College basketball stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese became mega-famous last year following deep tournament runs and first-round WNBA draft selections.

• If UConn can do the same this spring, Hopkins alum Paige Buckers will raise her already supersized profile higher.

Why it matters: The growing WNBA has never been more popular and drafts on April 14 — eight days after the national championship.

• Bueckers finally winning the big one and then going No. 1 overall this year would make her a national household name.

Flashback: She led Hopkins to a state championship and is one of the best high school basketball players in Minnesota history.

State of play: Bueckers has been on the doorstep of an NCAA Tournament title since 2020 — she lost in the Final Four as a freshman, lost the national championship as a sophomore, missed the following season due to a torn ACL and then lost again in the Final Four last season.

• Individually, she has grown into a superstar. The 23 year old has earned more than $1 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals during her college career, per Sportico, and made her third career first-team All-American on Wednesday.

The latest: UConn is a No. 2 seed this year and will have to go through a strong No. 1 seed in USC to get back to the Final Four.

• As long as the Huskies keep winning, get ready for a month of Bueckers highlights and commercials plastered across TV.

The intrigue: Bueckers is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick in April's WNBA draft, which is owned by the Dallas Wings. The Lynx won't have a much of a shot at landing her, barring a major trade.

What's next: UConn plays Arkansas State on Saturday at noon on ABC.

Share this with a hoops head

A dispute over where St. Paul's new garbage hauler will store and fuel its trucks could leave the city without trash pickup service on April 1, Mayor Melvin Carter warned yesterday.

Catch up quick: St. Paul City Council members voted 5-0 on Wednesday to block the new hauler, FCC Environmental, from placing its truck yard on a lot the company purchased last summer off of West Seventh Street.

What they're saying: In a letter to the council, Carter warned the vote risks breaching the new garbage contract.

• City regulators had already determined the site was appropriate, and Carter wrote that council members were legally obligated to follow their determination.

The other side: At Wednesday's meeting, City Council President Rebecca Noecker said city officials erred in that determination.

• Noecker argued they were wrong to compare the site to a city public works yard, saying it would see more traffic from heavier trucks.

What we're watching: Carter has "not ruled out declaring a state of local emergency," he wrote.

Full story

Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) resigned yesterday, shortly before the Senate was set to vote on whether to oust him over his arrest in an underage prostitution sting. (MPR News)

• Eichorn, whom federal prosecutors have charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, did not comment on the allegations during his first court appearance yesterday.

🚍 The Gold Line bus rapid transit service between St. Paul and Woodbury begins Saturday. It's the first BRT line to operate primarily in a dedicated bus lane. (KARE 11)

⛏ More than 600 workers at taconite mines on the Iron Range will be laid off as a slowdown in auto manufacturing tied to President Trump's tariffs reduced the need for the steel pellets they produce. (Star Tribune)

• The company said the layoffs are temporary, but there's no timeline on how long they will last.

👀Discover new local events.

MN Twins & Hornets Baseball at Target Field on April 26: They're bringing together two incredible baseball games for an afternoon of action, community spirit, and fun. $28.52.

Mean Girls at Ordway Music Theater April 8-13: The hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team including Tina Fey. $45+.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Americans are snacking less — and that's a problem for Golden Valley-based General Mills and other companies in the packaged food industry.

Why it matters: After years of inflation, consumers are recoiling, fed up with food price increases and suddenly immersed in economic uncertainty.

Driving the news: General Mills on Wednesday became the latest food giant to sound the alarm about what CEO Jeff Harmening called a "slowdown in snacking."

• The company's net sales fell 5% in its latest quarter, with U.S. snacks sales down "mid-single digits."
• "Our view is that a lot of that has to do with consumer confidence," Harmening said.

Zoom in: Harmening also signaled that cost cutting would be coming, though it's not clear yet if that will result in local layoffs. The company said it would have more details on $100 million in "cost savings" in the coming months.

State of play: Other companies, including J.M. Smucker and Campbell's, also reported a decline in snack sales.

The intrigue: Is the rising use of weight-loss drugs causing people to snack less?

• Maybe a smidge, but not in meaningful amounts, most execs say.
• Harmening noted on an earnings call that General Mills even experienced a decline in sales of dog snacks — "and to my knowledge, there is not GLP-1s for dog treats."

Share this with a Chex Mix binger

New concept drawings show a publicly-financed renovation of the Xcel Energy Center complex that could add rooftop patios to the arena itself and spruce up the neighboring Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

Why it matters: St. Paul and the Minnesota Wild are trying to convince the state to pick up half of a projected $769 million tab for upgrades to the 24-year-old arena and the RiverCentre convention hall next door.

• The team, city and Ramsey County would also pitch in funding.

Full story with more renderings, starting with Roy Wilkins