Virginia clinched the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving National Championship on Saturday, defending their inaugural national title from 2021.

Heading into the final night of competition in Atlanta, Virginia had all but locked up the championship, but continued to add to their lead Saturday. Freshman Kate Walsh first captured the NCAA title in the 100-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 46.05 for a pool record and the fourth-fastest time in the event.

Gretchen Walsh = 100 Free 𝓝𝓒𝓐𝓐 𝓒𝓗𝓐𝓜𝓟𝓘𝓞𝓝 🥇

49.05 - UVA & Pool record, 4th fastest performer 💪#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/LFqXAUyvFP

— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) March 19, 2022

Virginia’s Kate Douglass broke three American records for three gold medals in three different strokes at the NCAA Championships. The junior’s records came in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard breaststroke.

Kate Douglass = "G.O.A.T." - @RowdyGaines

3⃣ 𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙎 🤯
3⃣ 𝗡𝗖𝗔𝗔 𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗦 🥇

200 Breast Champion - 2:02.19 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/Kt0LFCvM9R

— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) March 19, 2022

Alex Walsh also put on a world-class performance for the Cavaliers, clinching her third NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly with a school-record time of 1:50.79.

Alex Walsh goes 3⃣-for-3⃣ 🤩

200 Fly 𝓝𝓒𝓐𝓐 𝓒𝓗𝓐𝓜𝓟𝓘𝓞𝓝 🥇

1:50.79 - UVA Record#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/zAxmDhshr3

— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) March 19, 2022

Virginia broke another American record in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Douglass, Alex Walsh, Reilly Tiltmann and Gretchen Walsh teamed up for the historic swim to secure Virginia’s 11th title of the meet.

Final event of the championships, another AMERICAN RECORD 🇺🇸

NCAA Champions 🥇

Kate Douglass
Alex Walsh
Reilly Tiltmann
Gretchen Walsh

400 Free Relay - 3:06.91 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/XtQt8CLhqo

— Virginia Swimming and Dive (@UVASwimDive) March 20, 2022

Texas finished 145.5 points behind Virginia, narrowly edging out Stanford for second place.

Erica Sullivan shined for the Longhorns, taking second place in the 1650 free Saturday. Texas added 42 points to their tally in the platform competition, with Junior Jordan Skilken taking bronze and junior Janie Boyle finishing in fourth.

The NWSL is changing up its athlete acquisition process, with the league announcing on Wednesday that it will replace the CBA-eliminated draft with a pair of player combines starting this December.

Dividing prospects into two groups — adults and college-aged (U18-23) and youth (U13-17) — the three-day programs will showcase player talent and allow clubs to sign standouts as free agents.  

To maintain competitive balance across the NWSL and set incoming 2026 expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC up for success, the league already revised several roster-building mechanisms, including adopting a new allocation money structure as well as intra-league loans.

Like the abolishment of the draft and the new mechanism requiring athletes to acquiesce to their own trades, the new NWSL combines will give players more freedom over their careers while also better aligning the growing US league with global soccer standards.

"As the women's soccer landscape continues to rapidly evolve, a Combine is a strategic platform that will allow us to support NWSL clubs in early talent evaluation and provide players with exposure to a professional environment," said league director of youth development Karla Thompson in Wednesday's statement.

"This initiative is about widening the lens...and ensuring that talent, wherever it resides, has a continued pathway to our league."

Despite falling from the playoffs on Wednesday night, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is still ending her season on a win, with the WNBA naming the first-year expansion team sideline boss the 2025 Coach of the Year this week.

Nakase picked up 53 out of the sports media panel's 72 votes to take the title, with fellow sideline rookie Karl Smesko (Atlanta Dream) trailing with 15 votes while veteran leaders Becky Hammon (Las Vegas Aces) and Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) tied for third place with two votes apiece.

"What this does, is it reflects on [our] whole organization," said Nakase, sharing credit with her team and staff. "Without [the players], we wouldn't have had a winning season and we wouldn't be where I am today now."

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Golden State made WNBA expansion history under Nakase

In leading Golden State to a 23-21 regular season — a league record for wins by an expansion team in their first campaign — Nakase also minted the Valkyries as the first-ever expansion franchise to make the WNBA Playoffs in their debut season.

That success came from the team's strong defense, as the Valkyries held opponents to a league-wide low in both points per game (76.3) and field goal percentage (40.5%) on the year.

Before joining the Valkyries, Nakase served as an assistant coach in Las Vegas, helping guide the Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

"Natalie has been a fierce leader from the very moment she was announced as head coach," said Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin. "Her core philosophy of connectivity and emphasis on high character has created an environment where everyone can thrive. Her unique approach to leadership and ability to hold players accountable with care while staying true to her values has been remarkable."

"I love playing for a fiery coach who always wants to win and believes in her players so much," said Valkyries — and former Aces — guard Kate Martin.

The new WNBA home-away-home first-round format has upped the dramatics in the 2025 Playoffs, as multiple home-court upsets have forced Game 3 deciders this week.

The No. 6 Indiana Fever's Game 2 win over No. 3 Atlanta set up Thursday's elimination game, with the injury-riddled Fever taking down the Dream 77-60 on Tuesday to keep their playoff dreams alive.

The No. 7 Seattle Storm also earned themselves a Game 3, facing No. 2 Las Vegas in Thursday's nightcap after snapping the Aces' 17-game winning streak in Tuesday's 86-83 Game 2 shocker.

Indiana and Seattle remain the series' underdogs, ceding home-court advantage as Atlanta aims to build on their first playoff win since 2016 while Las Vegas shoots for a third title in four years.

"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever center Aliyah Boston said postgame. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3, emotions are high."

How to watch Game 3 action in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The first round's Game 3 finales begin with two winner-take-all matchups on Thursday night, beginning when the No. 6 Indiana Fever tackles the No. 3 Atlanta Dream at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2.

Shortly afterward, the No. 6 Seattle Storm will take on the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces, also airing live on ESPN2.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx became the first WNBA team to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals with a dramatic come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to sneak past the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries 75-74 and sweep their first-round playoffs series.

Bolstered by a strong crowd traveling down to San Jose for the relocated home matchup, the Valkyries broke out into an early lead, but the 2025 expansion side couldn't hang on in the final seconds as the top-seeded Lynx rallied.

"I am just so proud of our effort," Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said postgame. "I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we've been talking about for two years."

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The Lynx secured the only sweep in this year's best-of-three opening postseason round, with every other series moving to a Game 3 decider.

"The games that we've watched demonstrate that level of desperation for teams in elimination games," Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve reflected.

How to watch the Minnesota Lynx in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx will next face the lowest seed to advance past this week's first round, with Thursday and Friday Game 3 action determining their opponent.

The 2025 WNBA semifinals will then tip off on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ESPN platforms.