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NCAA Tournament tracker: Women’s TV deal could be ‘worth a lot’

(C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament ended in an action-packed final weekend, from two thrilling semifinal matchups on Friday to LSU’s national championship win against Iowa on Sunday.

While we’re still waiting on ratings for Sunday’s title game on ABC, the rest of the tournament shattered records. The Final Four game between Iowa and South Carolina averaged 5.5 million viewers, the most for a semifinal on ESPN networks and the most-viewed college basketball game (men’s or women’s) on ESPN since 2008.

The women’s tournament is currently included in a TV deal with 28 other sports’ NCAA tournaments. But that contract with ESPN expires in 2024, and the momentum of women’s basketball could give the tournament its own TV deal in the upcoming bargaining cycle.

“I think the biggest opportunity there — and I would argue that the investments that have been made in the women’s game have had a tremendous return to the women’s game and to the players and the coaches and everybody else — is the fact that the timing on the bid associated with this is perfect,” new NCAA president Charlie Baker told reporters Saturday. “Basically, this thing is going out this year and it’s going out on the heels of what will have been the most successful tournament…

“Let’s see what the market thinks it’s worth. I think the market is going to think it’s worth a lot.”


2023 NCAA Tournament: Top storylines from March Madness

March 29 — Caitlin Clark wins Naismith Player of the Year

Iowa star Caitlin Clark beat out reigning winner Aliyah Boston for the Naismith Player of the Year award.

While leading her team to the Final Four, Clark has averaged 8.6 assists per game, which puts her first in the NCAA in that category. She also ranks first in 3-pointers per game (3.53) and triple-doubles (five this season) and third in points per game (27.3). The Hawkeyes guard is the only player in the country to average more than 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per game.

Boston may have lost the top award to Clark, but she took home the Defensive Player of the Year award for the second season in a row. The South Carolina center is ranked in the top five in the country in both offensive and defensive player rating.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley has been named the Naismith Coach of the Year for the second season in a row, as she has led the defending champions to an undefeated record and a third straight Final Four berth.


March 26 — Inflate-gate: LSU questions air level in basketballs

After a poor offensive showing from both teams in LSU’s 54-42 win against Miami in the Elite Eight, the third-seeded Tigers questioned the inflation levels of the basketballs.

LSU shot 30.2% from the field in their win, while Miami shot 31.6% from the field. The teams combined to go 1-for-27 from 3-point range, with that one 3-pointer coming from LSU’s Kateri Poole in the fourth quarter.

“They need to take some air out of the ball,” Poole told The Athletic. “It’s too much and I think everyone’s shot has been off lately.”

The men’s tournament has featured similar complaints about the basketballs, including from overall No. 1 seed Alabama.

“We need to check those balls out, because it’s not even fun for me to watch the men play,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “I mean, knockdown shots is normal for men and they’re just rattling all over the rim.

“It’s happening to both teams, so it’s not like one team has an advantage. But I know Alexis Morris’s ball handling skill and she’d bring the ball up, and all of a sudden you’d see that thing just jump off the floor.”


March 25 — Ohio State ends drought, snaps UConn streak

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated UConn, 73-61, to earn a spot in their first Elite Eight since 1993. With the win, Ohio State simultaneously ended UConn’s streak of consecutive NCAA Final Fours, which dated back to 2007.


March 24 — Miami, LSU, Iowa, and Louisville book tickets to Elite Eight

The first four games of the Sweet 16 were filled with plenty of drama, beginning with No. 9 Miami upsetting No. 4 Villanova. With the win, Miami becomes just the second No. 9 seed to qualify for the Elite Eight of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.


March 21 — ACC and SEC lead Sweet 16 slate

The ACC and SEC each had four teams advance to the Sweet 16, tied for the most of any conference in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

While the Big Ten and Pac-12 dominated the Associated Press Top 25 poll for much of the season, each of those conferences came up just short, with three teams each in the Sweet 16. The Big East has the final two in UConn and Villanova.

LSU star Angel Reese defended the strength of her team’s conference after her Tigers won their second-round game against No. 6 seed Michigan, and then No. 8 seed Ole Miss stunned No. 1 seed Stanford.

“But the SEC was light this year???” she tweeted Sunday night during the Ole Miss victory. “OH OK.”


March 18 — Seven upsets highlight first round

Seven first-round games were won by the lower seed. No. 12 seeds Florida Gulf Coast and Toledo pulled off the biggest upsets, with FGC defeating No. 5 Washington State, 74-63, and Toledo bumping off No. 5 Iowa State, 80-73.

Here’s the full list of first round upsets:

  • No. 10 Georgia 66, No. 7 Florida State 54
  • No. 11 Mississippi State 81, No. 6 Creighton 66
  • No. 9 South Dakota State 62, No. 8 USC 57 (OT)
  • No. 10 Princeton 64, No. 7 NC State 63
  • No. 9 Miami 62, No. 8 Oklahoma State 61
  • No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 74, No. 5 Washington State 63
  • No. 12 Toledo 80, No. 5 Iowa State 73

March 18 — Baylor records historic comeback

Baylor needed a historic comeback to emerge from the first round of the 2023 NCAA basketball tournament. Trailing by 18 points against Alabama, No. 7 seed Baylor went on to win the game, 78-74. The 18-point deficit is tied for third largest comeback in NCAA tournament history.

“Wow, we were really bad in the first quarter and really good after that,” Baylor head coach Nicki Collen said.

Two other teams managed 16-plus point comebacks Saturday, with Miami coming back from a 17-point deficit and Ohio State reversing a 16-point margin.


March 17 — Stanford’s Cameron Brink misses first round with non-COVID illness

Forward Cameron Brink sat out Stanford’s first round opener with a non-COVID illness. The Cardinal defeated No. 16 Sacred Heart, 92-49.

“Not how I expected March Madness to start but cheering my girls on today – just a stomach bug & I’ll be back asap,” Brink wrote on Instagram.


March 17 — NC State’s Diamond Johnson will miss opening weekend

NC State point guard Diamond Johnson will miss the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament due to injury, she revealed Thursday night on social media.

The junior is dealing with an ankle injury, which has kept her off the court since Feb. 16. Still, the Wolfpack had planned for her possible return, and indeed her absence at the end of the regular season was aimed at giving her enough time to recover ahead of the postseason, according to coach Wes Moore.

“I will not be playing in the NCAA Tournament this weekend and wanted to let everyone know,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “I have been rehabbing my injury and taking it week by week, although it hasn’t been easy my support system has helped me get to this point both mentally and physically.”

No. 7 seed NC State will start its tournament run against No. 10 Princeton at 10 p.m. ET Friday at Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center.


March 16 — Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson out for NCAA Tournament

Florida State will be without its leading scorer in Ta’Niya Latson for the NCAA Tournament, the team announced Thursday.

Latson missed the Seminoles’ most recent game, a loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, but Florida State has not released any information about the injury. The freshman guard led the team with 21.3 points per game this season.

Sophomore guard O’Mariah Gordon also will miss the NCAA Tournament due to injury. Gordon averaged 6.9 points per game for the Seminoles.


March 16 — Geno Auriemma: ‘If we weren’t called UConn, we’d be a No. 1’

Geno Auriemma’s UConn teams had earned a No. 1 seed in 13 of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments before this year. But the Huskies will begin this round of March Madness with a No. 2 seed.

While the team also was a No. 2 seed in 2022 and 2019 (and made it to the Final Four in each of those seasons), the legendary program is not used to playing second fiddle. And the Huskies only did not claim a top seed this year because they are being judged relative to their own high bar, Auriemma said.

“I think if we weren’t called UConn, we’d be a No. 1,” the coach said after the bracket reveal.

The Huskies have dealt with injuries, big and small, all season, which hampered their chances at a No. 1 seed. Star sophomore guard Azzi Fudd missed much of the regular season with a knee injury but returned for the Big East Tournament.

Auriemma called the No. 2 seed “expected” despite the disappointment, though he is not looking forward to the trip to Seattle for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight should his team make it that far.


March 13 — Holy Cross faces travel trouble ahead of first round

The No. 15 seed Crusaders are set to face No. 2 seed Maryland at 2:15 p.m. ET Friday at the Terrapins’ home arena in College Park — 393 miles from their home in Worcester, Mass.

Unfortunately for Holy Cross, that distance comes in just under 400 miles. The NCAA will reimburse schools for charter flights of 400 miles or more, so the Crusaders’ trip does not make the cut.

With a snowstorm expected in Massachusetts, the team could not find enough space on commercial flights, so the Crusaders may have to turn to a train or a bus, Stadium analyst Jeff Goodman reported.


