Sarah the Silver Dancer

The NBA Playoffs are here, and that means it's time to feature an NBA dance team member. NBA dance teams - they're fantastic!

So here's Sarah from the Spurs Silver Dancers. Because everyone loves the Spurs. Right? Right?

In her Q&A on the Silver Dancers site, Sarah is asked, "What do you wear out for a night on the town?" And she says, "An attractive top and jeans ..." Jeans. Gotta love it.

Danica Patrick Wins! And So Do We

From now on, the only time Danica Patrick will be compared to Anna Kournikova is in "who's the hottest sports babe?" arguments.

She'll no longer be compared to the Russian minx in that other way. You know: the oh-so-famous female athlete who never actually won anything way. Because late Saturday night/early Sunday morning (U.S. time) Patrick did win something. She won the Indy Japan 300.

"It's a long time coming. Finally," Patrick said. "It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous."

The 26-year-old Patrick won in her 50th career IndyCar start, taking the lead from Castroneves on the 198th lap in the 200-lap race.

"I think Danica is such a fantastic person and I'm thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back," said Michael Andretti, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing. "We have all believed in her and she proved today that she is a winner. Frankly, I think this is the first of many."

We hope Michael is right.

And now, because Danica won, so do we. Even though we posted one of her Sports Illustrated swimsuit pics just two posts ago, here's another one. That's how we roll.

Sophie Sandolo

This is golf calendar girl Sophie Sandolo. She plays on the LET (Ladies European Tour) and is a cast member on the Golf Channel series "Big Break: Kaanapali," which debuted on April 15. Sophie has done a calendar each year since 2005.

Danica Patrick in SI

Danica Patrick from the 2008 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yeah, let's see Helio Castroneves do this. On second thought, let's not.

Angie Akers

Angie Akers was an All-American volleyballer at Notre Dame, then played professionally in Sweden. But she took a detour in her volleyball career, switching to distance running for several years. She competed in road races and ran the Boston Marathon.

In 2002, she switched to beach volleyball, despite having never played it before. Good move. She was Rookie of the Year in 2002 and continues playing pro beach volleyball today.

Brianna Glenn

Brianna Glenn will be one of the favorites in the long jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials that begin June 27. She's become one of my favorites since I discovered her blog, where she writes about such scintillating topics as ... getting an oil change. Trust me, and go read it. I need to get into shape so she'll consider putting me on her list of 10 hottest white guys.

Brianna ran track collegiately at the University of Arizona, where she was a 2-time NCAA champion in the 200-meter sprint and the long jump - a combination never before accomplished. After turning pro, Brianna won the 2002 USA Outdoors long jump gold. Along the way she gave up the sprints and concentrated on jumping only, but this year is returning to the sprints in the 100.

So at the Olympic Trials she'll be taking part in the 100 and long jump. "I truly believe I can make the team in the 100 as well," she told me.

Her 2008 competition schedule begins in a couple weeks. I'll be cheering for her at the Trials, and checking her blog in the meantime.

Brianna's Web site