Ohio State basketball sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge became a 2026 Dawn Staley Award finalist this week. One of five finalists for the prestigious award, Cambridge is the only player representing the Big Ten.
The Dawn Staley Award recognizes women's college basketball's top guard each season.
Cambridge appeared on multiple preseason watch lists, including the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award. She earned spots on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 and Late Midseason Top 20 lists. Cambridge also made the Naismith Trophy Late Season Team and landed on the national ballot for the Wooden Award.
The Athletic and ESPN both named Cambridge to this year's All-American Second Team, while USA Today gave her an honorable mention. Both Big Ten head coaches and media selected her unanimously for All-Big Ten First Team.
Cambridge scored in the double-digits in all 33 games for Ohio State basketball this year, becoming the 40th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points in February. She joined elite company as the fifth Buckeye in program history to score 700 points in a single season.
She finished the regular season with 751 points, ranking sixth in single-season program records while also ranking seventh in made field goals with 283.
Cambridge won the Big Ten scoring title in both overall play (23.4 points per game) and conference play (26.4 points per game).
In January, the sophomore standout also picked up AP Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
Selection Sunday arrives this weekend, with the top performers in Division I women's basketball preparing to learn their 2026 NCAA tournament fates.
A full 31 teams will breathe easier knowing their conference tournament titles secured automatic spots in this year's March Madness, including mid-major standouts like South Dakota State, Samford, Colorado State, and Fairfield.
However, the rest of the NCAA's best will be hoping their 2025/26 campaigns impressed the selection committee enough to earn one of the 37 at-large bids — a field typically overwhelmingly populated by Power Four titans.
All teams — automatic qualifiers and potential at-large selectees alike — will lock into Sunday's broadcast, as the 68-team bracket will reveal each squad's path to the national championship.
Following their perfect 2025/26 season, defending champ No. 1-ranked UConn is all-but-guaranteed to take the bracket's No. 1 overall seed, with one-loss No. 2 UCLA also gunning for top-seeded entry after running the table in the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, SEC tournament title game opponents No. 3 Texas and No. 4 South Carolina will likely take the national competition's final two No. 1 seeds, with No. 5 LSU and No. 6 Vanderbilt on the outside looking in after clunky conference tournament runs.
All top prospects are aiming to break into the Top 16 on Sunday, as that elite tier of teams will have home-court advantage in the first two full-tournament rounds, serving as hosts for opening weekend once next week's First Four games are in the books.
How to watch the NCAA women's basketball's Selection Sunday
The full 68-team 2026 March Madness bracket will drop at 8 PM ET this Sunday, live on ESPN.
The WNBA and WNBPA are still at odds, as three consecutive days of marathon negotiations this week have yet to yield a new CBA.
Beginning with a 12 hour meeting on Tuesday, the two parties exceeded 30 hours of negotiations this week as of late Thursday.
"Being able to be in the room, being able to exchange proposals, we're feeling movement," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told reporters. "We're sticking to the process."
The league's latest proposal reportedly includes a $6.2 million year-one salary cap, with a $1.3 million 2026 maximum contract — movement on both metrics since the previous WNBA offer.
"We're proud of the deal we have on the table," said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "I think it's huge gains for the players, while balancing that with the health of the league."
Even though numbers appear to be on the rise, the revenue sharing gap remains unclear, after differing models emerged as a wedge issue between the two parties.
While negotiations have blown past the league's March 10th deadline, the WNBA has not yet implemented any 2026 season schedule changes as of Friday morning, with the upcoming campaign set to tip off on Friday, May 8th.
"We haven't ever really considered [the deadline] as a timeline that has been something to prioritize on our side, because we have always been negotiating in good faith," said Ogwumike.
"At the end of the day, we want a season," she added. "We want to play."
The season-opening NWSL lineup is bringing fireworks to the pitch on Saturday, as 2026 newcomer Denver Summit FC looks to lay a foundation in their inaugural match against 2024 expansion team Bay FC.
Led by former Manchester City manager Nick Cushing, the Summit gets its first taste of NWSL action in California before heading home to set an expected new single-game attendance record at Mile High Stadium.
"Our expectation is to win a championship," Summit defender and Colorado product Janine Sonis told the Denver Gazette. "We want to win, and we want to win doing what we do well."
