Good morning! Don’t chip a tooth today. Inside:

🏀 The madness so far

☕️ Whittingham’s odd split

⚾ Bold predictions

A Chalky Mix: It’s either bracket busters or blockbusters

Having fun now vs. having fun later. Not a bad option either way, I suppose.

In some years, the NCAA Tournament is heavy on early mayhem, but starts running out of star power before the end. Other years, it’s the opposite, a bit of a slog to get to the main events.

So far in this men’s tourney, we’ve gotten a sample of each flavor. After Thursday was loaded with seasonally appropriate thrills (and No. 16 Siena nearly finishing off No. 1 Duke, which I’m still not over), yesterday was heavy on chalk.

Biggest excitement: Kentucky needing a miracle along the way to beating No. 10 Santa Clara 89-84 in OT. A miracle complete with a timeout controversy, in fact. Observe:

Overall, for just the sixth time ever, all four No. 9 seeds advanced. Yesterday, that included Iowa’s 67-61 win over Clemson and Utah State’s 86-76 upset of Villanova. (Anybody have the Aggies, rather than NIL-heavy BYU, being Utah’s only team in the second round?)

Four double-digit seeds are also still alive, with No. 12 High Point the ranking Cinderella at the moment.

Nuggets on all of Saturday’s men’s games here, including Purdue’s Braden Smith breaking the NCAA’s career assists record and a 31-point, 27-rebound night from UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr.

Meanwhile, the women’s bracket has historically been light on opening-weekend upsets. Yesterday’s first day of Round 1 followed that trend, though No. 12 Colorado State nearly took down No. 5 Michigan State, 65-62. No. 7 Texas Tech trailed heading into the fourth but edged ahead of No. 10 Villanova, 57-52.

The highlight, in my opinion: College of Charleston’s Taryn Barbot putting up 36 points on No. 3 Duke in the Cougars’ first tournament game ever. Comfy 81-64 win for the Blue Devils, but that’s the most any player’s scored on them all year. (And her twin sister, Taylor Barbot, had 13.)

Full women’s takeaways here, with business picking up soon.

Side note! Since last year’s chalky men’s tourney produced so many worries about whether college sports’ financial inequalities have ruined March Madness forever, let’s take a look back at some of the most Madness-free moments since the bracket expanded to 64 in 1985:

1989: A nearly entirely basic Sweet 16, other than No. 11 Minnesota.

1991: Zero seeding upsets in the entire second round.

2000: Round 1 had a record-low three upsets, and the wildest was merely a No. 11 (Pepperdine) over a No. 6 (Indiana).

2007: The lowest-seeded Elite Eight team was No. 3 Oregon.

2008: The first time all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four.

2009: No. 12 Arizona was the only Sweet 16 team lower than No. 5.

2025: Matched the preordained Final Four of 2008 and Elite Eight of 2007.

Life’s certainly as hard as ever on mid-majors, but predictable tourneys were happening long before the Supreme Court told the NCAA in 2021 to stop barring players from making money. For now, March Madness still works. (And if nothing else, we still get to have fun later in the Final Four.) Notes below on today’s games. Now for some news.

News to Know

Whittingham wanted to stay at Utah

This is an odd story: New Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham told Utah he wanted to stay on for the 2026 season, according to records obtained by The Athletic — but received a counter-offer from Utah that said he’d have to cede some oversight over players and staff to defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley (his eventual successor). After Whittingham walked with an agreed buyout and then brought several Utah coaches with him to Ann Arbor, Utah’s AD said the school felt that Whittingham violated the buyout terms, but would let it slide. Hm. Not the parting you’d expect for a school legend coming off a 10-2 season. More here.

More news:

The worst team in the Eastern Conference two years ago, the Pistons became the first East team to clinch a playoff spot. What a turnaround.

Aaron Judge discussed the perception that Team USA played without joy in the World Baseball Classic. Read his comments.

The Thunder won’t be visiting the White House to celebrate their NBA championship because of a “timing issue.” Full story here.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order to — in theory, at least — protect the Army-Navy game’s exclusive December window from College Football Playoff expansion.

The longest active winning streak in women’s college basketball came to an end Thursday night, at 91. Take a bow, NYU.

The Nationals sent former No. 2 pick Dylan Crews to Triple A after a rough spring. More here.

A rehabbing Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Portugal’s squad for an upcoming friendly against the U.S., continuing his almost 12-year streak of not playing on American soil.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Watch Guide

📺 NCAAW: First round

11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

ESPN networks

It’s hard to overstate how much of a favorite No. 1 UConn is in this tournament … and yet we managed to do it. The Huskies begin their repeat bid with -275 title odds per BetMGM — not -5000, as we wrote yesterday. Our apologies! We promise it’s true that they’re 55.5-point favorites against No. 16 UTSA today (3 p.m. ET on ABC). Tune in an hour earlier to channel-surf the day’s three best upset candidates, per our model.