Complete results from the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

First Four Results and Scores

  • Wednesday, March 15:
    • Mississippi State 70, Illinois 56
    • Sacred Heart 57, Southern 47
  • Thursday, March 16:
    • St. John’s 66, Purdue 64
    • Tennessee Tech 79, Monmouth 69

First Round Results and Scores

  • Friday, March 17:
    • No. 8 South Florida 67, No. 9 Marquette 65 (OT)
    • No. 7 Arizona 75, No. 10 West Virginia 62
    • No. 10 Georgia 66, No. 7 Florida State 54
    • No. 1 South Carolina 72, No. 16 Norfolk State 40
    • No. 2 Maryland 93, No. 15 Holy Cross 61
    • No. 6 Michigan 71, No. 11 UNLV 59
    • No. 3 Notre Dame 82, No. 14 Southern Utah 56
    • No. 2 Iowa 95, No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana 43
    • No. 3 LSU 73, No. 14 Hawaii 50
    • No. 1 Virginia Tech 58, No. 14 Chattanooga 33
    • No. 11 Mississippi State 81, No. 6 Creighton 66
    • No. 1 Stanford 92, No. 16 Sacred Heart 49
    • No. 2 Utah 103, No. 15 Gardner-Webb 77
    • No. 9 South Dakota State 62, No. 8 USC 57 (OT)
    • No. 10 Princeton 64, No. 7 NC State 63
    • No. 8 Ole Miss 71, No. 9 Gonzaga 48
  • Saturday, March 18:
    • No. 1 Indiana 77, No. 16 Tennessee Tech 47
    • No. 4 Tennessee 95, No. 13 Saint Louis 50
    • No. 3 Ohio State 80, No. 14 James Madison 66
    • No. 9 Miami 62, No. 8 Oklahoma State 61
    • No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 74, No. 5 Washington State 63
    • No. 2 UConn 95, No. 15 Vermont 52
    • No. 12 Toledo 80, No. 5 Iowa State 73
    • No. 6 North Carolina 61, No. 11 St. John’s 59
    • No. 4 Villanova 76, No. 13 Cleveland State 59
    • No. 7 Baylor 78, No. 10 Alabama 74
    • No. 6 Colorado 82, No. 11 Middle Tennessee 60
    • No. 5 Louisville 83, No. 12 Drake 81
    • No. 5 Oklahoma 85, No. 12 Portland 63
    • No. 3 Duke 89, No. 14 Iona 49
    • No. 4 Texas 79, No. 13 East Carolina 40
    • No. 4 UCLA 67, No. 13 Sacramento State 45

Second Round Results and Scores

  • Sunday, March 19:
    • No. 1 South Carolina 76, No. 8 South Florida 45
    • No. 2 Iowa 74, No. 10 Georgia 66
    • No. 3 Notre Dame 53, No. 11 Mississippi State 48
    • No. 1 Virginia Tech 72, No. 9 South Dakota State 60
    • No. 2 Maryland 77, No. 7 Arizona 64
    • No. 2 Utah 63, No. 10 Princeton 56
    • No. 3 LSU 66, No. 6 Michigan 42
    • No. 8 Ole Miss 54, No. 1 Stanford 49
  • Monday, March 20:
    • No. 3 Ohio State 71, No. 6 North Carolina 69
    • No. 4 Tennessee 94, No. 12 Toledo 47
    • No. 5 Louisville 73, No. 4 Texas 51
    • No. 4 Villanova 76, No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 57
    • No. 9 Miami 70 No. 1 Indiana 68
    • No. 6 Colorado 61, No. 3 Duke 53 (OT)
    • No. 2 UConn 77, No. 7 Baylor 58
    • No. 4 UCLA 82, No. 5 Oklahoma 73

Sweet 16 Results and Scores

  • Friday, March 24: 
    • No. 9 Miami (Fla.) 70, No. 4 Villanova 65
    • No. 3 LSU 66, No. 2 Utah 63
    • No. 2 Iowa 87, No. 6 Colorado 77
    • No. 5 Louisville 72, No. 8 Ole Miss 62
  • Saturday, March 25:
    • No. 2 Maryland 76, No. 3 Notre Dame 59
    • No.1 South Carolina 59, No. 4 UCLA 43
    • No. 3 Ohio State 73, No. 2 UConn 61
    • No. 1 Virginia Tech 73, No 4 Tennessee 64

