Tony Bennett (Photo Courtesy: CBS Sports Basketball/Twitter)
THIS IS EPISODE 180 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
Tony Bennett has been the men’s basketball coach at the University of Virginia since 2009. He’s led the Cavaliers to three ACC regular-season titles and two ACC tournament titles. In 2018, Virginia was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing with a 31-3 record. For his accomplishments, Bennett was named the NABC Coach of the Year, the Naismith Coach of the Year and the AP National Coach of the Year.
After playing his college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay under his father Dick Bennett, Tony was selected in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He would go on to a four-year NBA stint from 1992-95 before a foot injury ended his career.
Prior to Virginia, Bennett was the head coach at Washington State, where he brought that program to the national spotlight by winning 26 games in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Bennett about becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, how he was able to face that adversity with humility and grace, where his faith journey in Christ began, why beginning his day in the Lord is a discipline he instilled into his life, how he lives out his faith every day as a prominent coach, and the Bible verse he is clinging to right now.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING DANIELLE FORTE
On today’s episode, Matt invites his wife, Danielle Forte, to the show for a special Mother’s Day edition. Danielle shares about raising kids to love Jesus, why she is so passionate about being a mother, her adoption story, and the importance of keeping her identity in Jesus and not her role as a mom or wife.
The 37-year-old made the announcement on Tuesday and closes out her career with 8,396 career regular-season points to go along with 4,262 rebounds.
“It was all a dream, that’s the thought that keeps finding me,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media announcing her decision. “That, and deep gratitude. God has covered my life in ways I can’t fully put into words, and by His grace and mercy, I’ve been able to live out something bigger than I ever imagined.”
Charles was selected No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2010 WNBA Draft and quickly delivered on the hype, earning Rookie of the Year honors before being named league MVP in 2012. Ahead of the 2014 season, she was traded to her hometown team, the New York Liberty, where she spent six seasons and made five All-Star appearances.
Over the course of her career, she also had stints with the Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream, before returning to Connecticut for her final season in 2025. Charles was named to the All-WNBA first team five times and the All-Defensive first team once, while also leading the league in rebounding four times and in scoring twice. She helped the U.S. win three Olympic gold medals, and in 2021 she was selected to the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team.
Before turning pro, Charles starred at UConn, leading the Huskies to national championships in 2009 and 2010. As a senior, she swept nearly every major national honor, including AP Player of the Year, John Wooden Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, and Big East Player of the Year.
“Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game,” Charles wrote in her post. “I’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it. Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That’s the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about.”
Her bio on X references her faith in God: “His time. His way. His glory.” She’s also been public about her faith in interviews. She told The Ballers Magazine in August 2025 that she accepted Christ through Athletes In Action, and that faith helped her grow in how she was able to handle the mental and physical transition from the college game to the pros.
“My faith is everything for me,” she told the magazine. “Athletes in Action was on our campus and Maya Moore was a part of it. I had another teammate, Kaili McLaren (as well). I went to the camp and I was really able to learn how to make Jesus my motivation for my sport, so just giving thanks to Him for the blessings that I have. Once I accepted Christ — that was in 2009 — every time I took the floor my junior and senior year that’s when I started to turn the corner. I just kept saying to myself: ‘I’m playing for Him. I’m playing for an audience of One.’
“That was my motivation out there. That was the reason why I was going hard. That was the reason why my effort was what it was. That’s why I wanted to get in the gym because it was just my way of glorifying God when I was out there playing. That’s when things started turning for me my last two years at UConn.”
In August 2024, after becoming the WNBA’s second-leading scorer, she gave glory to God in her press conference comments.
“Just a whole bunch of gratitude,” Charles said. “I know this moment is big, but I have to give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m just so much in awe at just how faithful He is … it’s unimaginable, and God just really gets the glory.”
She sat out the 2023 season and thought she was done playing. Not in a great space emotionally or mentally, she wasn’t sure if she still had a place in the league.
“So for me to be here right now, this is really special,” she said in the press conference.
She posted on Instagram at the end of 2023 reflecting on what had been a trying year for her and gave praise to God through it. She also referenced Hebrews 12:11, which says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
“Trials are apart (sic) of life, but God always provides what we need in order to endure,” Charles wrote. “He sifts & refines us & closes doors to position & put us in our right place. Through the disappointments & losses, God’s purpose in all His choices for us is His glory. His goal is not to inflict pain unnecessarily but to let Christ’s life shine through us in hardship, to stabilize our confidence in God’s goodness, and to strengthen our trust in His loving sovereignty.
