The students could only wait so long.

After all, they had just witnessed No. 14 Ohio State defeat No. 5 Tennessee in the season opener for both teams. Not since 2008 had a team outside the top 5 started its season with an upset against a top-5 opponent.

Finally, security guards and stadium ushers stepped aside, and the Buckeye student section stormed the court, meeting their team to jump, cheer and capture the moment on iPhone videos.

Ohio State went from trailing by eight points at halftime and looking overmatched by the length and size of Tennessee to dominating the second half and securing an 87-75 victory over the Volunteers.

And though the win came in the first game of the season – far too early to determine overall success – Ohio State’s grit and intensity gave fans plenty to cheer about.

First Top-5 win for @OhioStateWBB since 2019. ✅

The 14-ranked Buckeyes take down No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday night! pic.twitter.com/nk5mvag10v

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 9, 2022

The Buckeyes put on a brilliant defensive performance. They pressed for most of the contest, with guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell providing pressure at the top, and forced Tennessee to commit 29 turnovers. That number is bad no matter how you look at it, but it gets worse when you consider Tennessee’s number of made field goals: 28. A game with more miscues than makes is rarely going to end in a victory.

Sheldon led the defensive effort with a career-high eight steals, while Emma Shumate came off the bench to provide rim protection, finishing with three blocks.

After advancing to the Sweet 16 last season, both squads have Final Four aspirations. The first game of the season isn’t indicative of late season success, but it provides a baseline for both squads.

Here’s what we learned from Ohio State’s historic victory.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes play a brand of defense that opponents will struggle with in the postseason.

Once Ohio State gets into Big Ten play, there will be squads that figure out how to beat it — but those are opponents who are familiar with Ohio State’s style and personnel. In the tournament, the Buckeyes likely will face unfamiliar opponents, and that works in their favor. The kind of high-intensity defense Ohio State plays is difficult to replicate in practice, and the real thing often catches teams off guard.

Early in the game, Ohio State struggled to finish around the rim (going 12-of-31), and even more so from beyond the arc (1-of-10), but they stayed within their offense and adjusted in the second half. Tennessee’s length and athleticism seemed to be an issue for Ohio State early, but once the Buckeyes got their defense working, the offense followed.

Sheldon and Mikesell will once again lead this team. Sheldon finished with 14 points and eight assists to go with her eight steals, and Mikesell led the team in scoring with 25 points (including four 3-pointers). But the Buckeyes also got an excellent showing from Rebeka Mikulášiková, who finished with 17 points and nine rebounds – a huge increase from 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season. Her improvement might be the difference between another Sweet 16 finish and a Final Four run.

Tennessee

Tennessee needs to hope that the 29 turnovers were a result of opening-game jitters and not a bigger issue. Because if the Vols don’t take better care of the ball, it will be a long season of disappointment.

Another issue was the foul trouble Tamari Key endured. The 6-foot-6 center provides an excellent target on offense and a rim protector on defense, but she can’t do either of those things if she plays 13 minutes, as she did Tuesday. Finding a way to keep her on the floor will be crucial going forward; otherwise, Tennessee’s size advantage is much easier to neutralize.

Two positives for Tennessee were the play of Jordan Horston and Jasmine Powell. Horston led her team with 20 points and 13 rebounds – though she did commit seven turnovers. But the most important part of Horston’s game was simply that she played. After injuries kept her out of the NCAA tournament, the Vols are celebrating her return.

Meanwhile, Powell, who made her debut after transferring from Minnesota, fit right into the Volunteer offense. She went 7-of-12 for 19 points, and when she got downhill, no one on Ohio State could stay in front of the guard. But like Horston and the rest of the Vols, she had turnover problems, with five miscues.

Nike put global women's soccer stars in the spotlight last week, debuting their new Nike United Pack cleats collection.

For the first time ever, the apparel giant is bringing together six athletes to launch a series of performance cleats. The subsequent United Pack was developed collaboration with some of the sport's biggest international names.

The United Pack hit shelves last week with three styles of boots: Tiempo, Mercurial, and Phantom. Each boot is paired with two top international footballers, whose names are emblazoned on the heels of their cleats.

Of course, the United Pack collection is one part of a larger Nike initiative. In recent weeks, the brand has bet big on women's sports via everything from Super Bowl ads to signature shoes.

Spain and USWNT get top Nike United Pack billing

Spain midfielder Patricia Guijarro and USWNT center back Naomi Girma are backing the Tiempos, while forwards Lauren James of England and Spain's 2023 World Cup champion Salma Paralluelo feature on the Mercurials. The Phantoms showcase USWNT attacker Sophia Wilson (née Smith) and her Portland Thorns teammate, Venezuela's Deyna Castellanos,.

The collection honors all six players by emblazoning their names onto the cleat's sock liner.

A purple and Volt colorway also links the line. As does the upper surface, which is designed to look like shattered glass in a nod to the "new generation of athletes breaking through to the next era in football."

"What I like the most about this boot is that it was created with six different players who come from different backgrounds and play for different teams, but we all came together to create something special that we can share with the world," said Wilson in a Nike's press release.

"Being a part of this boom and just making people respect women's sports is exciting," added Girma. "It's going to be even better for the next generation."

Where to buy Nike United Pack cleats

Fans can now purchase the Nike United Pack cleats online and at select retail locations.

The 2025 NCAA softball season is off to the ​races, with early season stumbles from perennial powerhouses illustrating the sport's growing parity.

No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 Texas Tech, and No. 10 Oklahoma State all suffered weekend upsets. Tennessee fell 7-1 to No. 17 Nebraska while Texas Tech lost 3-1 to No. 19 Mississippi State in extra innings.

