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NCAA Women’s Tournament: This is what March Madness looks like

Tennessee celebrates after surviving No. 12 Belmont thanks to freshman Sara Puckett’s 3-pointer. (Donald Page/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The women playing in the NCAA Tournament have no time for the haters. You know, the people who fire off ignorant tweets about how the women’s tournament isn’t as exciting as the men’s, or who write about how it’s lacking upsets.

The only thing that was lacking in the first two rounds was any sense of calm, because the first 52 games were pandemonium.

Eight double-digit seeds won in the first two rounds, and two 10-seeds — Creighton and South Dakota advanced to the Sweet 16.

If you need more proof that there’s parity in women’s basketball, look no further than No. 14 Jackson State, who went wire to wire with No. 3 LSU, or No. 12 Belmont, who nearly knocked off No. 4 Tennessee. And if that’s still not enough, turn your attention to No. 11 Princeton, who lost by one-point to No. 3 Indiana at Assembly Hall.

I don’t think we need to create a competition between the men’s and the women’s tournaments — I eat up every second of both events — but it never hurts to present the facts.

The men’s tournament saw nine double-digit seeds win in the first two rounds — just one more than the women’s — and had the same number of double-digit seeds make the Sweet 16 (two) as the women’s tournament.

Another thing to keep in mind: The first men’s national title took place 43 years before the first women’s tournament. So while men’s basketball was growing, women still spent over four decades fighting for their right to play.

Then, there is the argument that the same teams always win the women’s tournament. Well, UConn has won 11 times, and Tennessee has won eight. Stanford and Baylor are next on the list of repeats, with three each. After that, no team has won more than two. One the men’s side, UCLA has 11 titles, Kentucky has eight and six other programs have three or more.

Those are the facts. I’ll let you decide how to interpret them.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s get back to appreciating the women’s NCAA Tournament for what it is: madness. Starting with the two biggest upsets of the week.

No. 10 Creighton 64, No. 2 Iowa 62

The Bluejays came into Carver Hawkeye Arena and absolutely stunned Iowa. Creighton was able to limit Caitlin Clark — a near impossible feat — to a season-low 15 points.

Coach Jim Flanery’s game plan was relatively simple, but also genius. The Bluejays rotated defenders and had a different player match up with Clark every few minutes. This ensured a constant supply of fresh legs. It also meant that Clark had to adapt to different styles — speed, strength, athleticism, peskiness — every time she had a new player on her. As a result, the National Player of the Year candidate was forced to adjust to the defense, rather than it adjusting to her, which has been the case all season.

Then there was Lauren Jensen, the Creighton sophomore and Iowa transfer who hit the game-winning 3-pointer. The guard says there is no bad blood between the programs, but it still takes a sky-high level of poise to come in as an underdog, against your former team, in their home gym, and do what she did. Jensen finished with a team-high 19 points.

No. 10 South Dakota 61, No. 2 Baylor 47

The Coyotes earned their first Sweet 16 appearance with an upset of No. 2 Baylor, while also ending the Bears’ streak of 12-straight third-round NCAA Tournament appearances.

South Dakota ranks eighth in the country in scoring defense, giving up 53.1 points per game. The Coyotes used that to their advantage and held Baylor — the 16th scoring offense in the country at 76.5 points per game — to its lowest point total of the season. South Dakota also forced 19 turnovers, which turned into 20 points on the other end.

Offensively, the Coyotes went 8-for-16 from 3-point range and had three double-digit scorers. Seniors Hannah Sjerven, Chloe Lamb and Liv Korngable had 16, 15 and 11 points, respectively.

All of that adds up to a historic upset for South Dakota.

No. 4 Tennessee 70, No. 12 Belmont 67

This was the perfect recipe for an upset. Belmont, coming off a first-round win over No. 5 Oregon, averages 8.6 3-pointers per game. Tennessee, according to Her Hoop Stats, ranks 333rd out of 356 teams in opponents’ 3-point makes.

Offensive rebounds kept this one close, as the Bruins had 18 offensive boards and 23 second-chance points. But Tennessee was able to escape and advance to the Sweet 16 thanks to a Sara Puckett 3-pointer with 18 seconds left and Belmont’s missed chances at the free-throw line. The Bruins were 5-for-10 at the line, including two misses with 25 seconds left when they were up 66-64.

No. 3 Indiana 56, No. 11 Princeton 55

Indiana, up 10 points at halftime, scored just six points in the third quarter. The Tigers took advantage, and with 38 seconds left, the game was tied at 52.

Grace Berger, IU’s leading scorer, sliced through the Princeton defense for a layup with 29 seconds left. Then, the Hoosiers forced a turnover to seal the victory. Princeton got its last possession down four with one second left. IU came out in a zone, making sure not to foul, and Abby Meyers hit a 3-pointer to bring Princeton within one, but it was too late.

No. 5 Notre Dame 108, No. 4 Oklahoma 64

This was not a double-digit upset, and certainly not a close game, but Notre Dame’s beatdown of Oklahoma is exciting for a different reason. The Fighting Irish put on an offensive clinic. They shot 53.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Dara Mabrey had 29 points, including seven 3s, tying her with sister Marina Mabrey for the most 3s made by a Notre Dame player in an NCAA Tournament game.

The win also marked the first time a team in either the men’s or women’s tournament has beaten a lower-seeded team by 40 points or more.

No. 1 Stanford 91, No. 9 Kansas 65

Senior Lexie Hull propelled Stanford past Kansas thanks to a career-high 36 points. With the victory, Hull and twin sister Lacie get to play the Cardinal’s next-round game against Maryland in their hometown of Spokane, Wash.

The Hulls won two state championships at Central Valley High School and were 102-6 during their four years there.

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.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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.

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