Imagine this — Coco Gauff versus Caitlin Clark.

Tennis has always been a dream of American superstar Gauff, but if she had the option to dabble in another sport, the 2023 U.S. Open champion said she would love to go head-to-head on the basketball court with Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.

‘If I could go in another life I would love to play at the same time as Caitlin Clark just to see if I could guard her,’ Gauff, 20, said after her win at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Wednesday. ‘Obviously, now I definitely couldn’t, but I don’t know, if I trained for it, (I) just (want) to see.’

She added: ‘It’s funny because my dad was actually talking about that. He was, like, ‘You would have been right up there. You would have been a sophomore. I would have had you shooting Js and everything.”

Gauff played basketball earlier in her childhood. She said her father, Corey, who played college basketball at Georgia State University, encouraged her to play basketball before she focused solely on tennis.

‘That was my dad’s dream, not mine. Tennis was my dream. But, yeah, he said all his kids had to play basketball at least once,’ Gauff said. ‘I was really good on defense. I couldn’t shoot to save my life, but defense I was on it and because it’s the change of direction. And guarding people, I was really good at that.’

Sticking to tennis turned out to be great for Gauff. She’s currently ranked No. 3 in the world, the highest in her career, and No. 1 in doubles. Gauff has a 190-85 career record and already has a major title to her name.

‘I know tennis has been there, and I’m just excited to see these incredible athletes get the recognition that they deserve, and I think in the whole it will uplift our sport and other sports like women’s soccer and all that,’ Gauff said.

Gauff said she’s reached out to several women’s basketball stars and is enjoying the growth in the game.

‘It’s very exciting to see the women’s game especially in basketball getting as much traction now,’ Gauff said. ‘They definitely deserve it. I’ve been Instagram mutuals with some of the girls. Cameron Brink just signed with New Balance. And Angel Reese, had some DMs with her, and same with Caitlin (Clark) and Paige Bueckers.’

Clark was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday. Brink went No. 2 to the Los Angeles Sparks and Reese was drafted No. 7 by the Chicago Sky. The draft attracted a record 2.45 million viewers on ESPN.

Well, the Detroit Lions’ new uniforms are here, but the arrival didn’t have much luster thanks to a leak.

The Lions’ new uniforms were originally scheduled to be released Thursday evening, but showed up online Thursday morning. The three Lions uniforms are Honolulu Blue, white, and a black alternate with blue lettering.

The Lions will have a couple of different pant options to use with their new jerseys.

The Lions introduced a black alternate uniform in 2005 and last wore it in 2007.

The Lions were ready for a leak, however: Their social team posted a pre-recorded video minutes later with defensive tackle Alim McNeill.

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While wearing the new Honolulu Blue and silver jersey, an exasperated McNeill said, ‘Whoever leaked the uniform video, we appreciate it. We appreciate you ruining all the hard work we put in. Video coming soon.’

The Lions then released a second video titled ‘Inside job?’ of quarterback Jared Goff joking he had to take a picture of the black jersey to ‘leak them to Twitter.’

The Lions officially revealed their new threads Thursday night.

The Lions last updated their uniforms in 2017, when they removed black from the color scheme and introduced a steel gray ‘Color Rush’ alternate. Team president Rod Wood said at the time a big reason the Lions went through a complete uniform redesign was to remove black from their uniform, but he insisted it wasn’t about purging some of the final remnants from the Matt Millen era.

‘It’s gone and I think we’re happy that it’s gone,’ Wood said in 2017 of removing black.

The new uniforms for 2024 include a Nike logo on the sleeve in place of the ‘WCF’ patch worn on the Lions’ uniform shoulder the past decade, memorializing former owner William Clay Ford, who died in 2014. Wood in March said they will honor Ford in a different way.

‘We’re going to treat that in a little different way,’ Wood said. ‘I’m not going to tease exactly how it is but it’s going to be honored, but not in the same way it was on the current uniforms.’

Ford’s daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, took over as the principal owner from her mother, Martha, in 2020.

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is back in the lab amid his legal woes.

Rice, who caught six receptions for 39 yards in the Chiefs’ 25–22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 in February, turned himself into Dallas police last week after being charged with eight felony counts for his role in a multi-car crash that sent two people to the hospital. Rice was released from jail after posting bond.

Rice, 23, returned to the field amid his ongoing case to workout with Patrick Mahomes at the Chiefs quarterback’s annual camp in Texas. Rice shared videos on Instagram of himself running routes and catching passes. ‘I’ve worked with Rashee (Rice) brought the offseason, just in general. I’m sure we’ll continue that work as the legal process plays out,’ Mahomes confirmed on Monday.

Rice is facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury following the accident in north Dallas on March 30, where police said Rice lost control of his Lamborghini while racing Southern Methodist cornerback Teddy Knox. Both Rice and Knox are being sued for more than $10 million for damages from people injured in the crash.

