Caitlin Clark’s 41-point performance in the National semifinals put everyone, once again, on notice.

It had Sabrina Ionescu tweeting a goat emoji at her, while Candace Parker summed up what most people were feeling.

41 DUDE WHO DOES THAT!!!??

— Candace Parker (@Candace_Parker) April 1, 2023

Clark is an anomaly, be it through scoring or assisting on the majority of the Hawkeyes’ points. But if you ask her, she wouldn’t be able to do what she’s doing without her teammates.

“I think the biggest thing is knowing how much my teammates trust me,” she said. “I was given the ball in kind of the biggest moments of the game on the biggest stage, but also at the same time, my teammates really came through and played huge minutes.”

Just Women’s Sports is breaking down the historic performance, by the numbers.

41:

Clark’s 41 points were the most in national semifinal history, helping lead Iowa to its first title game in program history. It also marked back-to-back 40-point games – which has also never been done before in NCAA tournament history.

“She doesn’t really surprise me anymore, but I was worried about her getting tired out there,” said head coach Lisa Bluder. “I think she’s the most phenomenal basketball player in America.

“In so many regards, not only scoring, but passing the ball, handling the ball. She had the ball in her hands almost all the time tonight against some pretty good defensive players.”

18:

In the fourth quarter, Clark scored or assisted on all 18 of Iowa’s points. It continues a trend of Clark being the orchestrator of the Iowa offense, having scored or assisted on 64 percent of Iowa’s points through their run in the NCAA tournament.

“The way she’s grown as a teammate and a leader on this team has been really special,” said teammate Monika Czinano. “She really fits into our family atmosphere. She always has.”

161:

In total, Clark has 161 points and 52 points in the NCAA tournament, one of six times that a player has had at least 150 points and 50 assists through any five-game span.

The remaining five instances also belong to Clark.

1,000:

Midway through the game, Clark became just the sixth player in D-I women’s basketball to score 1,000 points in a single season. She also became the first to have 1,000 points and 300 assists.

235:

Between the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments, Clark has scored 235 total points. It marks more points than the Iowa football team scored all season (230).

82:

With her performance, Clark had 82 points and 20 assists in Iowa’s last two wins. It marks the only time that a player has averaged 40 points and 10 assists per game over a two-game span in the history of the NCAA tournament – men’s or women’s.

Former perennial contender Stanford basketball's 36-season NCAA tournament streak are likely over, as the unranked Cardinal fell out of the ACC tournament in the first round on Wednesday.

No. 14-seed Clemson delivered the 63-46 tournament-ending blow to No. 11-seed Stanford, who shot just 31.5% from the field to score their fewest points of the season.

"We’re not going to let this one game define us or who we are," said head coach Kate Paye. "We’re hopeful we get to continue to play, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be here today."

March Madness chances dim with Stanford loss

While the NCAA basketball committee will have the final say on March 16th's Selection Sunday, the loss is a statistical death knell for Stanford's March Madness hopes, as the Cardinal drops to an underwhelming 16-14 record with Wednesday's loss.

Stanford has featured in every edition of the NCAA tournament since failing to advance in the 1986/87 season, racking up three national championships and 15 Final Four berths in that time.

The Cardinal holds the second-longest streak of appearances in the Big Dance, trailing only eight-time champion Tennessee, who have featured in every one of the NCAA's 42 tournaments.

The dramatic drop-off comes during a season of significant change for the Cardinal, who saw star Cameron Brink graduate into the WNBA, legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer retire after 38 seasons at the helm, and standout forward Kiki Iriafen transfer to USC last spring.

Even more, the dissolution of the Pac-12 had Stanford joining the ACC in last summer's conference realignment fray.

Rebuilds shape NCAA as top teams become 2024/25 underdogs

While the Cardinal experienced arguably the biggest upheaval since last season, they're far from the only top NCAA program enduring a rebuilding era.

After losing a handful of 2023/24 standouts, Stanford’s former Pac-12 foe Oregon State — who now competes in the West Coast Conference — faces slim national prospects after going unranked all season despite last year’s Elite Eight finish.

Similarly, back-to-back Final Four contenders Iowa also finds itself on shaky ground, taking the No. 11 seed in the steep Big Ten tournament as they strive to rebuild in the post-Caitlin Clark era.

All in all, the 2024/25 NCAA bracket will likely look a little different than in years past, as former March Madness shoo-ins struggle to find their footing amid graduating stars, heightened transfer portal activity, and conference realignment growing pains.

Iowa eyes bracket-busting March Madness run

Of all the rebuilding programs, Iowa is potentially the team most poised to make some noise during March Madness, with the Hawkeyes snagging some key ranked wins already this season — including last month’s upset of No. 2 USC.

With Clark’s alma mater aiming to bust brackets in the Big Dance, the Hawkeyes will use Wednesday's big 81-54 win over No. 14-seed Wisconsin to fuel them in Thursday's second round of the Big Ten tournament, where they'll face No. 6-seed Michigan State.

Earlier this season, Iowa fell in a slim 68-66 December loss to MSU, and the teams enter Thursday's matchup with nearly identical season records.

How to watch Thursday's NCAA conference tournament games

The unranked Hawkeyes will tip off against the No. 24-ranked Spartans at 9 PM ET. Live coverage will air on Fox Sports.

Former world No. 1 tennis star Naomi Osaka hit another setback on Wednesday, falling in straight sets in the first round of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells to Colombia’s unseeded Camila Osorio.

