Spring training games begin today, kicking off MLB's second condensed preseason in the past three years, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

State of play: Coming so soon after the lockout ended, things are going to look different than usual.

• Teams will play a minimum of 15 games ahead of Opening Day on April 7 — roughly half of a normal spring training schedule.
• Players taking the field this week are more likely to be minor leaguers — whose training camps have gone on uninterrupted — than major leaguers, who are still ramping up.
• Because transactions were paused during the lockout, hordes of players are still finding out which team they'll be on this year, and thus which camp to even report to this month.

Where to watch: As usual, the league is split in half between Arizona and Florida. Unlike last spring, ballparks won't have capacity limits.

• Cactus League (Arizona): Diamondbacks, Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Guardians, Rockies, Royals, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, Athletics, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers
• Grapefruit League (Florida): Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, Astros, Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals, Rays, Blue Jays, Nationals

Latest deals ... Kris Bryant (Rockies), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) and Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) signed with new teams ... Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) signed the biggest contract ever (five years, $85 million) for a Japanese position player coming to MLB ... Oakland traded Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays ... More signings.

Go deeper: Power rankings (MLB.com)

Last-minute bracket data: No. 8 and No. 9 seeds rarely make the Sweet 16. Having to play a No. 1 seed in the second round (barring a UMBC-like miracle) will do that to you.

This year's cursed group: No. 8 Boise State, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 8 San Diego State, No. 8 Seton Hall, No. 9 Creighton, No. 9 Marquette, No. 9 Memphis, No. 9 TCU.

Women's AP All-America teams were released Wednesday, and for the first time ever, six players made the first team.

• Rhyne Howard, G (Kentucky, Sr.): 20.6 pts, 7.3 reb, 3.4 ast in 30 games
• Caitlin Clark, G (Iowa, So.): 27.4 pts, 8.1 reb, 7.9 ast in 30 games
• Haley Jones, G (Stanford, Jr.): 13.1 pts, 7.9 reb, 3.7 ast in 28 games
• Aliyah Boston, F (South Carolina, Jr.): 16.8 pts, 12 reb, 1.9 ast in 31 games
• NaLyssa Smith, F (Baylor, Sr.): 22.5 pts, 11.5 reb, 1.1 ast in 33 games
• Naz Hillmon, F (Michigan, Sr.): 21 pts, 9.4 reb, 2.2 ast in 27 games

Plus: 10 players from six conferences comprised the second and third teams, and three schools had their first-ever women's All-Americans (Virginia Tech, Villanova, Northwestern).

• Second team: Ashley Joens, G (Iowa State, Sr.); Khayla Pointer, G (LSU, Sr.); Aneesah Morrow, F (DePaul, Fr.); Ayoka Lee, C (Kansas State, Jr.); Elissa Cunane, C (NC State, Sr.)
• Third team: Veronica Burton, G (Northwestern, Sr.); Angel Reese, F (Maryland, So.); Cameron Brink, F (Stanford, So.); Maddy Siegrist, F (Villanova, Jr.); Elizabeth Kitley, C (Virginia Tech, Jr.)

Go deeper: 2022 WNBA mock draft (B/R)

🏈 NFC to AFC: Elite talent is leaving the NFC in droves this offseason. Notable examples: Russell Wilson (Seahawks to Bronc0s), Khalil Mack (Bears to Chargers), Von Miller (Rams to Bills), Chandler Jones (Cardinals to Raiders), Amari Cooper (Cowboys to Browns).

💔 Texas tragedy: A vehicle carrying members of the University of the Southwest golf team collided head-on with a pickup truck in West Texas, killing nine people, including the coach and six players.

🎾 One in, one (maybe) out: Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic is a go for the French Open, while Daniil Medvedev could be barred from Wimbledon because he represents Russia.

🏀 Good read: Their countries are on opposite sides of a war, but they stand united (Alex Prewitt, SI)

"University of San Francisco center Volodymyr Markovetskyy is from Ukraine. His teammates Yauhen Massalski and Dzmitry Ryuny are from Belarus. But they've spoken out together with a simple plea: 'Stop the war.'"

The Champions League quarterfinals are set, as eight teams from four countries are one step closer to becoming European champions, Jeff writes.

