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.

The Tampa Bay Sun became the latest team to announce plans for a purpose-built women's soccer stadium this week, with the 2025 USL Super League champs looking to construct a 15,000-seat venue on the Ybor Harbor waterfront.

"We believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and drive meaningful change," said Sun majority owner Darryl Shaw in the club's Tuesday announcement. "By anchoring this historic neighborhood with a vibrant home for women's professional soccer, we're investing in our city's future and honoring the community that makes it thrive."

The state-of-the-art stadium for the top-flight USL club is the star of the proposal, though the 33-acre mixed-use development project also incorporates retail and residential spaces, as well as hotels, restaurants, and offices to house the United Soccer League headquarters.

While the new development has yet to announce a construction timeline or overall cost, the project comes as the USL Super League moves into its second season following a successful inaugural year.

"We're accelerating the growth of women's soccer while creating lasting benefits for Tampa Bay," said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. "The stadium development will be a place where fans and community come together and celebrate our sport."

"Tampa is a city of champions — and now we're dreaming even bigger," remarked Tampa mayor Jane Castor. "The stadium would deliver a place that captures our city's energy, inspires the next generation, and stands as a national symbol of what happens when cities invest boldly in women's sports and inclusive economic growth."

The USWNT announced a few welcome returns on Wednesday morning, tapping a roster heavy on NWSL talent for the world No. 1 team's upcoming friendlies against No. 25 Ireland and No. 8 Canada.

Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle is back in the fold, with the Gotham standout coming off ankle surgery to join her first US camp since November 2024.

Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune is also making a return, as she continues her recovery protocol following an August 2024 knee surgery.

The roster's lone European club player is star center back Naomi Girma, with head coach Emma Hayes opting to give most of the team's Europe-based stars a crucial break.

"[Girma] felt really strongly that she needed the minutes," Hayes explained, referencing the defender's recent months off the pitch due to a calf injury. "She wants to be involved with the national team because she felt she's missed a really key camp for us."

The Europe-based absences carved space for some new faces, with Gotham defender Lilly Reale, Seattle defender Jordyn Bugg, Kansas City defender Izzy Rodriguez, and Seattle midfielder Sam Meza all earning their first senior team call-ups.

With an average of 18.4 caps per player, this NWSL-heavy roster marks one of the least-experienced friendly lineups in the modern history of the USWNT.

"This is a uniquely different situation, different window, where so many senior players will not be with us in this camp," Hayes told reporters. "This is probably the last time I'll be able to do this in the lead-up to qualifying for the World Cup."

With much of the USWNT's trusted core resting during this window, Hayes will snag a critical — and possibly final — look at how lesser-known NWSL players size up against international competition.

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The June/July 2025 USWNT roster

• Goalkeepers: Angelina Anderson (Angel City), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)

• Defenders: Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride), Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Gisele Thompson (Angel City)

• Midfielders: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)

• Forwards: Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City)

How to watch the upcoming USWNT friendlies

The No. 1 USWNT will kick off their summer friendlies in Commerce City, Colorado, taking on No. 25 Ireland at 9 PM ET on June 26th before the pair clash again in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 PM ET on June 29th.

The US will close out the window against No. 8 Canada, facing their longtime rivals in Washington, DC, at 7:30 PM ET on July 2nd.

Live coverage of the first match will air on TBS, with TNT set to broadcast the following two games.

The Indiana Fever advanced to the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship on Tuesday night, clinching their franchise-first Cup final berth following a tense battle with the Connecticut Sun that saw three ejections and two flagrant fouls.

In the game's first half, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon committed a Flagrant 1 on Fever guard Caitlin Clark, with Sheldon and teammate Marina Mabrey receiving a pair of technicals for shoving after the call.

With Indiana dominating late in the matchup, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham committed a Flagrant 2 on Sheldon, spurring a scuffle that ended with Cunningham, Sheldon, and Sun guard Lindsey Allen all being ejected.

The rest of Tuesday's Commissioner's Cup action played out mostly as expected, with New York securing an 86-81 comeback victory over the Atlanta Dream. However, because of the Fever's victory, the Liberty fell just short of returning to the Cup final.

The Minnesota Lynx also launched a comeback to take down Las Vegas 76-62, successfully punching their ticket to defend their 2024 Cup title — despite star forward Napheesa Collier exiting the showdown with an apparent back injury.

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Ultimately, while on-court performances should have driven the narrative, lack of referee control overshadowed the night.

"Everyone is getting better but the officials," Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the Fever's win. "We need to remedy that. I mean, we've heard every coach talk about it. I don't know what the answer is."

How to watch the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship

The grand finale of the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx will tip off at 8 PM ET on July 1st, with live coverage on Prime.

The FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 has arrived, with the 16-team regional tournament tipping off its group stage on Wednesday before the knockout stages begin on June 24th.

Hosted across the continent with games in Czechia, Germany, Italy, and Greece, the 40th edition of the annual competition carries the additional weight of serving as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

As a result, the top five teams in this month's EuroBasket contest will earn automatic spots in one of the March 2026 qualifiers.

Leading the charge to this year's trophy are 2023 winners Belgium, who enter the EuroBasket tournament as reigning champions.

However, 2024 Olympic silver medalists France have since stepped into the spotlight, with the always-dangerous Spain also threatening a podium finish.

Familiar faces to WNBA fans will feature on the 2025 EuroBasket courts this month, as several WNBA players have temporarily departed their US clubs to join their national teams in Europe, including Belgium guard Julie Allemand (LA Sparks), Great Britain center Temi Fagbenle (Golden State Valkyries), and Germany forward Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty).

As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.

How to watch FIBA Women's EuroBasket in the US

The EuroBasket group-stage action tipped off on Wednesday morning, with all games streaming live on Courtside 1891.