BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- Brittney Griner left an indelible mark on women's college basketball. Now she's ready to take on the pros.

The Phoenix Mercury took Baylor's star center with the top pick in the WNBA draft Monday night. Despite knowing she was going first, the two-time AP Player of the Year admitted she was extremely nervous.

''It's a dream come true, I'm like a little kid in Disney World the first time meeting all the characters,'' Griner said. ''Sitting at the table they said 15 seconds and my heart started beating so fast. I was grabbing the tablecloth underneath.''

The 6-foot-8 phenom finished as the second all-time scorer in women's NCAA history, with 3,283 points. She is the top shot-blocker ever, shattering both the men's and women's college marks with 748. She also had a record 18 dunks - including 11 this season.

WNBA president Laurel Richie opened the draft offering the league's thoughts and prayers to those affected by the bombings in Boston. She said earlier in the evening that the WNBA had discussions whether to hold the draft, deciding to go ahead with it.

And then soon after the draft started she announced Griner as the first choice.

Griner joins a very talented Mercury squad that was plagued by injuries most of last season. Star Diana Taurasi played in only eight games and Penny Taylor missed the entire year while recovering from an ACL injury. Candice Dupree also missed 21 games because of a knee injury.

''I'm ready to get there and ready to learn from (Taurasi),'' Griner said. ''I got to play with her a little bit at USA Basketball. I'm ready to feed off her and give all I can to the Phoenix Mercury.

Phoenix had the second-worst record and a 28 percent chance of getting the first pick. Washington, which had the worst record in the league picked fourth.

''We have a team of All-Stars already,'' Phoenix Mercury president Amber Cox said. ''To add her to the mix solidifies us for a long time. When Phoenix comes to town it will be must see basketball.''

The Mercury have had the first pick in the draft two other times, including 2004 when they drafted Taurasi.

It was an eventful day for Griner. Not only was she the top pick, but she bumped into her skateboarding idol Tony Hawk, who was also at ESPN.

''Getting drafted being the No. 1 overall pick that was above it, but Tony's right there at No. 2,'' Griner said.

Like Phoenix, Chicago added a budding star in Elena Delle Donne with the No. 2 pick to an already stacked roster that just missed making the playoff last season. The 6-foot-5 forward, who can play multiple positions was second in the nation in scoring (26.0) and averaged 8.5 rebounds. She finished her career at Delaware with 3,039 career points - fifth all-time in NCAA history.

''This is a phenomenal team I'm joining, mentors who will help me out along the way,'' Delle Donne said. ''I'll learn a ton from these players. We definitely have a great team. I felt I was a good puzzle piece for this team. You don't say where you want to go before it was happening, but Chicago was my pick and I wanted to go there really badly.''

Tulsa took Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins with the third pick. Diggins averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 assists and 3.1 steals while helping the Irish reach the Final Four the past three seasons.

''When I entered Notre Dame we had lost in the first round of the tournament the year before,'' Diggins said. ''At the end of my career we had brought the program back to an elite level. I'm looking forward to get to Tulsa and show my leadership skills and do whatever coach Klopp wants me to do.''

While the first three picks were almost a lock, the rest of the draft was a bit more of a mystery with no clear-cut choices going in.

Washington took Ohio State guard Tayler Hill fourth.

''I didn't know for sure,'' Hill said. ''I talked to a few WNBA coaches. I talked to coach Thibault a few times and he was excited about me. I'm excited, really a feeling you can't explain.''

The New York Liberty and new coach Bill Laimbeer took Texas A&M's Kelsey Bone fifth and then two picks later drafted Oklahoma State's Toni Young. Seattle, which will be without Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird this season because of injuries took Maryland's Tianna Hawkins in between the Liberty picks.

San Antonio took Syracuse center Kayla Alexander eighth, Cal's Layshia Clarendon went ninth to Indiana. Los Angeles took Kentucky's A'dia Mathies 10th. Connecticut drafted UConn forward Kelly Faris 11th and Minnesota closed out the first round picking Nebraska's Lindsey Moore.

''There's no question that this draft class has potential to be a moment in time and we'll look back 10, 20 years and remember that class that came in with Brittney, Skylar and Elena,'' Richie said. ''Having spent the last two days with a couple of the other prospects there are a couple surprise in there too.''

This was the first season that the draft was televised in primetime.

Training camps open May 5, with the league's 17th season set to being on May 24.

---Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

• 

  Synopsis

  In 1946, Branch Rickey put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey's hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking -- ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

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  Scary Movie V

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  To the Wonder

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  Disconnect

ATLANTA (AP)

Rick Pitino got the phone call of a lifetime and an incredible text at the same time.

Last Wednesday, John Doleva, the president of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, called seven people to tell them they'd in the class of 2013.

Pitino was one of the seven.

