HOT CORNER

1 COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL:

Florida guard Riley Kugel, who was benched for two games during the Southeastern Conference Tournament, announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal. The preseason All-SEC selection averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds as a sophomore after he was so solid down the stretch last season — averaging 17.3 points over Florida’s final 10 games — that he considered turning pro before returning to Florida with hopes of being the team’s go-to scorer.

2 PRO MEN’S TENNIS:

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has split with coach Goran Ivanisevic, ending their association that began in 2018 and included 12 Grand Slam titles for the Serbian player. In a post on Instagram, Djokovic said he stopped working with Ivanisevic“a few days ago.”With the help of Ivanisevic, Djokovic has taken his total to a record 24 men’s Grand Slam titles. He has yet to win a title in 2024, though, losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the third round in Indian Wells this month.

PRO WOMEN’S SOCCER: 3

Sophia Smith had options but in the end felt like she“wasn’t done”in Portland. The Thorns announced Wednesday they signed Smith to a contract extension through 2025, with a player option for 2026. Portland says the deal gives the 23-year-old forward the highest annual salary in the National Women’s Soccer League but would not disclose terms. Smith, embarking on her fifth season with the Thorns, was the NWSL most valuable player and the U.S. Soccer player of the year in 2022. She was also the NWSL championship game MVP that year. She was set to become a free agent after this season and had some interest from European clubs.

4 WOMEN’S SOCCER:

U.S. national team forward Midge Purce sustained a season-ending knee injury this past weekend playing for Gotham FC against the Thorns in Portland, Oregon. The NWSL champions announced the injury Wednesday. Purce has 30 appearances for the national team since first playing in 2019.