously High Slitappeared first onReality Tea.

The destruction of a US Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabia air base could damage US abilities to spot incoming Iranian threats at distance, analysts say.

Dramatic images of the wrecked aircraft, geolocated by CNN, show its tail broken off and its distinct rotating radar dome –– a critical part of the airborne warning and control system, or AWACS –– on the ground at the Prince Sultan Air Base.

The loss of the AWACS is "a serious blow to (US) surveillance capabilities," said CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel who has flown on the aircraft.

"It can potentially impact (US) ability to control combat aircraft and vector them to their targets or protect them from engagements of hostile aircraft and missile systems," he said.

CNN has reached out to US Central Command for comment on the destruction of the aircraft.

The AWACS enables airborne monitoring of up to 120,000 square miles of battlespace from the ground to the stratosphere, and it has been a vital component of US fighting forces for decades. The fleet of 17 E-3s, and America's experience using them over the years, is seen by analysts as a major advantage enjoyed by Washington.

Images of the destroyed aircraft began appearing on social media sites over the weekend. CNN geolocated the images to the air base in central Saudi Arabia by comparing them to a satellite image from March 11, which showed the E-3 aircraft at the same location in the recent photos.

CNN had previously reported that an attack on the air base left at least 10 US service members injured. No fatalities were reported. A US Air Force tanker aircraft was also damaged, sources said.

The E-3 aircraft itself is a powerful airborne command post as well as a surveillance platform.

It can track around 600 targets at one time, from other aircraft, to missiles, to large drones, even down to tanks on the battlefield.

Personnel aboard the E-3 can pass that info down to commanders in theater, to ships at sea or back to the Pentagon in real time.

Meanwhile, controllers aboard the AWACS can direct interceptor fighter jets to incoming threats or send attack aircraft to support ground troops under fire.

A report this month from the Center for a New American Security calls the AWACS the "quarterback" of the battlefield, "nimbly providing critical situational awareness and real-time coordination that turns individual sorties into a dominant force."

The report calls AWACS "an indispensable asset for US military operations today and for the foreseeable future."

Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer and fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, said airborne radars exponentially increase the detection time of threats.

In the current conflict, an E-3 might see an incoming Iranian Shahed drone launched 200 miles away about 85 minutes sooner than ground-based radar, Layton said.

Because they are mobile, the AWACS can move quickly to new crisis areas and present are a harder target for adversaries than fixed ground-based radars.

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Surprise aircraft was left vulnerable

Analysts on Monday questioned how the US allowed the E-3 to become vulnerable to Iranian attack.

"Extraordinary measures are often taken to protect it from hostile enemy fire while in-flight. Sometimes it receives fighter escorts and is never allowed to overfly hostile territory in order to keep it safe," said Leighton.

He called the loss of the E-3 on the ground "a serious breach of our Force Protection efforts."

Leighton also said the attack may indicate Iran is getting help in targeting key US assets.

"Russia most likely gave Iran geographic coordinates and satellite imagery that provided the precise location," he said.

The attack shows how Iran is being selective in going after limited high-value targets with the forces it has, Kelly Grieco, a fellow at the Stimson Center, wrote on X.

She pointed to attacks at radar and satellite communications infrastructure on other US bases across the region since the war began.

"Iran's going after the radars that detect threats, the tankers that keep jets flying, and the AWACS that direct the battle. That's a counter-air campaign. Adapted to what Iran can actually do. And the damage is real," Grieco wrote.

An aging asset

Analysts also noted the size and age of the US E-3 fleet and the strain that Middle East operations are putting on it.

The E-3 is in limited supply in the US fleet, only 17 on hand at the beginning of the year, according to FlightGlobal.com's 2026 World Air Forces directory. That's fewer AWACS than B-2 bombers (20).

And they are old. The first aircraft joined the Air Force fleet in 1978, and the US fleet has shrunk from 32 aircraft in 2015.

The four-engine jets, based on the Boeing 707 commercial airframe carry a flight crew of four, plus 13 to 19 mission specialists, a number that can fluctuate depending on the specific assignment involved, according to the Air Force.

The planes cost around $270 million in fiscal 1998 dollars, according to the Air Force, around $540 million today.

Besides the US, Saudi Arabia, France and Chile operate the E-3, and NATO has its own joint force of 14.

The US Air Force has been looking at replacements for the aging fleet, but the Pentagon has yet to settle on a platform although some prototypes are in development.

