The WNBA on Monday announced that Lynx Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve has been named the 2026 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year.

The honor marks the third of her career (2019, 2024) and the second time she has swept both coach and executive honors in the same season (2024).

Reeve wrapped up her 17th season as Minnesota’s head coach and fourth as president of basketball operations, guiding the Lynx to a league-best 33-11 record and the No. 1 overall seed in the WNBA Playoffs.

Entering the 2026 season, Reeve re-signed WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist forward Napheesa Collier, along with All-Star guards Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, while also signing free agent forward and three-time WNBA Champion Natasha Howard.

In April, Reeve selected WNBA Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

college football

Underwood to stay as wolverines QB

Bryce Underwood remains Michigan’s quarterback and Jason Beck the team’s offensive coordinator as the limping Wolverines, coming off a bye after back-to-back Big Ten losses, prepare for Penn State.

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham, in his first year with the program, after the loss to Minnesota on Oct. 3 called this season – the Wolverines are 3-2, 0-2 Big Ten – “maybe the biggest challenge I’ve had” in 40-plus years of coaching. But he also said while he would evaluate the players and coaches, this wasn’t a time to panic.

That said, the only major change he’s seeking as the Wolverines press forward with seven remaining regular-season games is in terms of fixing the turnover margin and protecting the ball. The Rhino package, utilizing an extra lineman and a big part of Beck’s offense, will continue, Whittingham said.

Auburn’s Atkins out vs. No. 1 Georgia

Auburn will be without standout linebacker Xavier Atkins, the team’s second-leading tackler, against top-ranked Georgia on Saturday.

Coach Alex Golesh declined to reveal why Atkins won’t make the trip to Athens, Georgia, for the Southeastern Conference game known as “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”

Atkins has been one of Auburn’s most productive defensive players this season. He has 37 tackles, including 7 1/2 for loss.

Without Atkins, sophomore Bryce Deas is expected to take on a larger role alongside Elijah Melendez. De’Marcus Riddick also could see more playing time against Georgia.

college sports

James Madison to switch conferences

James Madison is leaving the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference in 2028.

James Madison’s board of directors voted unanimously to make the move no later than July 1, 2028.

The Dukes will compete in the American Conference in 17 of the 18 sports the school sponsors, with women’s field hockey remaining in the Mid-American Conference.

JMU transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision in 2022 and its football team became a full FBS member after a two-year transition period. The Dukes won the Sun Belt championship and earned the Group of Five berth into the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, losing to Oregon 51-34 in their first playoff game.

Curt Cignetti led JMU to a 19-4 record over two seasons before leaving for Indiana, where he took the Hoosiers to their first national championship a year ago.

The Dukes are 6-0 this season under former Florida coach Billy Napier.

curling

U.S. championships to air on peacock

USA Curling announced that games from the 2027 USA Curling Men’s and Women’s National Championships at the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex in West Des Moines, Iowa, will be presented on Peacock, the NBCUniversal streaming platform.

The championship runs January 24-30, with eight teams of each gender competing in round-robin play to advance to the playoff round and earn the right to represent Team USA at this year’s World Men’s and World Women’s Curling Championships.

The complete men’s and women’s fields for the 2027 championships will be announced at the end of December. More about the event, including ticket and hotel information, is available in the Championships section of the USA Curling website.

NHL

Stars’ Duchene to miss three months

Dallas Stars veteran forward Matt Duchene is expected to miss about three months after the team said that he had surgery to repair a core injury.

Duchene hasn’t played in a game this season after dealing in training camp with what had been called a lower-body injury. He was placed on long-term injured reserve after a setback before the season opener, a move that meant he would have to miss at least the first 10 games.

The 35-year-old forward, who has played 17 NHL seasons, will now be out much longer than that.

Duchene had 45 points (16 goals and 29 assists) in 57 games for the Stars last season, his third in Dallas. He previously played for Colorado, Nashville, Ottawa and Columbus after being the third overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2009 draft.

briefly

Tennis: Alexander Zverev clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking to cap a breakout year in which he won his first two Grand Slam titles. Helped by a season-ending injury to Jannik Sinner, the 29-year-old Zverev will become the oldest player to achieve the year-end honor for the first time, the ATP Tour announced.

— From news services