Sue Bird to serve as an NBC studio analyst for WNBA broadcasts this season

NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Famer Sue Bird watched the WNBA on NBCgrowing up and now she'll be part of the network's broadcasts of the league.

Associated Press

The four-time WNBA champion will be a studio analyst and also host a series of feature stories on NBC and Peacock throughout the league's 30th season which begins on May 8.

“I’ve been circling broadcasting for a long time now,” Bird told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday. “Given NBC’s history and legacy and where the WNBA is now, I am excited to be part of it.

"It needed to be the right fit, the right people, the right network."

The NBC broadcasts will also feature aversion of “Roundball Rock”— John Tesh’s iconic theme song that was the soundtrack of the network’s coverage of the WNBA from 1997 until 2002. It had been used on NBA broadcasts on the network from 1990-2002 before being brought back this year when NBC took over broadcasting games again.

NBC Sports has more than 20 games across the regular season, playoffs and WNBA Finals this year.

“Anytime anyone hears it, whether you're a basketball fan or not, it's really recognizable,” Bird said. “Turn the TV on as a spectator or fan on the couch, if that’s the first thing you hear there’s an excitement that comes with it.”

Bird’s rookie season in Seattle in 2002 was NBC’s last with the WNBA until now.

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“There is no more accomplished player in the history of the WNBA and arguably in all of women’s sports than Sue Bird,” said Betsy Riley, Senior Vice President and WNBA Coordinating Producer of NBC Sports. “Sue’s knowledge of the game is unmatched and will bring fans closer to the sport they love, both through analysis and storytelling.”

Portions of Bird's features, which will be a behind-the-scenes- look at the league that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season, will air on TV with the extended versions available digitally.

Bird has hosted podcasts for the past few years and also was on ESPN for six years providing an alt-cast with Diana Taurasi for the women's Final Four and championship games.

“I really enjoy telling stories as it’s something that comes naturally to me,” Bird said. “I cut my teeth on the podcasts I’m involved in — ‘Bird’s Eye View.’ My goal was to tell the stories of these players. Those are the features I’m doing with NBC as well.”

Bird won four WNBA championships in Seattle, where she played her entire 19-year career. She earned 13 All-Star selections and was the league's all-time leader in assists (3,234), starts (580) and minutes played (18,080). Bird was the No. 1 pick by Seattle in 2002 after leading UConn to two national championships in her time at the school.

She was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. Bird also had a decorated international career, winning five Olympic gold medals.

AP WNBA:https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Sue Bird to serve as an NBC studio analyst for WNBA broadcasts this season

NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Famer Sue Bird watched the WNBA on NBCgrowing up and now she'll be part of the network's broadcasts of ...
Lady Gaga 'Heartbroken' as She Abruptly Cancels Concert After Doctor 'Strongly Advised' Her Not to Perform

Lady Gaga canceled her final Montreal show due to a worsening respiratory infection on her doctor’s advice

People Lady Gaga at the 68th GRAMMY Awards.Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

NEED TO KNOW

  • The singer performed two earlier shows in Montreal as part of her Mayhem Ball Tour before falling ill

  • The Mayhem Ball Tour is set to end on April 13 with a performance at Madison Square Garden

Lady Gagahas canceled her latest touring performance at the advice of her doctor.

On Monday, April 6, the pop singer, 40, announced in anInstagram Stories postthat she would be canceling her third and final performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, following a respiratory infection.

"I’m so sorry to share that I’m unable to perform tonight and have to cancel the show," the "Abracadabra" singer began her statement. "I've been fighting a respiratory infection for the past few days and doing everything I can to rest and recover, but it’s gotten worse."

"My doctor has strongly advised me not to perform today and to be honest I don’t think I could give you the quality of a performance today that you deserve," she continued.

