The Madness returns today, as the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 putsthe season’s most prolific performers to the test in a series of top-seeded showdowns.

This year’s third round is all Top 5 seeds, with blockbuster matchups expected to bring the heat well before the Final Four.

Sweet 16 team South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson (5) works the ball against Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) during the championship game of the SEC women's college basketball tournament between the Texas Longhorns and the South Carolina Gamecocks on March 9, 2025 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
Texas aims to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NCAA tournament history sets teams up for success

With the Cinderellas now silenced, many teams still in contention enter the Sweet 16 armed with a history of NCAA tournament success.

No. 1 seed South Carolina tips off against No. 4 seed Maryland today, as the Gamecocks vie for their fifth straight Elite Eight after winning two national titles in the last four years.

Up-and-down No. 3 seed LSU makes a play for their third straight Elite Eight berth tonight — not to mention an attempted repeat of their 2023 championship win.

No. 1 seed Texas looks to advance to their fourth Elite Eight in the five years tomorrow, hunting a return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.

Later, No. 2 seed UConn aims for their fourth Final Four bid in the last five seasons, coming as close as 2022’s title game before reaching the semis last year.

Sweet 16 newcomer TCU star Hailey Van Lith battles Houston Christian's Victoria Dixon for the ball.
TCU will make their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance today. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Both rookies and vets feel the Sweet 16 heat

Experience can go a long way when the spotlight gets a little brighter, but pressure also mounts as blue-chip programs face the chopping board.

One notable first-time Sweet 16 matchup is this afternoon’s clash between in-state rivals No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 seed North Carolina, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

Tomorrow, No. 3 seed Notre Dame meets No. 2 seed TCU, as the Irish fight to regain their regular-season dominance while the Horned Frogs try to extend their underdog campaign with their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance.

And with razor-thin margins across the board, confidence will play a key role in making it to the competition’s coveted fourth round. “We're a bunch of fighters, and we respond when we’re challenged,” Notre Dame senior Sonia Citron said after last Sunday’s 76-55 win over Michigan.

Sizing up Elite Eight contenders

While not exactly upset territory, Sunday’s Elite Eight will likely feature tense battles between teams looking to hang onto late-season consistency and those running on turnaround momentum.

After losing to eventual conference champion Duke in the ACC semifinal, a refreshed No. 3 seed Notre Dame heads into tomorrow’s Sweet 16 hot off of winning their first two NCAA tournament games by an average of 36.5 points.

After injuries derailed their SEC tournament dreams, No. 3 seed LSU has similarly picked up the pace, putting together two consecutive 100+ point games in the NCAA tournament’s first two rounds.

No. 5 seed Kansas State wouldn’t normally be an issue for No. 1 seed USC, but after losing superstar JuJu Watkins to an ACL tear on Monday, the Trojans might have to rally to get the job done.

And while “underdog” is a stretch, the greatest momentum shift might belong to No. 2 seed UConn, with Bueckers and co. firing on all cylinders despite dropping several ranked matchups this season.

Where to watch NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games this weekend

The Sweet 16 tips off today at 2:30 PM ET, with all games airing across ESPN platforms.

After Saturday’s Sweet 16 finale determines the field, the Elite Eight tips off on Sunday at 1 PM ET, with live coverage across ESPN platforms.

England and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo already knows how she wants to spend her time in the United States.

The team is preparing for a first-of-its-kind preseason tour, first playing the NWSL’s Washington Spirit on August 18th at Audi Field, before a friendly against longtime WSL rival Chelsea on August 25th. But Russo also has other plans for her time in Washington, DC.

"I'm excited to go to Chipotle — I love it there," she told Just Women’s Sports about a week before her team was scheduled to fly across the Atlantic. "They do actually have a couple in London, but they're really far out for me. So I'm looking forward to Chipotle."

england and arsenal player alessia russo celebrates at the 2022 euros
Alessia Russo's performance at the 2022 Euros cemented her place on the international map. (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Russo has already seen her football career take her to heights she only dreamed of as a kid, winning the European Championship in 2022 with England, making it to a World Cup final the following year, and signing with Arsenal in 2023 after a successful three years starring for Manchester United. 

