Nebraska
Potts Looking to Build off Fantastic Freshman Year with Nebraska Women's Basketball | Hurrdat Sports
When she first arrived on campus, Natalie Potts didn’t expect to play much during her freshman season with Nebraska women’s basketball. Knowing the kind of challenge that awaited her in Lincoln, she didn’t want to get her hopes up.
Her mom, Sharon Potts, expressed concerns about her daughter’s readiness to compete physically with the other members of the Nebraska frontcourt while Coach Amy Williams was recruiting the 6-foot-2 forward out of O’Fallon, Missouri.
However, Williams and her staff saw something special in Potts. They believed in her ability to make an immediate impact.
“If you watched Natalie play even in the recruiting process, she plays with a motor and she just has that knack for game-winning plays, hustle plays,” Williams said at Big Ten Media Days. “I can remember coming home from watching her and saying, ‘I know she had double-figure deflections.’ I would lose track of how many times she’d get her hands on balls and just make hustle plays. That motor, it translates.
“So we felt very confidently that she would be able to make an impact on our team and we don’t recruit anybody into our program if we don’t believe they have that ability to have a positive impact for us, and she was no different. We believed in her from the moment she signed those papers, and we started to see some really good flashes early in her career that she was gaining confidence as well.”
The motor Williams described showed itself in Potts’ 5.5 rebounds per game, five double-doubles and 1.7 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. She tied Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament record with nine blocks in four games as the Huskers made a run to the conference title game. Potts said she loves running and, more importantly, she loves winning.
“I’ve always had a high motor,” said Potts, who represented Nebraska at Big Ten Media Days alongside senior Alexis Markowski. “Growing up, I was top of the press whole games, running with my head chopped off like I was a chicken. It just keeps me going, it brings energy to the team, and I think that’s a big momentum booster.”
Potts started all 35 games and was third on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game in addition to her work on the glass and on defense. She won Big Ten Freshman of the Week eight times, and at the end of the season the coaches voted her Big Ten Freshman of the Year while the media voted her as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.
“She’s just a nonstop go-getter,” Markowski said. “She’s constantly trying to find a way to get another rebound, an offensive rebound. If you need a tough basket, Natalie’s your girl to go finish one. I think where I’ve seen her impact the game the most is defensively. She gets a lot of deflections; she’s really long.”
Isabelle Bourne left some big shoes to fill at the four spot as a three-year starter, captain and honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, and Potts felt the nerves early when Williams put her in the lineup from day one. By the end of the season, however, her production wasn’t far off what Bourne had given the Nebraska women’s basketball team.
“At first I was definitely nervous being thrown into that starting spot, but after a few games I got very comfortable with the system and playing with everybody,” Potts said. “They all have a lot of trust and confidence in me, which makes it super easy to get out there and get after it.”
Potts didn’t have to do much to earn her teammates’ trust; she won them over quickly by being herself. However, Markowski pointed to the Huskers’ 87-81 win over Maryland on Dec. 31 as a turning point for the freshman. She put up 17 points and a career-high 13 points in the victory.
“Natalie, you can just trust her,” Markowski said. “She just has this very calming presence about her. When she came in as a freshman, I just knew right away she would do big, great things … I think she had a lot of sparks in games, but I think the Maryland game was huge … It was a big game for us too; I think that was the second time we’ve ever beat Maryland, and she had such a great game, and I felt like she consistently played like that the rest of the year from that moment.”
Potts said she far exceeded her expectations for herself during her freshman year, and after an offseason focuses on polishing up key areas (most notably her 25.4% 3-point clip), she’s looking to take a step forward in year two as a Husker.
“With Natalie, the things we’ve talked about, the things that she has identified in postseason meetings and offseason that she wants to improve on is just a little extended range and consistency with her range,” Williams said. “She’s been working really hard and looking good from behind the arc.
“Her ball-handling skills have just continued to get better. She’s showing confidence going over either shoulder when her back is to the basket. Just dribbling, right and left hand, and making decisions off the dribble, just some things that as she’s now more comfortable in our system, she’s just able to take the expanded skill set that she’s worked hard to develop this offseason.”
Potts didn’t arrive at Nebraska expecting to play much, but after a stellar freshman season, whatever doubts she may have had are gone. The Huskers are looking to build off last year’s NCAA Tournament win and make a deeper postseason run in 2025, and to make that happen they’ll need Markowski and Potts to lead the way.
Nebraska
Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
‘Nothing can hold me back’: Nebraska teen scores on first play after open heart surgery
(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on April 19, 2026
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
Technology4 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business10 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment16 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’
-
Lifestyle22 minutes agoMore is more in this L.A. ‘barn’ exploding with thrifted finds and maximalist flair
-
Politics28 minutes agoFormer state Controller Betty Yee drops out of the governor’s race
-
Sports40 minutes agoPrep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard
-
World52 minutes agoAppetite among NATO members to join Iran war ‘very limited’, says Eide
-
New York3 hours agoHarvey Weinstein’s Third Trial on Rape Charge Opens in Manhattan