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Elite Eight picks: Who will move on to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four?

(Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

It was a wild ride getting here, but aside from No. 10 Creighton, the Elite Eight is populated with the teams you’d expect. Still, among those Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds are a mixture of first-timers and mainstays.

Stanford, South Carolina, UConn and Louisville are all names we associate with deep tournament runs, while this is Creighton’s first Elite Eight. Michigan joins the Bluejays in making its Elite Eight debut, and Texas is back for the second year in a row after going just two other times in the last 20 years. Rounding out the list is NC State, making its second Elite Eight in history and first since 1998.

On Sunday and Monday, the field will cut in half once more, setting the ever-elusive Final Four bracket.

Here’s how I see the Elite Eight matchups playing out.

No. 1 South Carolina over No. 10 Creighton

Creighton has cemented itself as a tournament darling, but I don’t see its historic run going any further. The Bluejays’ motion offense can be successful against anyone, but against South Carolina, the game will come down to defending the Gamecocks.

Creighton was successful against Iowa and Iowa State because they were able to key in on one or two players, but South Carolina has offensive talent at almost every position. Between Aliyah Boston, Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke, the Gamecocks have too much firepower on the attack. Brea Beal, Victoria Saxton, and Kamilla Cardoso bring a size and strength off the bench that Creighton has yet to run into.

No. 1 Stanford over No. 2 Texas

Texas burst onto the scene this year with an upset of Stanford on Nov. 14. The Longhorns still play the same intense, up-and-down style of basketball as they did in November, but Stanford is no longer plagued with the same issues. Back then, the Cardinal were struggling to replace point guard Kiana Williams, and without her, they couldn’t take care of the ball. Since then, Lacie Hull and Anna Wilson have settled into the role, splitting time running Stanford’s offense.

In the first three games of the tournament, Stanford’s offense has been balanced and in sync. Against Montana State and Kansas, 12 different players recorded at least a point in each game, and against Maryland, the Cardinal had eight scorers. Texas has been playing great basketball, but it’s hard to imagine anyone beating Stanford right now.

No. 2 UConn over No. 1 NC State

In its 75-58 win over a talented Indiana squad, UConn officially proved that the hurdles of the regular season are over. The Huskies played as a cohesive unit, and everyone contributed to the result.

Paige Bueckers and Christyn Williams each had 15 points, while Azzi Fudd showed off her 3-point shooting, adding 13 points of her own. Inside, Aaliyah Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa were tough, combining for 19 points and 24 rebounds. Early in the season, those two didn’t have the goods to contend with an elite post player like Elissa Cunane, but they do now. Both teams have talented guards, but UConn has the edge in terms of overall skill. This game could be close, but I expect to see the Huskies make their 22nd Final Four.

No. 1 Louisville over No. 3 Michigan

Louisville is a team that forces a lot of turnovers. The Cardinals caused Tennessee to commit 18 miscues, which turned into 21 points on the other end. And Michigan is a team that commits a lot of turnovers. Per Her Hoop Stats, the Wolverines rank 245th in the country (out of 356) in turnovers per game, coughing the ball up 15.7 times per game. Put those together, and you have an advantage for Louisville.

Michigan’s greatest strength comes in the form of post player Naz Hillmon, and while I don’t expect Louisville to shut her down entirely, they do have the skills to limit her. Between Emily Engstler (6-foot-1), Olivia Cochran (6-3) and Liz Dixon (6-5), the Cardinals have a solid rotation of players to throw at Hillmon.

Eden Laase is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She previously ran her own high school sports website in Michigan after covering college hockey and interning at Sports Illustrated. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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