The Sweet 16 started with a seven-point South Carolina win over North Carolina, and ended with a game-winning layup from a freshman to propel Michigan past South Dakota. As for the action in between, it was just as exciting.

The Elite Eight is set, and it took some serious star power to get there. Here are eight players who stood out in the Sweet 16.

South Carolina 69, North Carolina 61

Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston finished with 28 points and 22 rebounds against North Carolina. I really don’t need to say much more. Those stats speak for themselves. She was also 12-for-13 from the free-throw line, and 12 of her rebounds came on the offensive end. The Gamecocks can shoot more freely knowing they have Boston to clean up the boards. It also means extra possessions, and in close games, those are crucial.

Stanford 72, Maryland 66

Haley Jones

I’m hard pressed to choose a player to highlight from Stanford, because everyone on the floor is performing at a high level. But Haley Jones excelled a little more than the rest on Friday, mostly because of the way she read Maryland’s defense and forced the Terrapins to change their game plan.

Starting out NOTHING BUT NET for @haleyjoness19 👌👌👌 ! #MarchMadness x @StanfordWBB pic.twitter.com/rmTKc8QGJ6

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 26, 2022

Texas 66, Ohio State 63

Rori Harmon

This pick might be controversial given that Rori Harmon didn’t perform the way we are used to seeing on offense, but the freshman impressed me with the way she was able to make an impact in other ways. Harmon’s ability to play relentless defense exhausts an opposing offense, and she made Ohio State’s guards work on every possession.

What’s more, despite her struggles, Harmon stepped up in key moments. Her jumper with 1:16 left gave the Longhorns a three-point lead. Then the guard played her patented defense, helping Texas stop Ohio State from getting a solid look. Finally, she sealed the game at the free-throw line, making two with 11 seconds left.

Creighton 76, Iowa State 68

Morgan Maly

I can’t say enough about Morgan Maly. It takes a certain kind of player to consistently deliver off the bench, and Maly is that player. Against Iowa State, she shot 70 percent from the field and poured in 21 points in just 24 minutes. That means she was averaging .88 of a point every minute. The sophomore guard also scored 14 of Creighton’s 17 points in the second quarter, keeping the Bluejays even with Iowa State going into the half. She recorded her seven remaining points in the third as her team began to build a lead.

NC State 66, Notre Dame 63

Raina Perez

It couldn’t be anyone else. The senior guard was vital to the NC State defense, securing four steals. One, of course, sticks out from the rest. With 21 seconds left, trailing Notre Dame by one, Perez was patient with her on-ball defense, waiting until Dara Mabrey made a mistake. When the Notre Dame senior guard left the ball vulnerable at the start of a spin move, Perez tapped the ball away and went to the other end for the go-ahead layup. Perez then secured a defensive rebound and hit two free throws to secure the victory.

One for the storybooks.#GoPack pic.twitter.com/RH2PIXJN9s

— #3 NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) March 27, 2022

Louisville 76, Tennessee 64

Emily Engstler

Emily Engstler has been phenomenal through the first three games of the tournament, but her performance in Louisville’s win over Tennessee on Saturday was her best yet. Engstler’s impact was summed up in a 20-second stretch during the first quarter.

The forward blocked a driving Vols player, grabbed a defensive rebound and then made a heads-up outlet pass to Kiana Smith as she was streaking up the court. It set up Hailey Van Lith for an open 3-point attempt, and when the sophomore was off the mark, Engstler slid into an open space. After Louisville got the offensive rebound, she fired a 3-pointer of her own, which went down for three of her 20 points. The senior also had 10 rebounds and three blocks in the win.

Off the inbound?!?😱

📺ESPN2#GoCards x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IddCxMuRv9

— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) March 26, 2022

UConn 75, Indiana 58

Olivia Nelson-Ododa

After UConn escaped upset-minded UCF, I wrote that the Huskies needed to get contributions from more than just a few players. In the win over Indiana, they certainly did. And atop the list of impact players is Olivia Nelson-Ododa. The forward was an efficient 5-for-9 from the floor for 10 points, but more importantly, Nelson-Ododa grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds. She helped UConn out-rebound the Hoosiers 39-27 and had five offensive boards, giving the Huskies extra possessions. Defensively, Nelson-Ododa was a wall in the paint, forcing Indiana to take off-balance and contested shots.

Michigan 52, South Dakota 49

Laila Phelia

Against Villanova, Laila Phelia was quiet, but the freshman more than made up for it Saturday against South Dakota. With the game tied at 48 with 23 seconds left in regulation, Phelia used her strength to drive and finish a contested layup. It was the play of the game for the Wolverines, but the guard was solid throughout the contest. She finished with 14 points, going 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Eden Laase is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She previously ran her own high school sports website in Michigan after covering college hockey and interning at Sports Illustrated. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, the Sports Are Fun! crew is joined by sports reporter, host, and digital creator Aliyah Funschelle. And with a brand new WNBA season tipping of this Friday, the women's pro league and its many basketball superstars naturally dominate the conversation.

"In the sports betting world, Caitlin Clark is a frontrunner for MVP, which I was surprised about," starts O'Hara, referencing the sportsbooks' latest WNBA MVP odds.

"I mean, my thing is last season, she was number seven in total points," says Diaz, clearly not convinced. "She averaged about 19. A'ja Wilson averaged 26. That's a big difference."

