California and Texas join push to end remote work among state employees

All-America forward Madison Booker scored 19 points, and No. 1 Texas held on to beat Mississippi 70-63 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Kyla Oldacre scored 12 points and Shay Holle added 11 for Texas, which stretched its winning streak to 14 games. Kirsten Deans scored 20 points to lead the Rebels, and Madison Scott had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Reilly Smith was traded back to Vegas by the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Brendan Brisson and a third-round draft pick in 2025 and said he felt right at home when taking the ice with the Golden Knights. An original “Golden Misfit” of the inaugural team that made its league debut in 2017, Smith was welcomed by fans attending the team’s morning skate, eight hours before he was expected to suit up against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team Vegas traded him to less than a month after he helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2023.

New York Knicks small forward Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain. The Knicks say Brunson will be evaluated in two weeks after suffering the injury in overtime in the Knicks’ 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Brunson rolled his right ankle with 1:24 remaining in overtime after landing on the foot of Lakers guard Austin Reaves on a drive to the basket. Brunson was fouled on the play and made both free throws to finish with 39 points and 10 assists.

For Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands, the collection of the biggest skeleton medals is complete. Bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, silver at the world championships two years ago and now, finally, she has gold. Bos is the new world champion of her sport, turning in the fastest times in Friday’s final two runs to win the title at Mount Van Hoevenberg — the fifth different woman to win the season’s biggest skeleton race in the last five years.

Geno Smith is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. That's according to a person with knowledge of the trade who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn't announced the deal and said the Raiders are sending the Seattle Seahawks a third-round pick for Smith. The 34-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reunites with new Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will seek a new starter. Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season.

Tiger Woods won't be at The Players Championship next week. That wasn't a big surprise. Woods has not played in the PGA Tour's flagship event since 2019 and it would have been big news if had decided to play. But this was the last year of Woods' exemption to The Players from winning the Masters in 2019. That means if he plays in the Masters next month, it will be his first tournament since he missed the cut at the British Open last July. Woods says he has touched golf clubs only three times since his mother died on Feb. 4.

Just when it looked like the Colorado Avalanche made a big move by getting center Brock Nelson, their chief rivals in the Central Division answered with serious salvos in the hours before the NHL trade deadline. League-leading Winnipeg got center Brandon Tanev and rugged defenseman Luke Schenn. Aa year removed from a trip to the Western Conference, Dallas acquired Mikko Rantanen and signed the certified playoff performer to a long-term extension. And, for what it's worth, the Avalanche weren't done, also getting Charlie Coyle to shore up their lineup down the middle.

Katherine Legge has raced in just about every series possible during her 25-year journey in professional motorsports, ranging from dirt tracks to IndyCar. Even so, she doesn’t mind admitting to being nervous about potentially rubbing fenders with the likes of Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in her first NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Legge is set to become the first woman in a NASCAR Cup Series race since Danica Patrick made her final start in the Daytona 500 seven years ago. She’ll drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports.

Unbeaten Lauren Price has been too fast for the veteran Natasha Jonas as she won their unification world welterweight title fight comfortably in London. Price, of Wales, was the paper-thin favorite but impressively overwhelmed Jonas and won by unanimous decision on Friday. Price relieved the Englishwoman of her WBC and IBF belts to add to her IBO belt. The 2021 Olympic champion improved her record to 9-0. Jonas’ seven-win streak since a 2021 loss to Katie Taylor ended without dispute in a matchup of southpaws. Jonas, 10 years older than Price at 40, struggled to hit Price and lost for the third time in 20 fights.

Giancarlo Stanton will return to New York for a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections in his ailing elbows on Monday. Stanton was back at the Yankees’ spring training complex on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone was quoted as saying Stanton is not likely to play in any exhibition games. Stanton said on Feb. 17 after reporting to camp that he had not swung a bat in three or four weeks because of pain in both elbows. The Yankees said he had been in New York, where he received two rounds of PRP injections.