Tiger Woods takes indefinite leave; Basketball Hall of Fame reveals five inductees; World Cup field set

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🏀 Five things to know Wednesday

1. Tiger Woods will step away from golf indefinitely. Woods, 50, plans to focus on his health and seek treatment during his time away from the course, with the decision coming on the heels of last week's rollover crash and DUI arrest. The decision effectively ends his push to compete in the 2026 Masters, which is just over a week away, and raises serious questions about whether he will return to the PGA Tour. Hours before his announcement, Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI and demanded a trial by jury. Authorities also released more information on the incident earlier in the day.
2. Amar'e Stoudemire and Doc Rivers are among the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees. The full class will be announced this weekend at the Final Four, but five members have already been reported. Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne headline the women selected for enshrinement, while Mark Few is the only known college basketball coach on the list. There were 21 finalists for induction into the Hall of Fame, and it remains to be seen how many will also reach Springfield.
3. The final six spots in the 2026 World Cup are set. But the story of the day was that Italy, for the third consecutive time, did not qualify for the tournament. This marks rock bottom for the Italian national team, which has some serious soul searching to do as it sets its sights on 2030. The final four European bids went to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Sweden and Türkiye, and the latter will join the United States' group. The Democratic Republic of Congo will send its national team to the tournament after winning its intercontinental playoff, and Iraq secured the 48th and final spot overnight. Meanwhile, the USMNT lost another friendly in a 2-0 shutout to Portugal.
4. The NFL approved five rule changes for the 2026 season. The most notable change will come into effect if the league has to use replacement referees. In that event, which looks increasingly likely, the NFL command center would now be permitted to correct "clear and obvious" missed calls. Other changes involve tweaks to the kickoff, including allowing teams to declare onside kicks at any point in the game.
5. The Blue Jays cannot catch a break with pitching health. A fourth Toronto starter landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday. Cody Ponce, who signed a three-year contract in the offseason, suffered an ACL sprain in his first start back in Major League Baseball after spending the last four years in Japan and Korea. There is a chance he will miss the rest of the season. At any rate, Ponce will be out for "a significant time," which is a massive blow to a rotation that is already without José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage.

⚽ Do not miss this: UEFA Women's Champions League continues

By the end of tomorrow, we will be down to four teams in the UEFA Women's Champions League. The second legs of the four quarterfinal matches will unfold today and tomorrow, with two per day. Bayern Munich host Manchester United this afternoon at 1:45 p.m. to kick off the action, and all four matches are available on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network.

As a reminder, here are the first-leg results and where things stand on aggregate:

• Wolfsburg 1, OL Lyonnes 0
• Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1
• Real Madrid 2, Barcelona 6
• Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 3

The top storyline comes from today's second match (3 p.m. kickoff), wherein Chelsea seek to erase a 3-1 aggregate deficit against Arsenal. Sandra Herrera set the stage:

• Herrera: "Despite a strong start against the Gunners and a world-class goal by Lauren James, Arsenal are doing what they do best in the tournament, and that's staying in form at the right time. The two sides might have a history of rivalry on the domestic front, but it's Arsenal who hold the bragging rights in the Champions League."

🏀 Men's Final Four starter rankings

Every single one of the 20 starters who will take the floor Saturday in the Men's Final Four is a great player. That's just how it works when your team makes it this deep into the tournament. With a couple of premier NBA Draft prospects left in the NCAA Tournament bracket, though, it is obvious that some players will be better than others when they go head-to-head in Indianapolis.

David Cobb ranked each starter from Michigan, Arizona, UConn and Illinois. Unsurprisingly, potential lottery picks Yaxel Lendeborg and Keaton Wagler check in at Nos. 1 and 2. Lendeborg gets the nod as the best of the best.

• Cobb: "The Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American put his full repertoire on display over the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-9 do-it-all forward may be a late bloomer, but the finished product is dubbed 'Dominican LeBron' for a reason. He scores at all levels, passes like a pro and can defend anyone."

Here's how the rest of the top five shakes out:

1. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
2. Keaton Wagler, Illinois
3. Brayden Burries, Arizona
4. Tarris Reed, UConn
5. Aday Mara, Michigan

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• The Mariners signed prized prospect Colt Emerson to a $95 million extension making him the highest-paid player yet to make his major-league debut.
• Tottenham selected Roberto De Zerbi as their third manager of the season, and the hire is a major gamble.
• Top Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter excelled in his MLB debut.
• Here's the latest on the North Carolina coaching search as it enters its second week. And here are some second-tier candidates if the Tar Heels whiff on the biggest names.
• The Seahawks and Patriots will be the next two teams featured on "Hard Knocks."
• Our college basketball writers graded Jon Scheyer's performance through four years at Duke. And Mike Krzyzewski reacted to the Blue Devils' latest NCAA Tournament letdown.
• College basketball official Roger Ayers said there was nothing to his interaction with Dan Hurley after UConn's game-winner in the Elite Eight.
• Our expert picks for the Texas Open are in. Not included is Collin Morikawa, who withdrew from the final tune-up event for the Masters.
• Florida's 7-foot-9 center, Olivier Rioux, will enter the transfer portal.
• The Jaguars are officially set to play their home games in Orlando during the 2027 season.
• Former NBA champion Raptors president Masai Ujiri joined the ownership group of the WNBA expansion Tempo.
• The Lions recouped part of Frank Ragnow's signing bonus, leading to an outcry from current and former players.
• Gunner Stockton sustained a "little offseason injury" but is participating in Georgia's spring practices, according to Kirby Smart.
• Odell Beckam Jr. and the Giants appear to have mutual interest in a reunion.
• The Big 12 is the first major college conference to explore adding women's flag football as a varsity sport.
• Kayla Harrison will resume training in the coming weeks as she continues her recovery from neck surgery.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚾ Rangers at Orioles, 12:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Manchester United at Bayern Munich, 12:45 p.m. on CBSSN/Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Arsenal at Chelsea, 3 p.m. on CBSSN/Paramount+
⚾ Yankees at Mariners, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Celtics at Heat, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Twins at Royals, 7:40 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Guardians at Dodgers, 8:20 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 Blues at Kings, 9 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Spurs at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN