The No. 2-seed UConn Huskies are atop college basketball once again, winning a record-extending 12th NCAA championship in a 82-59 blowout victory over No. 1-seed South Carolina on Sunday.

The title ends a nine-year drought for the dynasty program — the longest stretch without hoisting the trophy since the Huskies' first-ever national championship in 1995.

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Trio of Huskies fuel UConn's championship grab

After dominating overall No. 1-seed UCLA 85-51 on Final Four Friday, UConn earned a season finale face-off against the defending champion Gamecocks, who punched their spot in Sunday's championship showdown by taking down No. 1-seed Texas 74-57 — South Carolina's third win over their SEC rival this season.

The big day, however, belonged to the Huskies, as UConn’s "Big Three" of star senior Paige Bueckers, standout guard Azzi Fudd, and freshman phenom Sarah Strong posted a combined 65 points to outscore South Carolina.

Fudd and Strong led the game's stat sheet by scoring 24 points each, helping Fudd snag the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor — and earning Strong a new NCAA record.

After finishing March Madness with 114 total points across UConn's six-game run, the newly crowned 2024/25 Freshman of the Year broke the NCAA tournament's freshman scoring record, as Strong surpassed 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, who posted 111 points in Tennessee's 1998 championship run.

As for graduating superstar Bueckers, her 17 points made her the Huskies' all-time NCAA tournament scoring leader, while Sunday's title cements her legacy, capping her college career by adding her name to the litany of UConn greats in the Storrs rafters.

"It's been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of overcoming adversity and just responding to life's challenges," said Bueckers after her last game as a Husky.

"This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I've been a part of since that very first one," echoed head coach Geno Auriemma.

All in all, UConn overcame years of close calls, injury woes, and buzzer-beating heartbreak to restore their March Madness dynasty. With Fudd returning next season alongside Strong, the Huskies' future looks brighter than ever.

Final Four teams eye 2026 return

On the other side of the championship coin, the Gamecocks never quite hit their stride on Sunday, falling one game short of a back-to-back title after snagging a spot in their third championship game in four years.

"We lost to a very, very good basketball team," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the defeat. "They beat our ass, but they didn't make us like it. There's a difference."

Though Sunday’s loss stings, South Carolina's youthful core means the Gamecocks — like the young squads from Final Four teams UCLA and Texas — will be back, packing both March Madness experience and a hefty dose of vengeance next year.

"I hope they're crying," Staley said of her returning players. "I hope they're boo-hoo-ing because from crying they have emotion about losing, makes you work hard in the offseason."

It's a sentiment echoed by the 2024/25 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, UCLA star Lauren Betts.

"We have the same team coming next year," Betts said of the Bruins' underclass core after Friday's Final Four loss. "I hope this fuels us, and I hope that we come out angry after this."

After faltering in their own Final Four matchup on Friday, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer offered a similar silver lining.

"It won't be easier tonight or tomorrow, but it will be easier knowing them three are around," Schaefer said of Longhorn underclassmen Madison Booker, Bree Hall, and Jordan Lee. "They are competitors. And again, they’re kids that invest in their craft."

The Final Four squads unable to seal the deal this season will rue an opportunity lost, but with another year of development, expect the same names to dominate the news cycle next March.

The first Top 10 classic of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season delivered on Friday, as No. 1 UConn survived No. 6 Michigan 72-69 — just barely keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Guards on both sides stood out, with Husky senior Azzi Fudd scoring a game-high 31 points while Wolverine sophomore Syla Swords put UConn on notice with 29 points of her own.

"Those are two of the best shooters in the country playing tonight against each other," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said postgame. "They both put on quite a show."

UConn started strong in the first half, but a dominant third quarter from the Wolverines saw the Huskies' 17-point lead dwindle before Fudd got hot from behind the arc.

"I was proud how we stuck together, and we figured it out in the end," Fudd said afterwards.

While defending national champ UConn remains on top of the early 2025/26 NCAA field, the star is rising for Michigan and their 5-1 record, as the Wolverines jumped eight spots in last week's AP Poll — with another leap possible when the rankings update on Monday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the weekend's lineup featured a few other successful upset bids, with No. 24 Notre Dame taking down No. 11 USC 61-59 behind a gritty 22-point performance from Irish star guard Hannah Hidalgo on Friday and unranked mid-major Rhode Island stunning No. 16 NC State with a 68-63 Wolfpack loss on Sunday.