📺 NCAAM: Second round


12:10 p.m.-9:45 p.m. ET

CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV

After barely avoiding a historic upset against Siena, a worryingly thin Duke will be desperate for the return of injured center Patrick Ngongba against TCU (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS). The most intriguing game is probably the nightcap between High Point and Arkansas (9:45 p.m., truTV/TBS): a Cinderella, a freshman scoring machine, and two teams that average 90-plus.

Get tickets to games like this here.

Pulse Picks

Roman Anthony for MVP? A Cy Young for Jacob Misiorowski? Eno Sarris is back with his 10 bold predictions for the upcoming MLB season.

Young children’s YouTube is mostly a soulless hell, but my 4-year-old has been at least 2% raised by this guy’s zany animated songs. Somehow they’re all at once educational, unpretentious, calming and legit funny. Just don’t tell our pediatrician. — Matt Piper

Is Las Vegas still the right choice for NBA expansion? Our experts weighed in.

I’m back with a verdict on the easy ricotta-cake mix cookies, and DANG — these things are neat!! They come out like single-serve, handheld cakes. They’re spongy and moist on the inside and firm on the outside. I topped mine with chocolate icing and cinnamon. — Lauren Merola

U.S. cross-country star Jessie Diggins will retire after this weekend’s races in Lake Placid, N.Y. Remarkably, as Matthew Futterman writes, she’s going out on top.

I’m far from the first person to share this on the sports internet, but the seemingly impromptu emotional deep dive between Thierry Henry and Micah Richards on “UCL Today” really impacted. I really recommend a watch. — Chris Branch

🎥 Ken Rosenthal shares what’ll be his lasting memory from the World Baseball Classic in his latest “Week in Baseball” video.

Last year, Wirecutter’s experts rigorously tested and recommended nearly 3,000 picks. Of those, 71 useful, delightful products stood out so much, we’ve crowned them the first-ever winners of our Best New Picks Awards. — Samantha Schoech

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: NCAA men’s Day 1 takeaways.

📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Men's College Basketball, Women's College Basketball, The Pulse

2026 The Athletic Media Company

So begins another day of quad-box TV splits. Living rooms welcome the ambient tones of squeaking sneakers and droning cheer squads. The NCAA Tournament’s round of 64 continues through Saturday and introduces the bracket’s brightest stars.

From the West come Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice. UCLA closes the Saturday slate at Pauley Pavilion. From the East, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong pursue perfection. Their story picks back up in Storrs, where UConn hosts an over-the-air ABC spotlight. Connecticut is a target twice over: as reigning national champions and as a current unbeaten.

Upsets await and highlights are loading. The full schedule is laid out below.

All times ET.

Women’s March Madness schedule for round of 64, Day 2

Date: Saturday, March 21

Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

ABC is available for free over the air. All ESPN networks can also be streamed on ESPN Unlimited. 

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard

Fort Worth 1 Region

The Buckeyes have won four of their last six games — the losses were a two-point overtime finish with Michigan, then a hard-fought Big Ten semifinal against UCLA. Ohio State carries second- or third-weekend potential around guards Jaloni Cambridge and Chance Gray. The team just needs to shore up its glaring weakness in 3-point defense.

Howard set a school record for wins in a season. Zennia Thomas is resilient, going from a heart procedure to the MEAC’s player of the year.

No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont

Fort Worth 3 Region

Louisville led the ACC tournament championship game for 35 of 40 regulation minutes. Duke won in overtime. The Cardinals have some frustration to vent. Tajianna Roberts, Imari Berry and Laura Ziegler are remarkably balanced, each averaging between 11-12 points and 2.7-3.1 assists per game.

Vermont arrives at the KFC Yum! Center (great venue name) with one of the nation’s top scoring defenses. The Catamounts (great team name) are 1-8 all-time in March Madness.

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern

Sacramento 4 Region

With the ascent of Dawn Staley, South Carolina has won three of the last eight NCAA Tournaments and reached the Final Four in three others. The Gamecocks are new-age nobility in women’s basketball. They did have a surprising wobble against Texas in the SEC tournament title tilt, but any suggestion of a 16-over-1 upset is pure heresy. Second-team All-American Joyce Edwards leads the deep ensemble.

Southern doesn’t have a single player who averages double-digit scoring. The Jaguars beat Samford in Thursday’s First Four.

No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Virginia

Sacramento 4 Region

Dani Carnegie transferred from Georgia Tech to Georgia, which unlocked her game as a do-it-all lead option. “Drop the Tech. Just … Georgia. It’s cleaner.”

