QUICK START: Game 6’s tonight: The Wild can KO the Stars at Grand Casino Arena (6:30 p.m. FDSN.) The Wolves can eliminate in Nuggets at Target Center (8:30 p.m., ESPN.) Friday: Lynx vs. Toronto at Target Center (7 p.m., Victory+) in their only preseason home game. Saturday: Games 7’s on the road if required for the Wolves and Wild. Game 1 of the PWHL playoffs for the Frost in Montreal (1 p.m. on FOX9+ and YouTube) and Loons at Columbus (6:30 p.m., Apple TV). Thursday-Sunday: Twins vs. defending AL champs Toronto at Target Field. (TwinsTV for the first three games, Peacock on Sunday). What percentage of the crowds will be Canadians and friends/family of Louis Varland, the Jays closer and St. Paul native. By Saturday night, we’ll know if May has the potential to be one of the most memorable months in Minnesota sports lore. There’s your sports menu. Feast on it! — Howard Sinker
ON THE WOLVES
IT’S ON THE FANS? YES (AND NO): Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. I’ll argue that home-court advantage plays a bigger role in basketball than any other sport. The Timberwolves’ shorthanded state makes winning at Target Center tonight that much more of a necessity. It’s not an absolute, but it’s close for a team missing injured stars Anthony Edwards and Dante DiVincenzo. Winning Game 7 in Denver would be a daunting task under the circumstances. VERBATIM: “Denver looked rattled in Games 3 and 4 as the roof nearly busted off the building in downtown Minneapolis. A repeat performance from the Wolves’ faithful may be required to get Minnesota across this series’ finish line. Because while Minnesota has proven it can win a Game 7 in Denver, that challenge will be infinitely harder given its current roster deficiencies. It would be difficult for fans to stomach the local team losing a series it led 3-1 to a fierce rival, largely on account of unfortunate injury luck. Thursday is their best chance to do something about it, though the Wolves know that advantage is only one piece of the puzzle. “At the end of the day, it’s on us to bring it,’ Rudy Gobert said. ‘The crowd and all that can only give us what they can give us to an extent, right? It’s on us to just come in and be ourselves, be in the moment.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wolves0430
IT’S ON CHRIS FINCH? FOR SURE: Via Michael Rand at Star Tribune. As much as his players, Coach Chris Finch needs to be at his best for Game 6. VERBATIM: “He needs to identify the best path to a victory for the Wolves, who are 5.5-point home underdogs. To me, that means leaning into the team’s defensive identity. I would expect to see a lot of minutes for veterans in this game, with injections of pace from Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu. If any younger player is going to get more than one shift, it feels like it should be Jaylen Clark and not Terrence Shannon Jr. . . . Finch needs to call timeouts to stop runs. Don’t let Denver get rolling or confident. He needs to have a heart-to-heart with Jaden McDaniels. In many ways, McDaniels is the emotional barometer for an emotional team. The Wolves need him on the court and locked in. He can’t pick up a second foul in the first quarter, which often seems to happen quickly after he picks up a first foul (Game 5 being the most recent example).” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/finch0430
THE DENVER VIEW: Via Arjun Peroor at Stadium Rant. It’s all about Nikola Jokic. VERBATIM: “The Joker needs to find a fine line between forcing shots and being aggressive. That’s what he did in Game Five. His first two shots were midrange floaters off of passes over Rudy Gobert. They were good confidence-building shots. Minnesota soon realized that Jokic was going to be active under the three-point line, so they mixed some coverages. That is when the Joker works his magic, and he ended the game with 16 assists, which was his most by a wide margin this series. The Nuggets win 75% over their games when Jokic has 10+ assists. They are going to need him to replicate that performance. Staying aggressive while taking smart shots is the biggest key. Once the three-time MVP is aggressive, the rest of the troops will follow.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/denver0430
ON THE WILD
WHAT’S DIFFERENT? Via Joe Smith at The Athletic. The Wild are one game away from breaking their ugly streak of eight straight first-round playoff losses dating back to 2015. VERBATIM: “They appear ready to seize the moment, not just meet it. They’ve been hardened by previous playoff scars and learned from them. They’ve gone from bubbly to businesslike, reticent to relentless, tentative to mentally tough. From waiting for someone else to take over to a bunch of alpha dogs who will rip your heart out to snag a loose puck. Sure, this is the most talented team the Wild have ever assembled in their 25-year history. They have three of arguably the top 20 players in the game: Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Quinn Hughes, the mid-December blockbuster acquisition. Brock Faber is playing like a franchise defenseman. Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt has been the perfect blend of cocky, confident and calm as their backbone in the playoffs. But they’re here, up 3-2 on Dallas after Tuesday’s 4-2 win, because of their drive, their play in the dirty areas, their battle level and their poise.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wild0430