“His grace is always sufficient. Remember, it’s not the trial that develops or destroys us, but rather our response to that hardship.”
Then, in September 2024, after becoming the WNBA’s all-time rebounding and double-double leader, she gave glory to God in her postgame locker room speech after thanking her coaches and teammates.
“I have to give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” she said. “Last year, my faith is what carried me. My faith is what allowed me to be standing here right now.”
Charles now retires as one of the most decorated players in college and pro basketball history. Perhaps the only thing missing was playing in the WNBA Finals.
“This game gave me everything, and I’ll miss it deeply,” Charles said in her statement. “But my mom always taught me, don’t stop at what you’ve done, keep going toward what you still see. And I still see so much. There are still dreams in my heart waiting to be lived, and I can’t wait to share that journey with you all.”
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) and guard Cade Cunningham (2), May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
As expected, the Detroit Pistons — the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference — have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs. But not as expected was how difficult it was for them to get there.
The Pistons fell behind three games to one against the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven opening-round series as their offense sputtered against Orlando’s stifling defense. But they turned the tide by beating the Magic at its own game. After twice staving off elimination — including a Game 6 in which Detroit overcame a 24-point second-half deficit and Orlando managed only a season-low 79 points — the Pistons forced a Game 7 back in Detroit on Sunday.
With a raucous crowd eager for its team to advance to the second round for the first time since 2007-08, the Pistons seized control of the game in the second quarter and cruised to a 22-point win, 116-94.
Incredibly, this was not the first time the Pistons have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win; they also accomplished the feat in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against these very same Orlando Magic. Those Pistons won their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers but subsequently fell to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals.
These 2025-26 Pistons hope to advance further than the conference finals, and they’re well positioned to do so. Their 60 regular-season wins were the third-most in franchise history, they have home-court advantage in the East, and the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics were taken out in the first round.
Detroit has been led all season by young superstar point guard Cade Cunningham, and he delivered again on Sunday with a team-high 32 points and 12 assists. The 24-year-old five-year pro averaged 23.9 points, a career-high 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in the regular season. He also swiped a career-high 1.4 steals per game, tied for 15th-best in the league.
Cunningham’s production this season led to his second consecutive All-Star selection. At the All-Star Game in February, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick was asked in a press conference about his aura.
“I get my aura from Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior,” he said. “God blessed me with parents that raised me in a way that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”
“Every day that I wake up understanding how blessed I am, how fortunate I am,” he said during the course, via the The Christian Post. “When I do a lot of the community outreach with the youth, I can easily see the blessings that I’ve had in my life, even as a young kid growing up.”
Later, he spoke about the importance of seeking to root his joy in Jesus.
“I always try to make sure that the workspace that I’m in — the NBA, there’s highs and lows — but I always make sure that I never let the highs and lows truly determine my true happiness as a person,” he said. “… I look at it like if I’m playing basketball in the NBA or if I’m a principal at a school, which is something I would love to do when my career is over, I’m going to find ways to always bring Christ out in my life.”
Tobias Harris in Game 7? OUTSTANDING.
🎯 30 PTS, 5-7 3PM, 11-18 FGM, DET W
Harris and Cade Cunningham become the 11th duo in NBA history to each total 30+ PTS in a Game 7! pic.twitter.com/XmeBjfQKO8
Another Piston who has contributed to the team’s memorable season is Daniss Jenkins, a lightly touted undrafted second-year pro quickly developing a reputation as a knockdown 3-point shooter and intense defensive stopper. In Sunday’s Game 7 victory, Jenkins sparked Detroit with 16 points (4-of-5 on 3-pointers), five assists and three rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.
“This is Sunday. It’s the Lord’s day, baby. It’s the Lord’s day,” he said. “My mama prayed for me today. She said a great prayer. I believe in God and I trust my work.”
With some of their key players grounded in faith, the Pistons now look to their second-round matchup against the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30), which begins on Tuesday. Game 1 from Detroit is set for 7 p.m. ET.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING JUWAN JOHNSON
Juwan Johnson is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in 2020 out of college after spending four seasons with Penn State and a fifth at Oregon. He signed with the Saints after the 2020 NFL Draft and has become an integral part of New Orleans’ offense. In 2025, he had his best season as a pro, with a career-high 77 receptions and 889 receiving yards.
Today on the podcast, Juwan Johnson opens up about how putting Christ first transformed his identity beyond the jersey. He shares about how to lead with a servant’s heart in the spotlight, from handling the pressures of the NFL to finding a deeper purpose off the field.
