The college softball upsets continued Friday, with No. 23 Northwestern taking down No. 3 UCLA 6-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, Maeve Nelson hit a three-run home run to walk it off against the Bruins and secure the upset.

MAEVE CALLED GAME 🚨

Maeve Nelson hit a walk-off three-run home run to clinch No. 21 Northwestern’s 6-4 upset over No. 3 UCLA.#NCAASoftball x 🎥 @NUSBcats pic.twitter.com/hkZCXWWbSN

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) February 18, 2022

The two teams were tied 2-2 after seven innings of play, sending the game to extra innings. The Bruins put up two runs in the top of the eighth, making it 4-2. The Wildcats responded, first putting up one run in the bottom of the inning.

With a runner on first and third, they were down to their final out and final strike with Nelson at the plate. She delivered, blasting one off of UCLA pitcher Megan Faraimo to pull off the upset.

The moment made SportsCenters’ Top 10 plays at No. 5.

It was a pitching duel the entire game between Faraimo and the Wildcat’s Danielle Williams. Faraimo pitched 7.2 innings, registering a season-high 14 strikeouts. Williams pitched eight innings and notched six strikeouts. The two pitchers each went scoreless in the second, third and fourth innings.

It’s the second loss in a row for UCLA after dropping a 4-1 matchup to No. 1 Oklahoma. They’ll next face off against Auburn.

For the Wildcats, it’s the type of non-conference resume-booster that was missing last season when the Big Ten played solely conference games due to COVID-19. Northwestern next plays No. 15 Clemson on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

The AP dropped the 2024/25 All-America first, second, and third teams on Wednesday, offering few surprises as top names from star programs dominated the lineup.

Sophomores JuJu Watkins (USC) and Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) both earned first-team honors for the second straight year, becoming just the third and fourth players to ever snag the honor in their first two seasons. They now join former college standouts and WNBA champions Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) and Maya Moore (UConn) in that elite club.

UConn’s Paige Bueckers, Texas’s Madison Booker, and UCLA’s Lauren Betts also earned first-team recognition, with the AP’s roster aligning with last week’s National Player of the Year shortlists.

Watkins, Bueckers, and Betts are the only unanimous first-team selectees, with Bueckers also making a splash by becoming just the 12th-ever player to earn an All-America nod for the third time.

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March Madness tournament features all 2024/25 All-Americans

Program success and individual achievement strode hand-in-hand across the All-America selections, with all first-team players representing squads seeded No. 3 or higher in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The second and third teams were more varied, though all players still feature on the 2025 March Madness bracket.

The second team tapped LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, UConn’s Sarah Strong, Florida State’s Ta'niya Latson, Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore, and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles.

Meanwhile, USC’s Kiki Iriafen, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson, Iowa State's Audi Crooks, and Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes earned third-team recognition.

Notably, defending champion and No. 1 seed South Carolina failed to see any player named an All-American, though four Gamecocks did receive honorable mentions.

While awards are a small part of a season's story, the 2024/25 AP All-America teams do reflect a year filled with big stars and even bigger parity.

The 2024/25 AP All-America teams

First Team:

• JuJu Watkins, USC sophomore
• Paige Bueckers, UConn senior
• Lauren Betts, UCLA junior
• Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame sophomore
• Madison Booker, Texas sophomore

Second Team:

• Aneesah Morrow, LSU senior
• Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State junior
• Olivia Miles, Notre Dame senior
• Sarah Strong, UConn freshman
• Georgia Amoore, Kentucky senior

Third Team:

• Hailey Van Lith, TCU senior
• Kiki Iriafen, USC senior
• Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt freshman
• Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU junior
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State sophomore

Honorable Mention:

• Raegan Beers, Oklahoma junior
• Sonia Citron, Notre Dame junior
• Katie Dinnebier, Drake senior
• Joyce Edwards, South Carolina freshman
• Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga senior
• MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina sophomore
• Rori Harmon, Texas senior
• Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas senior
• Aziaha James, NC State senior
• Lauren Jensen, Creighton senior
• Taylor Jones, Texas senior
• Chloe Kitts, South Carolina junior
• Ayoka Lee, Kansas State senior
• Cotie McMahon, Ohio State junior
• Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina senior
• Sedona Prince, TCU senior
• JJ Quinerly, West Virginia senior
• Kiki Rice, UCLA junior
• Shyanne Sellers, Maryland senior
• Serena Sundell, Kansas State senior
• Makayla Timpson, Florida State senior
• Harmoni Turner, Harvard senior
• Mikayla Williams, LSU sophomore

Former Tennessee basketball coach Kellie Harper is on the move to Missouri, with the school naming Harper as the program's fifth-ever head coach on Tuesday.

"I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou," Harper said in the school's announcement. "Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program... The foundation is in place for success — and I can't wait to get started."

Harper replaces previous Tigers boss Robin Pingeton, who resigned last month after 15 seasons. She subsequently stepped away after the team finished last in the SEC for two consecutive seasons.

In her five seasons leading the Vols, Harper earned a 108-52 overall record. She parted ways with Tennessee after last year’s second-round NCAA tournament flameout.

Even so, Harper's 53-24 overall conference record at Tennessee trailed only four-time NCAA title-winning coach Kim Mulkey (LSU) and three-time national champion leader Dawn Staley (South Carolina) in SEC winning percentage.

"Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the 'Will to Win' necessary to succeed at the sport's highest level," said Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch.

Harper brings exceptional resume to Missouri

Harper earned three straight NCAA championships as a player under legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Then, she began building a playoff-heavy resume as a coach.

In her 20 years leading DI teams, Harper led them to 16 postseason berths, including nine trips to March Madness. She remains one of just two NCAA coaches to ever take four different programs to the tournament.

Before taking the Vols to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens in 2022 and 2023, Harper's first trip to thaat NCAA tournament round came with Missouri State in 2019. That's when she took a Cinderella team on a run to cap her six-year tenure with the Bears.

It's that title-hunting experience that Missouri is hoping to harness, as the Tigers haven't made the March Madness cut since 2019 — the year that the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury drafted Mizzou's all-time leading scorer Sophie Cunningham.

"I am thrilled," said the Missouri alum and new Indiana Fever guard. "I have so much respect for coach Harper, and I can't wait to support her and our Tigers however I can."

March Madness opens its doors on Wednesday night, as the 2024/25 NCAA tournament’s First Four round takes the court with eight teams pursuing the final four tickets to the Big Dance.

Two of the play-in games will pit the last four teams to receive at-large bids against each other, sending Princeton, Iowa State, Washington, and Columbia into battle to snag one of the tournament's final two No. 11 bids.

The other two games are comprised of the lowest ranked conference tournament champions, meaning SWAC champ Southern, Big West winner UC San Diego, CAA victors William & Mary, and Big South title-holders High Point will all compete to enter this weekend's first round as No. 16 seeds.

First Four ups the ante with compelling NCAA storylines

Thanks to growing parity across the NCAA, this year’s First Four brings a new level of heat, with 2024 breakout stars, conference titans, and tournament newcomers raising the stakes right from the jump.

As two of 2025’s six March Madness debutants, both UC San Diego and William & Mary are hoping for a bit of beginner's luck as they take the NCAA tournament court for the very first time.

Meanwhile, the Ivy League will take aim at securing three spots in the 64-team bracket, with both Princeton and Columbia hoping to join conference tournament champion No. 10 seed Harvard in the first round's field.

Standing in Princeton's way is underdog Iowa State, who nearly scored what would have been one of the 2024 tournament's biggest upsets.

Fueled by now-sophomore sharpshooter Audi Crooks — who currently ranks 12th in the nation in field goal percentage — the Cyclones pushed then-No. 2 seed Stanford to the brink, forcing overtime before the Cardinal claimed the 87-81 second-round victory.

"It’s definitely possible," Crooks said this week, commenting on the likelihood of replicating Iowa State's 2024 run. "I think for me it just amplified me personally, and also us as a team. Any success that I have is the team’s success, not necessarily about individual things."

How to watch Women's March Madness First Four games

Stepping into Wednesday's spotlight are Princeton and Iowa State, who will take the court at 7 PM ET before UC San Diego takes on Southern at 9 PM ET.

Then on Thursday, Washington will face Columbia at 7 PM ET, with William & Mary's match against High Point wrapping up the First Four round at 9 PM ET.

Both Wednesday matchups will air on ESPNU, with ESPN2 carrying live coverage of the Thursday clashes.

The 16th NWSL team in Denver will kick off its 2028 season in a home of its own design, with the incoming expansion club announcing plans for a new 14,500-seat, purpose-built stadium on Tuesday.

"This will be the largest overall investment in a women’s professional sports team in history," said controlling owner Rob Cohen in a team release. "It will provide our club, our fans, our partners, and our community with a state-of-the-art stadium that will provide us a distinct home-field advantage and will serve as the most inclusive environment in all of Colorado." 

The team — set to debut in 2026 — will play its first two seasons in a temporary venue while the new stadium remains under construction.

Positioned inside Denver city limits at Santa Fe Yards, the stadium complex will include a 3.5-acre park and mixed-use development, all accessible via the Broadway Light Rail station.

The blueprints also incorporate the ability to expand beyond the stadium’s initial 14,500 seats, with the team interested in eventually extending the capacity closer to 20,000 fans.

"This announcement is a game-changer for the NWSL and a bold statement about where women’s sports are headed," said league commissioner Jessica Berman. "Santa Fe Yards will set a new standard for what professional athletes deserve.

"Denver is helping to shape the future of women’s soccer, and we can’t wait to see the impact this world-class venue will have on players, fans, and the community."

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Denver joins other NWSL clubs pursuing custom stadiums

Denver’s stadium project follows in the footsteps of Kansas City’s first-ever purpose-built NWSL stadium, which opened its doors alongside the Current's 2024 NWSL season opener.

Meanwhile, fellow 2026 expansion side Boston is in a stadium race of their own, with the club currently in an ongoing struggle to redevelop White Stadium using both public and private funds.

Boston is currently defending the redevelopment in court, as both local political tensions and renovation costs continue to rise.

While Denver has yet to confirm its funding sources, Cohen told ESPN that "it is the ownership group’s intent that we will pay for and build the stadium."

Soccer-specific stadiums in the US come at a premium, but Denver’s immediate large-scale investment showcases just how far prospective teams are willing to go for a seat at the NWSL table.