It’s been an electric, unpredictable year in college basketball, and the best is still to come. With roughly a month’s worth of conference games and tournament contests remaining before the NCAA tournament, it’s time to take a step back and review the year so far.

 

MOST SURPRISING TEAM: GONZAGA 

Even coming off a Saturday night loss at St. Mary’s, Gonzaga has still been the surprise of the year, easily surpassing pre-season expectations. Last season ended with a second-round loss to Oregon State, and this year the polls predicted a similar trajectory, with the Bulldogs slotted 23rd in the initial Coaches Poll. Respectable, but not exactly scaring anyone.

After losing three starters from last season to graduation (Zykera Rice, Chandler Smith and Laura Stockton), it seemed fair to expect a rebuilding year. Instead, until last weekend’s loss in Moraga, the Bulldogs’ only blemish had come in an overtime duel at sixth-ranked Stanford. In between the two losses, Gonzaga strung together an 18-game win streak during which they held a third of their opponents to 45 points or fewer. Their fans have jumped on the hype train, and now the McCarthey Athletic Center is regularly sold out for home games.

The Bulldogs are led by Jill Townsend, who dropped a career-high 28 points against Loyola Marymount. Townsend will need to take on even more of the scoring load now that senior guard Katie Campbell has been lost for the season to a knee injury. The Bulldogs average shooting 40.8% from deep, a number that ranks second in the country. Combine that outside threat with the nation’s fifth-ranked scoring defense, and it’s obvious why Gonzaga should still be competitive in every one of its upcoming games.

The Bulldogs also have the unique distinction of having two sets of identical twins on their roster. Juniors Jenn and LeaAnne Wirth hosted Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong during their recruiting visit and now all four have average double-digit minutes. The Wirth twins, specifically, are third and fourth on the team in scoring as regular starters.

 

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: NOTRE DAME

It’s no secret that Notre Dame has not lived up to the lofty expectations it has set for itself under Muffet McGraw. Their record (9-14, 4-7 in ACC play) says it all. There is a good chance that the Fighting Irish will become just the third team in Division I history to plummet from national runner-up one year to missing the tournament come mid-March. If so, a 24-year streak will be snapped.

Not only have the losses come to perennial powerhouses like Tennessee and UConn, but also to Clemson, which has just six other wins on the season and is one of just two teams below Notre Dame in the conference standings.

In a sign of the times, Notre Dame’s current two-game win streak matches its longest of the season. Preseason, hurting from the loss of all five starters and two key bench contributors, Notre Dame was ranked outside of the top 10 for the first time since Jan. 17, 2011. Soon after, the third-longest active run in the AP poll ended altogether after 234 consecutive weeks.

These are odd times around Purcell Pavilion, to say the least.

“I just … I gotta do better,” McGraw said recently. “I feel like I can fix it, but I didn’t. I’m going to find an answer. I’m gonna fix it.”

 

MVP: SABRINA IONESCU

And this one isn’t particularly close. The reigning player of the year, Sabrina Ionescu leads the top scoring offense in scoring. Ionescu also has the most assists and the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country despite how often she’s asked to make a play. Her six triple-doubles are the most in the country, and she is now up to 24 total in her already-historic college career.

Incredibly, with two other teammates in the top 100, Ionescu’s 17.2 points per game rank 64th in the sport. The future first pick in the WNBA draft has once again made her case as the best college player in the game. Oh, and she can do this:

Sabrina Ionescu at the buzzer ... ridiculous ???? #SCtop10

(via @OregonWBB)pic.twitter.com/MHOMncwvzR

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2020

BEST MOMENT: UCONN SALUTES GIANNA BRYANT

The entire basketball world has been grieving the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who notoriously desired to play for Geno Auriemma’s Huskies. During their exhibition with Team USA, UConn left a space for Gianna’s jersey on their bench. Rest in peace, Mambacita.

.@UConnWBB is honoring Gianna Bryant ahead of their game vs. Team USA tonight. pic.twitter.com/tzK0IVrfjm

— ESPN (@espn) January 27, 2020

LOOKING AHEAD:

Each team, even those at the top, has questions to answer. For No. 1 South Carolina, it will be whether it can keep up when its opponents get hot from behind the arc. The Gamecocks have struggled in this category when facing top competition. Against Maryland and Kentucky, South Carolina went 1-of-9 and 1-of-6 from 3-point range and eventually abandoned the shot entirely. In their lone loss of the season, to Indiana, South Carolina remained enamored with the 3-ball and suffered the consequence, to the tune of 3-for-19 from beyond the arc.

No. 2 Baylor only has one game remaining against a team receiving votes in the AP poll, against TCU on Wednesday. The Lady Bears will likely need to win out to prove they deserve a top seed in the tournament. No. 3 Oregon still has to visit No. 10 UCLA and No. 6 Stanford, but if the first contest against the Cardinal is any indication, neither Pac 12 opponent will provide much of a test.

No. 4 NC State will have to make up ground in the conference tournament after losing to No. 9 Louisville on Wednesday. If the Wolfpack can run the tables and enact revenge, they could be in line for a top seed in the tournament.

No. 5 UConn will need to prove it can win when Megan Walker and Christyn Williams are neutralized. The Huskies’ top four scorers account for almost 77% of the team’s points. For comparison, South Carolina’s top four register account for just 60% of the Gamecocks’ offense. When Walker and Williams faced Oregon, they combined to shoot 5-for-25, and their struggles led to a decisive home loss.

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

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Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.