NEW YORK (AP) — Paige Bueckers was happy her technical foul from Friday night’s game against Atlanta was rescinded by the league on Sunday.
Not only did it save her the $500 fine, but more importantly it kept her with none for the season which was important for her “bet” with Dallas teammate Alysha Clark. The two have a friendly wager that Bueckers wouldn't get one this season.
"I'm glad to get that one back," Bueckers said smiling before the Dallas Wings faced New York.
Bueckers was given the technical foul as her team was rallying against Atlanta and the second-year player was clapping aggressively. She was astonished to learn that she had received a technical for it.
“I was hyped and showing passion and joy and I got penalized for that,” Bueckers said at practice on Saturday.
Bueckers then joked that she would have done a lot more if she knew that was going to earn her a tech.
The former UConn great went on to say that she understands that officials have a hard job.
“I know they’re putting an emphasis on controlling the game more, not letting it get to be a bloodbath as much as it was last year,” she said. “So I feel like they’re putting an emphasis on that this season.”
Clark said that she helped Bueckers get it rescinded
“I gave her a little something to send in with it,” Clark said. “I just felt it wasn’t warranted. If I’m going to win money out of her I want it to be legit. I want to be able to sleep at night. I don’t want that it’s not deserving to get her money.”
Bueckers hopes that officials can let players show their competitive side in games.
“See that we were down a ton and we’re making a run, so we’re obviously going to be hyped up and showing a bunch of passion and joy and fire, like, that’s what basketball’s all about,” Bueckers said.
Asked if she ever would want to officiate, Bueckers smiled and said no.
“I would never want to be a ref. It’s a really extremely hard job. and they get criticized just as much as the players,” she said. “So, it’s tough to manage some times.”
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers dribbles during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Washington Mystics in Arlington, Texas, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Winning one Indianapolis 500 was a career-changing moment for Alex Palou.
Winning a second would put Palou in elite company.
The first Spaniard to win IndyCar's biggest race returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval on an overcast Sunday as he tried to add another milestone to his resume by becoming the seventh driver in race history to win back-to-back 500s.
David Malukas of Team Penske was leading the race when the yellow flag came out for the second time because of rain. Scott Dixon, his teammate with Chip Ganassi Racing and winner of the 2008 Indy 500, was leading the race before Malukas and Palou passed him on the restart following a 12-minute delay.
For the second straight year, the grandstands were sold out, prompting a local television blackout to be lifted. Throngs of colorfully clad fans started funneling through the track tunnels when the cannon sounded at 6 a.m., and the streets around the Brickyard were as packed as they've ever been to witness the pomp, circumstance and celebrities of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
NCAA football championship-winning coach Curt Cignetti of Indiana led the 33-car field to the starting line as the pace car driver. WNBA star Caitlin Clark gave the traditional command sending drivers to their cars. And track owner Roger Penske directed the drivers to start their engines for the largest single-day spectator sporting event.
Though race officials do not provide actual attendance figures, there are an estimated 275,000 reserved seats and when the infield crowd is included, approximately 350,000 people attend the race.
There were tributes for two-time Brickyard 400 winner Kyle Busch, who died at age 41 earlier this week.
Dale Coyne Racing driver Romain Grosjean, who drives IndyCar's No. 18, was driving with a new font on the front of his car intended to resemble the font Busch used during the 14 years he competed in NASCAR'S No. 18 car with Joe Gibbs Racing. Race officials also lit up up the scoring pylon with Busch's name, birth year and 2026, and his name also was mentioned in the opening prayer.
As for the racing, Palou led the most laps Sunday after seemingly winning anything and everything lately — three straight series titles, 11 of 23 races and now the second Indy pole of his career.
And the chase to catch Palou resumed with a long list of storylines.
Two-time runner-up Pato O'Ward was hoping to become the first Mexican to win the race. Again. He was running eighth when the rain came for the second time.
Alexander Rossi, the 2016 race winner, qualified a career-best second and started less than a week after one of the hardest crashes of his career forced him to undergo surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger on his left hand. He was racing with a special brace and a protective boot on his right leg until his car caught on fire for the second straight year. Crew members from his former team Andretti Global got him out of the car and carried him over the pit wall when he couldn't get back to his own pit stall.
Scott McLaughlin was trying to redeem himself following a parade-lap crash that knocked him out of last year's race. McLaughlin, Malukas and two-time Indy winner Josey Newgarden were all trying to help their team erase the bitter memories from last May.
At age 51, Helio Castroneves could become the oldest race winner — and the first five-time winner.
Katherine Legge's attempt to become the first woman to finish racing's “Double" by completing 1,100 miles in one day — racing in both Indianapolis and at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina — ended early. She hit the wall after completing just 17 laps when she couldn't avoid the spinning car of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete every lap of both races, doing so in 2001.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Romain Grosjean, front, of Switzerland, heads into the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, heads into the first turn during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
David Malukas (12) heads into the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alex Palou, of Spain, makes a pit stop during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Pole sitter Alex Palou of Spain laughs with team owner Chip Ganassi before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 24, 2026 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Former winners of the Indianapolis 500 auto race pose at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 18, 2026. Front row, left to right, Will Power, of Australia; Josef Newgarden; Alex Palou, of Spain; and Scott Dixon, of New Zealand. Second row: left to right, Alexander Rossi; Ryan Hunter-Reay; Helio Castroneves, of Brazil; Takuma Sato, of Japan; and Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alex Palou, second from left, of Spain, celebrates with his wife Esther Valle, left, and daughter Lucía after winning the pole during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alex Palou, of Spain, heads into the first turn during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alex Palou, of Spain, pauses during a photo session before practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
