FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the United States and the United Kingdom are poised to be named as hosts of the Women's World Cup in 2031 and 2035, respectively.

Infantino told European football officials on Thursday that the governing body received one expression of interest to host the 2031 edition -- from the U.S. with the possibility of other countries in the Concacaf region joining the project. That would likely include Mexico.

Infantino also said FIFA has just one "valid bid" to host the 2035 edition, from the UK.

Spanish football officials said last week they hoped to bid, possibly with Portugal and Morocco in a repeat of the co-hosting plan for the men's 2030 World Cup.

Infantino's comments to the annual meeting of UEFA seemed to rule out a Spain bid.

"So the path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in '31 and '35 in some great countries," the FIFA president said, "to boost even more the women's football movement."

FIFA is scheduled to confirm Women's World Cup hosts next year. The 2027 edition with 32 teams is being hosted by Brazil.

DALLAS -- Anthony Davis capped his most complete performance in a Dallas Mavericks uniform with a sequence that displayed his two-way brilliance to close out a 120-118 win Wednesday night over the Atlanta Hawks.

Davis scored the go-ahead basket, driving left for a floater over Atlanta's Onyeka Okongwu with 3.4 seconds left. After the timeout, Davis smothered Hawks star guard Trae Young on a switch, forcing a tightly contested step-back 3 that failed to draw iron at the buzzer.

"To have a closer and a two-way player like Anthony, we all rally around him," Mavs shooting guard Klay Thompson said. "We go as he goes. He's obviously our best player, so he did what he was supposed to do. That was incredible."

Davis finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in 30 minutes as the Mavs moved 1 games ahead of the Sacramento Kings in what has been an underwhelming battle for the right to host the Western Conference's 9-10 play-in game.

It was Davis' first dominant performance since his Dallas debut Feb. 8, when he had 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in 31 minutes before he suffered a strained left adductor that sidelined him for the next six weeks.

"That's who he is," Mavs guard Spencer Dinwiddie said. "I hope Dallas gets to see a lot of that, for both the city's sake and his own. ... He obviously wants to carry this team. He wants to perform."

Davis had struggled to find his groove in his first four games back from the injury, averaging 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 28.5 minutes ahead of the Hawks matchup.

"It's just a mental hurdle of allowing my body to just be free," said Davis, who received four stitches over his right eye after catching an inadvertent elbow from teammate Daniel Gafford at the end of the first quarter Wednesday. "Even though I've been pain-free and haven't had any problems, I've always had a burst and then start thinking about it. I just made up my mind after my pregame nap, I was just going to play and just whatever happens, happens. Just go out there and just play with a lot of energy, a lot of force, a lot of dominance and was able to catch a rhythm."

Mavs center Dereck Lively II returned Wednesday, playing for the first time since he suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle in January. It was backup center Gafford's second game since returning from a sprained knee. The big men combined for 15 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes.

"We know how dominant we can be when we are healthy and available," Davis said. "It's just about us going out there and enforcing our dominance."

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death of the teenage son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, authorities in Costa Rica said Wednesday night.

Randall Zúñiga, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency, said 14-year-old Miller Gardner was tested for carboxyhemoglobin, a compound generated when carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood.

When carboxyhemoglobin saturation exceeds 50%, it is considered lethal. In Gardner's case, the test showed a saturation of 64%.

"It's important to note that adjacent to this room is a dedicated machine room, where it's believed there may be some type of contamination toward these rooms," Zúñiga said.

The head of the Costa Rican judicial police added that, during the autopsy, a "layer" was detected on the boy's organs, which forms when there is a high presence of the poisonous gas.

Gardner died March 21 while staying with his family at a hotel on the Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica's Central Pacific.

Asphyxiation was initially thought to have caused his death. After an autopsy was performed by the Forensic Pathology Section, that theory was ruled out.

Another line of investigation centered on whether the family had suffered food poisoning. Family members had reported feeling ill after dining at a nearby restaurant on the night of March 20 and received treatment from the hotel doctor.

Brett Gardner, 41, was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and spent his entire major league career with the organization. The speedy outfielder batted .256 with 139 homers, 578 RBIs, 274 steals and 73 triples in 14 seasons from 2008 to 2021.