UVA beat Arizona State 57-55 in Thursday’s First Four banger. Kymora Johnson buried an icy 3 and broke a late tie.

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield

Fort Worth 1 Region

Here’s a bracket blender: Notre Dame women’s basketball and BYU men’s basketball are connected. Both No. 6 seeds have soon-to-be-pro supernovas. Both have underperformed this season, while still giving occasional glimpses of what could be. AJ Dybantsa and BYU lost their opening matchup on Thursday. Can the Fighting Irish break the spell?

Hannah Hidalgo’s stats are eye-popping — 25.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.4 steals (!) per game. But the junior hasn’t played past the Sweet 16 yet. Fairfield carries an 11-game win streak into this underdog bid and makes more 3s than any other team.

No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island

Fort Worth 3 Region

Kristy Curry’s team flows in a slow, unbothered pace. Senior Jessica Timmons is sharp from long distance, shooting better than 40 percent on 5.5 attempts per game. A Timmons heat check could position Alabama for second-round disruption. But if the jumpers go cold, the Tide will be vulnerable to a first-round upset.

Rhode Island’s last dance was its only dance — a one-and-done appearance in 1996. Brooklyn Gray leads this year’s Rams from the backcourt.

No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison

Fort Worth 3 Region

Welcome to Clara Strack’s block party, where any and all opponents can get their shots swatted to the band section. Strack averages a 17-point double-double, and she has multiple blocks in eight of her last nine outings.

Kentucky is countered by JMU, champion of the Sun Belt tournament and cleaner of the glass. This matchup will reveal itself inside the paint as Strack and Ashanti Barnes go big-on-big.

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA

Fort Worth 1 Region

Geno Auriemma’s 34-0 Huskies stayed wholly dominant despite Paige Bueckers’ graduation. Fudd and Strong are both first-team All-Americans, and UConn is six wins from a seventh perfect season. Its brilliance cannot be understated.

UTSA is summoned for background acting. For reference, Connecticut won last year’s first round by 69 points, a margin more than double the 34 it allowed.

No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC

Sacramento 4 Region

This is Clemson’s best season in 25 years. Head coach Shawn Poppie inherited a program that had a sole NCAA Tournament berth since 2002-03. He has the Tigers as a respectable No. 8 seed in his second year. Clemson relies on its defense and runs possessions through senior Mia Moore.

In contrast to Clemson’s special campaign, USC has had something of a mulligan season in 2025-26. JuJu Watkins tore her ACL 12 months ago, and the Trojans should be instant top-shelfers when she returns this fall. In the meantime, breakout freshman Jazzy Davidson gets to show what she can do.

No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson

Sacramento 4 Region

The Hawkeyes took a head-spinning 51-point L from UCLA in the Big Ten tournament championship game. But an implosion against the juggernaut doesn’t fully diminish Iowa’s strong closing stretch. Jan Jensen’s group stacked eight straight wins up through the conference semifinal, with two convincing defeats of Michigan. The duo of 6-foot-2 Hannah Stuelke and 6-foot-4 Ava Heiden is tough to hang with across four quarters.

FDU went a flawless 18-0 in the Northeast Conference. This is the program’s second dance, and its second in a row.

No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio)

Fort Worth 3 Region

Senior Mountaineer Jordan Harrison outplayed future WNBA pick Olivia Miles in the Big 12 tournament final. She dropped an efficient 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead WVU past TCU. The RedHawks are 8-1 in their last nine and won their last two rounds of the MAC tournament by double figures.

Miami is still a long shot in Morgantown, but the program deserves props for checking into its second-ever NCAA Tournament.

No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse

Fort Worth 1 Region

Iowa native Audi Crooks is a cheat code from the low block. She broke her own program scoring record with a 47-point frenzy earlier this season. The junior Cyclone can drop post dimes against double coverage, too. Yet Iowa State took an early exit at the Big 12 tourney, and it’s lost three of four heading into Saturday. Syracuse has a turnover problem, but it also has a potential Crooks concealer in Nigerian freshman Uche Izoje.

No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point

Fort Worth 1 Region

No one in the NCAA has rung up more points than Vandy’s Mikayla Blakes. She’s topped 30 a dozen times during her first-team All-American turn. Shea Ralph, longtime assistant to Auriemma at UConn, is transforming Vanderbilt in real time.

The Commodores haven’t reached the second round since 2013. That is all but certain to change … unless High Point’s March magic extends to the women’s bracket.

No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton

Sacramento 2 Region

Oklahoma State has green marks across its offensive metrics. It shoots above 35 percent from 3, with Haleigh Timmer at a team-best 41.8 percent. Princeton is similarly perimeter-minded; Skye Belker checks in at 41.9 percent on treys. With similar seeding, shot distribution and orange-and-black color schemes, we have ourselves a true mirror match.