HIGH-STAKES REMINDER: Via Tom Schreier at Hockey Wilderness. The Wild traded for superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes knowing that his contract expires after this season. Eliminating Dallas has repercussions beyond merely advancing to the Stanley Cup quarterfinals. VERBATIM: “Advance, and they probably keep Hughes. Blow the 3-2 lead, and they put the franchise in limbo. If Hughes leaves, it sets the franchise back a decade. Don’t believe me? Think of how long it took for the Wild to get this close to the second round again.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/hughes0430
WANNA GO? WILD VS. STARS: As of 10 a.m., the cheapest seats available through the Wild’s web site were $278 each. With fees, that’s almost $600 for the pair. That’ll get you into the seventh row of the upper level behind one goal. The high end? $1,963 to sit in the front row next to the Dallas bench. WOLVES VS. NUGGETS: Low price was $78 each, including fees, to sit in the corner of the upper level, nine rows from the top of the arena. High end? Two in the third row behind the basket are listed at $4,033 each. (Note: Better seats are listed for about two-third of that price.) NEW 65” TV: $380 at Costco. LISTINGS: WILD | WOLVES | COSTCO
THAT VIKINGS DRAFT: Via assorted sources. In general, the media finds reasons to like first-round draft picks when they’re first made. That wasn’t the case with Caleb Banks, the defensive lineman from Florida who brings a history of foot problems to Minnesota along with some freakish upside. “Not worth the risk,” wrote La Velle E. Neal III. “Adding a known uncertainty the size of a 327-pound man who has already needed two foot surgeries seven months apart in the past year at age 22-23? Nope,” wrote Mark Craig. “There’s a case to be made that no other team would have taken Banks until the second round,” wrote Judd Zulgad.
NATIONALLY? Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. In this compilation of eight national experts, Banks received grades from A-minus to F, with grades of B, C and D all in the mix. Bleacher Report handed out the F: “To understand how much of a need-based reach this is, Banks was graded as the 60th overall prospect on the B/R Scouting Department’s final draft board and the sixth-best interior defender, even though the entire positional class was still available to the Vikings at this spot.” Yahoo! Sports gave the A-minus: “This might be the highest grade on Banks you’ll see, but this guy can really do all the hard stuff in terms of defeating blocks and understanding leverage within a true top-1% athletic frame.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/grades0430
THE GM SEARCH: Now that the draft is over, it’s on. Rob Brzezinski, the team’s executive VP for football operations (and salary cap wizard) led the team through the draft process and wants to be the general manager for real. That’s not stopping Mark and Zygi Wilf from conducting a national search, complete with internal confidantes and an outside consultant. The Wilfs are determined not to share names until a new GM is chosen, which is different than during the last search that brought Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to Minnesota four years ago. In a culture of competitive NFL insiders, I’m betting on names leaking out. Brzezinski’s skill set and standing within the Vikings management team are such that he should remain a fixture if he doesn’t become the GM.
BULLPEN BUFFOONERY: The Twins lost yet another game Wednesday because of its horrific bullpen, which was unable to hold a one-run lead going into the ninth inning against Seattle. Twins relievers have yielded the highest batting average to opponents and have the fewest strikeouts in the majors. The team ERA is 27th and they are tied for 25th in saves. None of the relievers have defined roles because it would be foolish to think of any of them as a closer or as a set-up man who can hold a lead into the ninth inning. The Twins are the only MLB team that hasn’t won a one-run game and have played only two teams that currently have winning records. It’s a lock that the bullpen as currently constructed will undermine whatever progress the team makes elsewhere on the field. Reading the item below about Louis Varland makes the data even more disturbing.