LOS ANGELES -- Aside from his ability to pitch and hit and stretch the boundaries of imagination, Shohei Ohtani has displayed another singular trait in his time in the major leagues: an ability to meet the moment. Or, perhaps, for the moment to meet him.

And so on Wednesday night, with his Los Angeles Dodgers looking to stay unbeaten, the score tied in the bottom of the ninth and more than 50,000 fans standing and clenching the Ohtani bobbleheads they lined up hours in advance for, Ohtani approached the batter's box -- and his teammates expected greatness.

"He's going to end this right here," Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said he thought to himself.

"We knew," starting pitcher Blake Snell said. "It's just what he does."

Validation came instantly. Ohtani stayed back on a first-pitch changeup from Raisel Iglesias near the outside corner and shot it toward straightaway center field, 399 feet away, for a walk-off home run, sending the Dodgers to a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over the reeling Atlanta Braves.

"I don't think anybody didn't expect him to hit a walk-off home run there," Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman said. "It's just a question of where he'd hit it."

The Dodgers are 8-0, topping the 1933 New York Yankees of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth for the longest winning streak to begin a season for a reigning champion. The Braves, meanwhile, are 0-7, the type of record no team has ever recovered from to make the playoffs. And Ohtani, with three home runs and a 1.126 OPS this season, just keeps meeting moments.

"He's pretty good, huh?" Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. "It's Shohei. He's going to do that. He's going to do things better than that."

On Aug. 23, Ohtani reached the 40/40 club with a walk-off grand slam. Five days later, the Dodgers staged a second giveaway of his bobblehead -- one that saw his now-famous dog, Decoy, handle the ceremonial first pitch -- and Ohtani led off with a home run. On Sept. 19, Ohtani clinched his first postseason berth and ascended into the unprecedented 50/50 club with one of the greatest single-game performances in baseball history -- six hits, three homers, two steals and 10 RBIs. Barely two weeks later, he homered in his first playoff game.

When Ohtani came up Wednesday, he had what he described as a simple approach.

"I was looking for a really good pitch to hit," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "If I didn't get a good pitch to hit, I was willing to walk."

Of course, though, he got a good pitch.

And, of course, he sent it out.

"You just feel that he's going to do something special," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "And I just like the way he's not pressing. He's in the strike zone, and when he does that, there's just no one better."

The Dodgers began their much-anticipated season with a couple of breezy wins over the Chicago Cubs in Japan, even though Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman did not play. They returned home, brought out iconic rapper Ice Cube to present the World Series trophy on one afternoon, received their rings the next night and swept a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Then came the Braves, and the Dodgers swept them, too -- even though Freeman, nursing an ankle injury caused by slipping in the shower, didn't participate.

The Dodgers already have two walk-offs and six comeback wins this season.

Wednesday's effort left Roberts "a little dumbfounded."

A nightmarish start defensively, highlighted by two errant throws from Muncy, spoiled Snell's start and put L.A. behind 5-0 after the first inning and a half. But the Dodgers kept inching closer. They trailed by only two in the eighth and put runners on second and third with two out. Muncy came to the plate with his batting average at just .083. He had used the ballyhooed torpedo bat for his first three plate appearances, didn't like how it altered his swing plane, grabbed his usual bat for a showdown against Iglesias and laced a tying double into the right-center-field gap.

An inning later, Ohtani ended it.

"Overall, not just tonight, there is a really good vibe within the team," Ohtani said after recording his fourth career walk-off hit. "I just think that's allowing us to come back in these games to win."

The Dodgers' 8-0 start has allowed them to stay just ahead of the 7-0 San Diego Padres and the 5-1 San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Tack on the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2) and the Colorado Rockies (1-4), and this marks the first time in the divisional era that an entire division has combined for at least 25 wins and no more than seven losses, according to ESPN Research. The starts by the Dodgers and Padres mark only the fifth season in major league history with multiple teams starting 7-0 or better, and the first time since 2003.

The Dodgers famously overcame a 2-1 series deficit to vanquish the Padres in the NL Division Series last year, then rode that fight to their first full-season championship since 1988.

That fight hasn't let up.

"It feels like this clubhouse is carrying a little bit of the attitude we had last year that we're never out of a game and we're resilient, and we've been carrying it into this season," Muncy said. "It's been fun to watch. The guys don't give up. Bad things have happened, and no one's really been down or out on themselves. Everyone's just, 'All right, here we go, next inning, let's get after it.' The whole team, top to bottom, has been doing that. It's been making it really, really fun to play."