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Earlier this week, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Rice will participate in the first phase of the team’s virtual, voluntary offseason program via Zoom as the police investigation into the crash continues.

“As far as Rashee Rice and his situation,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on Monday, “I’m leaving that like we’ve done for most of these, just for the law enforcement part of it to take place. Then we will go from there with that.”

Reid added that the Chiefs will ‘keep gathering information from law enforcement’ about Rice’s case to determine if he will participate in the team’s limited on-field work starting later this month.

An investigation conducted by Dallas Police determined that Rice, who was driving a Lamborghini, and Knox, who was driving a Corvette, were ‘speeding in the far-left lane’ of North Central Expressway on March 30 before the drivers lost control and caused a “chain reaction collision involving four other vehicles.’ Police said the drivers and occupants from both the Corvette and Lamborghini ‘all ran from the scene without stopping to determine if anyone needed medical help or providing their information.’ The crash was caught on dash-cam video.

The NFL is monitoring Rice’s case and he could face future discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy.

The San Jose Sharks had a historically bad season in 2023-24.

Their 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday made the Sharks (19-54-9) the first team in the salary-cap era (since 2005-06) to fail to get to 20 wins during an 82-game season.

San Jose had a -150 goal differential after scoring the second fewest goals in the league and giving up 31 more than the 31st-place Columbus Blue Jackets.

The rebuilding Sharks got this way because they dealt away stars (Timo Meier last season, Erik Karlsson in the offseason and Tomas Hertl at this year’s deadline) and captain Logan Couture was limited to six games by injury.

But the poor showing might help the Sharks do something they haven’t before: draft first overall. They will have the best draft lottery odds to land the No. 1 pick in June’s NHL draft and can draft no worse than third.

What are the NHL’s draft lottery odds?

Odds in parentheses. Teams can move up only 10 spots, so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to land the top pick. The Sharks would also land the first pick if a team in the 12-16 range wins the lottery.

San Jose Sharks (18.5% outright, 25.5% overall)
Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%)
Anaheim Ducks (11.5%)
Columbus Blue Jackets (9.5%)
Montreal Canadiens (8.5%)
Arizona Coyotes (7.5%). Note: Team will play in Utah next season
Ottawa Senators (6.5%)
Calgary Flames (6.0%)
Seattle Kraken (5.0%)
New Jersey Devils (3.5%)
Buffalo Sabres (3.0%)
Philadelphia Flyers (2.5%)
Minnesota Wild (2.0%)
Pittsburgh Penguins (1.5%) – The Sharks acquired this pick, but it’s top 10 protected
Detroit Red Wings (0.5%)
St. Louis Blues (0.5%)

Who is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft?

NHL Central Scouting lists Boston University center Macklin Celebrini as its top North American prospect. He had 32 goals and 64 points in 38 games to lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four, where they lost to eventual champion Denver in the semifinals. Celebrini won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top men’s player. He was also the top scorer for Canada at the world junior championships.

Who are the other top prospects in the 2024 NHL draft?

North American prospects: Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov, Medicine Hat center Cayden Lindstrom, Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, Saginaw defenseman Zayne Parekh.

International prospects: Russian 6-7 defenseman Anton Silayev , Russian winger Ivan Demidov, Finnish center Konsta Helenius.

How does the draft lottery work?

There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. The last-place team can draft no lower than third overall. Beginning with the 2022 lottery, a team cannot win more than twice in a five-year period. There are 14 ping-pong balls in the machine and each team is assigned a series of four numbers. The lower a team is in the standings, the more series of numbers it gets. 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen publicly thanked ex-teammate Stefon Diggs on Thursday, and revealed he sent a text message to the wide receiver.

“Yeah, I shared a text with him and got one back, just thanking him for everything that he did for me,” Allen told reporters Thursday’s in his first public comments since the Bills traded Diggs. “I’ll always have a spot in my heart for him and I’ll always love him like a brother and wish him nothing but the best.”

The Bills traded Diggs to the Houston Texans earlier this month after the receiver spent four seasons in Buffalo. Diggs’ tenure in upstate New York was eventful.

Diggs led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2020, he had four consecutive seasons with more than 100 receptions and had four straight invitations to the Pro Bowl. However, there were times when Diggs’ frustration boiled over on the sideline at Allen and other teammates.

The wideout missed the first day of mandatory minicamp in 2023 and he’s made cryptic comments on social media.

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Diggs’ production dipped midway through 2023. He finished the season with 11 straight regular-season games with less than 100 receiving yards and had just 73 combined receiving yards in Buffalo’s two playoff games last season.

The Bills subsequently traded the star wideout to Houston after Diggs’ time in Buffalo appeared to have run its course at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

“My lasting memory of (Stefon) will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today,” Allen said. “I will always thank him for that.”

Allen’s two Pro Bowl selections (2020 and 2022) came with Diggs as his leading receiver. Diggs’ departure created a massive hole at wide receiver in Buffalo. In addition to trading away Diggs, the Bills also lost their No. 2 wide receiver, Gabe Davis, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.

