All Scores

Ranking a historic night of CBB upsets, from most to least concerning

Michigan State’s Kamaria McDaniel drives on Indiana’s Lexus Bargesser and Mackenzie Holmes in the Spartans’ upset win Thursday. (Matthew Dae Smith/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Three top-10 teams tumbled Thursday in a historic night for upsets in women’s college basketball.

No. 4 Indiana, No. 6 NC State and No. 7 Virginia Tech all lost to unranked opponents, tied for the most such upsets in one day since at least 1999, per ESPN. Top-10 teams have lost 22 games so far this season, tied for the most at this point in a season since at least 1999.

While Thursday’s losses signal increasing parity in the sport, they also provide reasons for concern for the ranked teams involved. Just Women’s Sports ranks the three top-10 upsets from most to least concerning.

Clemson 64, No. 7 Virginia Tech 59

With the upset loss to the Tigers (10-4), the Hokies (11-2) have lost two of their last three games heading into 2023. Their first loss of the season came against No. 5 Notre Dame, which eked out a 66-63 win Thursday against unranked Miami. Clemson, meanwhile, did not receive any votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

Virginia Tech is still without Ashley Owusu, who broke her pinkie finger on Dec. 1, but the team’s problems ran deeper Thursday.

Star center Elizabeth Kitley, who averages 18.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, was held without a rebound in the first half. The Tigers entered halftime with a double-digit lead and withstood a second-half comeback attempt from the Hokies.

After the game, Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks called on Kitley to play like the high-profile player she is. The senior, projected as a No. 2 draft pick in our 2023 WNBA mock draft, took just seven shots in the game.

“We just didn’t play well at all,” he said.

Michigan State 83, No. 4 Indiana 78

Turnovers sunk the Hoosiers (12-1) in their first loss of the season, which leaves just five unbeaten teams in Division I.

“They had 28 points off our turnovers,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “That’s the storyline right there.”

While Indiana did give up a season-high 21 turnovers, one sloppy game should not ring too many alarm bells, particularly when it comes against Michigan State (9-5), which had forced 29.3 turnovers per game entering Thursday.

Still, the Hoosiers will need to learn to handle defensive pressure, as the Spartans disrupted the flow of Indiana’s offense throughout the game.

Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes scored a career-high 32 points, but Indiana went 3-for-12 from 3-point range. The team is still missing senior point guard Grace Berger, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since late November.

Duke 72, No. 6 NC State 58

This in-state rivalry contest looked more like a coming-out party for Duke (12-1) than a crushing loss for NC State (11-2).

The Blue Devils led for 29 minutes, including the entire second half. They already received points in the most recent AP poll, and this win could be enough to put them in the rankings come Monday.

“We just stayed focused and locked in and didn’t allow the emotions of the game to overtake our execution,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said. “That’s big growth for us. We haven’t been in a lot of close games yet this year, so you never really know how your team is going to react in close-game situation or really important possessions in the fourth quarter. So I’m pleased with how we executed there.”

NC State shot just 34.4 percent from the field, and while they won the rebound battle 36-33, they finished with just five assists. Their offense is still adjusting to the absence of Diamond Johnson, who injured her ankle on Dec. 11.

2025 WNBA Season Tips Off with Action-Packed Friday Lineup

The Golden State Valkyries and LA Sparks tip off a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
The Valkyries play their first-ever official league game in Friday's 2025 WNBA season tip-off. (Supriya Limaye/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA season is finally here, with Friday's official tip-off leading an opening weekend full of tough competition and simmering storylines.

The reigning champion New York Liberty enter as odds-on favorites, but results are nearly impossible to predict after a very active offseason across the league.

This weekend's slate features new builds, regional rivalries, and plenty of fresh faces as top 2025 draft picks log their first pro minutes.

  • Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): This year's No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers makes her official WNBA debut as revamped Dallas tests itself against a Minnesota team still stinging over last year's title loss.
  • Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Valkyries play their first-ever regular-season game, looking to form an identity against downstate rivals LA, led by new Sparks addition Kelsey Plum.
  • Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty, Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC): The 2023 champs meet the 2024 title-winners in a heavyweight clash that sees 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson take on a confident New York team led by guard Sabrina Ionescu.
  • Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Last year's rookie headliners Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese meet again in Indiana, with the regional rivals relying on both incoming vets and young cores to write their next chapters.

Packed with great matchups, this weekend is the ideal tip-off for a 2025 season that promises to be a wild ride — no matter which WNBA team you follow.

No. 1 Kansas City Faces No. 2 Orlando in Top-Table NWSL Weekend Match

Orlando's Marta dribbles the ball past Kansas City's Nichelle Prince during the 2024 NWSL semifinals.
Orlando ousted Kansas City in the 2024 NWSL semifinals. (Dustin Markland/Getty Images)

The NWSL is back in action this weekend with a top-table match, a bicoastal battle, and some middle-of-the-pack clashes as the 2025 season enters its ninth matchday.