''When I got the call I was trying to call my wife over so she could hear it and I'm trying to put it on speaker phone and a text keeps beeping as I'm getting this special call,'' Pitino said Monday, just hours before he led Louisville against Michigan in the national championship game. ''I saw the text. 'Go Gophers. I got the job.'''

It was his son, Richard, who had just found out he was chosen to be the head coach at Minnesota.

It's been that kind of week for Pitino, who is among 12 people overall who will join the class of 2013.

The others announced Monday at a ceremony at the Final Four were college coaches Guy Lewis of Houston, Jerry Tarkanian of UNLV and Sylvia Hatchell of North Carolina, former NBA stars Bernard King and Gary Payton and former University of Virginia star Dawn Staley.

The inductions will take place in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 8.

Inductees announced previously were: Edwin E.B. Henderson, a direct elect by the Early African Pioneer Committee; longtime Indiana Pacers guard Roger Brown; Oscar Schmidt of Brazil, the leading scorer in Olympic history; Richie Guerin, a star for the New York Knicks in the 1950s; and, Russ Granik, the longtime assistant commissioner of the NBA.

His Cardinals are in the championship game and a win would make him the first coach to win a title at two schools. He won it all with Kentucky in 1996.

On Saturday, Goldencents, a horse which Pitino co-owns, won the Santa Anita Derby, a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

''I was looking around for lightning,'' Pitino joked. ''This was such a special moment.''

Pitino, the only coach to take three schools to the Final Four, has won 661 games in 28 seasons as a college coach and his 47-16 record in the NCAA tournament is the third-highest winning percentage among active coaches.

He also had two stints in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

When he was a young assistant with the Knicks from 1983-85, Pitino forged a relationship with King, one of the most feared scorers in his playing days.

''That first game in San Antonio I scored 50 points. The next day in Dallas I had a milk shake and a turkey sandwich and scored 50 points again. I guess you can say this is the culmination of my life in basketball.''

Payton was known as ''The Glove'' for his defensive prowess in his years with the Seattle SuperSonics. He was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

''I was an offensive-minded guy when I went to Oregon State and coach Ralph Miller pulled me to the side and said `You'll be one of the greatest defensive point guards ever and I said to myself `Yeah right. I'm shooting every time I get the ball.' I got really good at it and started liking it and took it from there,'' Payton said.

Tarkanian took three schools to the NCAA tournament but he will always be known for his teams at UNLV that made four Final Four appearances and won it all in 1990.

Hatchell joins North Carolina men's coaches Dean Smith and Roy Williams as Hall of Famers. She is one of three women's coaches to record 900 victories and she has won national championships on three levels - AIAW, NAIA and NCAA.

Staley was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time national college player of the year with the Cavaliers. She is the only player in women's college basketball to record 2,000 points, 700 assists and 400 steals.

Father Indicted For Beating Daughters For Twerking

· April 4, 2013

President Barack Obama departs the White House residence to board a waiting Marine One April 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. Obama is scheduled to travel today to Colorado and California.

President Barack Obama will put 5% of his paycheck back into the federal government’s coffers in a show of unity with furloughed federal workers, a senior administration official announced today.

Obama, whose $400,000 annual salary is set in law and can’t officially be changed, will write a check made out to the U.S. treasury every month beginning in April. Since the mandatory across-the-board spending cuts went into effect March 1, his payment for last month will be paid retroactively.

“The president has decided that to share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester, he will contribute a portion of his salary back to the Treasury,” the official said.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced he was giving up the portion of his salary that would have been cut if he had been subject to the same work furlough as thousands of department personnel under the mandatory federal budget cuts. Hagel, who earns $199,700 annually, will write a check to the Treasury for up to 14 days of salary, according to Pentagon press secretary George Little.

As a Cabinet official confirmed by the Senate, Hagel is not subject to the furlough. But Little said Hagel decided to give the equivalent of his furloughed pay to show his support for his workforce.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter had already announced he was doing the same thing in the weeks before Hagel was confirmed.

Just one day after Kevin Ware snapped his shinbone in what might've been the grisliest injury ever broadcast on TV, the Louisville guard is back on his feet ... with the help of crutches.

The 20-year-old was just photographed at an Indianapolis hospital looking surprisingly good ... his leg freshly bandaged after surgery.

In case you missed the game, Ware snapped his leg -- through his skin -- during Louisville's game against Duke yesterday. Ware was attempting to block a 3-point shot and landed wrong. Google at your own risk.

Ware underwent a two-hour procedure following the injury ... doctors had to insert a rod into his tibia ... but thankfully, everything went well.

The Louisville team physician has said he doesn't believe the injury will be career-ending ... but Ware's not playing ball anytime soon.