The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs get under way on Saturday, starting with the New York Islanders visiting the Carolina Hurricanes.

The other Eastern Conference series are New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Western Conference series are Dallas Stars vs. defending champion Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings.

The NHL has released the schedule for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Here are the times and TV information for the eight series. Follow along for scores once the games get underway.

NHL PLAYOFFS: Everything to know about the first-round series

NHL Eastern Conference playoff schedule

All times p.m. ET. x-if necessary

Florida Panthers (Atlantic 1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (wild card 1)

Game 1: April 21, Lightning at Panthers, 12:30, ESPN

Game 2: April 23, Lightning at Panthers, 7:30, ESPN2

Game 3: April 25, Panthers at Lightning, 7 TBS

Game 4: April 27, Panthers at Lightning, 5, TBS

x-Game 5: April 29, Lightning at Panthers, TBD

x-Game 6: May 1, Panthers at Lightning, TBD

x-Game 7: May 4, Lightning at Panthers, TBD

Boston Bruins (Atlantic 2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Atlantic 3)

Game 1: April 20, Maple Leafs at Bruins, 8, TBS, truTV

Game 2: April 22, Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7, ESPN

Game 3: April 24, Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7, ESPN

Game 4: April 27: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 8, TBS, truTV

x-Game 5: April 30, Maple Leafs at Bruins, TBD

x-Game 6: May 2, Bruins at Maple Leafs, TBD

x-Game 7: May 4, Maple Leafs at Bruins, TBD

New York Rangers (Metropolitan 1) vs. Washington Capitals (wild card 2)

Game 1: April 21, Capitals at Rangers, 3 ESPN

Game 2: April 23, Capitals at Rangers, 7, ESPN

Game 3: April 26, Rangers at Capitals, 7, TNT, truTV

Game 4: April 28, Rangers at Capitals, 8, TBS, truTV

x-Game 5: May 1, Capitals at Rangers, TBD

x-Game 6: May 3, Rangers at Capitals, TBD

x-Game 7: May 5, Capitals at Rangers, TBD

Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan 2) vs. New York Islanders (Metropolitan 3)

Game 1: April 20, Islanders at Hurricanes, 5, TBS, truTV

Game 2: April 22, Islanders at Hurricanes, 7:30, ESPN2

Game 3: April 25, Hurricanes at Islanders, 7:30, ESPN2

Game 4: April 27, Hurricanes at Islanders, 2, TBS, truTV

x-Game 5: April 30, Islanders at Hurricanes, TBD

x-Game 6: May 2, Hurricanes at Islanders, TBD

x-Game 7: May 4, Islanders at Hurricanes, TBD

NHL Western Conference playoff schedule

Dallas Stars (Central 1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (wild card 2)

Game 1: April 22, Golden Knights at Stars, 9:30, ESPN

Game 2: April 24, Golden Knights at Stars, 9:30, ESPN

Game 3: April 27, Stars at Golden Knights, 10:30, TBS, truTV

Game 4: April 29, Stars at Golden Knights, TBD

x-Game 5: May 1, Golden Knights at Stars, TBD

x-Game 6: May 3, Stars at Golden Knights, TBD

x-Game 7: May 5, Golden Knights at Stars, TBD

Winnipeg Jets (Central 2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (Central 3)

Game 1: April 21, Avalanche at Jets, 7, ESPN2

Game 2: April 23, Avalanche at Jets, 9:30, ESPN

Game 3: April 26, Jets at Avalanche, April 26, TNT

Game 4: April 28, Jets at Avalanche, 2:30, TNT, truTV

x-Game 5: April 30, Avalanche at Jets, TBD

x-Game 6: May 2, Jets at Avalanche, TBD

x-Game 7: May 4, Avalanche at Jets, TBD

Vancouver Canucks (Pacific 1) vs. Nashville Predators (wild card 1)

Game 1: April 21, Predators at Canucks, 10, ESPN

Game 2: April 23, Predators at Canucks, 10, ESPN2

Game 3: April 26, Canucks at Predators, 7:30, TBS

Game 4: April 28, Canucks at Predators, 5, TBS, truTV

x-Game 5: April 30, Predators at Canucks, TBD

x-Game 6: May 3, Canucks at Predators, TBD

x-Game 7: May 5, Predators at Canucks, TBD

Edmonton Oilers (Pacific 2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (Pacific 3)

Game 1: April 22, Kings at Oilers, 10, ESPN2

Game 2: April 24, Kings at Oilers, 10, TBS

Game 3: April 26, Oilers at Kings, 10:30, TBS

Game 4: April 28, Oilers at Kings, 10:30, TBS, truTV

Game 5: May 1, Kings at Oilers, TBD

Game 6: May 3, Oilers at Kings, TBD

Game 7: May 5, Kings at Oilers, TBD