General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 15, 2026, 4:58 AM ET
Formula 1 & Motorsport
Kimi Antonelli converted pole position into victory espn.com at the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 race at 18 years old, while Mercedes dominated qualifying bbc.com despite showing first signs of 2026 vulnerability. Lewis Hamilton missed the Oscars espn.com after exploring "every way" to attend Sunday's ceremony following the Chinese Grand Prix but ultimately deciding it was impossible to arrive on time. In other motorsport news, Graeme McDowell created LIV Golf history bbc.com by becoming the first player to hit a second hole-in-one on the tour, and Elfyn Evans retired from Rally Kenya bbc.com after his car suffered suspension damage on Saturday.
College Basketball
No. 1 Duke defeated No. 10 Virginia espn.com 73-68 for its second straight ACC tournament championship under coach Jon Scheyer, while Arizona avenged last season's loss espn.com with a 79-74 Big 12 tournament final win over Houston. St. John's routed UConn 72-52 espn.com to defend its Big East title, and Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg buried a game-winning 3-pointer espn.com with 0.4 seconds remaining to beat Wisconsin 68-65. UCLA advanced without injured star Tyler Bilodeau espn.com, who suffered a right leg injury that will likely sideline him for at least one game, though the Bruins beat No. 8 Michigan State 88-84 espn.com to reach the Big Ten semifinals. Texas Tech's Christian Anderson strained a muscle slipping espn.com on the new glass floor at the Big 12 tournament during Iowa State's 75-53 win over the Red Raiders.
International Football & Rugby
Ireland secured its fourth Triple Crown in five years bbc.com with a 43-21 win over Scotland, described by head coach Andy Farrell as showing a "ruthless edge." Wales ended a three-year Six Nations losing streak bbc.com with a bonus-point win against Italy in Cardiff, while Scotland women reached their first Hockey World Cup bbc.com in 24 years after beating Italy in a tense play-off. England's Six Nations campaign continued its struggles bbc.com despite a superb showing against France, with head coach Steve Borthwick backed by the RFU bbc.com despite mounting pressure.
Tennis & Golf
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Victoria Mboko bbc.com at Indian Wells, calling her opponent a "future Grand Slam champion," while world No. 1 Iga Swiatek suffered an early exit bbc.com. Sweden's Ludvig Aberg extended his lead to three shots bbc.com heading into Sunday's Players Championship finale at TPC Sawgrass, though a fatal shooting near the course bbc.com delayed spectator entry before day three. Jonny Clayton overcame gout to crush Luke Humphries bbc.com 6-1 in the Premier League darts final in Nottingham.
Boxing & Combat Sports
Belfast's Anthony Cacace became the new WBA super-featherweight champion bbc.com via unanimous decision over James 'Jazza' Dickens at Dublin's 3 Arena, while Ryan Garner eyed the winner for a future title shot bbc.com. In UFC, Sean Strickland will challenge Khamzat Chimaev bbc.com for the middleweight title in May, and Harry Hardwick described MMA as a "stupid" career choice bbc.com, acknowledging that "most dreams fail" in the sport.
Winter Paralympics & Adaptive Sports
Haiti's Ralf Etienne became his nation's first Winter Paralympian bbc.com 16 years after losing his leg in an earthquake that devastated Haiti. Davy Zyw, the first athlete with MND to compete at a Winter Paralympics, said he will cherish the joy bbc.com from his Milan-Cortina experience for the rest of his life. Great Britain's Hester Poole vowed redemption after crashing bbc.com out of the giant slalom on her Paralympic debut, while Britain's Neil Simpson and guide Rob Poth failed to finish their opening run bbc.com in the men's visually impaired giant slalom, leaving Simpson "bitterly disappointed."
Cricket & Baseball
Pakistan batter Salman Agha was reprimanded for his angry reaction bbc.com to his controversial run-out against Bangladesh in Friday's one-day international. England bowler Mark Wood said his injured knee is improving bbc.com but admitted he has started thinking about life after cricket for the first time. In college baseball, Tennessee star freshman Nate Ament is expected to return espn.com for the SEC quarterfinals against Auburn after missing two games with a leg injury.
NFL & American Football
The Atlanta Falcons will bring in Tua Tagovailai espn.com to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting quarterback job, while the complete 2026 NFL draft order was released espn.com, starting with the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with the Broncos at No. 257. NFL Players Association representatives are set to vote espn.com on a successor to disgraced former leader Lloyd Howell, with tension building ahead of the leadership election.
College Sports & Administration
Cincinnati fired men's basketball coach Wes Miller espn.com after five seasons, while Providence terminated Kim English's tenure espn.com following a loss to St. John's. Oklahoma coach Porter Moser will return for a ninth season espn.com despite a 2025-26 campaign that fell "well short" of expectations, and Pitt's Jeff Capel will also return espn.com for another season. Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz agreed to a contract extension espn.com after leading the Billikens to an Atlantic 10 regular-season title.
Emerging Sports & Women's Athletics
The WNBPA expressed optimism on Day 4 of CBA negotiations espn.com, with chief Terri Carmichael Jackson saying continued conversations have helped "chip away at what the concerns are for both sides." Hendrix Hart, son of comedian Kevin Hart, committed to Tennessee track espn.com with personal bests of 10.68 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.35 in the 200-meter dash. F1 Academy wants to nurture and develop female drivers bbc.com who can compete at the top level of motorsport.
Horse Racing & Equestrian
Gaelic Warrior won the Cheltenham Gold Cup bbc.com in supreme fashion, while Heart Wood triumphed in the Ryanair Chase bbc.com on day three for trainer Henry de Bromhead's first winner of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Two more horses died on Friday's final day bbc.com of Cheltenham, with Envoi Allen and Saint Le Fort both perishing. Trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies combined to win the Midlands Grand National bbc.com with Isaac Des Obeaux at Uttoxeter.
Basketball & NBA
LeBron James praised Luka Doncic as 'generational' talent bbc.com after the Slovenian hit an overtime winner for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kawhi Leonard scored at least 20 points for the 44th consecutive game bbc.com to equal a 51-year-old franchise record for the Clippers. Miami responded online after Milwaukee espn.com brought up Heat star Bam Adebayo's historic 83-point performance.
Miscellaneous Sports
Wakefield Trinity fought back to beat Leeds Rhinos 24-14 bbc.com and Wigan Warriors overpowered Bradford Bulls 30-6 bbc.com in the Challenge Cup. Ulster earned a bonus-point victory at Edinburgh bbc.com with a superb second-half performance that damaged the hosts' top-eight hopes. Connacht beat Scarlets in Galway bbc.com to move within striking distance of the United Rugby Championship play-offs.
Media & Entertainment
The first professional sporting auction in the UK was streamed all over the country bbc.com, with 89 players picked up in an emotionally draining Hundred Auction. Betting on the Oscars became a popular topic espn.com, with sportsbooks offering odds on everything from 'Marty Supreme' to 'KPop Demon Hunters.' The estimated $3.3 billion expected to be bet on the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments represents a slight year-over-year increase espn.com, according to a gaming association's estimate.