What were the top 10 storylines in sports in May?

Some fans might view May as one of the slower months on the sports calendar, but there were still plenty of things that happened over the last 31 days as we prepare for summer.

The NBA and NHL playoffs each held crucial rounds in their tournaments, with the finals in each sport now being set. The biggest game in club soccer was also held in May, with the UEFA Champions League final taking place this past Saturday.

Of course, there was also the Indianapolis 500, which is one of the top motorsports events of the year.

With May coming to a close, let’s take a look at the 10 best sports storylines from the month.

10 best sports storylines of May

10. Caitlin Clark sustains quad injury after incredible start

After averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists over the first four games of her second WNBA season, Caitlin Clark went down with a quad injury. It was originally expected to keep her out two weeks, but recently the Indiana Fever announced her recovery timeline could be extended. It’s more likely she’s re-evaluated at the two-week deadline, which would fall around June 8, and another update about her status is released. 

9. Christian Pulisic headlines several notable players left off Gold Cup roster

Despite being AC Milan’s leading scorer, Christian Pulisic was left off the United States Men’s National Team roster for this summer’s Gold Cup. USMNT will also be without Tim Weah, Geno Reyna, and Weston McKinnie — three key components of their 2022 FIFA World Cup squad that made it to the knockout stage. Two things are at play with this: It will be interesting to see how the USMNT fairs without a slew of its veterans, and how it goes about compiling its roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

8. Scottie Scheffler wins PGA Championship a year after arrest

Scheffler was dominant all weekend on his way to a five-stroke victory. He shot six-under par during Round 3 of the tournament to give himself a huge advantage heading into the final day. While LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm got hot on the front-nine of Round 4, he could never catch Scheffler, and ultimately dropped to eighth place. Scheffler’s consistency was key to winning the PGA Championship, and it’s also been displayed in his ability to climb and remain atop the the PGA Tour rankings.

7. “Sovereignty” wins Kentucky Derby; “Journalism” wins Preakness 

Sovereignty beat Journalism, the favorite, to win the Kentucky Derby on the back of conditioning to outlast his opponent down the final straight. Following the win, though, Sovereignty did not race in the Preakness, losing its chance at winning the triple crown. The favorite again, Journalism took care of business in the Preakness.

6. Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers to face off in rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup finals

The NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals will feature a rematch from last season. But, the road to getting back there wasn’t that simple. In the first round, the Oilers found themselves trailing the LA Kings 2-0 and were losing in Game 3, but they mounted a successful comeback in that third game and then won the next three in a row to take the series in six. That gave them momentum to run through the rest of the Western Conference, disposing of the Las Vegas Knights and Dallas Stars in five games. 

The Panthers also found themselves down 2-0, but in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They bounced back to win the next three games, before dropping Game 6, setting up a do-or-die Game 7. The Panthers displayed their championship-level chops, and kept alive their rights to defend it. After beating the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, the Panthers find themselves back in the finals facing an Oilers team that’s bound to be hungrier after losing to them in 2024. 

There weren’t many surprises in the Western Conference side of the bracket in the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder, who won 68 games in the regular season to earn the top seed, clinched their ticket to the NBA Finals after dispatching the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was also named MVP for the regular season earlier in May, led his team to a series victory with multiple 30-plus-point performances, earning Western Conference finals MVP in the process. He also helped the Thunder outlast the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Eastern Conference, meanwhile, had a couple of major upsets in the conference semis. The Pacers took down the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, while the New York Knicks defeated the defending champion Boston Celtics as star Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tear in Game 4 of that series. As the Pacers and Knicks renewed their rivalry, Tyrese Haliburton made a shot for the ages to help send Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to overtime after Indiana came back from a 14-point deficit in the final minutes. The Pacers won that game and took a 3-1 series lead before finishing off the Knicks in Game 6, with Pascal Siakam winning series MVP.

4. Dallas Mavericks win first overall pick in NBA Draft lottery despite 1.8% chance

Alarm bells for conspiracy theorists sounded earlier in May when the Mavericks won the NBA Draft Lottery. They had a 1.8% chance to win the lottery, making their win the fourth-most unlikely in the 40-year history of the event. The win also came after the Mavericks were out of the playoff picture following the controversial Luka Doncic trade, allowing them to win the lottery and likely draft Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. The San Antonio Spurs won the second pick, while the Philadelphia 76ers got the third pick. 

3. PSG wins first Champions League in historic fashion

No Kylian Mbappe, no problem. In its first season after the French star departed the club, PSG was still able to win Europe’s top club title. After defeating Arsenal 3-1 in the aggregate in the semifinals earlier in May, PSG had a historic win in the Champions League final on Saturday. It took down Inter Milan, 5-0, for the largest win in the history of the Champions League final. Désiré Doué scored two of the goals, while Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu each added a score in the victory. 

2. NFL releases schedule; featuring Week 16 doubleheader

The final major event of the NFL’s offseason took place in May, with the league releasing its 272-game schedule for the 2025 regular season. There were a few big highlights on the NFL on FOX’s schedule for the 2025 season. It will air a rematch of Super Bowl LIX in Week 2, when the Philadelphia Eagles head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. There will also be a Saturday doubleheader in Week 16. The Washington Commanders will host the Eagles in a rematch of the NFC Championship Game. The other matchup is between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Of course, schedule release day is also the Super Bowl for the media departments of each team. This year’s schedule release brought no shortage of creative videos to help teams unveil their schedules. 

1. Alex Palou finally wins his first Indy 500

This INDYCAR season’s most dominant driver was dominant again in the sport’s biggest race. Palou won for the fifth time in six races when he won his first Indy 500 over Memorial Day weekend. He took the lead with 14 laps remaining and never relinquished, persevering in a race that had several chaotic twists and turns. The race, which was the first time it ever aired on FOX, also had its best viewership in nearly two decades as it averaged 7.05 million viewers. 

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