The Cowgirls, subsequently, turned heads during last weekend's Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.

After claiming a 9-6 victory over No. 9 Florida State on Thursday, Oklahoma State then stranded nine baserunners en route to a 6-1 loss to unranked Louisiana Tech on Friday.

After righting the ship with a mercy-rule blowout against Northern Colorado on Friday, the Cowgirls' bats fell short in a run-rule loss to the Seminoles on Saturday.

The 2-2 season start cost Oklahoma State six spots in the rankings, sending them sliding from their preseason No. 4 position.

Top NCAA softball teams take aim at Clearwater's competition

The Cowgirls will have to get right back in the saddle. Oklahoma State will now join six other Top 25 programs in Florida for Thursday's Clearwater Invitational.

No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Texas A&M plus the Cowgirls and Seminoles lead the 16-team lineup. The SEC's No. 12 Alabama, No. 16 Missouri, and No. 24 Kentucky will also compete.

The annual event often serves as a postseason preview. This year's field includes three of last year's Women's College World Series contenders, with 14 represented in the 2024 NCAA tournament.

How to watch NCAA softball at the 2025 Clearwater Invitational

All 40 games at the 2025 Clearwater Invitational will stream live across ESPN platforms. This includes 19 nationally televised matchups.

Clearwater runs Thursday through Sunday, with Oklahoma State kicking off the Top 10 action against UCLA at 3 PM ET on Friday. Live coverage of the Cowgirls vs. the Bruins will air on ESPN2.

Unrivaled Basketball's 1v1 tournament blew through two rounds of cutthroat action on Tuesday night, setting up fierce competition for Friday's semifinals.

Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, Rose forward Azurá Stevens, Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier, and Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale all advanced past their head-to-head opponents.

Each of the four semifinalists will take home at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up and $200,000 awaiting the champion.

Additionally, with one player from four of Unrivaled's six teams still standing, two-thirds of the offseason league are still in the running for a piece of the $350,000 purse. The rules dictate that each 3×3 teammate of the champion will receive their own $10,000 check.

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Edwards's star 1v1 turn propels her through Unrivaled quarterfinals

In what's shaking out to be the contest's top storyline, No. 8 seed Edwards shut out No. 1 seed Breanna Stewart 12-0 in the first round to earn a second-round bye. She then went on to take down a surging No. 3 seed Allisha Gray to secure a slot in the semis.

"Shouldn't be surprised," the 22-year-old Mystics star said after downing Gray 12-6. "Played my first year in the league, now I'm tapping into myself, and the confidence is showing and the work is showing."

Elsewhere, height and offensive versatility proved a winning formula for both No. 6 seed Stevens and No. 1 seed Collier, while No. 1 seed Ogunbowale is the last guard still standing.

All three ousted WNBA teammates to advance, with Ogunbowale sending her former Dallas Wings compatriot Satou Sabally out 12-8 while Collier handed fellow Lunar Owl and Minnesota Lynx contender Courtney Williams a 12-4 defeat. Stevens dominated her LA Sparks teammate Rae Burrell, sending her packing with a 12-2 victory.

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How to watch Friday's Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals

Notably, Friday's semifinals will be heavy on UConn grads, with Notre Dame alum Ogunbowale the lone non-Husky hitting the court.

Ogunbowale will try to halt Edwards's run, while Collier and Stevens — who played together on two of UConn's Final Four rosters — will go head-to-head in the other semifinal.

Unrivaled's 1v1 semifinals and subsequent best-of-three championship series will tip off on Friday at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on TNT.

The WNBA faces no shortage of cities interested in securing the league's 16th team. But some recent expansion bids are tapping into old memories and new promises as historic markets aim to get back into the game.

According to reports, the owners behind NBA side Charlotte Hornets are part of a group trying to bring back a team to the home city of the Charlotte Sting. The Sting were one of the original WNBA franchises, helping launch the league in 1997 before eventually folding in 2007.

The bid to return professional women's basketball to North Carolina is led by CardWorks SVP Erica Berman. The Berman family are already investors in Unrivaled, the offseason 3×3 basketball league that's currently stacked with WNBA stars.

Charlotte is far from the only vintage WNBA market hunting a return. The former hometowns of the Detroit Shock (1998-2009), Houston Comets (1997-2008), and Cleveland Rockers (1997-2003) have also entered the expansion ring, after all formally submitted bids to the league.

There's also new evidence that the WNBA is looking to revive some of the historic teams. Within days of the league's January 30th bid deadline, the WNBA filed trademark applications for the Sting, Shock, Rockers, Comets, and Miami Sol should any of those cities secure the newest franchise.

Rookie expansion teams join historic WNBA heavyweights

Though some cities have history on their side, competition is fierce when it comes to WNBA expansion. The league has seen an explosion of interest from numerous ownership groups all vying to receive a franchise nod.

In addition to the throwback cities, new markets in Austin, Denver, Kansas City, Nashville, and Philadelphia have also expressed a desire to join the league.

The WNBA is currently on track for 16 total teams by 2028, with Golden State, Toronto, and Portland already claiming the 13th, 14th, and 15th franchises, respectively.

With just one slot still up for grabs, leadership faces tough decisions as the league must turn down — or, at least, table — multiple bids as it considers a healthy growth rate.

However, for many ownership groups, building a WNBA team is more a matter of when, not if.

When asked about the Shock's potential return during a recent Detroit Pistons game, NBA commissioner Adam Silver cut to the chase.

"I actually think it’s really just a question of when the Shock comes back.," he said. "Over time, there’s going to be a lot of expansion in the WNBA."