The NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was abruptly canceled Wednesday after being ruled “not playable at a championship level” after the course received seven inches of rain over the past several days.

The tournament hadn’t even started. Golfer Sara Byrne shared a video of the announcement on Twitter.

So here it is, the LSU regionals at Baton Rouge has been cancelled due to the course being “PLAYABLE BUT NOT AT A CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL”!!!!! Disgraceful how this whole week has been handled!!!! Every player worked so hard for this week and this is how we are treated!!! SHAMEFUL!!! pic.twitter.com/Z8FGrfYKLN

— Sara Byrne (@sarabyrne01) May 12, 2021

Because of the tournament being canceled, the top six seeded teams will automatically advance and play May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. These teams include host LSU, Ole Miss, Baylor, Oregon, Maryland and Alabama. Houston’s Karen Fredgaard, Miami’s Nataliya Guseva and Sam Houston State’s Hanna Alberto will all advance as individuals. 

Among the golfers who expressed their disappointment on social media was Miami junior Kristyna Frydlova, who posted pictures of the course with sunny skies and some standing water.

This is what an unplayable course looks like according to @NCAA @USGA at the Baton Rouge regional. No water on the greens, looked even nicer yesterday when we couldn't play either. After 18 years of playing golf I've never experienced anything like this pic.twitter.com/Oub1pJdACP

— Kristyna Frydlova (@frydlins) May 12, 2021

Tulsa assistant coach Mikayla Tatman then shared a video walking the course, saying that aside from one hole needing to be changed “the course is playable.”

Fairways are without a doubt wet, but I would not get casual water relief here. There’s one hole that would need to be changed from a par 4 to a 3. Other than that course is playable. The rules will take care of whatever relief needs to happen out there. #LetUsPlay pic.twitter.com/X2TdvSfLzu

— Mikayla Tatman (@CoachMikayla) May 12, 2021

Former UCLA golfer Beth Wu pointed out that at the 2019 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge there was enough rain that golfers were squeegeeing the course during their round in order to continue play.

“Cup was half full of water, didn’t stop play,” she said. “NCAA make it make sense!!”

2019 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. Rainy, cup was half full of water, didn’t stop play, but we did what we had to do DURING our round to continue!! @NCAA make it make sense!! pic.twitter.com/zzzlXi2dZN

— Beth Wu (@bethwuuuuu) May 13, 2021

Arizona State golf alum Madison Kerley then showcased her own experience at a regional tournament in Norma, Oklahoma her senior year.

Especially considering I played the final round of regionals in Norman, OK, in these conditions my senior year... @GolfweekNichols pic.twitter.com/YGQrRjlpfj

— Madison Kerley (@madisondion) May 13, 2021

While the women were not allowed to practice on Monday, it appears as though the LSU men’s golf team was able to use the practice facilities. 

Vanderbilt goalkeeper and former football kicker Sarah Fuller also took to Twitter to express her disappointment.

I really don’t have any words. I’m just sick of @NCAA and how they treat us. These athletes deserve a chance to play. https://t.co/YYL6ufUd9x

— Sarah Fuller (@SarahFuller_27) May 13, 2021

Michelle Wie spoke out via Instagram story Wednesday evening, stating that at times course conditions on the LPGA tour were so bad that the groundskeeper had to squeegee the greens.

“Were these conditions “championship level”? Heck no,” Wie wrote. “But were they playable? YES. You just have to find a way to make it happen.”

“No one can control the weather, but if there’s even a CHANCE that you can play, you HAVE TO let these girls compete,” she added. “You should only cancel an event after you try EVERYTHING.”

It’s not the first time that the NCAA has come under fire this year for their lack of support surrounding women’s tournaments. The NCAA women’s basketball tournament showed us the power of social media in showcasing these issues, as the discrepancies in treatment — including the respective weight rooms — between the men’s and women’s tournaments came under fire. Then, less than a month later the NCAA was in the spotlight once again, this time over their lack of coverage and unsafe practice courts at the women’s volleyball tournament.