Osaka earned her first-ever WTA title at Indian Wells, defeating Daria Kasatkina to become the event's 2018 champion.

Wednesday's 6-4, 6-4 loss marked the now-No. 56 Osaka's first return to the court since an abdominal injury forced an early end to her impressive 2025 Australian Open run.

"It feels like a bump in the road," said the four-time Grand Slam champion after the match. "I don’t feel like I played well at all, but I still feel like I had so many chances to be in the match."

The match was Osorio's Indian Wells debut, with the No. 53 player now standing as the only Colombian woman to ever defeat a former world No. 1 player.

"It's a dream come true," said Osorio. "I really wanted to play on this court and was really excited and looking forward to playing a champion like Naomi, so I can't believe it."

WTA stars aim for title, rankings boosts at Indian Wells

Indian Wells serves as the opener for the Sunshine Double, a pair of early-season high-profile WTA 1000 events that sees the world’s top players hitting the US hardcourt. The annual tournament duo includes this week's event in California and, later this month, Florida's Miami Open.

Positioned in the tennis calendar's longest break between Grand Slams, the Sunshine Double often gives players a competitive opportunity to build up their rankings by accruing points in the lead-up to May's French Open.

To that end, the world's top contenders will all enter the Indian Wells fray on Friday, including No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and the tournament's defending champion, No. 2 Iga Świątek.

The event's convenient West Coast locale also attracts a wealth of US entrants, with No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Jessica Pegula, and 2025 Australian Open champion No. 5 Madison Keys joining fellow Stateside competitors No. 8 Emma Navarro, No. 14 Danielle Collins, and No. 18 Amanda Anisimova on this week's Indian Wells court.

How to watch the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells tennis tournament

The 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells will be contested through March 16th, with all seeded competitors beginning their tournament runs in Friday's Round of 64.

Live coverage of the tournament will air across the Tennis Channel's platforms.

Toy titan Mattel is celebrating March 8th's International Women’s Day by launching a new Barbie Role Model line that features two famous athlete duos.

Highlighting the importance of female friendships, the brand has focused this year's campaign on 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey as well as Australian tennis icons Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty.

Chiles and Carey also repped Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Games, where Chiles helped the US take silver in the team competition, while Carey earned individual gold in the floor exercise.

"I’ve always been passionate about empowering the next generation of female athletes and I couldn’t be more grateful to be recognized as a Barbie as a Role Model this International Women’s Day with Jordan," said Carey.

"Together, we are so excited to showcase the limitless power of friendship to girls everywhere. I wouldn’t be here today without support and encouragement from great friends like Jordan."

Barbie honors First Nations Australian tennis stars

Former world No. 1 tennis stars and First Nations Australians Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty also feature in the Barbie collection.

Barty retired in 2022 with wins in three of the four Grand Slams. Aboriginal sports legend Goolagong Cawley exited the sport in 1985 with 86 WTA Tour singles titles, including seven Grand Slam trophies.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be a Barbie myself," Barty told reporters. "I think it's just such an incredible experience to be a part of."

Another women's sports crossover for Barbie

This isn’t Barbie’s first foray into women’s sports. Past collections gave athletes like WNBA legend Sue Bird, Canadian soccer superstar Christine Sinclair, and tennis trailblazer Venus Williams the iconic doll's treatment.

Barbie also released lines in connection with the 2011 Women's World Cup. Additionally, the toy brand spotlighted women's sports with its 2023 Career of the Year collection. And late last year, Barbie partnered with the PWHL to release branded accessories representing the pro hockey league's teams.

"There’s no power or peace quite like knowing you have a support system of women behind you," remarked Chiles. "I hope that partnering with Barbie to celebrate the power of female friendship reminds the next generation of champions that we are stronger together."

Bay FC released renderings for the 2024 NWSL expansion team’s first-ever dedicated training facility on Wednesday, with award-winning design firm Olson Kundig overseeing the state-of-the-art complex’s development.

"In order to be a global sports franchise, the team needs its own home and dedicated facility," said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart in the club's statement. "Tom Kundig and the Olson Kundig team understand our priority of player-centricity and also designed an inspirational and stunning space which reflects a sense of home for our players and staff."

"Olson Kundig are true innovators and are helping us future proof the facility and create something uniquely designed for our athletes that will nurture the whole person and unlock maximum potential."

Bay FC’s training facility, which is expected to open before the 2027 NWSL season, prioritizes a seamless experience for athletes, balancing private and communal spaces with an emphasis on wholistic player care.

Located at the center of the Bay on Treasure Island, a man-made island constructed in 1937, the complex will include three training fields and boasts sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, North Bay, the Bay Bridge, and East Bay.

Even more, the center will provide resources to support long-term off-pitch success, including career development, education, and business training resources.

"Players commit to training together, building relationships, and working as a team every day," remarked Kundig. "The design acknowledges the complexity of that commitment — to the sport, the team, and the place that supports them both."

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Bay FC joins expanding roster of teams with top training centers

As rising professionalization continues to shape women’s sports, top-of-the-line training centers have become a key way for clubs to stand out — even across the West Coast's crowded real estate market.

Bay FC's new 2025 WNBA neighbor Golden State and the NWSL's LA club Angel City have both recently embraced the dedicated facilities trend, while Portland’s 2026 WNBA expansion team announced last month that it will share a new $150 million sports performance complex with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.

Dedicated facilities are increasingly becoming the status quo in the NWSL and WNBA, and Bay FC’s thoughtful design should be a selling point for top talent for years to come.