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Goalie Logan Thompson left the Washington Capitals' 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night with what the team said was an upper-body injury.

Charlie Lindgren took over in net to start the second period, and Thompson was not where the extra goaltender usually sits rinkside at Carolina's arena.

Thompson gave up three goals on 12 shots in the first period. It was not clear when or how he was injured.

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said Thompson will be reevaluated when the team returns to Washington.

The 28-year-old Thompson might be among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender after winning 31 of his first 42 appearances in his first season with Washington. He was rewarded with a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension signed in late January.

Lindgren played Tuesday night when the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals won at Boston.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

U.S. women's national team captain Lindsey Heaps hailed teammate Trinity Rodman in her return to international duty after an eight-month injury absence, labeling the Washington Spirit star a "very unique" talent on and off the field.

Rodman returns for the first time since helping the USWNT win the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, when she scored three goals for the team before seeing time away from international duty due to recurring back spasms and related issues.

In a repeat of the Olympic final, the USWNT will face Brazil on Saturday at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, before hosting the South American giants once again three days later at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

"For her to come back with the injuries that she's had, but to train like she's been here for the past eight months, that is really exciting for me," Heaps told a news conference Wednesday.

"And I think as a midfielder with any of our attacking players, they make it a lot easier for us because when in doubt, you can get the ball into space for these guys and they will go at any defense and make it almost impossible to win the ball for them.

"I think they're such an attacking threat and unbelievable special qualities that they all contain. Obviously, Trin, you know, she has her own and she is very, very unique in the type of player she is. So, so happy to have her back."

Heaps continued by praising Rodman for her contribution to the team off the field, bringing in an aspect of confidence and leadership to the younger players on the squad.

Rodman is the only member of the self-proclaimed "Triple Espresso" forward line on the current roster, with Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith) on maternity leave after recently announcing her pregnancy and Mallory Swanson on personal leave from club and country since January.

"I'm very, very happy to have Trin back. I think we all are," Heaps added. "I think her presence on and off the field is just, it's different.

"You get another voice in there and you get another enthusiastic voice, someone that brings energy both on and off the field. And that's something that you want. That's something that 's a domino effect and it helps us.

"You have a lot of new young players here. They want to see that and they want to feel that. And she's young, like, so they get to see it firsthand from someone like that who also brings a load of confidence as well at her age, which is so crucial in this environment."

USWNT and Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams later added that it'll be nice to have Rodman on the same team, after constantly facing off throughout the NWSL season and playoffs.

The two played against each other in the 2024 NWSL championship match, with Sams and the Orlando Pride narrowly winning 1-0.

"Yeah, I'm super happy for her [Trinity] that she's back and after battling back from an injury," Sams said. "I'm just happy to see her back here and smiling and she just seems to be having a great time being back here.

"Obviously when we face up against her, when we play Spirit, we just have to be on our A-game. It's like a one-by-one battle, like on the wing, whoever's playing outside back.

"So I really think you just try to do anything you can to slow her down. She's obviously so good. So it's a nice change to be on the same side of her in this camp."

LIVERPOOL, England -- Liverpool restored their 12-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Everton at Anfield. It wasn't a vintage performance from Arne Slot's side, who were looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

Everton defender James Tarkowski was lucky to avoid picking up an early red card for a reckless challenge on Alexis Mac Allister before striker Beto saw an effort ruled out for offside. Beto also hit the post later in the first half, but it was his countryman Diogo Jota who decided the contest with a fine finish for Liverpool after the break.

The result continues Everton boss David Moyes' dismal record at Anfield, with the Scotsman now winless in 22 visits to the stadium, having lost 15 and drawn seven. It is, however, only Everton's second league defeat since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager back in January, with the Blues currently sitting 15th in the table.

For Liverpool, there is still work to do, but Wednesday night's welcome return to winning ways means they now need a maximum of 13 points from their final eight games to secure the title. -- Beth Lindop

Jota picks his moment

Jota has scored 65 goals for Liverpool, but few will have meant more to him than his latest strike against Everton. For much of the Portugal international's Anfield career, he has been revered by fans for his clinical edge, but this season, his golden touch has -- at times -- abandoned him.