Lady Gaga performs at GNP Seguros Stadium on April 26, 2025.Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

"I know how deeply disappointing this is, and I truly could not feel worse about letting you down," Gaga wrote. "I’m so sorry to everyone who made plans to be there and support me. Being in Montreal and performing for you on Thursday and Friday was magical and deeply meaningful. To everyone who was coming tonight, I’m absolutely heartbroken and so sorry."

Gaga previously played shows in Montreal on Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, as a part of herMayhem Ball Tour. After she finishes in Canada, there are three shows left on the Mayhem Ball Tour, including two in Saint Paul, Minn., and one at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 13.

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In September, the tour was expanded with new dates and cities for 2026. Gaga's new slate of shows kicked off in February in Glendale, Ariz., making stops in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Montreal, among other North American cities.

Gaga also previously rescheduled several dates on this year's tour, including her Miami show at the Kaseya Center for March 13, afterhaving to cancel it on Wednesday, Sept. 3due to vocal strain.

The musicianannounced the Mayhem Ball in March 2025, noting that she hadn't planned to expand her original string of shows in Singapore, but following the "incredible response" to the albumMayhem, it inspired her to "keep things going."

"We chose arenas this time to give me the opportunity to control the details of the show in a way you simply can’t in stadiums — and honestly, I can’t wait,"she wrote on Instagram.

"This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings MAYHEM to life exactly how I envision it. The MAYHEM Ball Tour is officially coming your way. See you soon, monsters."

Read the original article onPeople

Lady Gaga 'Heartbroken' as She Abruptly Cancels Concert After Doctor 'Strongly Advised' Her Not to Perform

Lady Gaga canceled her final Montreal show due to a worsening respiratory infection on her doctor’s advice NEED TO KNOW ...
“High Potential” season 2 ending explained: Is [SPOILER] dead in the finale?

High Potential season 2 delivered new info on the elusive Roman.

Entertainment Weekly Steve Howey as Wagner and Kaitlin Olson as Morgan in the 'High Potential' season 2 finaleCredit: Disney

Key Points

  • It ends with a major character bleeding out after being shot by a mystery assassin.

  • The season finale also teased a shadowy figure that may or may not be Roman.

High Potentialcontinues to, well, meet its potential.

The ABC hit is among the most popular TV series currently airing, raking in more than 10 million viewers per episode in its second season.Kaitlin Olsonleads the quirky crime drama as Morgan, a crime consultant for the Los Angeles Police Department whose eye for detail and oddball approach to evidence proves to be as useful as it is frustrating.

Season 2 wrapped on April 7 with mysteries new and old, both of which serve to complicate the personal lives of Morgan and her Major Crimes colleagues Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) and Nick Wagner (Steve Howey). The finale, titled "Family Tree," also shed more light on the enigma that is Roman Sinquerra, Morgan's missing ex and the father of her oldest daughter.

Below, we dig into the ending ofHigh Potentialseason 2 — and how it sets up the story to come.

Who killed Vera?

Kaitlin Olson as Morgan in the 'High Potential' season 2 finaleCredit: Disney

The murder at the center ofHigh Potential's season 2 finale involves a celebrity couple, Vera and Frank Hensley (played by Colleen Donovan and Chris Gartin), the hosts of a home renovation TV show à laFixer Upper. Vera is found dead with a head injury by the pool of the Blackwell Hotel. This is the same hotel where Lucia (Susan Kelechi Watson), Karadec's ex-fiancée and current girlfriend, works.

As Morgan and co. deduce throughout the episode, Vera was murdered by a conman named Charles Hale (Billy Brown), who wormed his way into Frank's inner circle to blackmail him for messing around on his wife. (Frank and Vera's brand revolves around their marriage; the last thing they want revealed is that it's not as sunny as advertised.)

Vera stumbled upon Charles installing a recording device in Frank's hotel room, and he delivered a fatal head injury using a stone bookend. She managed to escape the room, but grew disoriented and passed out by the pool.

Was Lucia involved in Vera's death?

