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THE STAKES ARE GETTING HIGHER IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Photo by Ceci Young via the University of Minnesota
One weekend in, and this year’s NCAA Tournament is as wild as ever!
In Iowa, the 10th-seed Virginia Cavaliers pulled off a stunning double-overtime upset over the Hawkeyes on Monday afternoon. Despite how the journey ends for UVA, they’ve accomplished some magical firsts:
First Tournament win in their first Tournament appearance since 2018
First trip to the Sweet Sixteen since the year 2000
Only First Four team to reach the Sweet Sixteen
Going from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen is an incredibly challenging task, which makes this Virginia run all the more special.
“From the time we played Arizona State, we've been talking about one more, just fighting for one more,” Virginia head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said.
“One more moment, one more memory, one more practice, one more game, one more team activity, whatever it is. That's what they were playing with. They were just fighting for one more.”
There’s been a lot of great hoops on display so far, and on the latest edition of We Need to Talk, Erica L. Ayala and Alicia Jay broke it down
The UVA win wasn’t the only one that came down to the wire!
In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Golden Gophers trailed in the fourth quarter and rallied to take a late lead before Ole Miss tied the game at 63 on a Latasha Lattimore baseline drive. With three seconds to go, Amaya Battle became a Golden Gopher icon…
Minnesota advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005 and will face the number one seed, UCLA.
We also saw some WNBA Draft lottery picks say their final goodbyes to their home crowds.
In Connecticut, Azzi Fudd outscored the entire Syracuse team by herself in the first half (26-12) as UCONN dominated the Orange on the way to a 53-point victory.
In Baton Rouge, Flau’jae Johnson said goodbye to the LSU faithful as the Tigers dominated Texas Tech on the way to a 54-point victory.
More on LSU in a bit.
The stakes are getting higher. With the Final Four a week away, teams will put their best foot forward as they try to make history and stay one step ahead of the competition.
Who will survive the pressure? Time to find out.
The Lineup
What’s trending in women’s basketball right now:
🔏 Sweet Sixteen Showdown: Must-Watch Sweet 16 Matchup
Brian’s Pick of the Round is LSU vs. Duke. Can the Tigers repeat their performance from earlier this season? Or will higher seed Duke show what they’re all about?
🤔 Wait… the WNBA Is Playing Where? Phoenix vs. Chicago in South Dakota:
The league heads to a new market—here’s what it signals for expansion, fan growth, and visibility.
💰 The WNBA’s Schedule Shift Could Change Everything
A deeper look at how calendar shifts could reshape the global women’s basketball economy.
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