No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado

Fort Worth 1 Region

Berry Wallace is Illinois’ battery pack. She’s played the full 40 minutes in seven games this season. With shooting splits around 47/36/87, the sophomore is on pace for a national profile in the next two years. Colorado has one of the lowest 3-point rates in Division I, but French forward Anaelle Dutat hauls in almost four offensive boards per game.

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist

Sacramento 2 Region

The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant revealed her WNBA mock draft Friday. Five Bruins landed in the first round, and four cracked the top 10. UCLA’s rich talents accentuate one another. Betts is a defensive anchor and screen finisher. Her gravity makes space for off-ball orbiters Gianna Kneepkens and Gabriela Jaquez to drill 3s. If Betts is shaded, Rice or Charlisse Leger-Walker can quickly initiate from the perimeter.

For the viewer, it’s a well-timed symphony. For Cal Baptist, it might sound like thrash metal.

Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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Tennessee’s season came to an abrupt, but predictable, end on Friday night as the No. 10 seed Lady Vols lost 76-61 to No. 7 seed NC State.

The loss marked Tennessee’s 14th of the year, and it ended one of the worst end-of-season stretches in the storied history of the program. Led by second-year coach Kim Caldwell, the Lady Vols exited on an eight-game losing streak and lost 11 of their final 13 games. For the first time in program history, they were winless in March.

This was only the third time in 38 tournament appearances that Tennessee dropped a first-round game, and it was the first time since 2019 when it lost to UCLA. The loss is especially jarring to long-time basketball fans who were accustomed to Tennessee’s dominance. The Lady Vols own the second-most NCAA Tournament championships with eight under Pat Summitt from 1987 to 2008.

Friday’s game, which resulted in Tennessee’s fourth straight double-digit loss, was an opportunity for Caldwell to quiet any noise about her fitness for the job. She was an unorthodox choice as a hire out of Division II, but her unique system and early returns last season provided her with some credibility as she led the Lady Vols to the Sweet 16.

Tennessee, which was projected to finish fourth in the SEC this season, started 14-3, but couldn’t keep things together down the stretch. The Lady Vols lost in the SEC tournament to Alabama and then lost to the Wolfpack on Friday, giving up a career-high 30 points to NC State guard Zamareya Jones.

It didn’t help that when Tennessee took the floor, it was without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Janiah Barker.

Without Barker, the Lady Vols still out-rebounded the Wolfpack 41-32, but couldn’t find any consistent scoring. Talaysia Cooper led them with 24 points, but nobody else scored more than 10 as they shot 32.9 percent from the field and made just 7 of 36 3-point attempts. Tennessee led 2-0 to begin the game, but never led again.

Though the Lady Vols cut the Wolfpack’s lead to three points in the third quarter, Tennessee never looked capable of taking control, even with NC State’s second-leading scorer Zoe Brooks leaving in the third quarter with a foot injury.

Caldwell had no answer for Jones and couldn’t find anybody, other than Cooper, to score. That will leave Caldwell with a lot of questions this offseason.

Though there are some unhappy fans in Knoxville, it seems unlikely that Tennessee will fire Caldwell after her second season, considering her $4 million buyout. But an ending like this will make for an uneasy feeling entering next season.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

North Carolina State Wolfpack, Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Women's College Basketball

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The NCAA sued DraftKings on Friday, asking a federal court in Indianapolis for a temporary restraining order to stop the online sportsbook from using trademarks such as March Madness and Final Four to promote sports wagering.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament began this week and there were 16 first-round games on Thursday and Friday. The tournament is typically one of the most heavily bet events on the sports calendar.

The first round of the NCAA women’s tournament started Friday.

Betting on sporting events is now legal in at least 39 states, and many professional leagues have partnerships with online sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel. The NCAA has no such deals, and the association has pushed hard to limit the types of bets sportsbooks offer on college events. Specifically, the NCAA has lobbied state and federal lawmakers to ban prop bets, which allow gamblers to wager on the performance of individual players, on college games.

The NCAA’s statement said DraftKings’ “unauthorized use of its trademarks is flatly contrary to one of the association’s most deeply held institutional values: that sports betting must not be associated with, endorsed by, or linked to NCAA championships or the student-athletes who compete in them.”

By using terms such as March Madness, Final Four, Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in its promotional and marketing campaigns, DraftKings is falsely suggesting the NCAA is endorsing the platform, the NCAA said.

DraftKings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NCAA says online harassment of college athletes has dramatically increased since the legalization of sports gambling.

In a recent study, the NCAA found that almost half of Division I men’s basketball players experience online, verbal or physical abuse by fans for betting losses.