Elite Eight Results and Scores

  • Sunday, March 26:
    • No. 3 LSU 54, No. 9 Miami 42
    • No. 2 Iowa 97, No. 5 Louisville 83
  • Monday, March 27:
    • No. 1 South Carolina 86, No. 2 Maryland 75
    • No. 1 Virginia Tech 84, No. 3 Ohio State 74

Final Four Results and Scores

  • Friday, March 31
    • No. 3 LSU 79, No. 1 Virginia Tech 72
    • No. 2 Iowa 77, No. 1 South Carolina 73
  • Sunday, April 2
    • No. 3 LSU 102, No. 2 Iowa 85

Chawinga Crowned NWSL MVP as Bethune, Sams Win Additional 2024 Awards

KC goalkeeper AD Franch lifts Temwa Chawinga on her shoulder after a win.
Current striker Temwa Chawinga won the 2024 MVP award in her first NWSL season on Friday. (Peter Aiken/Imagn Images)

After securing spots on the Best XI First Team on Monday, Kansas City's Temwa Chawinga, Washington's Croix Bethune, and Orlando's Emily Sams picked up even more 2024 NWSL awards this week.

On Friday, KC striker Chawinga added 2024 MVP to her stacked resume, one day after Bethune and Sams snagged their respective position awards.

A striking first NWSL season for KC's Chawinga

It's almost impossible to believe that 2024 was Chawinga's first NWSL season, but the newly minted MVP only joined Kansas City in January.

The Malawi international blasted into the league's history books with 20 goals this year, ousting former NWSL star Sam Kerr from atop the single-season scoring record.

That effort earned the Current star the 2024 Golden Boot. She additionally notched league first along the way, becoming the only player to ever score against all teams in a single season.

Proving herself 2024's leader in capitalizing on opportunities, the 26-year-old took the second-most shots in the league but put the most on target. A menace in the box, her subsequent speed and agility helped Chawinga lead the NWSL with 18 of her 20 goals netted from inside the 18.

"We are so proud of Temwa for earning this award," said KC head coach Vlatko Andonovski on Friday. "Temwa has come so far this season in a short amount of time and is so important to our team, she is the clear MVP of both our team and the league."

Washington rookie Croix Bethune runs across the pitch in a match.
2024 Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune became the first NWSL Midfielder of the Year on Thursday. (David Gonzales/USA TODAY Sports)

Bethune's unmatched NWSL rookie debut

Speaking of history-making first-year NWSL players, Washington standout Bethune became a bonafide league star in her professional debut, one that earned her three end-of-season awards. Along with her Best XI First Team nod, Bethune became the 2024 Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, then capped her individual hardware haul by being named the NWSL's first-ever Midfielder of the Year on Thursday.

As the No. 3 overall pick in the last-ever NWSL Draft, the Georgia alum made her presence on the professional pitch immediately known, snagging Rookie of the Month honors for every month she was eligible. She also became the first rookie to ever notch three assists in a single match.

Bethune, who also won Olympic gold with the USWNT in August, notched five goals and an NWSL record-tying 10 assists in her 2024 campaign. Even more impressively, the Spirit star did so in just 17 games, missing the last nine matches after a late-August injury ended her season.

"I'm so grateful," Bethune told JWS at NWSL Championship Media Day in Kansas City after winning Midfielder of the Year. "Being out a lot of the season with injury [and] being able to achieve goals that I set for myself — thank you to the league and everyone who supports me."

Orlando center back Emily Sams lifts her 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year trophy in the air.
Emily Sams is the first Orlando player to win Defender of the Year. (Kylie Graham/Imagn Images)

Sams named top NWSL defender

After helping Orlando lead the NWSL with 13 shutouts, fewest goals conceded, and most consecutive minutes without giving up a goal, center back Sams was named 2024 Defender of the Year (DOTY) on Thursday, becoming the first Pride player to earn the honor.

Sams now joins an elite club of seven defenders to ever win the award, including four-time DOTY Becky Sauerbrunn and last year's back-to-back winner Naomi Girma.

Shield-winners Orlando led the NWSL this season, but Sams topped the Pride's backline, leading the club in clearances, blocks, and possessions in the defensive third. Plus, the 25-year-old notched the second-most recoveries on the NWSL's stat sheet with 163, and she'll look to continue shutting down opponents when Orlando faces Washington in Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship.

Individual numbers aside, Sams was quick to share credit with her teammates on Thursday, saying, "this is literally impossible without all of you guys. Shout out to Anna, Kylie, Bells, Corey and everyone else who played on the backline this year — I can't do what I do without you guys. Lets go win the championship."