Notably, Denver will hit the pitch without its flashiest signing, with USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps remaining with OL Lyonnes until the French club wraps its 2025/26 season, joining the Summit for the second half of the 2026 NWSL campaign.
One splashy midfield addition should make an appearance in Saturday's match, however, after Bay FC brought in former KC Current star Claire Hutton to shore up the 2025 Shield-winner's ranks last month.
"A big piece of me coming onto the team is seeing what they need from me and seeing what else I can bring," Hutton told the Times Union. "Each player has a specific role and identity on the team."
How to watch Bay FC vs. Denver Summit on Saturday
Bay FC will host 2026 expansion side Denver in the Summit's NWSL debut at 6:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.
Gotham FC will start the 2026 NWSL season flying high, as the reigning NWSL champions look to rev up a fresh regional rivalry against expansion side Boston Legacy FC on Saturday.
"There's a target on your back, but that's what's really fun about this league," Gotham defender and 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale told amNewYork. "You want as much pressure and for the stakes to be as high as possible."
"We want to just play free, we want to have fun, and show something about football that is not always seen in this league," said Boston forward Nichelle Prince ahead of the club's debut match.
Prior to kicking off the 2026 season, Gotham added another stellar contributor to their stacked roster, as the Bats officially signed Chelsea winger and Norway star Guro Reiten on Thursday.
The six-time WSL champion will join the NWSL side on loan through July, before entering into a pre-arranged contract running through 2029.
"Her experience competing for major trophies with Chelsea and her impact with the Norwegian national team will bring valuable leadership and attacking creativity to our squad," said Gotham GM and head of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West in the club's announcement.
How to watch Boston Legacy vs. Gotham FC in their 2026 NWSL opener
Expansion side Boston will host the reigning champion Gotham in the Legacy's inaugural match on Saturday.
The East Coast duo will face off at 12:30 PM ET, airing live on ABC.
The NWSL is kicking off the year with a double espresso, as Sophia Wilson and the Portland Thorns visit Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit in the league's 2026 season opener on Friday night.
The match is expected to feature Wilson's regular-season return, with the recently re-signed Thorns star taking the field for the first time since 2024 in a preseason friendly last week.
"Obviously I'm being very patient with myself," the new mom said ahead of Friday's clash. "I've just been so eager to get my first game minutes, so I feel like I checked that box. I feel good."
Washington superstar Rodman will aim to spoil her USWNT counterpart's big moment, however, as the world's newly minted highest-paid women's footballer hits the NWSL pitch after an offseason filled with contractual uncertainty.
"At the end of the day, we need to help her be as unpredictable as possible, and help her develop both personally and professionally," Washington manager Adrián González said of his franchise player.
Both teams will also be navigating high-profile departures from their midfields, after 2025 Thorns captain Sam Coffey signed with WSL side Manchester City in January and Spirit centerpiece Croix Bethune transferred to the Kansas City Current last month.
How to watch the first match of the 2026 NWSL season
The 2026 NWSL season kicks off with the Washington Spirit hosting the Portland Thorns at 8 PM ET on Friday, airing live on Prime.
The UFC announced it will induct a 2020 bout between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk into it Hall of Fame Fight Wing this summer, marking the first women's bout to receive the honor.
Zhang and Jedrzejczyk fought for the strawweight title in the co-main event of UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight was later regarded as the greatest women's fight in MMA history.
"I knew this was going to be a badass fight and it absolutely delivered," UFC CEO Dana White said. "Congrats to Joanna and Weili on a fight that will always be remembered!"
In the ring, Zhang battered Jedrzejczyk with left hooks and straight rights. The Polish fighter countered with punching combinations and kicks. Jedrzejczyk developed a massive hematoma on her forehead that quickly became a lasting images.
The fighters combined for 351 significant strikes over 25 minutes — the most ever in a women's bout. Zhang eventually captured the split-decision victory.
Zhang and Jedrzejczyk later met in a rematch at UFC 275, with Zhang knocking her rival out with a spinning back fist in the second round. Jedrzejczyk retired after the loss.
Zhang currently competes in the UFC strawweight division, defending the title multiple times to remain one of UFC's top competitors.