With two games left on their 2025 docket, the USWNT is already setting sights on 2026, announcing two friendlies as part of the team's January training camp.

The world No. 2 US will first kick off against No. 41 Paraguay on Saturday, January 24th, before taking on a still-unknown opponent on Tuesday, January 27th.

"I was pleased with the progress we made as a team in 2025, but we still have a ways to go to get to where we want to be heading into the Concacaf W Championship in the fall," said USWNT manager Emma Hayes.

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The US will honor two-time World Cup winner Christen Press in a pre-game ceremony before the January 24th showdown, celebrating the longtime USWNT star's recent pro soccer retirement.

Press's hometown of Los Angeles will play host, as the team takes over MLS side LA Galaxy's Dignity Health Sports Park, with the first 2,000 fans taking home a commemorative CP23 bobblehead.

"January camp is a vitally important part of our yearly schedule, especially with 2026 being a year that will host World Cup qualifying," Hayes continued. "We don't get many training days together during any given year, so there is a high value in getting a whole week of training as well as two matches."

How to buy tickets to the January 2026 USWNT friendlies

Though a myriad of presale opportunities are currently available, tickets to both January 2026 friendlies will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday.

Tickets will drop at 1 PM ET online.

No. 8 Gotham FC lifted the NWSL trophy on Saturday, as the NJ/NY club completed their 2025 postseason upset run with a 1-0 victory over the No. 2 Washington Spirit to win their second championship in three years — once again stealing the league title as the lowest playoff seed.

Clinching the championship was Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle, who broke through the back-and-forth battle with a looping 80th-minute strike to secure victory for the Bats — and earn the 2025 NWSL Final MVP title in the process.

"I always say you learn the most about yourself in the toughest moments," Lavelle said postgame. "The adversity we faced throughout the season really helped set us up to be prepared for this playoff push."

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The Gotham defense also held court throughout Saturday's match, limiting Washington to zero shots on target while setting up their attack to seize a golden opportunity.

Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt suffered an ankle knock in the second half, leaving Washington down a player as she sought sideline treatment — only for Lavelle to seal the deal moments after the visibly uncomfortable Hershfelt retook the pitch.

"Obviously now we can say that maybe [substituting Hershfelt] was late, but she was trying to push," said Spirit manager Adrián González, who pulled Hershfelt moments after Lavelle's goal.

Proving their dismissal of their underdog status throughout the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, the Bats successfully survived a veritable postseason gauntlet en route to their second title, ousting both the top-seeded Kansas City Current — the winningest team in league history — and 2024 champions Orlando before facing the No. 2-seed Spirit.

"We have so much talent on this team, and we underperformed [in the regular season]," explained Gotham defender Emily Sonnett. "Being able to have that reset going into the postseason was huge for us."

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman is defending the league's salary cap, addressing growing concerns about player retention this week — just days before soon-to-be free agent Trinity Rodman takes the San Jose pitch for Saturday's 2025 Championship match.

"We want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her," said Berman about the Washington Spirit star, responding to a report in The Athletic claiming that competing US top-flight outfit Gainbridge Super League has offered Rodman a contract surpassing the NWSL's current salary cap limitations.

"She is representative, or a proxy, of our broader point, which is that we want top players to play here, and we believe that we are already doing that and can continue to attract those players," Berman added.

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The NWSL's hard salary cap approach has come under fire amid recent high-profile departures of US talents like now-Chelsea FC teammates Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, but Berman insists that the mechanism remains crucial to the league's parity.

"There are teams in other leagues that could compete in our league, but there are no leagues that could compete with our league," she explained, emphasizing the unique position the NWSL holds in the global soccer landscape.

"Compensation is not the only thing that players consider when deciding where to play," she continued. "We look at a whole host of factors, on the basis of the conversations that we have with players from our league and from players around the world."

The NWSL also confirmed Berman's multi-year contract extension this week, with executive committee chair Carolyn Tisch Blodgett saying in a statement that "[Berman's] vision for sustainable growth, along with her ability to fuel enduring momentum, has positioned the league for long-term success."