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🏀 Five things to know Friday
- The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is already full of madness. While Cinderella did not show up to the party last year, she is alive and well early in 2026 March Madness. Led by 3-point specialist Chase Johnston, High Point delivered the first major upset of the postseason with an 83-82 victory over Wisconsin. Hours later, VCU erased a 19-point deficit to stun North Carolina in an 11-over-6 upset, making the Tar Heels the biggest losers of the day. And we nearly saw the No. 1 overall seed go down as Duke needed a serious second-half rally to fend off Siena. The first round continues today with 16 more games and a boatload more upset potential.
- First-round action begins today in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. We’re in store for a terrific first couple of days in women’s March Madness with a bevy of can’t-miss matchups. That includes a tantalizing battle between NC State and Tennessee, which we tabbed as the best game of the entire first round. Before brackets lock in a couple of hours, you’ll want to cross-check your picks with our expert predictions. Not everyone is riding with No. 1 overall seed UConn to roll to another national championship. Make sure to fill out your women’s bracket before it’s too late!
- Cade Cunningham sustained a collapsed lung. The Pistons announced that their star forward will be reevaluated in two weeks after experiencing the issue during Tuesday’s win over the Wizards. While Detroit is hopeful Cunningham will return for the start of the playoffs, losing its best player ahead of the regular season’s home stretch is obviously less than ideal. His absence could reshape the postseason picture and take him out of the running for awards, but if there is a silver lining, it is that he should make a full recovery. A medical expert told CBS Sports that a collapsed lung is generally not as bad as it sounds.
- Thibaut Courtois will miss six weeks with a thigh injury. The timing could not be much worse for Real Madrid, who will be without their superstar goalkeeper for up to seven matches, including the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich. The timeline sets up a potential return for El Clásico on May 10, but Courtois will also miss a key match this Sunday against Atlético Madrid. With Real Madrid standing four points back of the LaLiga lead, this injury could have major championship implications.
- MLS will hold a “Sprint Season” in 2027. A league-defining change is on the horizon in Major League Soccer, but before it joins European leagues on a summer-to-spring schedule, it has to bridge the gap between its 2026 and 2027 seasons. The solution is MLS Sprint Season. Teams will play 14 regular-season matches from February to April — only in their respective conferences — before the top eight teams from each conference battle in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
👑 Do not miss this: LeBron James’ 10 most unbreakable records
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Last night’s game between the Lakers and Heat marked career appearance No. 1,611 for LeBron James. The King tied Robert Parish for the most games played in NBA history, and when he suits up next (likely tomorrow against the Magic), he will jump into sole possession of what could be another one of his seemingly untouchable records.
Sam Quinn ranked the 10 most unbreakable records of James’ legendary career. He had a ton of them to choose from, so these truly are the most elite of the elite.
Here are the top five:
- Most All-NBA selections (21)
- Most consecutive 10-point regular-season games (1,297)
- Most playoff points (8,289)
- Most field goals (15,889)
- Most minutes (60,672)
Because James embarked on his pro career straight out of high school, he has a slight leg up on those who have to abide by the one-year-of-college rule. That ought not to undermine his accolades, though. James’ longevity and consistently remarkable play is simply unmatched in NBA history.
🔢 WNBA free agency rankings
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Now that the WNBA and its players’ union have finally come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement, the offseason can deliver its regularly scheduled programming. Up first is the free agency period, which will operate on a condensed timeline from April 7-18. Countless stars will hit free agency, and that is by design, as they structured their contracts specifically to expire in advance of their anticipated pay raises.
There is no bigger name on the free agency market than A’ja Wilson. Expect the four-time MVP to re-sign with the Aces, Jack Maloney says.
- Maloney: “It would be a major surprise if she leaves the Aces, who are the only franchise she has ever known. This time a year ago, Wilson said she wanted to retire in Las Vegas: ‘I don’t see myself putting on another jersey.'”
Maloney unveiled a massive list of the top free agents, ranking the 30 best players available. Here are the top five:
- A’ja Wilson (Previous team: Aces)
- Napheesa Collier (Lynx)
- Breanna Stewart (Liberty)
- Alyssa Thomas (Mercury)
- Jackie Young (Aces)
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
🏀 March Madness continues all day today. Here’s how to watch the men’s first round and women’s first round
⚾ Spring training: Cardinals at Mets, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Napoli at Cagliari, 1:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⛳ Valspar Championship, second round, 2 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚽ Manchester United at AFC Bournemouth, 4 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Spring Breakout: Mariners prospects vs. Brewers prospects, 5:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 Hurricanes at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
⚾ Spring Breakout: Tigers prospects vs. Pirates prospects, 7:35 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Hawks at Rockets, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
⚽ Washington Spirit at Racing Louisville FC, 8 p.m. on Victory+
⚽ Seattle Reign at Portland Thorns FC, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
Saturday
🏀 March Madness continues Saturday. Here’s how to watch the men’s second round and women’s first round
⚽ Liverpool at Brighton & Hove Albion, 8:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Cremonese at Parma, 10 a.m. on Paramount+
🏒 Jets at Penguins, 1 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Chelsea at Everton, 1:30 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Spring Breakout: Blue Jays prospects vs. Phillies prospects, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⛳ Valspar Championship, third round, 3 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Sassuolo at Juventus, 3:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏈 Fanatics Flag Football Classic, 4 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Boston Legacy FC at Houston Dash, 4 p.m. on Ion
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy, 4 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Spring Breakout: White Sox prospects vs. Dodgers prospects, 5:30 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Nashville SC at Orlando City, 6 p.m. on Fox
⚽ North Carolina Courage at Gotham FC, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏀 Lakers at Magic, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏒 Bruins at Red Wings, 8 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Austin FC at Los Angeles Football Club, 8:30 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Angel City FC at Bay FC, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
🏀 Bucks at Suns, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Sunday
🏀 March Madness continues Sunday. Here’s how to watch the men’s second round and women’s second round
⚽ Pisa at Como, 7:30 a.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚽ West Ham United at Aston Villa, 10:15 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏒 Avalanche at Capitals, 12:30 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Carabao Cup, final: Arsenal vs. Manchester City, 12:30 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Spring training: Phillies at Yankees, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Kansas City Current at Chicago Stars FC, 2 p.m. on ESPN2
⚽ Minnesota United FC at Seattle Sounders FC, 2:30 p.m. on Fox
🏁 NASCAR at Darlington, 3 p.m. on FS1
⛳ Valspar Championship, final round, 3 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Inter Milan at Fiorentina, 3:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚾ Spring Breakout: Brewers prospects vs. Athletics prospects, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Portland Timbers at LA Galaxy, 4:30 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Trail Blazers at Nuggets, 5 p.m. on NBA TV
🏒 Golden Knights at Stars, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ San Diego Wave FC at Utah Royals FC, 7 p.m. on Victory+
🏀 Timberwolves at Celtics, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚾ Spring training: Dodgers at Angels, 9:07 p.m. on MLB Network
