All Scores

The 5 Players To Look Out For This NCAA Tournament

Somehow, it’s February. Already, postseason award shortlists are coming out. The NCAA tournament is right around the corner. And while the logistics are still being sorted around what to expect for a single-site tournament in San Antonio, Texas, it’s never too early to start speculating about which teams are true contenders.

But while basketball is a team sport, every year, certain individuals make a fortuitous leap when it matters most. This year, these are the five players to keep an eye on, each of whom is capable of leading their team to NCAA tournament glory.

 

MICHAELA ONYENWERE, UCLA

Last year, UCLA Forward Michaela Onyenwere hinted at what was possible for both her and her team. At 18.9 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game, she led the Bruins in both categories and was poised to bring the same talent to the national stage. Even with the NCAA Tournament cancelled, the outside world took notice.

Heading into this season, Onyenwere was viewed as a surefire first round pick and potentially a top five WNBA draft choice. This year, she has UCLA in the conversation as one of the nation’s top team. Using her voice on and off the court, her impact on the team is as great as ever. She still leads UCLA in rebounds at 8.1 per game and has moved to second in scoring with 17.1 due to the emergence of Charisma Osborne. But when UCLA took down Oregon on the road, it was Onyenwere pouring in 33 points.

Currently ranked eighth in the NET, UCLA is a borderline No. 1 seed. With a plethora of options and talent surrounding Onyenwere, the Bruins have a chance to make a deep tournament run. Expect Onyenwere to be leading the charge.

 

DANA EVANS, LOUISVILLE

Louisville’s senior guard Dana Evans is currently leading the nation’s top-ranked team with 20.1 points per game. Although Louisville may fall in the poll after their loss to No. 4 NC State, Evans’s impact on that game was right in line with what she has done for the Cardinals all year long. She scored 29 as the only player on her team to reach double digits, made 5-of-8 from distance, as well as all four from the free throw line, all while playing the entire 40 minutes.

Evans is sixth in the entire nation at 94% at the foul line and has had multiple clutch late-game moments, potentially foreshadowing greatness in March. Against Wake Forest, she also played 40 minutes and had the game-winning and-one layup with 8.0 seconds remaining to top off a 25-point game.

Her ascent is remarkable, from Sixth Player of the Year in the ACC in her sophomore season to the conference’s Player of the Year last season. But what’s even more impressive is that she continues to improve. This year, she is shooting 40.0% from 3-point land, and her 45.8% mark from the field is the best of her career. Her singular focus on winning a national championship is clearly paying off, as is her work in the offseason on improving her shot selection.

The 5-foot-6 senior from Gary, Indiana projects as a point guard at the next level and is currently averaging 4.2 assists per game with a 1.82 assist to turnover ratio. Over the last five games, she has played at least 36 minutes in each and scored at least 20 in four. As the season wears on, it seems teams have not found a way to contain either her speed or decision making ability, as Evans has proved nearly impossible to guard.

 

N’DEA JONES, TEXAS A&M

The nation’s double-double leader, Texas A&M’s N’Dea Jones is the only one on this list not on the 2021 Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 (a notable snub in this author’s opinion). Thankfully, the 6-foot-2 senior forward has let her play speak for itself. Her 12 double-doubles in 17 games are tied for first in the nation, a feat she is averaging for the second straight year with 13.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Maybe playing on an Aggies team ranked at 15th in the NET has lowered her profile, but don’t be surprised if Jones has Texas A&M clicking in the tournament. She averages nearly 31 minutes per game and leads the team in both points and rebounds. Her 57.0% field goal rate is almost as impressive as the fact that she graduated in three years. No doubt, her time is coming. Every year, certain players use the tournament to turn themselves into household names. This year, Jones has the chance to sneak up on everyone.

 

OLIVIA NELSON-ODODA, UCONN

UConn might be the title favorite at this point, and if so, Olivia Nelson-Ododa is the reason why. Paige Bueckers has been just as fantastic as we expected, but the 6-5 junior forward is the reason UConn is soaring. Unlike in past seasons, there is nowhere for Nelson-Ododa to disappear. UConn needs her now and on both ends of the court for scoring and rim protection. In UConn’s loss to Arkansas, foul trouble limited her to just 19 minutes, two shots and two points. While she needs to stay on the court, her absence underscored her value for the team.

Nelson-Ododa is shooting 64.22% from the field, the second best mark in the nation among qualified players. She’s had more than a few scoring outbursts, including a season-high 24 pts against Creighton which saw Nelson-Ododa hit a rare 3-pointer. She hit two more 3’s against Georgeotwon (after missing four against Tennessee) in a 31-point win without Bueckers on the floor.

Nelson-Ododa is in agreement with her coach Geno Auriemma that she is better when she is patient, calm and not caught up with the previous play. Her 14.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game seem to agree.

 

NAZ HILLMON, MICHIGAN

The nation’s most dynamic scorer, junior forward Naz Hillmon of Michigan has simply been outstanding. In her most recent game, a four point loss to Ohio State, she scored 50 points and added 16 rebounds. That raised her season average to 26.7 points per game, good enough for third in the sport. That also makes Michigan the only team in the AP Top 15 with a player in the top 15 scorers nationally.

Hillmon is doing it efficiently too. Her 63.58% shooting percentage is third in the country, while she is also contributing the third-most offensive rebounds per game (5.5) and the seventh most total rebounds (12.3) — the only player to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding.

In the Big Ten, Ohio State is looking like the top team, but has a self-imposed postseason ban. That puts pressure on Michigan, and Hillmon, to perform in the tournament. Right now, the Wolverines are 12th in the NET and on the border between a third and fourth seed. Hillmon’s leadership on and off the floor could be exactly what Michigan needs to land its highest-ever NCAA Tournament seed (they were previously a seventh seed in 2018).

She has scored in double figures in all but one game and has posted eight double-doubles in 11 contests. On top of it all, her 75% mark from the free throw line is the best of her career. If she gets on a roll come mid-to-late March, Hillmon could put together a tournament run for the ages.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.