Prop bets have been at the heart of several cases that involved players allegedly manipulating games and shaving points. NCAA investigations have resulted in numerous players being ruled permanently ineligible.

A federal indictment handed down in January charged 26 men with participating in a conspiracy to bribe and manipulate college basketball games involving then-active college athletes.

The indictment alleged the existence of a gambling ring that pulled in at least 39 players across mostly low- and mid-major schools, 20 of whom were charged.

The NCAA has eased penalties and tried to loosen some of the rules around legal gambling related to college athletes and those who work for athletic programs.

Last year, the NCAA moved toward lifting a ban on legal betting of professional sports for college athletes but later pivoted and left the current rule in place.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Men's College Basketball, Women's College Basketball, Sports Betting, Betting Controversy

2026 The Athletic Media Company

March Madness isn’t just one tournament. In fact, women’s college basketball has been on the rise and the top of the sport is extremely good. And just like the men, brackets aren’t the only way to enjoy the tournament, as sportsbooks have every women’s game as well. So it’s time to fire up the College Basketball Projection Model for the women and see if there is any value on the board before the first round gets underway.

First, the tournament formats are slightly different. And that small difference is that the first two rounds are played at the home arenas of the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds in each region. So any top-four seed that’s playing in the first two rounds will be playing at home in front of their fans. That must be accounted for. This also makes upsets a little less likely. Not only is the top of the sport stronger than the middle compared to the men, but adding a home-court advantage for the best teams makes it even tougher.

That’s all taken into account by my model, but I just wanted to make a note if you’re wondering why some of these games have such large spreads.

We have a pretty big card for the first round, so let’s get after it. As always, shop around for the best price, and good luck to us!

Women’s March Madness first-round best bets

Baylor moneyline (+104) vs. Nebraska

Wrong team favored! Yes, Baylor as a No. 6 seed is an underdog here. Maybe No. 11 Nebraska will benefit from playing a game earlier this week in the First Four, but I see some matchup problems for the Cornhuskers. Most importantly, their 2-point defense is bad, which should give Baylor something to exploit. Baylor isn’t a dominant two-point team or anything, but Nebraska is so poor that this shouldn’t be hard to exploit. The second advantage that I like is that Nebraska is one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country, but Baylor is even better at defending them. With an advantage to get the offense going, I think Baylor should have enough on the defensive end to advance.

Worst price to bet: Baylor moneyline (-110)

Tennessee moneyline (+102) vs. NC State

Again, wrong team favored! This time, I’m going to be on the side of the worse seed, as I think No. 10 Tennessee should be short favorites here. No. 7 NC State has a weird profile, as they don’t shoot a ton of 3s, but they also don’t get to the free-throw line very often. Tennessee is usually very good at defending the 3-point line and not allowing opposing teams to get shots up, so that matchup will be interesting. But this game is going to come down to whether Tennessee can turn NC State over — the Wolfpack are very good at taking care of the basketball — and whether Tennessee can crash the offensive glass. My projections think the Volunteers will have more success on the offensive glass than one might think, which sways this line to them being the favorites.

Worst price to bet: Tennessee moneyline (-105)

Oklahoma vs. Idaho under 158.5 (-112)

Admittedly, I’m terrified of this play. Oklahoma and Idaho both play at blazing speeds, which always leads to the possibility of a game going over. But both teams are very good at rebounding, offensively and defensively. That gives me some hope that this game can slow down, as both teams have height and can end possessions with defensive rebounding. Another aspect of this matchup that I like is that neither team relies on turnovers, which means we shouldn’t see a ton of easy points off turnovers. I’m not holding my breath here as the pace could make this a loser early, but my model has this pegged for the low 150s, and I could see Idaho struggling to score.

Worst price to bet: Under 157.5 (-110)

James Madison +16.5 (-114) vs. Kentucky

On one hand, James Madison played Texas earlier in the year and lost by 40. On the other hand, they played Notre Dame tough in a 13-point loss at home. So, what to do here? Well, I’ll give them a shot because I think they do kind of match up well here. Kentucky is not a team that will turn you over on defense, so that shouldn’t be a problem we have to worry about. Kentucky is a good rebounding team, but so is James Madison, so that advantage shouldn’t be drastic. I have plenty of concerns about Kentucky’s height advantage here, and that’s where I think we could see a drastic advantage on the glass for the Wildcats. But if James Madison doesn’t get overwhelmed, they should be able to stay within this number on a neutral court.

Worst price to bet: James Madison +16 (-110)

USC -5.5 (-106) vs. Clemson

I think USC has the two best players in this game, and I think there is an argument that they could have the three best. There aren’t any drastic matchup advantages here, but I just don’t think these two teams are in the same class. If you go by record, yes, Clemson looks like the better team, but the Big Ten was much stronger than the ACC this year, and we know that record doesn’t mean much here. My number is closer to double digits here as I’m taking the team with the best players in the game.