Jota's fine finish in front of the Kop was his ninth goal in all competitions for Slot's side this term, but only his first since his header in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Jan. 14.

That his 10-game goal drought has coincided with Liverpool crashing out of the Champions League and losing the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle United has led to debate in some quarters over the striker's long-term future.

Again in the first half against Everton, Jota struggled to make an impact, before opening the scoring with a trademark cool finish past Pickford after the break. His relief was palpable as he wheeled away in celebration, and the cheers from the Liverpool supporters showed just how much they were delighted in their No. 20's timely return to goal-scoring form.

With eight league games still to play this season, Slot will surely hope Jota's strike in the Merseyside derby is the catalyst for his revival in the final weeks of the season. -- Lindop

VAR fails on Tarkowski regarding red card call

Everton defender Tarkowski should have been sent off for a terrible challenge on Liverpool's Mac Allister just 11 minutes into the game. The tackle was so reckless that even Everton legend Duncan Ferguson, working as a TV pundit, said the Toffees' centre-back should have been given a red card, saying, "That's a straight red, he could have broken his leg. That's a red all day long."

Referee Sam Barrott awarded a free kick to Liverpool and immediately issued a yellow card to Tarkowski for the foul. Barrott should have seen the ferocity of the challenge and shown a red, but the bigger mistake was by VAR official Paul Tierney, who chose not to tell Barrott to review the challenge, despite checking it himself.

Tarkowski had won the ball with his initial challenge, but it was the former England defender's follow-through that merited further action. With his studs up in a sliding challenge, Tarkowski caught Mac Allister on the thigh with real force.

But Tierney inexplicably chose not to take further action, with his decision that Barrott's on-field call of a yellow card for a "reckless foul" was correct.

Barrott's failure to spot the foul in real time was an error, but perhaps understandable due to the pace of the game and his inability to see it again. But Tierney had no such excuse, and this was another example of VAR failing in its basic duty of correcting on-field mistakes -- and this was a big one. -- Mark Ogden

Liverpool's attack misfiring

No team has scored more goals than Liverpool's 70 in the Premier League this season, and yet, with the summer transfer window hurtling into view, the need for a shake-up of the Reds' attack is glaring.

Mohamed Salah has been imperious for much of the season -- notching 32 goals in all competitions -- but, with the Egypt international out of contract at the end of the season and about to turn 33, Liverpool need reinforcements to help share the load. Match-winner Jota has nine goals this season, while wingers Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo have 13 and 16, respectively. Darwin Núñez has seven, and summer signing Federico Chiesa has two.

On paper, those numbers make for encouraging reading. But when you consider that Jota, Núñez, and Díaz have scored just four goals in their last 44 appearances combined, Liverpool's reliance on Salah suddenly looks stark.

A summer reshuffle is needed if Liverpool want to build on the success of this season and continue to challenge for the biggest prizes. -- Lindop

Everton must seal a permanent deal for Alcaraz

It will be of little consolation to Everton after losing at Anfield yet again, but on-loan midfielder Carlos Alcaraz was the best player on the pitch during this defeat, and he showed why the club must make his move a permanent one in the summer.

The 22-year-old arrived at Merseyside on loan from Brazilian club Flamengo in January, and he has been a key figure in their climb away from the relegation zone following Moyes's return to Goodison Park as manager.

Everton have been a tough team to watch in recent seasons, particularly under previous manager Dyche, due to the side being stacked with ball-winners and runners rather than players capable of dictating the play with creativity.

But Alcaraz has added flair and control to Everton's midfield, and he outshone Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch and Mac Allister with his contribution in this game.

Everton can sign the Argentina international for just 12 million when his loan ends this summer and, with their Premier League future as good as secured, keeping Alcaraz at the club as they prepare to launch a new era at their new stadium would be a smart move.

To make such an impact against the best midfield in the league this season underlined his quality and what he adds to Everton. -- Ogden

Van Dijk showing worrying signs of decline

Virgil van Dijk is one of the all-time great Premier League defenders, and the Liverpool captain is assured of legendary status at Anfield, but even the best can have a bad night, and he will want to forget his performance against Everton pretty quickly.

With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, Van Dijk's Liverpool future is still in doubt. His form this season has been good enough to have earned a new deal already, but with his 34th birthday looming this summer, this wasn't a good time to display signs of decline.