VARLAND TAKES OVER: Via Nick Prasad at Blue Jays Nation. Louis Varland’s strong start and the weak work of Toronto reliever Jeff Hoffmann have resulted in Varland taking over as Toronto’s primary closer, which won’t go unnoticed with the Jays start their four-game series at Target Field tonight. In 15 appearances, Varland has an 0.56 ERA and converted all four of his save situations. He also has 26 strikeouts in 16 innings. VERBATIM: “His overall pitch profile and execution allow him to succeed in this volatile role. He combines physical tools, pitch quality, command, and presence—traits that give him the ability to control high-leverage situations. There’s a reason the Minnesota product is getting an opportunity to close out games for the Blue Jays, and until he proves otherwise, he should remain in that spot.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/varland0430
TOUGH LESSON: Via Dan Hayes at The Athletic. Tom Pohlad is feeling the pain of being a Twins fan, watching home games from a front-row seat in the Champions Club and, he said, seeing every road game so far this season either in person or on TV. Watching his team stumble through 11 losses in its last 13 games, he understands why fans are annoyed. VERBATIM: “While I might take issue with how some fans choose to display their displeasure emotions, I think it’s rooted in a pretty good place. They want this team to be successful and we haven’t done our job as of late to fulfill what these fans want from this organization. That motivates me and I can understand where they’re coming from.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/pohlad0430
BUECKERS FOR THE WIN: ESPN didn’t mention Paige Bueckers’ relationship with former college and new Dallas Wings teammate Azzi Fudd when Fudd was taken with the first pick in the WNBA draft. Soon after, a team official shut down a reporter’s question during a media conference. As often happens, not dealing with an issue created more buzz, which Bueckers — the former Hopkins High star — handled with point-guard deftness during the Wings’ media day this week. Her thoughts are at the start of this video:
JOB WELL DONE: Via Brendon Kleen at Awful Announcing. VERBATIM: “The statement from Bueckers is about as good as it gets from a PR standpoint. Without crossing a line and specifying the status of their relationship or the details of their personal lives, Bueckers acknowledged the story was relevant and worthy of an explanation. Then, she gave evidence as to why she, Fudd, and the team are confident it will not become an issue, thereby getting in front of any future questions about their relationship’s effect on the team. And after all that, Bueckers offered a reminder of Fudd’s story and status in the WNBA, taking the focus off their relationship once again and putting it back onto Fudd’s journey toward her first pro game next month. And even if reporters find an opening to try and ask about this again, Bueckers ensured she and Fudd will not need Wings PR to shut down questions in the future, explaining that they both will decline comment going forward.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/bueckers0430
GRADY GETS PRIME WNBA GIG: Wolves play-by-play announcer Michael Grady will be the lead announcer for WNBA games on Amazon Prime this season working with commentator Candace Parker. The Lynx have moved Sloane Martin from radio to TV on their Victory+ broadcasts — replacing Marney Gellner — with Lea B. Olsen as her partner. Friday’s preseason game vs. Toronto will be on Victory+. DOWNLOAD THE APP | WATCH ON THE WEB
MORE WATCHING NEWS: Minnesota Aurora’s six home games will be broadcast on FOX9+ and streamed on the FOX Local app for the fourth straight year. Jake Griffith is returning as the play-by-play announcer. WATCH PARTIES: Game 1 of the PWHL series between the Frost and Montreal on Saturday will include team sponsored watch parties as Alary’s Bar in downtown St. Paul and A Bar of Their Own near the U of M. Puck drop is at 1 p.m.
NO DISRESPECT INTENDED, SUPPOSEDLY: Via CBC Sports. By winning the PWHL regular-season title, the Montreal Victoire could choose between playing third-place Minnesota and fourth-place Ottawa in the semifinals. They chose the Frost, whom they beat in all four of their regular-season games — two in regulation and two in overtime. VERBATIM: “The choice wasn’t just about who Montreal would play in the first round. With only four teams in the playoffs, Montreal also had the power to pick the second-place Boston Fleet’s opponent. By picking Minnesota, Montreal ensured Boston would play the team it struggled more against this season. Ottawa and Montreal are the only teams Boston didn’t beat in regulation.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/pwhl0430
FROST VS. VICTOIRE PREVIEWS: Star Tribune | Title IX Sports | Daily Faceoff
NEXT-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS: Via Cassidy Hettesheimer at Star Tribune. Too often, expectations of Twin Cities sports teams are of a “just happy to get there” nature. Gophers football getting to a bowl game. The Twins getting to the playoffs. The Wild winning a playoff series. After last season’s success, Gophers women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit is playing at a refreshingly higher level, which she cited when talking about retaining current players, attacking the transfer portal and her highly regarded class of first-year players. VERBATIM: “In the portal, we were in a different place than we’ve been in past years. The success that our program had kind of put us on the map with some young ladies who [before] maybe we didn’t necessarily have a chance to have some of those further conversations with.”
