By SUSIE RANTZ

Associated Press

Barbra Banda contributed on all three goals as the Orlando Pride remained undefeated with a 3-2 win over the host Washington Spirit on Friday night in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Banda scored, assisted and drew a penalty as the Pride (3-0-3) handed the Spirit (4-2-0) their first home loss this season.

“[The final whistle was] more relief than anything,” Pride coach Seb Hines said. “If we dissect the game, although we took the lead, I thought we started slow. We didn’t really start [like] ourselves. We were very lethargic, I thought Washington started on the front foot, putting us under real pressure.”

Banda, acquired for a team-record transfer fee of $740,000, set up her team’s first goal in the 22nd minute. She beat her defender to the end line and crossed to Angelina, who ran into the box and volleyed her shot into the left corner.

The Pride have scored in 10 consecutive matches dating to last season to tie a franchise record.

Washington’s Ouleymata Sarr chipped past goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse in the 41st minute to tie it at 1.

Banda scored her first NWSL goal early in the second half, heading in Julie Doyle’s flicked pass from a corner kick.

Banda drew a penalty in the 57th minute and Summer Yates got Aubrey Kingsbury to dive left and finished into the opposite corner to make it 3-1.

Ashley Hatch’s shot from distance slipped through Moorhouse’s hands in the 65th minute for the final.

“We didn’t really get any rhythm in the game but it’s a great ball from Barbra to Ang and it’s a great finish,” Hines said. “Then I think the disappointing part from our side is that we gifted them two goals today. In this league, you can’t give teams goals because they’ll punish you. So it’s a good reminder that we have to keep our standards high, stick to who we are and stick to our identity.”

The Pride went to 10 players in the 91st minute and for all 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time after Brianna Martinez was shown her second yellow card.

“I’m super proud of the players, to not only see the game out at 3-2, but with 10 players,” Hines said, “it shows another side to our game. So I’m super proud of them and their efforts and everything they put in today.”

UP NEXT
Orlando vs. North Carolina
When: Wednesday at INTER&CO Stadium, 7
TV: Bally Sports Sun

MIAMI GARDENS — Here’s a list of the Top 10 players the Miami Dolphins could select on Saturday’s third and final day of the NFL draft, which is Rounds 4-7.

As a reminder, the Dolphins have four picks left (unless they acquire more) — one in the fifth round (No. 158), two in the sixth (Nos. 184 and 198), and one in the seventh (No. 241).

Some of these picks are better for the fourth round, and some are better for the seventh. Also, many of these picks are best player available as opposed to filling a specific need.

And because the Dolphins tend to go local with late-round picks, this list leans toward locals.

Matt Lee, C, University of Miami

Lee (6-4, 301), a transfer from UCF, excels in pass protection. The Dolphins are loaded at interior offensive line but there’s still a feeling they might get more help through the draft.

Leonard Taylor III, DT, University of Miami

Taylor (6-3, 303) has questions about his motor but not about his talent. The Dolphins might be seeking defensive tackle help to replace Christian Wilkins.

Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State

Eichenberg (6-2, 233), the brother of Dolphins center/guard Liam Eichenberg, was an All America selection. Miami doesn’t necessarily need an inside linebacker, but depth and special teams are also considerations.

Javion Cohen, G, University of Miami

Cohen (6-4, 324) is big and athletic. The Alabama transfer would be among a plethora of Dolphins interior offensive linemen.

Jack Westover, TE, Washington

Westover (6-3, 243) had 46 receptions for 433 yards and four toucdowns. The Dolphins signed Jonnu Smith but he might not necessarily be the No. 3 receiver.

Braiden McGregor, Edge, Michigan

McGregor (6-5, 257) has good size and while he only had 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of those came over his final five games.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, Louisville

Brownlee (5-10, 194) is an aggressive player with slot and boundary capabilities, and he’s local, having attended Carol City High School.

Tez Walker, WR, North Carolina

Walker (6-2, 193) ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which means he’s fast. That’s a major requirement for the Dolphins.

Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri

Schrader (5-9, 202) has good feet and next-level elusiveness. And he has good hands. Size is a major problem.

Qwan’Tez Stiggers, CB, No college

Stiggers (5-11, 203) is a relative unknown because he didn’t play college football. But he’s an athletic freak who had an outstanding pro day in Atlanta, which the Dolphins attended.

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins drafted Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday, filling a need at a backup position.

But the big question is whether Paul, the 6 foot 7, 331-pounder who has an extraordinary 36-inch reach, is good enough contribute soon.

Is he good enough to contend for a starting job this year?

Is he good enough to push veteran Kendall Lamm and become the Dolphins’ top backup offensive tackle?

Is deserving of being the Dolphins’ selection in the second round?

Did the Dolphins do well enough with their first- and second-round selections?

The Dolphins, who drafted Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson with their first-round pick (No. 21) on Thursday, needed immediate help from the draft and there’s concern they drafted two developmental-type players.