"I don't know what clientele is setting these odds," says Funschelle. "I don't think she could be in the running. Maybe most improved? Which is crazy to say but I think Caitlin Clark has another level that she hasn't reached yet."

"Just her having the ability to rest during this offseason and build muscle," Funschelle continues. "I think she has an untapped level. She could really take step up to be like A'ja Wilson or Stewie, one of those big names."

"I saw the pictures of her and I was like, 'She's been putting in that work in the offseason.,'" agrees Diaz.

"People said it was AI!" laughs Funschelle, cracking up her co-hosts. "It was crazy."

In addition to the WNBA, the Sports Are Fun! hosts dive into the unpredictable NWSL weekend, Golden State's mascot auditions, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' debates 2025 WNBA MVP award odds

The Sports Are Fun crew wastes no time in getting into the WNBA MVP conversation, with hosts throwing out potential award winners.

"MVP? I feel like Napheesa [Collier] is going to come out for everything this year," asserts Diaz, nominating the Lynx mainstay and Unrivaled 3×3 co-founder. "She wants it all.

"She wants a title, she wants MVP," O'Hara adds.

"Absolutely," says Diaz. "Given the way her season ended last year and given the way she did so well at Unrivaled, I think she has an incredible momentum and she's only building off of it."

"So for me, it's either she's going to win MVP. Or A'ja Wilson's going to get her fourth MVP," Diaz concludes.

"You don't think anyone else is contending?" asks BJ.

"Nope," says Diaz. Period.

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The 2025 Italian Open keeps rolling in Rome through Saturday's finale, with the tournament seeing tennis titans stumble and a wide open Roland-Garros field emerge ahead of the fast-approaching French Open.

Reigning French Open champion and world No. 2 Iga Świątek fell to world No. 35 US star Danielle Collins in a straight-set upset in Saturday's third round — adding to Świątek's mounting 2025 tournament loss tally.

"I just wasn't there — present, you know — to fight and to compete," Świątek said after the match. "I focused on mistakes, and it's my mistake and I'm not doing things right… I'll try to change that."

Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka is also focusing ahead on the Paris Grand Slam, after her eight-match winning streak ended in Monday's Round of 16.

A clay specialist with four of the last five French Open titles under her belt, Świątek's recent struggles point to a shifting landscape as the season continues on the tricky surface.

On the other hand, clay title hopes are on the rise for US contender Coco Gauff, whose dominant 6-1, 6-2 Monday victory over 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu advanced the world No. 3 star to face No. 7 Mirra Andreeva in the 2025 Italian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Also showing notable consistency is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who will face No. 8 Qinwen Zheng in Wednesday's second quarterfinal matchup.

How to watch the 2025 Italian Open

The 2025 Italian Open continues through Saturday, with live coverage on the Tennis Channel.

Just two days after wrapping the 2024/25 Women's Super League (WSL) season on Saturday, the UK women's soccer pyramid scored a full rebrand, with new names and visual identities announced for England's first- and second-tier leagues on Monday.

While the WSL will retain its name, the second-flight Women's Championship will become the WSL2 beginning with the 2025/26 season, bringing both top leagues under the same naming umbrella.

The Women's Professional League Limited — the independent company that took over running the WSL and Women's Championship in August 2024 — is also undergoing a name change, becoming simply WSL Football.

Following a development process with creative agency Anomaly, new visual branding "born from the movement of female footballers" has also rolled out across the leagues, with the WSL adopting an orange colorway while the newly named WSL2 will use a magenta palette.

"As a long-time football fan, having the chance to create the future of women's football is the absolute brief of dreams and a career highlight," said Clara Mulligan, Anomaly's managing parter and head of design.

Along with a new WSL Football website, this summer will see the updated designs from the rebrand incorporated across league merchandise, venues, jerseys, soccer balls, and more before the 2025/26 season kicks off.

"There is a lot more in store over the coming months as we continue to grow the women's game for the future," noted WSL Football chief marketing officer Ruth Hooper.

The Orlando Pride, Washington Spirit, and Gotham FC will represent the NWSL in the upcoming 2025/26 Concacaf W Champions Cup, the confederation announced alongside key details of the tournament's second iteration on Monday.

The top three 2024 NWSL finishers will join three clubs from Mexico's Liga MX, as well as one squad each from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama in the 10-team group stage, which will run from August 19th through October 16th of this year.

Mirroring the expansive schedule of the 2024/25 inaugural event, the second edition will see its four-match semifinal and final rounds taking place over a single weekend in May 2026.

Meanwhile, this year's battle to become North America's top club team is still ongoing, with Gotham FC qualifying for the 2025/26 competition all while advancing to this month's 2024/25 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals alongside with fellow NWSL club Portland.

Both May 21st semis are NWSL vs. Liga MX affairs, with the Bats facing Club América before the Thorns take on Tigres UANL in Nuevo León, Mexico.

The semifinal victors will battle for the first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup on May 24th, with the winner earning both confederation bragging rights and automatic qualification into FIFA's 2026 Champions Cup and 2028 Club World Cup.

As interest in the women's game grows around the world, FIFA is looking to capitalize on the demand by launching new regional competitions — while also adding to an increasingly crowded schedule for some of its most successful teams.

How to watch the Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals

Gotham FC will kick off the 2024/25 Champions Cup semis against Club América at 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, May 21st, with Portland's clash with the Tigres immediately following at 10:30 PM ET.

Both semifinals will stream live on Paramount+.