The US Navy operates a similar but much smaller airborne warning and control aircraft, the E-2 Hawkeye, which can fly off aircraft carriers and are used to monitor the battlespace of carrier strike groups.

But the Hawkeye is not an easy replacement for the Sentry. Because it's smaller, the Hawkeye has fewer crew to monitor the battlespace, and as it is a turboprop, rather than a jet, it can't get as high as the Sentry, meaning its radar can't cover as much territory.

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March 30 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto said on Monday operations at three of its four Pilbara ‌iron ore port terminals have resumed after ‌Tropical Cyclone Narelle swept through Western Australia's Pilbara region, disrupting shipments ​but leaving its annual guidance unchanged.

Cyclone Narelle brought heavy rain and power outages to Australia's northeast coast earlier this month, forcing the miner to temporarily shut ‌two bauxite mines. ⁠South32 also suspended operations at its Gemco manganese mine, co-owned by Anglo American.

Narelle barrelled ⁠into Australia's northwest coast last week, causing port closures in its iron-rich Pilbara region.

Rio, the world's largest ​iron ore ​producer, said ship loading ​at three terminals resumed ‌on March 28 following port closures on March 24.

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Shipping at Cape Lambert A, the fourth terminal currently undergoing repairs, is expected to recommence "in the coming days", the miner said.

Two tropical cyclones in February and ‌March are estimated to have ​affected iron ore shipments for ​the firm by ​around eight million metric tons, Rio ‌said, adding that it has "identified ​a pathway to ​recover around half of these losses."

Rio's guidance for its Pilbara iron ore shipments for 2026 ​remained unchanged at ‌323 million tons to 338 million tons.

(Reporting ​by Shivangi Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank ​Dhaniwala and Janane Venkatraman)

WASHINGTON − Who is an American?

That's the fundamental question theSupreme Courtwill take up on April 1 when it debates PresidentDonald Trump'sability to sharply restrictwhich children born in the United States are automatically citizens.

The court's ruling is likely to land shortly before the nation celebrates its 250thanniversary, adding to the significance of a case that was already a blockbuster.

It'sanother opportunityfor theSupreme Courtto weigh in on the expansive authority Trump has claimed since returning to the White House last year.

Can he change the definition ofbirthright citizenshipwith a stroke of his pen? "What the president's executive order attempts to do is to rewrite citizenship as we have known it since the late 19thcentury," said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, an expert on immigration law at Ohio State University College of Law.

More:Will the majority-Catholic Supreme Court listen to the church on immigration?

See people outside Supreme Court demonstrate for birthright citizenship in May 2025

What does the Constitution say about birthright citizenship?

The 14thAmendment, ratified in 1868, says: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

That's long been interpreted to include everyone except children born to diplomats, to invading military forces and – initially – to Native Americans, who later got birthright citizenship under a 1924 law.

In alandmark rulingin 1898, the Supreme Court upheld the citizenship of a San Francisco-born man – Wong Kim Ark − whose Chinese parents were barred from becoming citizens under the laws of the time.

And immigration laws enacted in the mid-20thcentury used nearly identical language as the 14thAmendment.

But Trump says that language has been misread.

He argues that "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" rules out children born to parents who aren't citizens, because they may feel loyal to a foreign country even if they have to follow U.S. laws while they're here. The Supreme Court's 1898 decision, the Justice Department says, applied to children whose parents had a "permanent domicile and residence in the United States."

Go deeper:President Trump's winning streak at the Supreme Court is about to get tested

What is Trump's policy?

On his first day back in office, Trumpdirectedfederal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of babies born in the United States who do not have at least one parent who is an American citizen or lawful permanent resident, also known as a "green card" holder.

Thatexecutive order– titled "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship" – is one of more than 500policy changesfrom the administration that longtime immigration law scholar Stephen Yale-Loehr said are among the most sweeping immigration restrictions in modern U.S. history.

Yale-Loehr, a retired Cornell Law School professor, said the policies are "both a different magnitude and different quality" than what Trump pushed in his first administration.

But while presidents have a lot of latitude over who is allowed into the United States, defining who is an American by birth is different.

"Historically, all Supreme Courts have been deferential to presidents on immigration because immigration touches on sovereignty and foreign affairs," he said. "This involves a clause in the Constitution itself."

More:Countries in the Americas grant birthright citizenship. What happens if they revoke it?

Round two at the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court took up Trump's birthright citizenship executive order last year, but only to decide whether lower courts had gone too far in blocking its implementation while the order is being challenged.

