Top 2021 sports moments: UCLA's Final Four run; Dodgers thrive despite Trevor Bauer

JANUARY

— Former USC swimmer Klete Keller is arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot

— The Rams execute rare quarterback-for-quarterback trade and acquire Matthew Stafford from Detroit in exchange for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and more.

— Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda dies

— Chargers hire Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley as their new head coach.

— UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis performs a Black excellence routine that goes viral

FEBRUARY

— Golf star Tiger Woods was “lucky to be alive” after being seriously injured in a rollover crash near Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County sheriff said

MARCH

— High school sports resume after extended pandemic interruption

— Clippers legend Elgin Baylor dies

APRIL

— UCLA falls to Gonzaga in epic Final Four game, ending Bruins’ dramatic tournament run

— Fans return, starting with games at Angel and Dodger stadiums

MAY

— Kobe Bryant is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

— After a contentious early exit from his Angels contract, Albert Pujols signs with the Dodgers

— Local trainer Bob Baffert learns his Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for a medication not allowed on race day

— Lakers lose to eventual the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs

JUNE

— Trevor Bauer pitches his last game for the Dodgers and is placed on administrative leave that spans the remainder of the season after a woman accused him of sexual assault

— Clippers make the franchise’s first trip to the conference finals, losing in six games to the Phoenix Suns with Kawhi Leonard missing the series because of a knee injury

— The Skaggs family sues the Angels over Tyler Skaggs' overdose death

JULY

— Naomi Osaka lights the Olympic flame and Simone Biles later pulls out of the Olympic all-around competition

— Shohei Ohtani pitches and hits during the MLB All-Star game. After leading the league in home runs at times throughout the season, he was named a unanimous MVP

— The Dodgers acquire Max Scherzer and Trea Turner on the same day the Lakers acquire Russell Westbrook

— Collin Morikawa of La Cañada wins the British Open for his second major championship, arguably making him the most successful golfer born in Los Angeles County

— Terry Donahue, longtime UCLA football coach and winningest in Pac-12 history, dies

AUGUST

— Costa Mesa's April Ross and Manhattan Beach's Alix Klineman win Olympic gold

— Los Angeles native and USC alum Allyson Felix becomes the most decorated U.S. track and field Olympian of all time, increasing her medal total to 11

— Los Angeles native Jrue Holiday follows his first NBA title with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics three weeks later

SEPTEMBER

— SoFi Stadium hosts its first NFL game with fans in attendance

— USC fires Clay Helton after historically ugly home loss to Stanford

— Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín announces he will retire in 2022

OCTOBER

— Chris Taylor hits three home runs in a single game as the Dodgers beat the Giants in the NLDS

— Candace Parker, who spent 12 seasons leading the Sparks, wins a WNBA title in her first season with her hometown Chicago Sky

— Four Southland natives helps the Atlanta Braves defeat the Dodgers to advance to the World Series, with each having big moments while winning the title — Freddie Freeman, Travis d’Arnaud, Tyler Matzek and Max Fried. They later defeat the Astros to win it all.

— Ryan Getzlaf becomes the leading scorer in Ducks franchise history and a few weeks later reaches 1,000 NHL career points

NOVEMBER

— No. 2 UCLA basketball beats No. 4 Villanova in overtime at sold-out Pauley Pavilion

— USC hires Lincoln Riley

— Breeders’ Cup held at Del Mar with a massive screw up on the winner of a 2-year-old race resulting in a cascade of boos from fans. Also, a Baffert horse wins the Juvenile, even though Churchill Downs excluded Bob Baffert from the Kentucky Derby.

— The Rams and NFL reach a $790-million settlement with St. Louis over the Rams' relocation.

DECEMBER

— The MLB lockout begins, with the two sides far apart and the upcoming season in jeopardy

— UCLA goes to a bowl game

— Staples Center becomes Crypto.com Arena

— Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit dies after a workout at Santa Anita

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.