The fight subsequently won several awards. Yahoo! Sports, The Athletic, CBS Sports, and others dubbed it the Fight of the Year.
"UFC 248 is one of the greatest fights I've ever seen," White added. "This fight was incredible."
F1 Academy announced a landmark deal with Sephora this week, as the women's racing series named the global beauty retailer its Official Beauty Retail Partner.
The agreement reflects both organizations' commitment to elevating women's racing on the world stage, with Sephora bringing immersive fan activations to select F1 Academy races throughout the 2026 season. The partnership extends to F1 Paddock Club luxury hospitality, with Sephora's glam bars available to Paddock Club guests at 18 Grands Prix across the season.
The retailer will additionally throw a new end-of-year drivers' celebration spotlighting progress and performance.
As part of the deal, Sephora will sponsor Spanish driver Natalia Granada, joining the 2026 F1 Academy grid for her rookie season. Granada will compete in the "SEPHORA operated by PREMA" car, with designs inspired by the brand's signature black-and-white stripes and red accents.
Granada subsequently completes the season's full-time lineup, with races beginning this week in Shanghai. She impressed during the inaugural F1 Academy rookie test in 2025.
"Joining forces with them is incredibly powerful," said F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff.
"This partnership goes far beyond beauty; together, we are challenging outdated stereotypes and redefining who and what belongs in motorsport."
F1 Academy launched in 2023 as an all-women's single-seater racing series created to accelerate women's racing in motorsport. The series features 14 races across seven rounds, all held alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship.
The series reaches more than 160 territories via over 35 broadcasters while streaming live worldwide on F1TV YouTube.
The NWSL is preparing for kickoff, announcing on-field rule changes, administrative updates, and logistical shifts ahead of the league's 2026 season opener on Friday.
The league officially set this year's salary cap at $3.7 million after accounting for revenue sharing, with Wednesday's press release also laying out the bonus structure for both 2026 team accomplishments and individual NWSL awards.
The NWSL is also expanding its use of RefCam this season, as well as incorporating in-stadium VAR announcements popular with international tournaments.
Additionally, the league is adjusting goalkeeper timeouts, instituting rules to prevent teams from receiving extra tactical instruction when an injured goalie receives on-field treatment.
The rulebook now states that during goalkeeper injury stoppages, players from either team may not approach the technical area under threat of discipline, instead staying put or gathering at the midfield circle.
In addition to dropping rule changes, Wednesday saw NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman lay out the league's expansion plans in her season kickoff address, with the now-16-team league gearing up to announce an 18th club later this year.
That new franchise will join the previously announced Atlanta-based team in making their NWSL debuts in 2028, the first year of a new league media rights deal.
"We have been intentional about extending the ramp-up period for all of our expansion teams," Berman told media on Wednesday. "We have a dozen or so groups that we are continuing to talk to and, depending on their readiness, will help inform our strategy beyond team 18."
The NCAA hockey season is winding down, with the puck dropping on the first round of the Division I national tournament on Thursday as players start down the road to the 2026 Frozen Four.
Unseeded qualifiers Franklin Pierce, Quinnipiac, Princeton, UConn, Yale, and Minnesota Duluth will open national bracket play in Thursday's regional semifinals.
The winners will then meet either No. 1-seed Ohio State, No. 2 Wisconsin, or No. 3 Penn State in Saturday's regional finals, with No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Northeastern readying to make their tournament debuts against each other the same round.
Conference tournament upsets notably shaped this year's field, with the Buckeyes earning the top seed after booking a 2-1 title victory over the formerly top-ranked Badgers in the WCHA Final Faceoff on Saturday.
The perennial titans have owned the national championship over the last six NCAA hockey seasons, with Wisconsin tallying four (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025) and Ohio State taking two (2022, 2024).
"Maybe we'll see them again down the road," Badgers co-captain Caroline Harvey said after Saturday's loss, hinting at a possible Midwestern rivalry rematch in the Frozen Four's national title game. "We'll look forward to that if that's the case."
How to watch the 2026 NCAA women's ice hockey tournament
Division I's best will hit the ice beginning with Yale vs. Minnesota Duluth at 6 PM ET on Thursday.
All tournament games will air live on ESPN+, with the network elevating the March 22nd championship game to ESPNU.