Susan Kelechi Watson as Lucia and Daniel Sunjata as Karadec in the 'High Potential' season 2 finaleCredit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci

Well, yes and no. The case's biggest revelation isn't the reveal that Charles is the killer, but rather that Lucia was involved in the plot to blackmail Frank. Morgan grows suspicious of Lucia after seeing her speaking with Charles outside the hotel, angering Karadec, who's blinded by his love for her.

As Lucia later confesses to Karadec, she dated Charles upon moving to New Mexico following their split. He was a conman, but told her he wanted to change, All he needed was a few more "paydays." She got in the habit of using her role at high-end hotels to alert him to potential marks, but broke up with him after he proved he had no intention of going straight.

He tracked her to the Blackwell and threatened her for cooperation, saying he would leave her alone if she helped him just one more time. Lucia alerted him to Frank, then helped him erase the security footage that would implicate him in the crime. She feels awful, though, as she never thought the con would end with a murder.

The Major Crimes team arrests Charles, and a heartbroken Karadec is forced to put cuffs on Lucia, who he asserts will be charged with accessory after the fact and other crimes.

He later apologizes to Morgan for doubting her, and as she comforts him we see some of the sparks that previously flew around the pair begin to sizzle once again.

What's the latest on Roman?

(Left to right) Clancy Brown as Nick Sr., Jennifer Jason Leigh as Willa, Kaitlin Olson as Morgan, and Steve Howey as Nick Wagner in the 'High Potential' season 2 finaleCredit: Disney/Raymond Liu

Mystery has swirled around Roman, the absent father of Morgan's oldest daughter, Ava (Amirah J), since the series' earliest episodes. Morgan previously thought him dead, but has since learned that not only is he alive, but he was working as an FBI informant when he disappeared.

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In season 2, we meet Willa Quinn (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a fixer for the rich and powerful with intel on Roman that Morgan and the rest of Major Crimes desperately want.

A solution comes via Wagner, the LAPD captain whose contentious relationship with Morgan evolved into a romantic one throughout the season. His father, Nick Sr. (Clancy Brown), is a powerful politician who's long utilized on Willa's clandestine services. Wagner and Morgan get their hands on a tranche of calls, texts, and emails that incriminate both Willa and Nick Sr., and use that leverage to get the truth.

Willa, however, believes the information will do Morgan more harm than good. "I've tried very hard to keep this from reaching your life," she says, going on to warn that these answers could put all three of Morgan's children in danger. "I'll give you what you want, then we'll see how badly you wanna keep digging."

Willa's intelligence reveals that Roman was apparently working with an FBI agent named Lyla Flynn, who was accused of laundering money, selling intel, and other crimes. Roman, we learn, is suspected of murdering Lyla when she decided to come clean. Security footage appears to show a hooded figure and Roman's car outside her house on the night of her death.

"This was a scandal too big for the FBI," says Wagner, "and Willa helped them bury it."

Morgan, who doesn't believe Roman to be capable of such a crime, is overwhelmed, fearing for the safety of her family. She asks Major Crimes boss Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) if they can stop digging, but Soto says that's no longer an option. They're already in too deep.

What happens at the end ofHigh Potentialseason 2?

As the season 2 finale comes to a close, Morgan attends Ava's art show, featuring a project that incorporates some of Roman's old artwork. It's one of the last connections she has to her father.

Morgan is forced to leave when she gets a call from Wagner. His father put him in contact with an "FBI ghost" who has more information about Roman. He tells her to meet them at a park. but when she arrives, Wagner is bleeding out on a bench. It looks like he's been shot, though we don't know by whom. A teary Morgan calls 911.

Does this mean Wagner is dead? We don't know, butEntertainment Weeklycan confirm that Howey will no longer be a series regular moving forward.

Meanwhile, back at the art show, a shadowy figure is spotted watching Ava from afar. Is this Roman? Or another mysterious figure from his past? That's one heck of a tease.