2024 NWSL end-of-season awards

  • Golden Boot: Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
  • MVP: Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
  • Rookie of the Year: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
  • Midfielder of the Year: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
  • Defender of the Year: Emily Sams, Orlando Pride
  • Goalkeeper of the Year: Ann-Katrin Berger, Gotham FC
  • Coach of the Year: Seb Hines, Orlando Pride

USWNT to Face Japan, Australia, Colombia in 2025 SheBelieves Cup

The USWNT raise their 2024 SheBelieves Cup trophy.
The USWNT won their seventh SheBelieves Cup in 2024. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

The 2025 SheBelieves Cup field is officially set, as the world No. 1 USWNT's path to a sixth-straight victory in the annual tournament will feature matchups with 2024 Olympians No. 7 Japan, No. 15 Australia, and No. 21 Colombia.

After the Paris Olympic Games forced an abbreviated four-match, two-day format in 2024, this 10th edition will return to the tournament's original setup of three double-headers in February. Round-robin play will again determine the Cup champion via accumulated points, with goal differential serving as tiebreaker.

The 2025 tournament will kick off at Houston's Shell Energy Stadium on February 20th. The quartet will then battle at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on the 23rd before wrapping up the Cup at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium on the 26th.

USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and defender Emily Sonnett pose with the 2024 SheBelieves Cup trophy.
Alyssa Naeher and Emily Sonnett have been on all nine US SheBelieves Cup rosters. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

A history of USWNT SheBelieves dominance

While Australia and Colombia will make their SheBelieves Cup debuts, the 2025 competition will be Japan's third straight trip and fifth overall appearance in the US-hosted tournament.

Other than France's 2017 victory and England's 2019 title, the USWNT has won all other iterations for a total of seven trophies.

That streak, plus their astounding 71-2-15 combined all-time record against the three visitors — marred only by single 1-0 losses to Japan in 2012 and Australia in 2018 — make the US heavily favored to win an eighth SheBelieves Cup.

World-class contenders square off for SheBelieves

That said, it won't be easy, as every 2025 contender poses a challenge. Each has already played the USA this year, starting when Colombia fell 3-0 to the States in their Concacaf W Gold Cup quarterfinal in March.

Las Cafeteras didn't have to face the eventual gold medalists during the 2024 Olympics, unlike Australia and Japan. The USWNT knocked the Matildas out of the Paris tournament with a 2-1 win in group play, then narrowly escaped a tough Nadeshiko side in a 1-0 overtime quarterfinal thriller.

All three visiting teams will be gunning for a redemption win over the US come February. That high-stakes competition is something US head coach Emma Hayes welcomes.

"This will be my first SheBelieves Cup, but I’ve followed the tournament, and it always produces close games between top teams," the US boss said in Wednesday’s announcement.

"All four of these teams were in the last World Cup and Olympics, and all are in the building process to qualify for the next World Cup, so to get three games against talented teams and players in a format that replicates group play at a world championship is valuable in our process. All the games will be great tests for the teams and fun for all the fans."

Japan's Seike Kiko and the USWNT's Jenna Nighswonger battle for position during the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
Japan will join the SheBelieves Cup for the fifth time in 2025. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The full 2025 SheBelieves Cup schedule for the USWNT

  • Thursday, February 20th (Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas)
    • Japan vs. Australia, 5 PM ET
    • USWNT vs. Colombia, 8 PM ET
  • Sunday, February 23rd (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona)
    • Colombia vs. Japan, 2 PM ET
    • USWNT vs. Australia, 5 PM ET
  • Wednesday, February 26th (Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California)
    • Australia vs. Colombia, 7:30 PM ET
    • USWNT vs. Japan, 10:30 PM ET

How to watch the USWNT at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup

Tickets for all 2025 SheBelieves Cup dates and locations are currently available online.

For those unable to make the trip, all USWNT matches will air live on TBS, with the three non-US games will be available to stream on Max.

Weekend NCAA Basketball Action Features Top-Ranked College Matchups

South Carolina's Raven Johnson drives past UCLA's Londynn Jones to the basket.
The last meeting between South Carolina and UCLA was in 2023's March Madness. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

At least two of the nation's best NCAA basketball teams will see their undefeated 2024/25 campaigns end this weekend, when a pair of cutthroat college clashes tests the limits of four championship contenders.

