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NCAA Moves 2028 Women’s Final Four to NFL’s Lucas Oil Stadium as Ticket Demand Soars

An exterior view of Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium with signage for the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.
The 2028 NCAA Basketball Final Four will be the first women's edition played in a football stadium since 2005. (Andy Lyons/Getty Image)

The Women's Basketball Final Four is getting an upgrade, with the NCAA announcing Tuesday that the 2028 edition of the annual competition will move from Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium due to surging ticket interest.

"Moving the 2028 Women's Final Four to Lucas Oil Stadium will allow for more access for our fans, and it represents the continued growth of the sport," said Division I women's basketball committee chair Amanda Braun. "With the interest we have seen, holding the Women's Final Four in a larger venue in Indianapolis is a natural next step."

Home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, the football stadium will open up approximately 13,000 additional seats for college basketball fans, bringing the total capacity for the 2028 Final Four to 31,000 — nearly double the original WNBA arena's 18,000 seats.

The committee also voted on Monday to continue the tournament's current preliminary-round format through the 2031 Championship, with seeded teams hosting the first two rounds at home followed by super-regional rounds in predetermined host cities — all leading up to the Final Four finale.

"The Women's Final Four continues to sell out, and the public demand for tickets has steadily increased," the NCAA said in a statement.

With sellout crowds across every NCAA Final Four dating back to 2017 — save the COVID-19 restricted 2021 edition — the 2028 move won't just allow more fans to attend, it will also give the governing body a more accurate measure of the true demand for the growing sport at the collegiate level.

Angel City and New Zealand Captain Ali Riley to Retire After 2025 NWSL Season

Angel City defender and captain Ali Riley poses for a photo during the NWSL club's 2025 media day.
Longtime NWSL star Ali Riley will officially retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2025 season. (Harry How/NWSL via Getty Images)

Angel City captain Ali Riley is calling it a career, with the 37-year-old defender announcing plans to retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2025 NWSL season on Tuesday.

"As I reflect on what this game has given me these past three decades, since I started in the Palisades here in LA, I know that I have truly given my all, both physically and emotionally," Riley said in a club statement. "As a player, I strived to be the best teammate, a positive influence in the locker room, and compete on the field every day. For my entire career, I never took a day when I got to play soccer for granted."

"Ali Riley is Angel City. Her heart, grit, and unwavering commitment to lifting everyone around her have shaped the culture of this club," said ACFC CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman. "Ali has shown us that leadership goes far beyond the pitch; it's in how you care for others, how you show up."

Exiting the global stage after five World Cups and four Olympics with the New Zealand Football Ferns, the Stanford alum also helped pioneer the European women's game, competing in Sweden, England, and Germany from 2012 to 2020 before returning to the NWSL to join the Orlando Pride.

Angel City snagged Riley from the Pride before the expansion team's 2022 debut season, with the captain making her first 2025 club appearance in August after returning from a chronic nerve injury that sidelined her for more than a year.

"I am so proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms, in my hometown, and know for certain that I am giving everything I have left to the people around me and the sport that shaped me," Riley wrote in her Instagram announcement.

Last-Place Dallas Wings Fire 1st-Year Head Coach Chris Koclanes

Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes crouches on the sideline watching a 2025 WNBA game.
Head coach Chris Koclanes led the Dallas Wings to a 10-34 record during the 2025 WNBA season. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

The Dallas Wings are officially making moves, with the franchise announcing Tuesday that it is parting ways with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes after the team finished the 2025 WNBA season in last place with a 10-34 record.

"As we enter a pivotal point in our team's future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization," Dallas EVP and GM Curt Miller said in a Tuesday statement. "The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court."

Helming a Wings side that struggled with injury throughout the 2025 campaign, Koclanes cobbled together 18 different starting rosters as reserves and hardship signings led Dallas to field a WNBA-high 21 players across the season.

With Tuesday's announcement, Koclanes is now the third dismissed WNBA head coach this year, joining now-unemployed sideline leaders Noelle Quinn (Seattle Storm) and Sandy Brondello (New York Liberty) as the Wings look to build around 2025 No. 1 draft pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Dallas also has an eye on the future, heading into the offseason with the best odds to secure next year's No. 1 overall draft selection — their second straight top pick — after a midseason pivot saw the team offload 2025 additions NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington.

Las Vegas Aces Advance to 2025 WNBA Finals with Semifinals Win Over Fever

Las Vegas Aces stars Chelsea Gray, A'ja Wilson, and Jackie Young are interviewed after winning Game 5 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals.
The Las Vegas Aces advanced to their third WNBA Finals in the last four seasons with Tuesday's Game 5 semifinals win. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces are headed to the 2025 WNBA Finals, surviving the No. 6 Indiana Fever's Game 5 upset bid with a 107-98 overtime win to close out the semifinal series 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and two-time league champion Jackie Young combined for 67 points in the victory, with Young and point guard Chelsea Gray additionally swapping clutch buckets to seal the deal as the clock ticked down.

"It's not just one person, it's not just five people, it's everybody. Everybody you see contributed to this game," Wilson said after leading the Aces to their third WNBA Finals in four years.

With six players already sidelined with injury, the Fever took another big hit in the third quarter, when leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell exited the game with lower-body cramps.

Short-staffed Indiana never let up, however, with former hardship signing Odyssey Sims contributing 27 points as the Fever pushed the home team to the brink of elimination.

"They're a great example to everybody of what it means to just put one foot in front of the other," Fever head coach Stephanie White said afterwards. "To persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance."

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Finals

The 2025 WNBA Finals are officially a battle in the desert, with the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces hosting the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

The first clash of the championship series will tip off live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.

Basketball World Backs Napheesa Collier in Criticizing WNBA Leadership

Tweets from big names in basketball like Angel Reese and Mark Cuban voice support of Naphessa Collier and her concerns about the WNBA leadership.
The basketball world spoke out in support of Napheesa Collier after Tuesday's viral press conference. (JWS)

The basketball world didn't hold back on Tuesday, with many of the sport's biggest names voicing support for Napheesa Collier after the Lynx star publicly criticized WNBA leadership in a now-viral press conference.

"I'm grateful to have those type of people to be able to continue to speak up for us," four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson told reporters after her Las Vegas Aces' Game 5 semifinal win. "I'm going to ride with Phee always…. Moving forward, we've gotta continue to stand on business as we talk about this CBA negotiation."

"I agree with everything," said Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull prior to Tuesday's playoff decider. "We're at a really important time in the league and changes need to be made… really proud of [Collier] for making that statement today."

"It's the care for the human part for me. I'm still not sure if [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] knows I retired. Heard from everyone but her," two-time league MVP Elena Delle Donne wrote on Instagram.

"10/10. No notes!" tweeted Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, while 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers posted a photo of her and Collier to Instagram marked with the caption "Queen Phee."

The WNBA Players Association also spoke out, releasing a statement backing Collier as a longtime union leader.

"When Phee speaks, people listen," the WNBPA wrote. "The leaders of the league and its teams would benefit from listening to her powerful statement. The players know their value even if the league does not."

"They are fighting for their legacy and the future of basketball."

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