Stanford took down Utah 73-48 on Sunday to win the Pac-12 tournament championship for the second year in a row and the 15th time in 19 total appearances.

The Cardinal, after holding just a two-point lead at halftime, outscored Utah 41-18 in the second half — including holding the Utes to five points in the fourth quarter — to roll to victory. Haley Jones led Stanford with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, earning tournament MVP honors for her performances during the title run. Cameron Brink added 16 points, four rebounds and four blocks, while Lexie Hull had 15 points and five rebounds.

Brink was named to the All-Tournament Team alongside Stanford guard Anna Wilson.

“I actually think they’re better than they were last year, and last year they won the national championship,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said of Stanford after the game. “I do think they’re the best team in the country.

“If Brink and Jones are both going, they’ll cut down the nets in Minneapolis again. Alone, they’re a matchup nightmare. But when they’re both going, there’s not much you can do.”

For the 15th time...

🏆 𝗣𝗔𝗖-𝟭𝟮 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🏆#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/J7zVLMj6qk

— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) March 7, 2022

Stanford enters the NCAA Tournament having gone undefeated in the Pac-12 during the regular season and postseason. This year marks the 12th time the team has won at least a share of the regular-season conference crown and the Pac-12 tournament title in the same season.

The Cardinal also now own the longest active win streak in the nation at 20 games, with their last loss coming against top-ranked South Carolina on Dec. 21.

“We won last year and we have that target on our back, which we kind of embrace,” said Jones. “It’s kind of fueling that fire to keep our competitive energy going into the tournament.”

The win comes days after Stanford women’s soccer player Katie Meyer, a friend and supporter of the basketball team, died in a university residence hall. Meyer’s death was later confirmed as suicide.

“Katie was an incredible person in every way,” Hull said. “To be able to win, I know she would’ve been one of the biggest [supporters].”

“For women’s sports, she was enthusiastic, she was so positive, so loving, so outgoing, so compassionate in everything that she did,” Jones added after Hull started to get emotional. “Going into this tournament, we had very heavy hearts … but we tried to embody that spirit. We tried to be competitive, be gritty. She’s one of the most enthusiastic players I’ve ever seen.

“Being able to win and bring this home and be with our Stanford family when we get back is going to be really special. But I think we did a really good job of embodying that for her and for each other.”

Utah, after going 20-11 on the season, is expected to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Brynna Maxwell was the only Utah player to finish the game in double digits, with 16 points. Kelsey Rees had eight points and 10 rebounds.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.