AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:58 p.m. EST

Franco Harris, Steeler who caught Immaculate Reception, dies

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris has died at the age of 72 just days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception.” His catch for the Pittsburgh Steelers is considered the most iconic play in NFL history. Harris ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with Pittsburgh in the 1970s. The team’s dynasty began in earnest when Harris decided to keep running during a last-second heave by quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972. His catch and run off a deflected pass gave the Steelers their first-ever playoff win. Harris’ son, Dok, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his father died overnight. No cause of death was given.

AP source: Mets swoop, snatch Correa for $315M, 12-year deal

Carlos Correa has agreed to a $315 million, 12-year contract with the free-spending New York Mets after his pending deal with the San Francisco Giants came apart over an issue with his physical. The agreement was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Details were first reported by the New York Post. Correa is an All-Star shortstop but would play third base for the Mets. Correa’s addition would increase the Mets’ luxury tax payroll next year to the $385 million range. That would put them on track to pay a record tax of about $110 million.

Popovich, Parker, Nowitzki, Wade among Hall of Fame nominees

Gregg Popovich is a Hall of Fame nominees for the first time. The NBA’s all-time winningest coach is among the list of prominent first-time nominees for the 2023 class released Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Also on the ballot for the first time: Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Dwyane Wade. They were all expected. But Popovich was the biggest surprise on the list, since it’s never been clear until now when he would allow the Hall to list him as a candidate. Finalists will be announced in February. Hall of Famers will be announced in April and the enshrinement happens in August.

Caitlin Clark reaches 2K career points; Iowa beats Dartmouth

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and reached 2,000 career points as No. 13 Iowa beat Dartmouth 92-54 for its fifth straight victory. Clark hit the career scoring mark in her 75th game. She has tied Elena Delle Donne for the quickest women’s or men’s Division I player to reach 2,000 career points since at least 1999-00, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Clark made her 242nd career 3-pointer to tie Delle Donne’s record, and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder called a timeout to celebrate the moment.

Black head coaches in FBS drop slightly heading into 2023

Deion Sanders was the star attraction in this year’s class of new Black coaches at major college programs. But the Colorado coach was one of just three Black candidates hired by Football Bowl Subdivision schools in the recently completed cycle for the 2023 season. There will be 14 Black coaches at 133 FBS teams next season unless there are additional changes. That’s roughly 10.5% of all coaches and a drop from 15 at the start of this season. The other new Black coaches are Ryan Walters at Purdue and Kenni Burns at Kent State.

Jaguars, Jets kick off Week 16 still in the playoff chase

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars face Zach Wilson and the New York Jets in Week 16 for the second straight season. Both teams have come a long way since the previous meeting. This year, the Jaguars and Jets are in the middle of a playoff race in a jumbled AFC so there’s plenty at stake Thursday night. The resurgent Jaguars are one game behind the Titans in the AFC South. The Jets are one game behind the Dolphins and Chargers for a wild-card spot. Lawrence and Wilson were the 1-2 picks in the 2021 draft. While Lawrence has been outstanding over the past month, Wilson is only starting because Mike White is injured. He outdueled Lawrence in a 26-21 win at home on Dec. 26, 2021.

Colts bench Ryan for 2nd time, will give Foles starting job

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nick Foles will replace 37-year-old Matt Ryan as the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Monday night, interim coach Jeff Saturday announced. Saturday made the move four days after the Colts blew a 33-point lead in a 39-36 overtime loss at Minnesota — the largest comeback in NFL history. In Indy’s previous game, at Dallas, the Colts gave up 33 fourth-quarter points largely because of four turnovers. The Colts are hoping Foles can make more vertical plays and play with more efficiency than Ryan has this season. Ryan leads the NFL with 18 giveaways.

EXPLAINER: Inside the proposed sale of the Suns and Mercury

Mat Ishbia’s career basketball statistics at Michigan State went like this: He averaged 0.6 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Not exactly record-setting numbers. But this is the number he’s about to be known by in the game — $4 billion. Ishbia’s offer to buy the majority stake of the Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, valuing them at $4 billion, is the biggest such deal in NBA history. The agreement means that embattled owner Robert Sarver’s era leading those franchises is about to end, once the league signs off on the sale.

Experience grows in women’s game, a test for young teams

Women’s college basketball has long had players stick around compared to men’s players making frequent early exits to the pros. Now there are more fifth- and sixth-year players thanks to extra eligibility granted because of the pandemic. No. 11 UCLA had the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class headlined by point guard Kiki Rice. They’ve made quick gains even though coach Cori Close says there’s a wider gap “between the newbies and the vets” in the game. She is trying to play her freshman as much as she can to get them the experience they need.