The NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament bracket has officially dropped.

The ACC holds four of the top five spots with No. 1 UNC, No. 3 Syracuse, No. 4 Boston College and No. 5 Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the Big Ten has four qualifiers in No. 2 Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Rutgers.

James Madison, the 2018 champions, is set to face off against Johns Hopkins in the first round for a shot to play against No. 1 UNC. The full bracket can be found here. 

With the first round starting May 14, Just Women’s Sports is here with some of the storylines to watch in this year’s tournament. 

Three teams went unbeaten in the regular season; two of them could face off in the second round

UNC (18-0), Northwestern (13-0) and Stanford (11-0) all remain perfect heading into NCAA tournament play.

Northwestern boasts the nation’s highest scoring offense (20.62 GPG) behind Tewaaraton finalists Izzy Scane and Lauren Gilbert. Scane, who was recently named Big Ten Attacker of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament MVP, has been unreal offensively for the Wildcats, scoring 81 goals in 13 games. Gilbert has held some firepower of her own, scoring 56 goals in as many games. Meanwhile, UNC holds the nation’s highest scoring defense (5.94 GPG) led by senior and Tewaaraton finalist Emma Trenchard. Stanford is also high-powered offensively, ranking fifth in the country with an average of 16.73 goals per game. 

Both UNC and Northwestern received first-round byes and home-field advantage after receiving the No. 1 and No. 2 rankings respectively. Stanford, meanwhile, is set to face off against Denver in the first round of the tournament in the Evanston “pod.” The winner of that matchup will then meet Northwestern in the second round, meaning that if Stanford beats the Pioneers it will be a showdown between two of the three remaining unbeaten teams. The last time Stanford and Northwestern met, during the COVID shortened season in 2020, the Wildcats beat the Cardinal 25-18. 

However, the Cardinals might not get past the Pioneers so easily as Denver enters the tournament having lost only one game this season (early on against Colorado) and are the Big East Tournament Champions. Regardless, the winning team will advance to face Northwestern, who is seeking their eighth national championship and first since 2012.

Maryland enters the NCAA tournament unranked

Defending national champion Maryland is no stranger to the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament. This year will mark their 31st consecutive appearance, making it the longest streak in the nation. Head coach Cathy Reese has led the Terrapins to five national titles since she took over in 2007 with the last coming in 2019. No matter what, the Terrapins are always in the national title conversation having won 15 titles, the most of any women’s lacrosse program. 

This season has not been an easy one, as they enter the tournament with a 7-5 conference record. But the Terrapins have been showing power in spurts, led by Tewaaraton finalist and Big Ten Defender of the Year Lizzie Colson. Following a loss in their season opener to Johns Hopkins, they went on a five-game win streak that was snuffed by Northwestern. They went 2-2 in their final regular season matches before making it all the way to the Big Ten Championship final, where they were defeated once again by the second-ranked Wildcats. While Maryland enters this year’s NCAA Tournament in unfamiliar territory, they could very well make some noise in the early rounds. 

UNC Lacrosse, not to be outdone by field hockey, is looking for their third title

North Carolina’s women’s teams have been having an unreal year. While UNC Field Hockey was busy taking care of business and winning their third-straight title, their soccer team has a shot at advancing to the College Cup Final. 

Meanwhile, their lacrosse team has been dominant all season while riding a 21-game win streak. The Tar Heels are led by a nation-high four Tewaaraton Award finalists in Katie Hoeg, Taylor Moreno, Emma Trenchard and Jamie Ortega. Ortega has led the Tar Heels’ offense, having scored 73 goals in 17 games, winning her ACC Attacker of the Year, while Hoeg has made an impact with her assists, having 61 in 18 games for the Heels. 

The Tar Heels enter the tournament having won their fifth straight ACC tournament, defeating No. 3 Syracuse 9-4. They’ve dominated all season, outscoring their opponents 290-90, and are now seeking their third national title (and first since 2016). Goalkeeper and ACC Defender of the Year Taylor Moreno has only allowed double-digit goals against twice, versus No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 7 Duke. Having earned a first-round bye, they’ll take on the winner of James Madison vs. Johns Hopkins in the second round in Chapel Hill.

Other teams to watch out for:

• Boston College (13-3) has been the runner-up in the past three tournaments. They enter this year’s tournament at No. 4, just missing out on the first-round bye. The Eagles are the 7th highest scoring offense in the country led by senior attacker and Tewaaraton finalist Charlotte North. Their three losses have come at the hands of North Carolina in a lopsided 21-9 defeat and twice against Syracuse, most recently in the ACC Semifinal. They’ve also had notable wins against No. 7 Duke and No. 5 Notre Dame. 
• No. 3 Syracuse (14-3) is led by three Tewaaraton Award finalists in Megan Carney, Sarah Cooper and Meaghan Tyrrell. The Orange earned an at-large bid to the tournament following a loss to UNC in the ACC Championship game. Other notable losses include a regular-season loss to UNC and a close one against No. 4 Boston College. 

Full list of qualifiers:

Automatic Qualifiers (Conference Winners)

• No. 6 Florida (16-2) – American Athletic Conference
• No. 8 Stony Brook (14-2) – America East
• Massachusetts (15-2) – Atlantic 10
• No. 1 North Carolina (18-0) – ACC
• Jacksonville (11-1) – ASUN
• Denver (15-1) – Big East
• High Point (10-7) – Big South
• No. 2 Northwestern (13-0) – Big Ten
• James Madison (11-4) – Colonial
• Fairfield (13-1) – MAAC
• Robert Morris* (14-2) – MAC
• Mount St. Mary’s (14-2) – Northeast
• Stanford (11-0) – Pac-12
• Loyola Maryland (11-2) – Patriot
• Mercer (7-7) – SoCon

Teams Selected At-Large

• No. 4 Boston College (13-3)
• Drexel (13-2)*
• No. 7 Duke (9-7)
• Hofstra (6-6)
• Johns Hopkins (8-6)
• Maryland (9-6)
• No. 5 Notre Dame (9-6)
• Rutgers (6-8)
• No. 3 Syracuse (14-3)
• Temple (12-5)
• Towson (9-8)
• UConn (12-6)
• Vanderbilt (12-6)
• Virginia (8-8)

*Marks first tournament appearance

Notable: The NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Tournament has been in the headlines lately as the LeMoyne women, who were ranked in the top three all year, were left out of the tournament. Even worse? The bracket was leaked early.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"