General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Women's Basketball
WNBPA executive committee members Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart questioned the PA's handling of CBA talks in a three-page letter to union executive director Terri Jackson. The letter expressed "serious concerns" about the union's approach to negotiations.
College Basketball
Top-10 senior Bruce Branch III committed to BYU, giving coach Kevin Young his third consecutive recruiting class with a five-star recruit. Meanwhile, No. 2 Arizona clinched the Big 12 title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State, while star freshman Cameron Boozer and top-ranked Duke overwhelmed NC State to secure the ACC regular-season title.
Cricket
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt eyes a "Euros moment" at the home World Cup, hoping her team can create their own breakthrough moment. The England Lions squad returned from the cancelled UAE series after their limited-overs matches against Pakistan Shaheens were called off. Former fast bowler John Blain was reinstated to Cricket Scotland's Hall of Fame following his 2022 suspension.
Rugby Union
Worcester academy teammates Seb Atkinson and Fin Smith's teenage days together could be key for England's new 10-12 combination against Italy in Rome. Scarlets wing Ellis Mee is in line for a Wales recall in Friday's Six Nations clash against Ireland. Wales back row Hanro Liebenberg will leave Leicester Tigers at season's end to rejoin South African side the Bulls. Scotland must get key areas right when facing unbeaten France, while Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell insists the team won't expose itself to Wales underdog narratives.
Tennis
A drone attack in the UAE caused a tournament cancellation when players and officials fled the court at an ATP Challenger event after a fire broke out at an oil terminal 10km away.
Gymnastics
Iowa State discontinued its women's gymnastics program, with the athletic director calling it "the right decision for our athletics program and our student athletes" amid ongoing issues.
Golf
The USGA announced national amateur awards named after Tiger, with the U.S. Amateur winner now receiving the Tiger Woods Medal and the U.S. Junior Amateur champ getting the Tiger Woods Trophy. LIV's Jon Rahm accused the DP World Tour of attempting to "extort" golfers and said he won't commit to six European tour events annually.
Swimming
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Hunter Armstrong plans to swim in the Enhanced Games while still pursuing his 2028 Olympic aspirations, despite the event's permissive stance on performance-enhancing drugs.
Winter Sports
Skiing duo Menna Fitzpatrick and Scott Meenagh were named Great Britain's Winter Paralympics flagbearers for the opening ceremony.
Football
Captain Angharad James said Wales have a first Women's World Cup "in their sights" as they begin their qualifying journey against the Czech Republic. England's spinners give them an edge, with former captain Michael Vaughan saying England can beat India in the T20 World Cup semi-final.
Motorsport
The Australian Grand Prix could see unprecedented chaos from the start with guaranteed drama when the lights go out. Questions surround Aston Martin's F1 team, with Fernando Alonso's "team of the future" heading to Australia in disarray. BBC Sport's Andrew Benson answers F1 questions before the season opener, including whether to have high hopes for Hamilton and Ferrari.
Other Sports
The RFL granted membership to a new Halifax Panthers club after the previous club's liquidation. The Welsh Rugby Union faces pressure to rethink plans to cut a men's professional side after politicians urged reconsideration. Marathon training while fasting for Ramadan presents unique challenges, with one athlete saying Ramadan is more important than marathon training. Lando Norris, Luke Littler and the England women's football team are among the nominees for this year's Laureus World Sports Awards.