Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers on Thursday and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers’ Final Four matchup with Florida.

Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers’ leading scorer and emotional leader. Auburn got a major scare when he injured his elbow in the Tigers’ win over Michigan State to get to the Final Four.

He returned to that game but had been held out of practice until the team arrived in San Antonio.

“Ready to go. Taking it day by day, but set for Saturday,” Broome said. “No limitations.”

Broome wore two layers of sleeves on his right arm and said he made sure to test the elbow by pushing and shoving with teammates in game situations. The idea was to “make it mad a little bit” to see how it would respond.

It went well. Broome said it is having no pain.

“Coach sat me out for precaution, but Saturday, I’ll be 100%, for sure,” when the Tigers (32-5) face the Gators (34-4).

NFL

Smith reportedly agrees to 2-year, $75M extension with Raiders >> Quarterback Geno Smith, who was traded to Las Vegas nearly a month ago, agreed to two-year, $75 million extension with the Raiders, ESPN reported Thursday.

Smith’s new deal takes him through the 2027 season and includes $66.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.

The Raiders acquired Smith for a third-round draft pick from the Seattle Seahawks on March 7, but didn’t immediately come to terms on an extension. Smith had one year left on his contract, but general manager John Spytek said at this week’s NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, that he expected an agreement would be reached.

Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season in Seattle.

McBride agrees to 4-year deal with Cardinals >> Star tight end Trey McBride has agreed to a four-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals as the franchise locks up one of the NFL’s best young players through the 2029 season.

Multiple reports say the deal is worth $76 million over the four seasons, including $43 million guaranteed, which would make him the league’s highest-paid tight end.

The 25-year-old was a second-round pick out of Colorado State and he’s improved dramatically each season. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024 after catching 111 passes for 1,146 yards, finishing second in the league for a tight end in both categories.

Patriots trade QB Milton to Cowboys >> The New England Patriots have agreed to trade quarterback Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys.

Milton confirmed the trade via a social media post.

ESPN, which first reported the deal, said that the Cowboys will receive Milton, along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

The acquisition of the 25-year-old Milton, who the Patriots drafted in the sixth round in 2024, gives the Cowboys a young backup behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott after Cooper Rush signed with Baltimore in free agency. Rush started eight games for the Cowboys last season while Prescott was injured.

Golf

Ryder shoots 63 to lead Texas Open >> Sam Ryder found a swing and hardly missed a putt on his way to a 9-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Keith Mitchell in the Valero Texas Open.

Mitchell played bogey-free in the morning for a 64, highlighted by a 3-wood from 286 yards that stopped rolling about 3 feet from the pin for a tap-in eagle on the par-5 eighth.

MLB

$22.5M approved to fix Tropicana Field >> The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote.

The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.

The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.

Women’s basketball

USC star JuJu Watkins is the AP Player of the Year >> JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its best season in nearly 40 years, was honored as The Associated Press women’s college basketball Player of the Year.

Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Both were first-team AP All-Americans.

Watkins was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was cut short in the NCAA Tournament with an ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi State.

UCLA’s Close is the AP Coach of the Year >> Cori Close, who led UCLA to its first women’s Final Four during one of the best seasons in school history, was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year.

The Bruins earned the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll for the first time ever, holding the spot for 14 weeks as they piled up win after win on their way to grabbing the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

She received 16 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Mark Campbell of TCU finished second with five votes. Vic Schaefer, who guided Texas to its first Final Four since 2003, got three votes and Kentucky’s Kenny Brooks received two.

Soccer

US COULD HOST WWC in 2031 >> The United States and the United Kingdom looked set to be picked by FIFA next year as hosts of Women’s World Cups expanded to 48 teams from 32.

Their respective intentions to bid for the 2031 and 2035 editions are alone in the contests after a first deadline to enter the race passed. The first formal bid documents must be signed by the end of April.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino told European soccer officials the governing body received one expression of interest to host the 2031 event — from the U.S. with the possibility of other countries in the CONCACAF region joining the project. That long-promised bid would likely include Mexico.