Hunter skipping workouts at pro day

Two-way star Travis Hunter apparently has decided to skip Colorado’s pro day with the Heisman Trophy winner projected to be a top-3 pick in the NFL draft later this month. Hunter also skipped workouts at the NFL scouting combine and the Big 12 Pro Day, as did quarterback Shedeur Sanders. His brother, safety Shilo Sanders, skipped the bench press and vertical jumps that began the day, citing a sore right shoulder. Hundreds of NFL talent evaluators descended on Colorado’s campus Friday for the Buffaloes’ pro day, which was dubbed the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” a nod to one of Colorado coach Deion “Prime” Sanders’ mottos. Hunter, who won the Heisman, Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff awards last season, also skipped drills and workouts at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, where he met with several teams picking high in the upcoming draft. The 21-year-old had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense, 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions on defense while allowing one TD last season.

Delle Donne retires after 11 seasons

Seven-time WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne, a two-time league MVP and a key part of the Mystics’ 2019 championship, is retiring after 11 seasons. Delle Donne, 35, made the announcement on social media Friday and referenced a line from one of her favorite childhood books that reads, “How did get so late so soon?” “I have asked myself that over and over again in the process of coming to the decision to retire from playing basketball,” Delle Donne wrote on Instagram. “Being able to say that out loud was one of the hardest parts of my career. My body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it, but I now truly know this is the right thing for me at the right time.” The second overall pick in 2013 by the Sky, Delle Donne spent a dozen years as one of the faces of the WNBA. She played the last six of her career in Washington — she opted out of 2020 because of health concerns — and turned down a contract in February 2024 to step away from basketball. She averaged 19.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in 241 regular-season games. She averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 boards and 2.3 assists in 40 playoff games.

Morant fined for finger-gun gestures

Ja Morant showed off an imaginary gun. The NBA hit back with a real fine. A day after Morant again used his aiming-a-gun gesture to celebrate making 3-pointers, the Grizzlies’ star was fined $75,000 by the league Friday. It’s the second time this week that Morant — who was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with actual weapons — heard from the league about mimicking the act of using a gun during a game. The league called the gesture “inappropriate,” adding that “Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.” The first interaction with the league office resulted in that warning, after Morant and the Warriors’ Buddy Hield made the gesture at one another during a Grizzlies-Warriors game on Tuesday. The warning from the league office was evidently ignored, since Morant made similar gestures in Thursday’s game. The NBA said it happened twice, though it appeared to have happened after all three of his made 3-pointers. The third instance was not shown on the TNT broadcast of the game. —Associated Press