TRANSLATION: The Gophers don’t have to settle. Making the Sweet 16 will be the baseline in future season as opposed to a reason to celebrate. Getting there, and losing to national champion UCLA, proved to the Gophers what they accomplished — and showed what the future could be. VERBATIM: “The ceiling for this team projects to be at least matching, with expectations of exceeding, last year’s tournament run. The first post-portal national rankings have the Gophers slotted in anywhere from No. 9 (The Athletic) to No. 22 (CBS). The full group arrives on campus in early June, and then, Plitzuweit said, ‘we’ll get started putting all those pieces together.’ “ FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/uwomen0430
ST. THOMAS SMACKED DOWN AGAIN: Via The Crest. The St. Thomas men’s basketball team has taken another hit with 6-foot-6 forward Ben Oosterbaan, who started every game last season, entering the transfer portal and ending up at San Francisco. Four of the team’s seven top players hit the portal, as well as two reserves. Leading scorer Nolan Minessale ended up at Marquette, guard Nick Janowski at Davidson, guard Jermaine Coleman at Youngstown State and guard Ryan Lafferty at Idaho. Sixth-man Isaiah Johnson-Arigu still hasn’t committed to a new school. Perhaps the most unnerving thing for St. Thomas fans is that, with the exception of Minessale, players are leaving for other mid-major Division I schools. TRACKER: https://fluence-media.co/toms0430
NORTH HIGH TO THE NFL: Via Giants.com. Former North High star Bobby Jamison-Travis went off the local radar when his college career took him to junior college power Iowa Western and then to Auburn, where the 328-pound defensive lineman started all 12 games last season. The New York Giants took him in the sixth round of the NFL draft. He’d been the No. 3-ranked defensive line prospect in the nation when he made the move to Auburn. He also ran track, wrestled and played one season of basketball at North, scoring 27 points in the 2020 Twin Cities Championship Game against St. Paul Johnson. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/bobby0430
NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA TO THE CFL: Via Andrew Haugland at In-Forum. It was a four-college journey through the United States for Ethan John before he ended up at the University of Windsor in Ontario — where he played three seasons before being taken in the second round of this week’s Canadian Football League draft by the Toronto Argonauts. The graduate of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, near the North Dakota border, originally committed to Concordia College in Moorhead to play baseball before plans changed. His college trail included a season canceled by COVID and a junior college stop before crossing the border and starring in Canada as a defensive back. CFL training camps begin next weekend and the regular season starts in June. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/ethan0430
VIDEOS: Bobby Jamison-Travis | Ethan John
GOPHERS TO THE PROS? In addition to defensive tackle Deven Eastern, who was taken in the seventh (final) round of the draft by Seattle, three Gophers are getting a longshot look as undrafted free agents: Tight end Jameson Geers signed with Arizona, wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington signed with Atlanta and defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding signed with the Rams.
ARENA AT CITY CENTER? Via Axios. Could the largely vacant City Center site become the new home of the Timberwolves and Lynx. Mayor Jacob Frey said he likes the site, but there would be many hurdles to clear before the project moves beyond speculation. Axios cited “multiple sources’ as saying that Frey is pushing the site. Wolves officials have said the most optimistic timeline for picking a new site would have that done at the end of 2026. VERBATIM: “Frey did not confirm or deny that he's pushing that location to team leaders, but told Axios: ‘You are right — I really like the site. . . . I see the ability to literally march down Nicollet Mall to games and concerts and have a full pedestrian experience." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/arena0430
LEAVING SO SOON? Via Jim Paulsen at Strib Varsity. In January, Shannon Currier was named football coach at DeLaSalle. This week, he announced that he was leaving DeLaSalle for conference rival Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Most of Currier’s coaching has been in college programs, including two stints at Concordia-St. Paul, the second one ending after last season. VERBATIM: “He said he’s not an opportunist, constantly looking for the next job, but sees Benilde-St. Margaret’s as his long-term future position. ‘It’s the best move for me and my family,’ he said. ‘I like that it’s a faith-based school, which is important, and the administration has shown a real commitment to football.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/coach0430
MORE TO KNOW: At DeLaSalle, Currier was taking over a team that went winless last season — including 57-0 and 54-8 losses to Benilde — and is 10-38 over the last five years. Benilde has gone to the state Class 4A tournament in 2023 and 2025 and lost in the section finals in 2022 and 2024.