The Netherlands international was caught out twice by Everton forward Beto in the first half, making mistakes that he would never have committed during his prime.

When Beto had a goal ruled out for offside -- a very tight decision -- in the first half, Van Dijk's failure to deal with the ball to the forward enabled him to take the chance and score, only for VAR to overturn the goal. Van Dijk had his back to Beto when the ball was played, so wouldn't have known the Everton man was offside.

But his second error was even more out of character. Again, it involved Beto, who latched onto a throughball and ran through Van Dijk, who had missed the ball completely when he attempted to intercept it.

When Liverpool won the league in 2019-20, much was rightly made of the fact that no forward had been able to beat Van Dijk in a one-on-one that season.

But Beto caught him out twice and, with respect to the Guinea-Bissau international, he is not in the top bracket of Premier League strikers.

Maybe this was a blip for Van Dijk, but perhaps it was a glimpse into the future. If it is, Liverpool might be reluctant to give their centre-half the kind of contract that he really wants. -- Ogden

Liverpool dig deep to return to winning ways

If winning ugly is a sign of champions, then Liverpool's latest outing showed why Slot's side now find themselves on the cusp of making history.

Not for the first time this season, the league leaders looked some way short of their sparkling best against Everton, lacking the flair and fluency that has been instrumental to them building up a commanding 12-point lead at the summit.

But winning is an addictive habit and, having suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time under Slot before the international break, Liverpool dug deep to clinch a victory that will do plenty to settle any nerves that have been brewing within the Reds fanbase of late.

At the final whistle on Wednesday night, there was an almighty roar from players and fans alike as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in the league to an impressive 26 games and, perhaps, banished some burgeoning doubts about their title-winning credentials.

"And now you're gonna believe us, we're gonna win the league," crowed the jubilant home supporters as they filed out of the stadium. Certainly, it's getting increasingly difficult to argue with that. -- Lindop

Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from the FCS to the FBS in football as an independent, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The school has already filed a waiver to transition as an independent in football, which requires NCAA approval.

By transitioning as an independent, Sacramento State is positioning itself to join an FBS conference in the future. The Hornets need a waiver because they aren't transitioning with a conference invite.

The school sits in a top-20 media market and has been aggressive in hiring coaches and in NIL. The Hornets hired former UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion as head coach in December, and the basketball program hired former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby as head coach.

Sacramento State is planning to play football in the Big Sky for the 2025 season, which is expected to be the program's last in the FCS conference. The Hornets had a 3-9 record last season, finishing in a tie for last in the 12-team conference with a 1-7 mark.

If everything is approved, the Hornets would be ineligible for the football postseason for 2025 and 2026. They'd then be football postseason eligible for the 2027 season.

PHILADELPHIA -- Kevin Willard deadpanned that, no, he hadn't heard the laundry list of complaints lodged against him by Maryland fans and former players -- and, well, the list goes on -- that he threw his program under the bus after the Terrapins made a run to the Sweet 16.

But yes, Willard acknowledged, he was generally aware of the consensus sentiment that he used Maryland as a pawn to get whatever he wanted at a traditional power such as Villanova, which hired Willard as head coach just days after his Terrapins were ousted from the NCAA tournament by top-seeded Florida.

So perhaps Willard knew ESPN commentator Scott Van Pelt, a Maryland alumnus, went scorched earth on him and said, among many criticisms levied, "You don't do damage to the university and program where you've been for three years." Perhaps Willard also heard Jimmy's Famous Seafood -- the self-proclaimed home of "the world's greatest crabcakes!" -- stuck snakehead bites on the menu in honor of Willard with all proceeds donated to Maryland's name, likeness and image efforts. Or that all-time Terrapins great Len Elmore said he was weary of "mercenary coaches" who played the school like fiddles.

Yes, it's a long list of unhappy Terrapins.

Willard landed at a Villanova program that, despite missing the NCAA tournament for three straight seasons under former coach Kyle Neptune, still has elite status within reach with deep NIL coffers and a whopping payout ahead courtesy of the proposed upcoming House settlement. Maryland forged ahead and hired Buzz Williams away from Texas A&M.

Williams, who has also coached at Virginia Tech, Marquette and New Orleans, bounced on to a new gig -- just like Willard and just like so many successful coaches in March.

