The most wonderful time of the year is here.

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket is in, and that means it’s time to make your picks. Be sure to enter the Just Women’s Sports x DICK’S Sporting Goods Bracket Challenge for the chance to win $150,000, the largest prize in women’s college basketball history.

And if you need a little help with your selections, we have you covered. Here are my picks for the NCAA Tournament, plus first-round matchups that make you stop and think.

No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 South Florida

The first matchup that gives me pause is Miami vs. South Florida in the first round. These teams compare well to each other statistically, and they are both relatively hot right now. Miami is coming off an ACC championship game appearance after upsetting Louisville, and South Florida fell to UCF by eight points in its conference title game. Overall, South Florida has more weapons (five double-digit scorers), so I’m going with the Bulls in this one.

No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 UNLV

This game has upset potential to me. The Rebels (26-6) have put together a great season in the Mountain West and have talent at all five spots in the form of Power Five-worthy athletes. Arizona, the 2021 NCAA Tournament runner-up, has the edge because of the game’s location (Tucson) and the team’s experience. Still, I wouldn’t be shocked if UNLV pulled it off, and if they don’t, keep an eye on this team next season.

No. 7 Colorado vs. No. 10 Creighton

Colorado is more mature and experienced than this sophomore-studded Creighton squad — the Blue Jays’ top-three scorers are all second-year players. But if the Buffs want to advance, they’ll need to limit Creighton’s shooting. The Blue Jays score a lot of points (74.8 per game) on an onslaught of 3-pointers (10.3 per contest).

No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Gonzaga

Both of these teams have balanced scoring coming from multiple positions. Nebraska is coming off a win over Michigan in the Big Ten tournament, and Gonzaga topped BYU to win the West Coast Conference. This game is a toss-up, but my gut is saying Nebraska.

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Belmont

The Ducks were gifted a 5-seed, but I’m not here to argue the bracket; I’m here to make picks. Belmont won 11-straight games to end the season and challenged itself in a tough non-conference slate, playing teams like Georgia Tech and Louisville. Meanwhile, the 20-11 Ducks have been inconsistent all season. This game is being played in Knoxville, Tenn., which is three hours from Belmont’s campus. The Bruins have the potential for a home-like crowd, but Oregon has a significant height advantage with Sedona Prince (6-foot-7) and Nara Sabally (6-5). If they play through their posts, the Ducks take this game.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙚 💃💃💃#ItsBruinTime | #Splashville | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Ri4dmpKwPM

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) March 14, 2022

No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Villanova

Beating UConn on Feb. 9 is enough to get people excited — and rightfully so — about this Villanova team, but don’t sleep on three-loss BYU. This matchup features two great scorers, Maddy Siegrist of Villanova and Shaylee Gonzales of BYU. The Cougars have the edge in consistency, currently 11th in the country with an average of 77.8 points per game.

No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast

Virginia Tech has one of the best posts in the country in Elizabeth Kitley, and FGCU has one of the best guards in Kierstan Bell. The Hokies have a huge height advantage, as FGCU doesn’t have a player over 6-1, but Virginia Tech also doesn’t have a player to shut down a versatile scorer like Bell. She’s going to be the best player on the floor, so I’m giving FGCU the upset win.

No. 7 Utah vs. No. 10 Arkansas

Arkansas and Utah are each coming off runs to their conference title games, and they play a similar style of basketball. This should be an up-tempo, high-scoring contest in which both squads show a willingness to pull up from distance. Utah makes 9.4 3-pointers per game, and Arkansas makes 8.2. This game will come down to which team executes better. Arkansas is a bit older and, in my opinion, a bit better at scoring the basketball, but it’ll be a close one.

No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Princeton

What a tough draw for Princeton. I’ve liked this team all season, and I had my eye on the Tigers as a potential Cinderella candidate, but I can’t pick against Kentucky right now. The Wildcats are on a 10-game win streak that ended with a thrilling win over South Carolina in the SEC tournament championship game. Plus, they have the best player on the floor in Rhyne Howard. As talented as Princeton is, those factors are too much to overcome.

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.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.