MORE ON BLAKE BASKETBALL: Here’s a follow-up on last week’s report about Blake School firing boys’ basketball coach Tyler Biwan earlier this month and his agreement not to seek reinstatement despite a campaign on his behalf from team parents, players and others. In March, Biwan coached Blake, a No. 9 seed in its section, to the state tournament for only the second time in school history.
I reported and shared contents of a short letter Biwan wrote last week following a meeting with Blake officials. Some readers concluded from the letter that a specific incident led to Biwan’s dismissal.
But former Blake athletic director Nick Rathmann, who hired Biwan, laid out why that wouldn’t be the case. “If there’s anything major, you don’t let the coach finish out the season. You would take care of it right away,” said Rathmann, who left the school four months ago to become a management consultant. He also called Biwan an “exemplary employee,” whom he hired as a junior varsity coach and later to be the school’s head coach.
Also, a letter sent by Blake’s head of school and athletic director about the dismissal, while not citing specifics, included a reference to “creating a culture that nurtures all of our student-athletes.”
Simply put, both sides decided for different reasons it was in their best interests to move on.
ATHENA AWARD WINNERS: Via Strib Varsity. The 2026 Athena Award winners have been announced. Awards are given senior female athletes in the metro area who distinguished themselves through a special athletic achievement or for excellence in one or more sports. St. Paul-area winners were honored earlier this month at St. Paul Rivercentre. Minneapolis-area winners will be honored Friday morning at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/athena0430
ANOTHER BIG LIST: Via Strib Varsity. More than 90 Minnesota high school athletes who did not announce choices during NCAA signing periods earlier in the academic year have made commitments to Division I and II schools. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/college0430
WATCHING THE DERBY: Donna Barton Brothers, the NBC horse racing announcer known for her horse-side interviews with winning jockey, is retiring after this year’s Triple Crown races. That means Saturday’s Kentucky Derby will be her last after 26 years. LOCAL ANGLE: Brothers won 1,130 races during her career as a jockey in the 1980s and 1990s, starting her career as an apprentice jockey at Canterbury Park.
NEED A DERBY PICK? Go here for some options. Post time is 5:57 p.m. Saturday on KARE-11.
U BASEBALL, SOFTBALL UPDATES: The Gophers baseball team is currently a half-game out of the final spot in the Big Ten postseason tournament with nine games remaining. Minnesota plays three games at Penn State this weekend followed by three games each with Michigan and Nebraska at Siebert Field to close out the season. Twelve of the Big Ten’s 17 teams make the conference playoffs in Omaha later this month. Minnesota last qualified for the tournament in 2019. The softball team is tied with Iowa at 6-15 for the final spot in the Big Ten tournament field and ends its regular season with three games at Northwestern Friday through Sunday. The conference tournament opens Wednesday at the University of Maryland. All regular-season games for both teams are on BIG+. The softball tournament is on BIG.
AND FINALLY: There are plans for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament to expand from 68 to 76 teams starting next season. But don’t get the idea those added slots will go to the St. Thomases and North Dakota States of college hoops. They’re being added to feed the needs of mediocre power conference schools. (Yes, that would include the Gophers men right now.) For the men’s tournament, it means openings for teams that finish in the lower half of major conferences. For the women’s tournament, it means more lopsided games in a tournament that still has too many of them.
‘NO ONE WANTS THIS’: Via Jon Greenberg at The Athletic. VERBATIM: “No one wants this. The NCAA Tournament works just fine. So of course, it’ll happen. . . . The beauty of the one-and-done tournament is that every game promises chaos. But making it is a victory in itself. The process and the result reward the survivors, both the winners of the small-conference tournaments and the teams that claw their way through months of games in newly bloated super-leagues. Expanding the field won’t make the NCAA Tournament more exciting for fans, and it won’t reward the truly deserving teams. It isn’t fixing a problem. Instead, it will weaken one of our last great sporting events. It’s good for the coaches of 17-16 teams and their fathers. For the rest of us, it’s another sign of the decline of our times.” FULL RANT: https://fluence-media.co/ncaa0430
THANKS FOR READING. GET READY FOR A FUN FEW DAYS.
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