Robinson will likely be an immediate starter as returning veterans Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) recover.

But that’s not the case with Paul, the 55th selection in the draft.

Various scouting reports and mock drafts projected Paul anywhere from the low first round to the second round.

General manager Chris Grier said right now the Dolphins are only looking at Paul as a tackle, not a guard, and he then added, “but we don’t box people in.”

If Paul is only a tackle, he’s a backup considering the Dolphins return starting left tackle Terron Armstead and starting right tackle Austin Jackson.

“He knows he’s got some things to work on,” Grier said of Paul. “He’s very honest and direct and that’s what we really appreciated.’’

The Dolphins had options aside from selecting Paul.

Grier said they got “a bunch” of trade offers for the No. 55 pick.

“A couple were enticing,” he said, “but not enough for us to move off Patrick.”

As for other positions, right before the Dolphins took Paul, Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell went to Indianapolis at No. 52, Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott went to Washington at No. 53, and Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. went to Cleveland at No. 54.

All are players the Dolphins could have chosen.

Right after Paul’s selection, Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland went to Dallas at No. 56, and Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell went to Tampa at No. 57, and Georgia safety Javon Bullard went to Green Bay at No. 58.

Again, all are players the Dolphins could have chosen.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the second round has been a successful spot for Grier and the Dolphins since he took over the draft in 2016.

The second-round picks since then have been Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard (2016), linebacker Raekwon McMillan (2017), tight end Mike Gesicki (2019), guard Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (2020), safety Jevon Holland and guard Liam Eichenberg (2021) and cornerback Cam Smith (2023).

That’s eight selections — one Pro Bowler (Howard), two high-quality players (Hunt and Holland), and three serviceable players (Eichenberg, Gesicki and Davis), one so-so player (McMillan) and one unproven player (Smith).

Overall, that’s decent success.

As a bonus to selecting Paul, he’s an engaging young man with an interesting background.

He’s long-armed with a 36-inch reach that he uses to his advantage.

“Always being the first person, if your timing is right, to land that punch and get that contact, it gives you an advantage being the first to strike,” Paul said.

He’s a martial arts enthusiast who practices boxing and MMA.

“It correlates definitely to the field,” Paul said.

His grandfather, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was a major general in the Nigerian Army and head of state of Nigeria for a six-month stretch in 1966 after he took over following a coup.

Paul lived in Nigeria as a youngster for two and a half years. He hasn’t been back since 2015.

And he has a dynamic personality as well as a big smile.

“He was very enthusiastic about his intentions of wanting to play here,” Grier said with a smile.

The Dolphins said they spent a lot of time with Paul between the Senior Bowl, combine and a visit to the Dolphins’ team facility in Miami Gardens.

Paul said he enjoyed his time with the Dolphins tremendously, describing the three visits as “great,” “great,” and “amazing.”

But the question is whether Paul can be a contributor this year, and a starter next year as a replacement to Armstead, who considered retirement this offseason.

Grier thinks Paul can do both.

“We’re excited,” Grier said. “We think he has another level he can take it to, and he wants to, and that’s an important part. He wants to be good and he wants to be coached.”

By Marc Topkin

Tampa Bay Times

CHICAGO — Once the afternoon rain stopped, Friday’s game on the South Side of Chicago seemed like the fitting place for the Rays, who have sputtered through the first month of the season, to start getting right.

They came in with the momentum of Wednesday’s win over the Tigers, and the rest from Thursday’s day off.

They had their No. 1 starter, Zach Eflin, on the mound.

They were playing against a White Sox team with a majors-worst 3-22 record that had just returned from an 0-7 road trip (in which it was outscored 49-18) and had lost 13 of its last 14.

And they were facing a starter, Chris Flexen, who had allowed 14 runs (on 21 hits and seven walks) in 19⅔ innings over five appearances, including three starts.

Yet, the Rays faltered again.

The 9-4 defeat was bad enough, dropping the Rays back under .500 at 13-14.

Worse could be the potential loss of Yandy Diaz, who was struck on the left hand by a 99.3 mph Michael Kopech fastball, appeared in immense pain and immediately left the game.

Some of the details illustrated the inconsistency they Rays have been dealing with.

They were held to two hits through five innings by Flexen, and nine for the game, and were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving a season-high 12 on.

They failed three times in key situations to even get the ball out of the infield.

In the first, when Diaz started the game with a double, but Randy Arozarena grounded out and Amed Rosario and Isaac Paredes popped up. In the sixth, when Diaz and Arozarena walked, but Rosario struck out, Paredes popped out and Harold Ramirez grounded out.

And in the seventh, after a one-out single and two-out RBI double by Rene Pinto, when they drew three straight walks, cutting the lead to 5-2. They got Paredes to the plate as the tying run with the bases loaded but he grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Hagerty High alum Eflin allowed nine hits over his six innings, including a costly three-run homer in the sixth to No. 9 hitter Martin Maldonado.

The nine runs by the White Sox were their most in a game this season.

The Rays made two errors.