General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Rugby Union
Scotland delivered a "brutal" performance to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive, while Italy made history by beating England for the first time ever. England's Ben Earl defended coach Steve Borthwick's record despite the loss, claiming "large parts of the performance were brilliant." Ireland secured a World Cup place with a dramatic shootout win over Japan, and head coach Andy Farrell emphasized the squad's solidarity ahead of their Triple Crown decider against Scotland.
Auto Racing
Ryan Blaney completed a Team Penske sweep at Phoenix Raceway by winning the Cup Series race Sunday. In Formula, rookie Arvid Lindblad said he "showed people a bit of what I am here to do" after finishing eighth on his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. George Russell earned "imperious" ratings while Oliver Bearman "raced beautifully" according to BBC commentator Harry Benjamin's driver ratings.
Basketball
West Virginia avenged two regular-season losses to TCU by beating the reigning Big 12 tournament champion 62-53 in the conference title game. UCLA rolled past Iowa 96-45 to win its second straight Big Ten tournament crown, while Texas sprinted to a 14-0 lead against South Carolina en route to their first women's SEC tournament title. Duke rallied to beat Louisville 70-65 in overtime for their second straight women's ACC tournament title. Queens University earned an NCAA berth in its first year of eligibility, and Northern Iowa defeated UIC to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
Golf
Akshay Bhatia beat fellow American Daniel Berger on the first sudden death play-off hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando. Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Bankes claimed victory in the women's snowboard cross at a World Cup event in Turkey.
Tennis
Emma Raducanu was overpowered by sixth seed Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells, losing 6-1 6-1 in a third-round encounter lasting just 52 minutes.
Cricket
India won their third white-ball trophy in a row with a dominant T20 World Cup title, prompting questions about whether other nations can catch up. The International Cricket Council defended its attempts to fly teams home from the tournament and "categorically" refuted "any claims of bias."
Football (Soccer)
If Wales qualify for the 2026 World Cup, they are likely to be based in Salt Lake City, Utah. England's men won their Hockey World Cup qualification tournament with a 4-1 victory over Pakistan in Egypt.
Mixed Martial Arts
The UFC announced a White House fight card, but Dana White said Jon Jones was "never ever" in his mind for a fight. The BMF legacy was questioned after Holloway vs. Oliveira didn't bring the expected type of fight.
Other Sports
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo regained the world half-marathon record in Lisbon. New Zealander Brett Randell became the first bowler in 254 years of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five balls. Snowboarder Emanuel Perathoner won Paralympic gold at his home Games after a devastating knee injury and move into Para-sport. Two-time Olympian Charlotte Bankes won a World Cup snowboard cross race.
Coaching Changes
Boston College fired coach Earl Grant after five years, while Georgia Tech dismissed Damon Stoudamire following a last-place finish in his third season.
College Basketball Spotlight
Iowa State's Audi Crooks inherited resilience from her mom and joy from her dad, with her high-scoring game serving as the ultimate counterpoint to haters. UConn's Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards headline the women's Wooden Award top, with Texas also putting multiple players on the short list.