But Willard says he understands why he caught some heat. He publicly campaigned during Maryland's run to the Sweet 16 for more from the university and athletic department for his Big Ten program.

More of everything -- "fundamental changes," he called them -- that really came down to more money being funneled into basketball. Willard wanted Maryland to share its plan for revenue sharing with athletes and questioned how the Terrapins could ever be a "top tier" program as the race in college sports to outspend for players and all the adjacent bells and whistles nearly rivals professional levels.

"I think some of my comments during the NCAA tournament probably could have been a little bit less abrasive," Willard said Wednesday. "Unfortunately, sometimes when my passion for my program, my passion for my players comes out, I get a little excited. The only thing I'm going to say is, normal fans just don't understand what went on."

And for those at Maryland with hurt feelings, "I just think it's time that everyone moved on," he said.

Willard expressed concerns with the direction of Maryland's program on the eve of the Terps' opening game in the NCAA tournament. He had not signed an extension before the tournament, a matter complicated when Maryland athletic director Damon Evans left the school for the same job at SMU.

"Everything I said during the press conference was because I loved Maryland. I was very passionate about my job," Willard said. "Very simply, all I wanted to do was try to get the best for my players and best for the program. I'm going to do the same thing here at Villanova. My comments were just about having an opportunity to try to make Maryland the best program we could make it."

He should get what he needs at a program that was a perennial Final Four contender and won two national championships under Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright.

A court settlement that would require colleges for the first time to pay athletes billions for their play is set for approval next week. Many schools have said that most of the up to $20.5 million they'll pay out to their athletes as part of the $2.8 billion House settlement would go to football and men's basketball players.

At Villanova and other Big East programs, the bulk of that money is going to men's basketball.

"If you understand the House settlement and cap space and all that stuff, I think the Big East is really situated in a unique situation where they're probably never going to have to worry about the cap," Willard said. "I think football conference schools or football-centric conferences are going to run into the fact that if you have $16 million to football, you only have a $3 million cap. The Big East, you just don't have that issue."

Willard said all the right things about fitting in on his first few days on the job. He watched the Villanova women's team play in a postseason tournament and met with the men's team while it played in Las Vegas in the College Basketball Crown. Willard mingled with donors, worked the transfer portal and, like any new employee at a company, filled out HR paperwork.

He even tipped his cap to the "special culture" created within the program by Wright, threw his support behind the Big 5 and was professionally polite by saying he wanted to build on what "Kyle and his staff" have done over the past three years.

Yet, Willard acknowledged, it was time after three seasons without a tournament berth at Villanova to "get everyone excited again, get everyone engaged again."

Wright endorsed Willard, his longtime Big East rival while Willard coached at Seton Hall, and former Wildcats openly supported the new coach on the Main Line. Josh Hart, a 2016 national champion with Villanova who now plays with the New York Knicks, also said Willard was the right coach for the Wildcats.

"I hated playing against him because he was a hell of a competitor, had a tough team, a physical team," Hart said. "He's going to bring that back to Nova. Super excited to have him at the helm. Nova Nation should be excited. He's for sure that good. He's had success everywhere he's been. The way his teams fight, play, compete, that's what you want."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Alex Ovechkin moved three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record after scoring the 892nd of his career in the Washington Capitals' 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

Ovechkin beat Frederik Andersen on a 5-on-3 power-play with 34.5 seconds left in the second period. He entered with nine goals in 12 career games against Andersen, 52 overall in the 91 games he has faced Carolina and 31 in 45 games in Raleigh, which is the most of any visiting player.

The 39-year-old Russian has 39 goals this season, tied for the second most in a single season (Gordie Howe, 1967-68) in NHL history among players age 39 or older. Howe's 44 in 1968-69 are the most.

Ovechkin is one way from reaching 40 for a 14th time -- also the most in league history -- despite missing 16 games because of a broken left fibula.

He scored goal No. 891 a night earlier in Boston. It marked the 60th time in his regular-season career that he's scored in back-to-back games, the fifth player in league history to achieve that feat.

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have seven more games left this season. Ovechkin is on pace to pass Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable before the playoffs begin.

Because it is only a regular-season record, Ovechkin's pursuit would continue in October if he does not score two or more the rest of the way this month.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.