Russo's footballing journey first took her to the US in 2017, where she cut her teeth in NCAA soccer at the University of North Carolina alongside current Arsenal teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy. In a way, her team's trip to Washington, DC — about a four-hour drive from Chapel Hill — is a bit of a homecoming for the striker.

"I loved my time at college," said Russo. "I remember going out there quite young and naive, and I thought I'd kind of throw myself into this new environment and experience. I came out of it with best friends that I still speak to now all the time."

Even as sold out stands at Wembley have become commonplace for the 25-year-old Kent native — not to mention the increasingly enormous crowds at London's Emirates Stadium where Arsenal Women will be playing 11 home games this season — Russo's memories of Chapel Hill are more akin to the average college student.

"We used to have our pre-games all the time at Panera," she recalls. "Everyone used to think like, 'Why are we going to Panera again?' But Lotte [Wubben-Moy] and I used to love it, so I'm sure we'll take a visit back there."

arsenal star alessia russo playing at university of north carolina
No stranger to the US, Russo spent her college years at University of North Carolina. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

While Arsenal’s preseason tour will allow Russo plenty of time to relive her glory days, it will also act as prep for the upcoming WSL season, as well as a way to reach fans that might not otherwise ever get to see their favorite players in person. The club has leaned into those particular opportunities throughout the 2024 offseason, already completing a short tour of Australia.

Russo has cherished the chance to play in front of fans across the globe, but with a tight international calendar and mounting club workload, she’s had to be mindful about getting rest on her precious off-days.

"I think you really need to make the most of it when you do get time to fully switch off," she said. "[It's] something that when I was a little bit younger I probably wasn't as good at, but as I get older, it's knowing your body a bit more, knowing what works for you."

She enjoys the rare warm weather holiday, and Russo went on to note the support she has gotten from both the Arsenal and England training staffs, and how load management — especially during preseason — can be a key factor to achieving individual and team goals.

Alessia Russo of Arsenal during the Arsenal Women's training session
Russo will be key to Arsenal's restructuring this season. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Their test against an NWSL team currently sitting third in the league standings will also be an important step in Arsenal’s preseason plans, as well as a challenge that draws specifically on Russo’s time at North Carolina. The NWSL is known for high transition-style play, moving the ball quickly and hurting their opponent on the counter. 

The Spirit have taken that ethos and evolved it this season, creating a sturdy midfield that can retain possession as well as push back on the wings with former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez taking full control of the squad.

"I think it's going to be a really tough game, and we all know that," Russo added. "Also, they're in their season, so they're going to be firing, they're going to be on form."

But should the match open up, Russo will be ready: "Going to the states, I developed a different side of the game in terms of strength and power and physicality, because in order to fit into the game and into college football, you needed to be strong."

"I just had to kind of catch my body up with where I needed it to be," she continued. "And it's still something that you work on now, but UNC was kind of the starting point for all of that."

Alessia Russo of Arsenal walks out to the pitch with a mascot before the match between A-League All Stars Women and Arsenal Women in Australia
International tours have become a fixture of Arsenal's preseason outreach. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal will need to rely on all of Russo’s past experiences this season, as the club reshapes its attack following the high-profile exit of superstar forward Vivianne Miedema, who signed with perennial title contender Manchester City earlier this offseason. And while Miedema’s playing time had dwindled at Arsenal after returning from injury, the team still has serious offensive connections to mend should they want to better their 2023-24 third-place finish in the WSL. According to Russo, diversity will play a major role in hammering out Arsenal's reformation.

"I think we've grown a lot as a team and we've reflected a lot after last season," said Russo. "Ultimately, a club like Arsenal, we want to be winning trophies and we know that we have the talent to do so — in the changing room and with all our staff.

"I think we have so many special players on the ball, off the ball, wingers and 10s that possess so many different qualities even between them — one winger might like to do, the other is completely opposite. That makes it really cool and unpredictable."

