South Carolina State women’s basketball coach Audra Smith was fired from her post on Thursday, one day after she sued the school over Title IX violations.

Smith filed a lawsuit against South Carolina State on Wednesday, in which she argued that the school was in violation of Title IX and took part in discriminatory practices. The suit stemmed from a January inquiry into the school’s allocation of resources to men’s and women’s athletes.

Smith, who was at the school for four years, said she was paid $30,000 less than South Carolina State’s men’s basketball coach when she signed on with the program and that her team was allotted fewer resources than the men’s team. In the suit, Smith said men’s visiting teams were permitted to use the women’s locker room, while women’s visiting teams were not allowed to use the men’s locker room.

Smith was removed from her post on Thursday with one year left on her contract.

“We would like to thank Coach Smith for her dedication to our student-athletes and for the hard work she has committed to the women’s basketball program,” athletic director Stacy Danley said.

Paul Porter, one of Smith’s attorneys, said her firing is “unlawful, retaliatory, and it invites more legal action.”

At least two of the nation's best NCAA basketball teams will see their undefeated 2024/25 campaigns end this weekend, when a pair of cutthroat college clashes tests the limits of four championship contenders.

First, No. 6 Notre Dame will visit No. 3 USC on Saturday, before No. 1 South Carolina takes on the Trojans’ crosstown rival No. 5 UCLA on Sunday.

Saturday's NCAA showdown features superstar sophomores

All eyes will be on preseason All-American sophomore guards JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo when the Irish contend with their season's first ranked opponent on Saturday.

Already a phenom, Watkins became the fastest Trojan to 1,000 career points last Friday — and she did it by a mile. The previous record-holder, legend Cheryl Miller, needed 48 games to hit the same mark.

As for Hidalgo, she's already hit the century mark across Notre Dame’s four matchups to average 25 points per game — the fifth-best offensive rate in the country.

The Irish's other secret weapon, guard Olivia Miles, is also back, returning from her February 2023 ACL tear with a vengeance in the Irish's season opener. Already averaging 18.3 points per game, Miles has also banked 27 assists over Notre Dame's four games — more than twice that of any of her teammates.

Between Hildago and Miles, plus ND's admittedly lopsided matchups so far, the South Bend squad has blasted their opponents by a 42.5-point average scoring margin this season.

It's a similar story for USC, who have been on a tear since their narrow 68-66 season-opening win over then-No. 20 Ole Miss. The Trojans thrashed their next three opponents by outscoring them by a gobsmacking average of 57 points.

The Trojans will need all that offense, plus the stylings of Watkins and All-American forward Kiki Iriafen, to handle the Irish on Saturday. Notre Dame holds the 8-2 all-time series advantage between the two teams, though they haven't squared off since 2011. Should USC emerge victorious, it will be their first win over the Irish since 2006.

Sunday puts powerhouses in the paint

The subsequent Sunday battle between UCLA and South Carolina — who set a program-record 43-game win streak on Wednesday — will likely be decided in the paint, where both team's superstars thrive.

The Gamecocks' depth keeps their stat sheet fairly balanced, making junior forward Chloe Kitts’s team-leading rates in scoring and rebounding that much more impressive.

That said, her UCLA counterpart, junior center Lauren Betts, has been dominant. By averaging a double-double across the Bruins' four tilts with 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, Betts is already sparking National Player of the Year commentary.

Both squads began their 2024/25 campaigns with tight wins, but while UCLA's came over then-No. 17 Louisville, South Carolina was nearly shocked by unranked Michigan. On the other hand, the Gamecocks are the only team to have handled a Top-10 opponent so far this season, confidently downing then-No. 9 NC State just six days after their near-disaster with the Wolverines.

Sunday's showdown kicks off a gauntlet of four ranked matchups in five games for South Carolina. Even though UCLA haven't defeated the Gamecocks this century, the Bruins are the biggest challenge to the reigning champions' undefeated streak on their 2024 docket.

Depending on which version of South Carolina shows up, a combination of the bigs and each team's overall consistency will likely determine Sunday's victor.

How to watch this weekend's Top-6 NCAA basketball games

Notre Dame and USC will tip off the weekend's matchups at 4 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on NBC.

On Sunday, FS1 will broadcast South Carolina vs. UCLA at 4 PM ET on Sunday.

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins joins the chat from Kansas City, where Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit will kick off the 2024 NWSL Championship on Saturday.