• 🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid (UEFA ranking: 10): The only club to reach at least three finals and never win. Is this the year they break the curse?
• 🇪🇸 Real Madrid (5): No club has won more Champions League titles than Real's 13.
• 🇪🇸 Villarreal (19): This is the first quarterfinal since 2006 for the relatively low-profile club, which currently sits seventh in La Liga.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Liverpool (3): The 2019 champs are as hot as any team in Europe, contending for both Champions League and Premier League titles.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City (2): It's hard to believe last year's runner-up has never won the Champions League.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea (4): The reigning champs could have a tough road ahead as they continue dealing with owner Roman Abramovich's sanctions.
• 🇵🇹 Benfica (26): The Portuguese underdog already emerged from a group with Bayern and Barcelona. Can they keep this train rolling?
• 🇩🇪 Bayern󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮 Munich (1): The six-time champs are in the midst of a Champions League record 22-game away unbeaten streak.

What's next: The draw to determine quarterfinal matchups takes place tomorrow, and first-leg matches begin April 5.

The Lakers lost to the Timberwolves, 124-104, on Wednesday night to fall to 29-40 — and 2-9 since the All-Star break.

Why it matters: The last time a team with LeBron James was 11 games under .500 was his rookie season, when the 2003-04 Cavaliers finished 35-47.

DAYTON, Ohio — Notre Dame beat Rutgers, 89-87, in a double-OT thriller, while Wright State beat Bryant, 93-82, behind 37 points from Tanner Holden.

• Women's First Four: Howard beat Incarnate Word, 55-53, to win the program's first tournament game. Dayton crushed DePaul, 88-57.

LONDON — Second-place Liverpool beat fourth-place Arsenal, 2-0, on Wednesday to move within a single point of first-place Manchester City. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a title race!

• 📆 Coming up: Liverpool visits City on Sunday, April 10.

COURCHEVEL, France — After struggling mightily at the Olympics and failing to medal, Mikaela Shiffrin has won skiing's overall World Cup title for the fourth time. You absolutely love to see it.

• 🎥 Watch: Shiffrin's downhill win (YouTube)

Congratulations, you've arrived at one of the best sports days of the year. 16 games across 12 hours — and we get to do it again tomorrow.

• 12:15pm ET, CBS: No. 11 Michigan (-1) vs. No. 6 Colorado State
• 12:40pm, truTV: No. 4 Providence (-2) vs. No. 11 South Dakota State
• 1:45pm, TNT: No. 9 Memphis (-3) vs. No. 8 Boise State
• 2pm, TBS: No. 1 Baylor (-20.5) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
• 2:45pm, CBS: No. 3 Tennessee (-18) vs. No. 14 Longwood
• 3:10pm, truTV: No. 5 Iowa (-10.5) vs. No. 12 Richmond
• 4:15pm, TNT: No. 1 Gonzaga (-23) vs. No. 16 Georgia State
• 4:30pm, TBS: No. 8 UNC (-3.5) vs. No. 9 Marquette
• 6:50pm, TNT: No. 5 UConn (-6.5) vs. No. 12 New Mexico State
• 7:10pm, CBS: No. 2 Kentucky (-18) vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's
• 7:20pm, TBS: No. 5 Saint Mary's (-2.5) vs. No. 12 Indiana
• 7:27pm, truTV: No. 8 San Diego State (-2) vs. No. 9 Creighton
• 9:20pm, TNT: No. 4 Arkansas (-5) vs. No. 13 Vermont
• 9:40pm, CBS: No. 7 Murray State (-2) vs. No. 10 San Francisco
• 9:50pm, TBS: No. 4 UCLA (-13.5) vs. No. 13 Akron
• 9:57pm, truTV: No. 1 Kansas (-21.5) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern

Tom Brady ($293 million) has the highest career on-field earnings among active NFL players.

• Question: Who's second at $267 million?
• Hint: It's not Aaron Rodgers, who's third at $264 million.

Answer at the bottom.

Streaming companies are cracking down on password sharing, as the number of quarterly subscription cancellations in the U.S. grows, Axios' Sara Fischer writes.

Why it matters: Password-sharing used to be a feature of the video subscription economy, allowing consumers to easily sample content across different services. Now that there's so much competition, it's a bug.