Russo describes herself as a forward-thinking player who loves to score goals but can also embody the off-the-ball roles of a No. 9, with an emphasis on pressing triggers when the team is out of possession. Execution in attacking spaces could make all the difference for a club looking to battle teams like Chelsea and Manchester City for domestic titles, as well enter back into the apex of European competition with their impending UEFA Champions League campaign.

sell-out Barclays Women's Super League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium will serve as Arsenal's primary home this coming season. (Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Arsenal is also prepared to continue to push the sport forward, capitalizing on a global movement that’s propelled the rise of women’s football in the US, Europe, and beyond. Russo noted that while the talent on the pitch has always been there, but she feels lucky to be part of a generation that's bringing women’s sport into the spotlight.

"[Fans are] genuinely wanting to see the game grow, and they're actual fans of women's football," she said. "To play in those kinds of stadiums — whether that's in England, in Australia, in the US — women's football now is never questioned, we have our fan bases and we're getting to the stages that we deserve."

For Russo, the path forward is clear: win trophies with Arsenal, carry that momentum into the 2025 Euros, and excel in every international and club tournament beyond that — all while never forgetting her sense of gratitude, no matter how high her star ascends.

"People have a genuine connection to following these journeys and these stories," she said. "I feel very privileged to be in that kind of position, and hopefully long may it continue."

Erin Matson has led the No. 1 UNC field hockey team to its 11th NCAA championship in program history.

She is 23 years old. And she’s the youngest head coach in Division I sports — and the youngest to win a national title.

Just last year, Matson was on the field with many of the players she’s coaching, winning the same championship. Matson also won four ACC championships as a player with the Tar Heels, and she’s already won one as a coach after defeating Duke in the ACC tournament final on Nov. 3.

Maybe her age is an advantage. Matson has been encouraging her teammates since she was on the pitch herself, and she has been able to carry that into her first season as head coach.

“We have that foundation of a relationship,” Matson told Sports Illustrated in August. “So, then it’s, ‘O.K., I’m not taking time to check in on how you’re doing because I don’t know. I’m taking time to check in on how you’re doing because I know who you are as a person, and I can read the situation and I’m here for you.’ It’s a different relationship.

“I know they have my back, and they know I have theirs. I think their attitude every day⁠—how much they want to succeed themselves but also do it together⁠—is really empowering.”

Another key to Matson’s success as a coach is her history as a player. Not only is she a four-time ACC champ, Matson also has been awarded player of the year honors three times and she is UNC’s all-time leading scorer. She also is one of the only coaches in the D-I sports who has navigated NIL regulations as a player, giving her precious insight into the minds of those she coaches off the field and on it.

In Sunday’s NCAA tournament final, the No. 1 Tar Heels beat the No. 2 Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 3-2 on penalty strokes to secure Matson’s first national title as a coach. And judging by her career so far, it probably won’t be her last.

Erin Matson won the NCAA field hockey championship with UNC as a player in 2022. One year later, the 23-year-old is leading the Tar Heels into the tournament as the youngest coach in Division I athletics.

As a fifth-year senior in 2022, Matson won a fourth national title with the Tar Heels, scoring the game-winning goal in UNC’s 2-1 win over Northwestern in the NCAA championship game. She ended her career as the all-time points leader in the ACC after winning ACC Offensive Player of the Year in each of her five seasons.

And when her playing career was finished, Matson stepped right into coaching. She took the reins from Karen Shelton, who retired in December 2022 after 42 years as the UNC head coach.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am to do this,” Matson told Sports Illustrated in August. “It hits you. I can’t believe this is my job. This is what I get to do. My boyfriend and I will be on FaceTime and I’ll say, ‘I can’t believe I’m the head coach of UNC.’”

As a player, Matson won four ACC Tournament championships with the Tar Heels. And she continued that streak in 2023, securing her first as a coach with a 2-0 win over Duke in Friday’s title game.

The NCAA will reveal the bracket for its 2023 tournament at 10 p.m. ET Sunday. Don’t be surprised to see Matson and No. 1-ranked UNC as the top seed.