The first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs ends on Friday night, when the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury and No. 5 New York Liberty return to Arizona for a winner-take-all Game 3 — with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

"The message is, 'Everybody keep our heads up. This is a series, and Phoenix is a tough team,'" Liberty star Breanna Stewart said ahead of Friday's matchup.

Still battling an MCL sprain in her left knee, Stewart hopes for more quality time on the court to help New York bounce back from the Mercury's Game 2 blowout win.

While neither team has successfully defended at home so far, Phoenix will look for a boost from the Mercury fans as they try to oust the defending WNBA champs.

"It's just nice for everyone to get a home game," said Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. "[But] in order to win a series, you got to win on the road."

"You see how competitive, how balanced this is," said Stewart, commenting on the league's new home-away-home first-round format. "How important it is for these kind of series to be going back and forth."

How to watch the New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

It's win-or-go-home for both the No. 5 New York Liberty and No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Friday.

The high-stakes matchup will tip off at 9 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year race ended in a tie on Thursday, as dominant seasons at both ends of the court saw Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith each receive 29 of the media panel's 72 total votes.

After finishing first this season in blocks per game (2.3), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), and combined steals and blocks (156), Wilson became just the fourth player in WNBA history named Defensive Player of the Year at least three times — adding this year's title to her previous 2022 and 2023 honors.

As for Smith, who picked up the award for the first time this year, the Lynx star ranked second overall in combined steals and blocks (135), third in both blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (80), and tied for 10th in total steals (55) on the season.

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Also snagging votes were Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, who came in second with nine votes, as well as Phoenix Mercury triple-double phenom Alyssa Thomas and fellow Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who received three and two votes, respectively.

The win by both Wilson and Smith marks the first time in history that the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor has ended in a tie, reflecting both the top-notch level of talent on display across the league as well as the hyper-competitive nature of the 2025 end-of-year awards race on display across multiple categories.

Next up on the league's awards docket is Saturday's Sixth Player of the Year announcement, followed by the highly anticipated reveal of the 2025 WNBA MVP on Sunday.

The NWSL promises a tense mid-table battle this weekend, as the No. 4 Portland Thorns take on the No. 5 San Diego Wave with both teams looking to keep late-season lags at bay.

After strong starts, the Thorns and Wave each have just one win in their last five games, with San Diego aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Gotham last weekend.

Even more, both clubs currently sit in a four-way tie for points on the NWSL table, giving Saturday's match extra weight in potentially shifting the standings this weekend.

"It's a really important moment for us as a team," said San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall. "Because adversity will happen to people or teams at various points, and everything about now is how we respond."

Portland will also look to regain ground, perhaps drawing inspiration from the past after announcing Wednesday that the club plans to retire legendary forward Christine Sinclair's jersey in an October 4th ceremony.

Sinclair established herself as the Portland Thorns' all-time leading scorer, retiring last year with 79 goals across all NWSL competitions — the second-most ever scored by an NWSL player.

How to watch the Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

The No. 4 Portland Thorns will host the No. 5 San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the NWSL match airing on ION.

No. 2 Las Vegas narrowly avoided a 2025 first-round postseason series upset on Thursday night, defeating the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74-73 in a deciding Game 3 to advance to the Aces' seventh-straight WNBA semifinals.

Aces star A'ja Wilson put her team on her back with another dominant performance, posting 38 points — including 25 in the second half — to outscore the rest of the Las Vegas lineup entirely.

"I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that's what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them," Wilson said postgame.

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Las Vegas got off to a slow start this year, but a late-season surge fueled by a renewed focus on depth saw the 2023 WNBA champs take the No. 2 playoff seed — and book yet another trip to the WNBA semifinals.

"I remember Chelsea [Gray] saying in a timeout, 'There's no time for my-bads anymore,'" said Wilson. "We have to play perfect basketball."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Up next for No. 2 Las Vegas is a No. 6 Indiana side punching above their weight.

That said, the Fever did score a 2-1 record against the Aces in the 2025 regular season — and Las Vegas's lone win over Indiana came back in June.

"They haven't seen the real Aces yet," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. "They caught us when we were a bit in turmoil."

The Aces will take aim at Indiana in Sunday's 3 PM ET semifinals opener, airing live on ABC.