Worst price to bet: USC -6 (-110)

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

USC Trojans, Idaho Vandals, James Madison Dukes, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Baylor Bears, Women's College Basketball, Sports Betting

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Let’s get this out of the way first: The fact that the WNBA will complete a full season in 2026 is a win for everyone involved. The league has experienced so much growth over the past few years that, even as negotiations grew tense and sometimes stalled during collective bargaining, the WNBA could not afford a stoppage that risked halting this wave of momentum.

The collective bargaining agreement, which was finally met by the players’ union and league early Wednesday morning, brings record players salaries and a revenue-sharing model that is tied to their pay. The particulars of the CBA will naturally benefit some parties more than others. Until the full CBA is drafted, we don’t have a complete picture of how this document will affect the business of the WNBA.

But we understand how transformative it is … and the ripple effects that will come from it.

Here is our first attempt to assess winners and losers from the 2026 CBA.

Winners

Nneka Ogwumike

The WNBPA president has now presided over two labor negotiations that were immediately hailed as landmark victories for players. After the 2020 CBA raised the standard of player experience across the league, the 2026 deal delivered on compensation. Ogwumike and the players association secured revenue sharing, albeit at a lower percentage than they may have hoped, and dramatically increased salaries for every player in the league, with the promise of significant increases throughout the life of the seven-year CBA. The average salary has gone up about five times from 2025 to 2026.

Consider where the union was two weeks ago: Two of its vice presidents were publicly messaging that the league’s CBA offer was a good deal and privately expressing concern with union leadership. Rather than let the solidarity splinter, Ogwumike got everyone in line and didn’t blink in the face of the league’s self-imposed deadlines. After a week of face-to-face meetings, she helped the union close a deal with a salary cap more than a million dollars higher than it was when the two sides arrived in New York.

Being the president of the union is a challenging and thankless job. There is a reason no one has tried to run against Ogwumike since she assumed the role in 2016. She led the players through a tumultuous period and came out on the other side with a life-changing deal.

WNBA stability

The WNBA secured a seven-year CBA deal with an opt out after six, ensuring labor peace for the foreseeable future. The league can pitch investors and sponsors with confidence in its financial outlook. It’ll be easier to manage the growth of the WNBA knowing what the expenses will be during this time period. The players also benefit from this stability — unlike in the previous CBA, when the salary system didn’t allow them to partake in the revenue the league was bringing in, they will share in the gains over the next seven years.

Given how contentious this process had been, the fact that union and league leadership were able to sit down together and come up with a deal that suits both parties bodes well for the WNBA’s ability to conduct business going forward.

Superstar players

Everyone was underpaid in the last CBA, but no group more so than superstar players. A’ja Wilson made $200,000 in 2025 — only $80,000 more than the average salary. The overall values and gradations didn’t make sense considering how much superstars drive winning and popularity. Now, the best players will be compensated accordingly. Max players and supermax players will make seven-figure salaries, and the best players don’t have to wait until they finish their rookie contracts to sign those contracts. High-performing young players will also be able to earn supermax salaries in their fourth season provided they meet certain benchmarks. Plus, rookie contracts will be right-sized to the 2026 rookie scale so that no one in the recent draft classes gets left behind.

The players fought to ensure better pay for their full body, but it’s undeniable that the superstars are most responsible for the rocketship growth of the league. They deserve their reward.

Tunnel fits

This could apply to clothes, jewelry, bags, even cars — anything that the players can spend their increasing amounts of disposable income on. The lifestyle of the average WNBA player is about to change, and it’ll be plain to see when they walk into games.

The Langham Hotel

The hotel where many negotiating meetings were held is New York City’s latest hot spot!

Breanna Stewart even shared on social media that her phone location automatically suggests this as a destination because of her frequent trips there for negotiations.

 

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Losers

Free agency

The 2026 free agency period should have been the most exciting in the league’s history. Essentially every veteran in the league is able to switch teams. There is so much money available to them and players will actually have choices based on where they want to play, who they want as teammates and the length of their contracts.

But those decisions require time. And the WNBA doesn’t have any of it. The league and players essentially engaged in a staring contest for the first month of 2026, and the consequence of that stalling is an extremely truncated offseason. All of the news of player signings and trades will come out in a flood rather than spread out over a few weeks, limiting the potential drama. With so much to accomplish in so little time, the hope is that too many parties don’t regret the decisions they have made in haste.