Parity is riding high these days, with just three points dividing the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 3 Washington Spirit in the NWSL standings — while only three more separate the No. 4 San Diego Wave from the No. 8 Seattle Reign.

With competition remaining tough as nails, don't expect much more daylight between teams following this weekend's tense lineup:

  • No. 7 Gotham FC vs. No. 4 San Diego Wave, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (NWSL+): Coming off a two-game winless streak, Gotham is still searching for consistency as they take on a confident San Diego side that hasn't lost in four games.
  • No. 9 Racing Louisville vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (NWSL+): All tied up with 11 points each, Seattle will look to hold off Louisville as Racing continues to hunt the club's first-ever playoff berth.
  • No. 2 Orlando Pride vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): There's little love lost between these NWSL titans, as the reigning champion Pride takes on hosting duties in an attempt to leapfrog current top-dog Kansas City in Friday's marquee match.

In a season dominated by topsy-turvy results, the pressure to secure points week-over-week weighs heaviest on the teams who know they have the talent to rise above the rest.

Esther Extends Gotham Contract Amid MVP-Quality NWSL Season

Gotham forward Esther celebrates a goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
Gotham FC's Esther currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race. (Hannah Foslien/NWSL via Getty Images)

This season's NWSL Golden Boot leader Esther González is sticking with Gotham, with the Spanish international extending her contract with the NJ/NY club through 2027.

After helping Gotham to a first-ever NWSL championship in 2023, González earned the league's Best XI Second Team honors last year before launching a red-hot campaign this season.

The 2023 World Cup winner has tallied seven goals in nine games for Gotham in 2025, showcasing a blistering rush of form that has her sitting two goals ahead of the next Golden Boot race contender.

"Above all, it's about how I've felt during these two and a half years with Gotham FC," González said in Thursday's team announcement. "Continuing to be happy both on and off the field is really important. To keep enjoying myself and representing Gotham's colors, which I truly identify with, is something really incredible."

Gotham's continued investment underlines the 32-year-old's case for 2025 MVP candidacy, as award frontrunners start to emerge one-third of the way through the 2025 NWSL season.

González leads the NWSL in shots on target while sitting fourth in expected goals per 90 minutes, with her scoring outpacing many of her peers.

Other players crafting strong 2025 NWSL MVP resumes include Kansas City's 2024 MVP Temwa Chawinga and comeback star Debinha, Angel City wunderkind Alyssa Thompson, and Orlando sharpshooter Barbra Banda.

FA Cup Finalist Chelsea FC Heads to Wembley with Historic Treble in Sight

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze heads the game-winning goal past Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce in a 2025 WSL match.
Chelsea will aim for the domestic treble in Sunday's 2025 FA Cup final. (Molly Darlington - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Following a dominant 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea FC will look to cap their historic run by completing a domestic treble on Sunday, when they'll battle Manchester United for a third season trophy in the 2025 FA Cup final.

After securing the 2024/25 League Cup in March amidst an unbeaten run to a sixth-straight WSL title, the Blues will close out their season against the league's third-place finishers, the Red Devils, in London's iconic Wembley Stadium.

Should Chelsea secure the 2025 FA Cup, they will add a second domestic treble to their resume after clinching their first trio of trophies in the 2020/21 season. This time, however, they could do so in undefeated fashion.

"We are in a really good place, just the fact that we won the league being unbeaten," said first-year Blues manager Sonia Bompastor. "To end the season with an FA Cup final at Wembley against Man United is maybe the perfect way to end the season."

The 2023/24 Manchester United team and staff celebrate their first-ever FA Cup championship.
Manchester United seeks to defend their 2024 FA Cup title. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Manchester United hunts second straight FA Cup trophy

Standing between Chelsea and the treble are 2024 FA Cup champions Manchester United, who will take aim at their only trophy of the season partly behind the play of 2024/25 WSL Golden Glove winner and USWNT goalkeeper prospect Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Man United enter as the game's undisputed underdogs, having dropped both their WSL regular-season matches against Chelsea in narrow 1-0 defeats.

Even more, the Red Devils must overcome a particular tough stretch of play, facing more than a month without a victory on their schedule.

Man United's last win was their 2-0 FA Cup semifinal victory over Manchester City on April 13th, with the Red Devils suffering a pair of losses and recording two draws to close out WSL play.

That said, United has experience downing the Blues on the FA Cup stage, ousting Chelsea from last year's semifinals en route to a club-first FA title.

Remarking that Manchester United "are a really strong team," Bompastor pointed out that the Red Devils "don't concede a lot of goals, and we need to remember that."

"You only get the trophy if you win, so we need to make sure going into the game we have the best preparation and we perform on the day."

How to watch Chelsea play Manchester United at the FA Cup final

The 2025 FA Cup final between Chelsea FC and Manchester United will kick off at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday.

Live coverage of the match will begin at 8:20 AM ET on ESPN+.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.