MSN Entertainment has gathered a list, a long list — along with lists from a cadre of our contributing movie writers and critics — that covers our favorite movies of all time.  — Kent Laird, lead editor, MSN Movies

Click here to start from number 100, or skip to a specific film by clicking the movie's name:

1. The Wizard of Oz— Danny Miller

2. North By Northwest— Richard T. Jameson

3. The Fellowship of the Ring— Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

4. It's a Wonderful Life— Richard T. Jameson

5. Annie Hall— Frank Paiva

6. The Shawshank Redemption— Martha Brockenbrough

7. The Graduate— Jeff Michael Vice

8. Nashville— Jim Emerson

9. Lawrence of Arabia— Sean Axmaker

10. The Searchers— Kathleen Murphy

11. Dr. Strangelove or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb — Kim Morgan

12. Star Wars — The Empire Strikes Back— Bryan Reesman

13. Raiders of the Lost Ark— William Goss

14. This Is Spinal Tap— Mary Pols

15. To Kill a Mockingbird— William Goss

16. Airplane!— Jeff Michael Vice

17. Jaws — James Rocchi

18. Singin' in the Rain— Glenn Kenny

19. Vertigo— Jim Emerson

20. Once Upon a Time in the West— Glenn Kenny

21. The Breakfast Club— Kate Erbland

22. 2001: A Space Odyssey— Bryan Reesman

23. The Sound of Music—Martha Brockenbrough

24. Blade Runner— Bryan Reesman

25. Brazil— James Rocchi

26. A Hard Day's Night— Jim Emerson

27. Rio Bravo— Kathleen Murphy

28. Love, Actually— Kate Erbland

29. Bringing Up Baby— Kim Morgan

30. Chinatown— Danny Miller

31. The Princess Bride— Martha Brockenbrough

32. The Incredibles— Martha Brockenbrough

33. Aliens— Don Kaye

34. When Harry Met Sally— William Goss

35. Planet of the Apes (1968)— David Walker

36. Only Angels Have Wings— Kathleen Murphy

37. Casablanca— David Walker

38. Citizen Kane— Kim Morgan

39. Sunrise— Sean Axmaker

40. Blazing Saddles— Corwin Neuse

41. Monty Python's Life of Brian— Jim Emerson

42. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban— Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

43. Sunset Boulevard— David Walker

44. Star Wars: Ep. IV— Danny Miller

45. The Godfather— Don Kaye

46. Trouble in Paradise— Richard T. Jameson

47. The Big Lebowski— Mary Pols

48. Terms of Endearment— Kent Laird

49. Forest Gump— Lauren Choi

50. It Happened One Night— Mary Pols

51. The Apartment— Frank Paiva

52. Dazed and Confused— Sean Axmaker

53. McCabe and Mrs. Miller— Kathleen Murphy 

54. Apocalypse Now— Don Kaye

55. Repulsion— Kim Morgan

56. Miller's Crossing— Jeff Michael Vice

57. Dirty Dancing— Kate Erbland

58. Silence of the Lambs— Corwin Neuse

59. Die Hard— Glenn Kenny

60. Blue Velvet— Mary Pols

61. The Adventures of Robin Hood— William Goss

62. Broadcast News— James Rocchi

63. Touch of Evil— Jeff Michael Vice

64. WALL-E— Martha Brockenbrough

65. Grease— Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

66. Pulp Fiction— James Rocchi

67. Playtime— Sean Axmaker

68. Psycho— Glenn Kenny

69. A Fish Called Wanda— Noah Walden

70. Say Anything— Kate Erbland

71. Close Encounters of the Third Kind— Jim Emerson

72. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest— David Walker

73. Moulin Rouge— Corwin Neuse

74. Clueless— Frank Paiva

75. A Clockwork Orange— Bryan Reesman

76. Back to the Future— Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

77. Stagecoach— Richard T. Jameson

78. Crimes and Misdemeanors— Don Kaye

79. Some Like it Hot— Richard T. Jameson

80. Rear Window— Martha Brockenbrough

81. Schindler's List— James Rocchi

82. Excalibur— Kathleen Murphy

83. West Side Story— Danny Miller

84. Badlands— Andrew Luthinger

85. Monty Python and the Holy Grail— Bryan Reesman

86. Taxi Driver— Glenn Kenny

87. La Dolce Vita— Jim Emerson

88. Two-Lane Blacktop— Sean Axmaker

89. Star Trek (2009)— Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

90. My Neighbor Totoro— Frank Paiva

91. Goodfellas— Don Kaye

92. Gladiator— Corwin Neuse

93. All About Eve— Danny Miller

94. Tootsie— Sheri Quirt

95. Slap Shot— Mary Pols

96. Donnie Darko— William Goss

97. Fight Club— Kate Erbland

98. The Earrings of Madame de . . . — Kim Morgan

99. Seven Samurai— Jeff Michael Vice

100. Young Frankenstein — David Walker