Toronto and Portland front offices

Speaking of having very little time, no one will feel the squeeze more than the front offices of the expansion teams. In theory, every team is assembling a roster at this time of year since more than 100 players are free agents. But the returning teams at least have relationships with players and can bank on re-signing some people from their 2025 rosters; the Tempo and the Fire are starting from scratch. They’re selling WNBA players on something entirely new, even if their organizations have a few familiar faces. Toronto and Portland also have to prepare for an expansion draft, another task to accomplish while the rest of the league can focus its attention on the college draft and free agency.

Teams will start training camp less than a month from today. The Tempo and the Fire have zero players. They can’t have an identity, because they don’t know who will be on the team. Expansion teams already have an uphill battle in professional sports but never has the climb been so steep.

Non-billionaire ownership groups

The price of being a WNBA owner just became a lot higher. Between salaries, improved standards for staffing, and new standards for facilities, there are many more expenses that the owners will foot. Many teams have been clamoring for a way to provide for their players beyond the rules of the CBA for quite some time — think of the New York Liberty illegally chartering flights in the second half of the 2021 season or the Aces providing impermissible benefits to Dearica Hamby when she extended her contract in 2022. Now, those ownership groups can spend their money in sanctioned methods, and the players will still benefit.

The owners who don’t have the money? This will be a tough new world. The spotlight is on them, and players won’t have to settle for substandard experiences. The line of people wanting to buy a WNBA team is long. The league could put pressure on owners who don’t meet the new standards of the CBA if it diminishes the product and embarrasses the league at large.

Offseason leagues

The launch of Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited already put a dent in the number of players who choose to compete overseas during the WNBA offseason, when they can instead make money domestically. Now that the average salary in the WNBA has increased by five times, not as many players will need the extra paycheck if they prefer the time off.

Then again, the WNBA offseason is long, and many players don’t want to sit out for six months. Many players also have equity in Unrivaled and are literally invested in the success of the league. But the finances and player experience were the draw for Unrivaled, and that is no longer an advantage over the WNBA.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament is a rush to the senses, a four-paneled split-screen opening act. There’s nothing quite like elimination basketball, let alone 12+ hours of it.

The Friday slate introduces some splashy favorites, including the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns. We also meet the unsung chaos agents — for rising programs like South Dakota State, it’s time to shock the system and throw red across our brackets. Let’s see how it all plays out on one of live sports’ singular days.

All times ET.

Women’s March Madness schedule for round of 64, Day 1

Date: Friday, March 20

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No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Charleston

Sacramento 2 Region

Toby Fournier is a force for the Blue Devils. The Canadian sophomore averages north of 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. Under coach Kara Lawson, Duke won the ACC’s regular-season and tournament titles. All-conference senior guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair try to graduate with emphasis.

Charleston makes its dancing debut. The Cougars are led by twin sisters Taryn and Taylor Barbot.

No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego

Sacramento 4 Region

TCU has truly maximized the transfer portal. Last season’s addition of Hailey Van Lith lifted the Horned Frogs to their first Elite Eight berth. This year’s fifth-year leader is Olivia Miles, two-way point guard with a deep playmaking bag. She averages 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

This is only the second year that UC San Diego has had postseason eligibility after reclassifying to Division I; the Tritons have made the NCAA Tournament both years. The Big West champs are trending up around program architect Heidi VanDerveer, sister of legendary coach Tara VanDerveer.

No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech

Fort Worth 3 Region

Katie Fiso took the leap for Oregon, a school known for developing star point guards. The sophomore Fiso averages more than 15 points and six dimes on high volume. Virginia Tech likes to muddy games around strident defense and inside action. Let’s see which style prevails.

No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska

Sacramento 2 Region

Baylor was ranked No. 12 in the Feb. 9 AP poll. From there, the Bears lost all three of their ranked matchups by double figures, then dropped their one and only game in the Big 12 tournament. The team still has a strong duo in Taliah Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, but there’s upset potential on Nebraska’s sideline.

The Cornhuskers dropped six straight games in February. The ledger is wiped clean for March Madness, though, and Nebraska comes in ranking 14th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik. The Huskers looked good in Wednesday’s First Four defeat of Richmond.

No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State

Sacramento 4 Region

So let there be rain. Washington has sophomore Avery Howell, who shoots 41.9 percent on 3s. South Dakota State counters with sophomore Emilee Fox, national 3-point shooting leader at a 47.7 percent clip. The Jackrabbits tout a well-balanced offense behind senior paint presence Brooklyn Meyer, but the Huskies have been tested by a far tougher strength of schedule.

No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State

Fort Worth 1 Region

Brenda Frese knows how to win in March. Maryland’s head coach has held her position since 2002. Last year’s Terrapins made a Sweet 16 run and lost to formidable South Carolina by just four points. Junior Duke transfer Oluchi Okananwa adds extra punch to this season’s bid.