Watkins breaks down the full Championship matchup, from each team's path to the Final to the tactics to expect on Saturday's pitch and everything in between. She also dishes on key players to watch — including Pride star Barbra Banda and Spirit attacker Trinity Rodman — and some of the recent injuries keeping star athletes on the sidelines.

Later, Watkins congratulates UConn head coach Geno Auriemma on Wednesday's record-breaking 1,217th victory — one that made saw him pass retired Stanford boss Tara VanDerveer to become the winningest college basketball coach in NCAA history.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

The NWSL is continuing to roll out end-of-year awards this week, with the league's top performers taking home honors in the lead-up to the 2024 Championship.

Joining Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Croix Bethune and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga in earning 2024 hardware is Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger. The German international subsequently became the first European player to win Goalkeeper of the Year on Wednesday, snagging the award in her first NWSL season.

In her 22 matches, Berger logged eight clean sheets. She conceded a league-low 16 goals and posted a save percentage above 80%.

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Hines wins Coach of the Year

Also earning a trophy is Orlando Pride boss Seb Hines, who became the 2024 Coach of the Year​ this week.

A former assistant, Hines was​ elevated to interim coach in June 2022 after Orlando placed former head coach Amanda Cromwell​ on administrative leave. Now in his second full year as manager, Hines is already Orlando's winningest coach with a career record of 31-30-12.

After steering his team to a record 24-match unbeaten streak and first-ever NWSL Shield win, Hines ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-2-6 en route to the club's first playoff berth since 2017. Adding onto that 2024 campaign, Hines led the Pride to their first-ever postseason wins.

Orlando also set NWSL records with the most single-season points (60), victories (18), and the longest win streak (eight matches) under Hines.

The 36-year-old beat out Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham's 2023 winner Juan Carlos Amorós to take this year's honor.

Three more NWSL end-of-season awards await

Lastly, the final trio of 2024 NWSL awards will drop in the upcoming days, including Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, and MVP. As fans await those announcements, more than a few finalists are gearing up to play in Saturday's Championship.

Pride defenders Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Spirit center back Tara McKeown are up for Defender of the Year. Meanwhile, Washington's Rookie of the Year Bethune could double-down as Midfielder of the Year.

On top of that, three of the NWSL's MVP candidates — Spirit winger Trinity Rodman and Orlando attackers Marta and Barbra Banda — will feature on the championship pitch.

All eyes are on Kansas City, as the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit take the pitch one last time in Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship.

Both teams led the league in regular-season play after missing the 2023 NWSL Playoffs entirely. Now, the No. 1 Pride are staring down their first-ever title, while the No. 2 Spirit will look to add a second star to their crest to join their 2021 win.

As the only squad to defeat Washington twice this season, Orlando holds the pair's head-to-head advantage. The Pride's second win over the Spirit also served as​ their 2024 Shield coronation — a match that saw Washington captain Andi Sullivan's season end in an ACL tear. 

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MVP candidates lead championship charge

With three of the 2024 NWSL MVP candidates on Saturday's title-defining pitch, both Orlando and Washington will look to their superstars to lead them to glory.

The Pride's strength lies in Brazilian icon Marta and Zambian striker Barbra Banda, who've proven unstoppable in the attack throughout the postseason. Scoring five of Orlando's seven playoff goals between them, Banda has now netted 16 NWSL goals in 2024, with Marta notching 11.

Leading the Spirit's offensive charge is potential MVP Trinity Rodman. With eight league goals on the year, Rodman has yet to find the back of the net in the postseason, though she's been key to Washington's fight by creating scoring opportunities throughout the playoffs.

Alongside Rodman, NWSL newcomers have been stepping up for the Spirit all season. Most recently, Hal Hershfelt propelled Washington to the final with a rocket of a header in last weekend's semifinals. The Spirit's young core could be the difference-maker in Saturday's showdown.

Explosive offense to decide 2024 NWSL Champion

The old adage that defense wins championships is likely to be challenged on Saturday as offense takes centerstage.

Subsequently, fans can expect the NWSL Final to come down to whichever team manages to score at-will. With Washington's 51 regular-season goals good for second in the NWSL and Orlando sliding in third with 46, the pair's attacking prowess is set to determine who lifts the league's luxury hardware.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL Championship

Hosted at Kansas City's CPKC Stadium, the 2024 NWSL Championship kicks off at 8 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS and Paramount+.