Final Four takes shape | TCU keeps dancing | ACFC's off to the races

Time to face the day.

No. 1 seeds run the bracket

No. 1 seeds UCLA and South Carolina prevailed on Sunday, punching their tickets to the Final Four and putting a bow on a wild NCAA tournament weekend that nonetheless ended in chalk.

• After surviving a surging No. 4 seed Maryland offense 71-67 on Friday, the Gamecocks took down No. 2 seed Duke 54-50 in Sunday’s Elite Eight, building a watertight defense to silence the Blue Devils.

• Coming off Friday’s strong 76-62 win over No. 5 seed Ole Miss, the Bruins went on to blank No. 3 seed LSU 72-65, holding off the Tigers despite All-American center Lauren Betts’s early foul trouble.

• “The game was lost in the second quarter,” said LSU coach Kim Mulkey. “That’s where the game was lost. We didn’t capitalize on Betts being off the floor.”

Big picture: With both teams having topped this season’s AP Poll rankings, UCLA and South Carolina pose different physical threats fueled by similar mental resilience.

• 2025 marks the Gamecocks’ fifth straight Final Four appearance, with the reigning champs managing to keep the repeat dream alive despite some shaky starts.

• “We know that every night is going to be a battle, and we know that they’re going to come for us, and we battled through,” said senior Te-Hina PaoPao after yesterday’s victory.

• On the flip side, next weekend will mark UCLA’s first NCAA Final Four, with guard Kiki Rice telling reporters, “All season we’ve talked about how our talent is our floor and our character is our ceiling… And to just be the tougher team every single day out there on the court is really the difference.”

Bottom line: Whether it comes down to a Final Four debutante or a postseason veteran, maintaining poise down the stretch could be the key to winning this year’s title.

TCU takes down Notre Dame

No. 2 seed TCU rode their Cinderella story to their very first Elite Eight berth on Saturday, ousting one-time title favorite No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 behind a 26-point performance from transfer guard Hailey Van Lith.

• While chalky on paper, the victory was indeed a bracket-buster, setting the Horned Frogs up for tonight’s showdown against No. 1 seed Texas after the Longhorns’ 67-59 Sweet 16 win over No. 5 seed Tennessee.

• “Hailey’s a dog,” said TCU senior Madison Conner of Van Lith, who set the school’s single-season scoring record en route to her fifth Elite Eight appearance. “Regardless of if it’s on the offensive end or on the defensive end, she’s going to do anything it takes to win.”

Trojans ready the troops: Tonight’s blockbuster Elite Eight rematch between No. 1 seed USC and No. 2 seed UConn will look different than expected without injured superstar JuJu Watkins — but the Trojans aren’t done fighting.

• After losing Watkins to a season-ending ACL tear in the tournament’s second round, a determined USC took down No. 5 seed Kansas State 67-61 in Saturday’s Sweet 16 clash behind a combined 37-point performance from freshmen Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith.

• USC will have their hands full, with UConn star Paige Bueckers fresh off a career-high 40-point Sweet 16 performance against Oklahoma to launch the Huskies into the Elite Eight on an 82-59 blowout win.

Tune in: TCU tips off against Texas tonight at 7 PM ET before UConn takes on USC at 9 PM ET, with live coverage across ESPN platforms.

Angel City remains unbeaten

While the NWSL’s Big Three — Orlando, Kansas City, and Washington — still sit above the pack after weekend wins, an unexpected fourth club has been hanging tough alongside last year’s contenders.

• LA side Angel City is one of just three remaining unbeaten clubs going into this week’s international break, alongside Orlando and Kansas City.

Big picture: Entering 2025 on uncertain footing, Angel City is still without a permanent manager after former coach Becki Tweed’s offseason departure.

• Under interim manager Sam Laity, the club managed two 1-1 draws before earning their first win against Seattle on Sunday, behind goals from rising star Alyssa Thompson and rookie Riley Tiernan.

• The turnaround is noteworthy, with ACFC finishing the 2024 season in 12th place — far below playoff contention.

• “This is the foundation of this young, energetic team, and we are going to have enormous growth and the most potential,” Laity said after Sunday’s victory.

Bottom line: In a season still searching for unexpected storylines, Angel City’s early success could lay the foundation for some serious standings shakeups to come.

Bueckers confirms pro intentions

Fifth-year UConn star Paige Bueckers confirmed to Huskies legend Rebecca Lobo on Friday that she will indeed be declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, opting to forgo her final year of college eligibility.

• “Honestly, I thought I declared a long time ago,” Bueckers joked, making it clear that she has always considered this season to be her last in a UConn jersey.

Big picture: Bueckers is considered a lock for this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, currently held by Dallas — but uncertainty has loomed over other lottery slots, with the No. 2 and No. 3 picks recently exchanging hands.

• Notre Dame senior Olivia Miles’s professional intentions remain unknown as of Saturday, with the projected No. 2 pick telling reporters she’s “leaning towards” declaring after crashing out of the NCAA tournament.

• Eligible LSU junior Flau’jae Johnson is similarly undecided following Sunday’s loss to UCLA, with the soon-to-be 22-year-old also an expected top draft pick.

US golfers shine at Ford Championship

Three US golfers finished in the top five at this weekend’s Ford Championship finale, with South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim eventually taking top honors in addition to $337,500 of the tournament’s $2.25 million purse.

• “I have the feeling I can continue to do it because people surrounding me sometimes say I'm getting old,” the 29-year-old champion said after the tournament. “With this event, I think I can [do] better.”

Making an impact: US stars Lilia Vu, Allisen Corpuz, and Lindy Duncan came in second, third, and fifth, respectively, with Thai standout Jeeno Thitikul taking fourth.

• Despite an early lead, world No. 1 Nelly Korda didn’t fair as well as her compatriots, finishing 22nd after the third round saw her fail to make par for the first time in over six months.

Alysa Liu scores comeback win

Taking the ice only a year after coming out of a three-year retirement, 19-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu became the first US woman in 19 years to win a World Championship on Friday.

• “I’m not going to lie, this an insane story,” she said after the competition. “I don't know how I came back to be world champion.”

Big picture: Liu became the youngest-ever US world champion at the age of 13, going onto retire three years later shortly after placing sixth at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

• “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t decide to retire for a little bit," Liu told USA Today. "I just am glad that I listen to myself and just do whatever, because it just works out in the end.”

Quote of the day

Retired USWNT star Alex Morgan
announcing the birth of her second child on Sunday.