The Racers live up to their name with fast pace and gaudy point totals. Now to see if the offense can hang with power-conference pressure.

No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga

Sacramento 2 Region

Rebels senior Cotie McMahon can wear teams down in the paint or decelerate a game at the foul line. After three seasons at Ohio State, the 6-foot forward is averaging nearly 20 points per contest and has put herself on the WNBA radar.

For the Zags, Lauren Whittaker is just a freshman, but her versatility is remarkable — in the WCC tournament title game versus Oregon State, she finished with 26 points, nine boards, three assists, three made 3s and two steals.

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State

Fort Worth 3 Region

The region runs burnt orange. Texas is an overwhelming favorite after dominating a stacked SEC tournament. In the finale, the Longhorns shot 54 percent against South Carolina’s vaunted defense. They took just seven 3s and still racked up 78 points.

All-American Madison Booker thrives in the midrange, while senior Rori Harmon pesters along the perimeter and Jordan Lee spots up for buckets. Vic Schaefer coaches up top-10 rankings in offensive and defensive rating. Godspeed, Missouri State, which beat Stephen F. Austin in Wednesday’s First Four.

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross

Fort Worth 3 Region

Michigan’s sophomore trio of Olivia Olson, Mila Holloway and Syla Swords can hang with the best cores in the field. Olson has third-team All-American honors for her efficient scoring. Holloway tallies assists and makes space off the dribble. Swords stretches the court with her limitless range. Holy Cross allows just 56.8 points per game … but yeah, it probably needs a miracle.

No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois

Fort Worth 1 Region

UNC topped the ACC in 3-point efficiency during the regular season, and it plays aggressive defense under coach Courtney Banghart. Nyla Harris joined the Tar Heels from Louisville in the transfer portal. The senior big is surrounded by reliable shooters. For Western Illinois, senior Mia Nicastro is the nation’s fourth-leading scorer at 24.2 points per game.

No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville

Sacramento 2 Region

The Tigers have the No. 1 scoring offense … and the best per-game average in Division I since the 1990-91 Providence Friars. They’re also second to mighty UConn in scoring differential. When fully locked in, LSU offers must-see hooping with unmatched swagger. Senior Flau’jae Johnson is the face of the collective, but MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams are game-breaking stars on their own.

Jacksonville goes for its first NCAA Tournament win ever. Does coach Special Jennings have something special in the works?

No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay

Sacramento 2 Region

The Golden Gophers are in the tourney for the first time since 2018, cutting their teeth in a crowded Big Ten. Grace Grocholski can be a heat-checker off the looks generated by senior distributor Amaya Battle. The Horizon-winning Phoenix rally around senior stretch center Jenna Guyer.

Minnesota versus Green Bay sounds like a Lambeau Field classic, but it teases some upset potential on the hardwood.

No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State

Sacramento 4 Region

Consistent senior Grace VanSlooten has put up between 15 and 15.5 points per game across her last three seasons, split between the Spartans and Oregon. She’s a great offensive rebounder and has nine stocks (steals + blocks) in her last two outings.

Colorado State comes in hot on a nine-game win streak. The Rams’ last NCAA Tournament W was in 2001, but maybe Ryun Williams’ side is due for disruption.

No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee

Fort Worth 3 Region

Wes Moore’s Wolfpack made a Sweet 16 run in 2025. Then they added two intriguing juniors — Khamil Pierre from Vanderbilt and Qadence Samuels from defending champ UConn. The team hasn’t quite jelled as expected, from ninth in the preseason AP poll to unranked since December.

The same can be said for Tennessee, the orange-colored blue blood with eight national titles (second to UConn). The Lady Vols have made every women’s NCAA Tournament; this is just their second time as a double-digit seed. Kim Caldwell’s crew has lost its last seven contests, but no one will wholly discount Tennessee in March.

No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova

Sacramento 2 Region

Texas Tech is a defense-first, defense-second kind of team. Villanova plays slow, small, effective offense. For the Red Raiders, junior Jalynn Bristow just led the Big 12 in blocks per game. For the Wildcats, sophomore Jasmine Bascoe finished the regular season as the Big East leader in points and assists per game. We’ve got a true style clash in Friday’s penultimate matchup.

No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho

Sacramento 4 Region

This iteration of Oklahoma puts the “soon” in Sooners, zipping through sets with quick pace. The buckets are layered. Breakout freshman Aaliyah Chavez is there as an outside option, while senior Raegan Beers is elite at the rim. The brisk pace does open the door for extra turnovers and momentum swings, which the Big Sky champions will try to manipulate.

Idaho has seven international players on its roster, representing countries from Brazil to Estonia. The Vandals have a chance to put the whole world on notice.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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