In a6-3 decisionin June, the court rejected the way judges had put Trump's order on ice but left open another path.

And it wasn't long before that path was used.

In July, a federal judge in New Hampshireblockedthe citizenship order in a class-action lawsuit brought by affected children and their parents.

Judge Joseph Laplante said the order likely contradicts the 14thAmendment "and the century-old untouched precedent that interprets it." He also said it probably violates a federal law that includes similar language.

More:Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' joins Trump citizenship court fight

Who is challenging Trump's policy?

The parents representing their children in the lawsuit include a woman from Honduras who has lived in the United States since 2024 and gave birth months after Trump signed his executive order.

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Identified by the pseudonym "Barbara," the woman said in court filings she's seeking asylum from gang activity in Honduras, and her family has become part of the local community in New Hampshire.

Another mother challenging the order came to the United States from Taiwan in 2013 on a student visa and is applying for a work visa. She and her husband have four children, three born in the United States before Trump's executive order and one born after.

"My husband and I ended up building a life here," the woman, known as "Susan," said in a court filing. "My baby has the right to citizenship and a future in the United States."

More:Trump ramps up attack on birthright citizenship case in Supreme Court

'Foundational to who we are as a nation'

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the immigrants, is arguing to the Supreme Court that birthright citizenship "is foundational to who we are as a nation."

"This case is about the administration's effort to redefine what America is," said Cody Wofsy, a lawyer with the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project. "Going all the way back to the country's founding, the rule had been that if you're born in this country, you're an American."

The 14th Amendment's citizenship clause was passed after the Civil War to repudiate the Supreme Court's infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that a Black person was not a citizen of the U.S. But the clause covers "all persons."

Under Trump's policy, roughly 255,000 children born on U.S. soil each year would start life without U.S. citizenship,accordingto the Migration Policy Institute.

Trump, and those backing his executive order, argue he's trying to protect American citizenship from being devalued.

"This debate is not just about immigration policy; it's about the meaning of American citizenship," Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, said during a recentSenate hearingon the issue. "If citizenship loses its meaning, the foundations of the republic begin to weaken from within."

More:What history reveals about Trump's move to limit birthright citizenship

What defines citizenship?

Schmitt said citizenship needs to be rooted in allegiance to the national community and shouldn't apply to the children of people who are in the country as students, tourists or without the government's permission.

But Alejandro Barranco, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran whose father was violently arrested by immigration agents last year because he was living in the United States without legal status, said he's proof that belonging to a nation is defined by someone's contribution − not their ancestry.

"I was born here. I grew up here. I served here," Barranco told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I love this country, and I have shown that through my actions."

While a 2025Pew Research Center pollfound near unanimous agreement that people born in the country to U.S.-born parents or to parents who immigrated legally should be citizens, the public was evenly divided over birthright citizenship for people whose parents immigrated illegally.

Half of adults surveyed said those babies should have citizenship and 49% disagreed.

More:USA Happy Baby, birth tourism and a blockbuster Supreme Court case

How might the Supreme Court rule?

One reason the Supreme Court often agrees to take a case is because lower courts have split over the issue.

Because none of the multiple judges who have reviewed Trump's policy have found it lawful, the easier route for the Supreme Court would have been to reject the administration's appeal, said García Hernández, the immigration law expert at Ohio State University College of Law.

"But that's not what they have done," he said. "That suggests that there are some justices who are inclined to agree with the president."

The most important case of the century?

The justices, however, may also have taken the case, Trump v. Barbara, to give a definitive answer.

Eric Wessan, an attorney with the Iowa Attorney General's office − which joined a legal brief written by GOP attorneys general backing Trump − said it's possible the court will choose a narrower route.

Rather than ruling on the original meaning of the 14thAmendment, he said, the justices could simply say that an executive order can't override the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which uses similar language that was well understood at the time.

"That's kind of what I would call a Chief Justice (John) Roberts special, where he can avoid a really difficult constitutional holding while at the same time reaffirming the supremacy of Congress," Wessan said during awebinarpreviewing the arguments.

In a filing to the Supreme Court, prominent constitutional law scholar Akhil Reed Amar urged the justices not to avoid addressing the constitutional question by focusing solely on the Immigration and Nationality Act. He said the case could be the most important of the century.

"All constitutional issues are important," Amar wrote, "but few rival the constitutional issues in this case: Who is an American? May a president ignore the Constitution itself? May a president defy valid congressional statutes and make himself a dictator of all law?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Supreme Court to decide if Trump can redefine birthright citizenship