Where can I watchHigh Potential?

High Potentialis available to stream onHulu.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

“High Potential” season 2 ending explained: Is [SPOILER] dead in the finale?

High Potential season 2 delivered new info on the elusive Roman. Key Points It ends with a major character bleedi...
Catherine O'Hara's brother says actress 'wasn't talking much in the end,' said goodbye to him in a dream

Catherine O'Hara's brother Michael P. O'Hara is sharing some insight into the "sort of goodbye" he shared with his sister beforeher death in January.

Entertainment Weekly Catherine O'Hara attends the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 19, 2020Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

During the first episode of season 3 of his podcastDreams of Our Loved Ones, Michael looks back on a dream he had in which he was visited by his sister shortly before her death on Jan. 28. While sharing with his listeners that he recently had a "very unexpected and very, very sad" death in the family, Michael recalled the dream that came to him "days or a few days before she died."

"I always cherish the times I can meet with a loved one in the dream state," Michael began. "And I was hugging her, which was really beautiful. And I guess it was sort of a goodbye."

Catherine O'Hara attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 05, 2025Credit: Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

The dream served as their farewell because, as the podcast host shared, Catherine "wasn't talking much in the end" before her death. "She didn't really want to talk on the phone. And she didn't live close by, she's in Los Angeles," he explained.

The dream visitation didn't end there, according to Michael. "Since then, I've had a lovely dream where I was visiting her, and she was in a new house and it was being renovated and she was really busy choosing furniture and couches," he told listeners. "And she said, 'You can sleep here anytime, Michael. You can come over and stay anytime.'"

"And it reminded me of when I was when she was inSecond City Televisionand I was apprenticing at the Windsor Arms Hotel," he continued. "I would go over and sleep over at her place some nights because she had an extra bedroom. Yeah, pretty cool. But yeah, it was beautiful. She was just so happy and very busy in the other world that she's now in, but yeah, it's beautiful."

Michael ended the podcast telling his listeners that the bittersweetness of dream visitations was that it helped people stay connected with their "deceased loved ones."

"We're all interconnected," he added. "And the love, you know, continues no matter what. They're always with us."

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Since Catherine's death, her peers and celebrity fans haveshared numerous tributestoher memory.

Dan Levy, who co-created and starred on the award-winning seriesSchitt’s Creekalongside O'Hara, recentlyremembered his beloved costarin an emotional interview onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

"It's a collective loss. She was the greatest. She's irreplaceable. I think the great comfort for me has just been to see how loved she was. The outpouring — everyone felt like they kind of knew her," he said.

Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Annie Murphy, and Daniel Levy on 'Schitt's Creek'Credit: Pop TV

During a recent visit toSchitt's Creekshooting location Goodwood, Ontario, Levy surprised himself bybreaking down into tears over the prospect of a sequelwithout Catherine.

"No, not now," hetoldCBS Sunday Morningcorrespondent Anthony Mason, who asked if there could ever be moreSchitt's Creekin the wake of the tragedy. "You can't."

Levy grew up with Catherine: She and his fatherEugene Levyenjoyed a long, fruitful creative relationship that began at Toronto comedy institution The Second City in the 1970s. That collaboration continued on the sketch seriesSCTVand in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, and culminated with her Emmy-winning portrayal of riches-to-rags matriarch Moira Rose onSchitt's Creek.

Dan explained that before Catherine's death, he was "thinking about" aSchitt's Creeksequel, reboot, or some other kind of revival. But now, he said, "it's tough."

When Mason asked what Dan was feeling, he responded that he was overwhelmed with "just a lot of memories. A lot of memories with with Catherine... It's what you have to hold onto, the memories of it all."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Catherine O'Hara's brother says actress 'wasn't talking much in the end,' said goodbye to him in a dream

Catherine O'Hara's brother Michael P. O'Hara is sharing some insight into the "sort of goodbye" he shared with hi...

 

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