First, No. 6 Notre Dame will visit No. 3 USC on Saturday, before No. 1 South Carolina takes on the Trojans’ crosstown rival No. 5 UCLA on Sunday.

The Notre Dame bench cheers as guard Hannah Hidalgo puts up a lay-up in an NCAA college basketball game.
Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo will square off against fellow sophomore superstar, USC's JuJu Watkins, on Saturday. (Michael Clubb/South Bend Tribune/ USA Today Network/Imagn Images)

Saturday's NCAA showdown features superstar sophomores

All eyes will be on preseason All-American sophomore guards JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo when the Irish contend with their season's first ranked opponent on Saturday.

Already a phenom, Watkins became the fastest Trojan to 1,000 career points last Friday — and she did it by a mile. The previous record-holder, legend Cheryl Miller, needed 48 games to hit the same mark.

As for Hidalgo, she's already hit the century mark across Notre Dame’s four matchups to average 25 points per game — the fifth-best offensive rate in the country.

The Irish's other secret weapon, guard Olivia Miles, is also back, returning from her February 2023 ACL tear with a vengeance in the Irish's season opener. Already averaging 18.3 points per game, Miles has also banked 27 assists over Notre Dame's four games — more than twice that of any of her teammates.

Between Hildago and Miles, plus ND's admittedly lopsided matchups so far, the South Bend squad has blasted their opponents by a 42.5-point average scoring margin this season.

It's a similar story for USC, who have been on a tear since their narrow 68-66 season-opening win over then-No. 20 Ole Miss. The Trojans thrashed their next three opponents by outscoring them by a gobsmacking average of 57 points.

The Trojans will need all that offense, plus the stylings of Watkins and All-American forward Kiki Iriafen, to handle the Irish on Saturday. Notre Dame holds the 8-2 all-time series advantage between the two teams, though they haven't squared off since 2011. Should USC emerge victorious, it will be their first win over the Irish since 2006.

UCLA center Lauren Betts celebrates a play in an NCAA college basketball game.
UCLA standout Lauren Betts will try to dominate the paint over South Carolina's Chloe Kitts on Sunday. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Sunday puts powerhouses in the paint

The subsequent Sunday battle between UCLA and South Carolina — who set a program-record 43-game win streak on Wednesday — will likely be decided in the paint, where both team's superstars thrive.

The Gamecocks' depth keeps their stat sheet fairly balanced, making junior forward Chloe Kitts’s team-leading rates in scoring and rebounding that much more impressive.

That said, her UCLA counterpart, junior center Lauren Betts, has been dominant. By averaging a double-double across the Bruins' four tilts with 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, Betts is already sparking National Player of the Year commentary.

Both squads began their 2024/25 campaigns with tight wins, but while UCLA's came over then-No. 17 Louisville, South Carolina was nearly shocked by unranked Michigan. On the other hand, the Gamecocks are the only team to have handled a Top-10 opponent so far this season, confidently downing then-No. 9 NC State just six days after their near-disaster with the Wolverines.

Sunday's showdown kicks off a gauntlet of four ranked matchups in five games for South Carolina. Even though UCLA haven't defeated the Gamecocks this century, the Bruins are the biggest challenge to the reigning champions' undefeated streak on their 2024 docket.

Depending on which version of South Carolina shows up, a combination of the bigs and each team's overall consistency will likely determine Sunday's victor.

How to watch this weekend's Top-6 NCAA basketball games

Notre Dame and USC will tip off the weekend's matchups at 4 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on NBC.

On Sunday, FS1 will broadcast South Carolina vs. UCLA at 4 PM ET on Sunday.

Direct from Kansas City, ‘The Late Sub’ Previews the 2024 NWSL Championship

Key NWSL Championship player Spirit forward Trinity Rodman makes a heart sign at fans after an NWSL match.
Washington will lean on top scorer Trinity Rodman in Saturday's NWSL Championship match. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins joins the chat from Kansas City, where Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit will kick off the 2024 NWSL Championship on Saturday.

Watkins breaks down the full Championship matchup, from each team's path to the Final to the tactics to expect on Saturday's pitch and everything in between. She also dishes on key players to watch — including Pride star Barbra Banda and Spirit attacker Trinity Rodman — and some of the recent injuries keeping star athletes on the sidelines.

Later, Watkins congratulates UConn head coach Geno Auriemma on Wednesday's record-breaking 1,217th victory — one that made saw him pass retired Stanford boss Tara VanDerveer to become the winningest college basketball coach in NCAA history.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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