No. 1 UConn triumphs over NCAA's Selection Sunday

Some returns just hit harder.

UConn takes NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed

It’s time to start filling out those brackets, as last night’s Selection Sunday show revealed the 2026 March Madness paths for all 68 NCAA tournament teams.

• Undefeated UConn earned this year’s No. 1 overall seed, joined by fellow No. 1 seeds UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas at the top of their quadrants.

• “There are times I felt like we deserved a No. 1 seed based on our wins, our record, who we have beaten, and it didn’t pan out that way,” reflected Huskies coach Geno Auriemma. “This year it did.” (See full bracket)

Charting a course: It only gets harder from here, as No. 2 seeds Vanderbilt, LSU, Michigan, and Iowa eye matchups with their higher-seeded competition.

• Should UConn and Vanderbilt meet in the Elite Eight, Auriemma will face his former protege, with Commodores boss Shea Ralph winning the 2000 NCAA title as a Husky before spending 13 years on UConn’s coaching staff.

• “The NCAA Tournament is the best sporting event in the world,” Ralph said last night. “We’re thrilled with the work that we’ve done this season to put ourselves in position to do well, but we’re really not looking past the first game. We can’t. It’s a one-game season now.” (See full clip)

Up next: The NCAA tournament opens with Wednesday’s First Four at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

Thorns upend Spirit in NWSL season opener

The Thorns came to play on Friday, defeating the Spirit 1-0 at DC’s Audi Field to usher in the NWSL’s 14th season.

• Despite Washington dominating possession, Portland stole a result off midfielder Olivia Moultrie’s brilliant second-half strike.

• “I think Olivia Moultrie has the potential to be the best player in the world,” Thorns manager Robert Villahamn said postgame. “She is so good and she has so much passion.” (Watch full highlights)

Roster shuffles: Portland’s win underlined the new season’s shifting landscape, with both teams showcasing major returns and big-name absences.

• Thorns forward Sophia Wilson took the pitch for the first time since 2024 in the 77th minute, while Portland found itself compensating for departed midfielder Sam Coffey.

• The Spirit got a full 90 minutes out of re-signed superstar Trinity Rodman, though the midfield struggled without former centerpiece Croix Bethune — with Bethune going on to score in her Kansas City debut on Saturday.

Up next: Both clubs return this Friday, with the Spirit kicking off against Louisville at 8 PM ET (Victory+), before the Thorns host rival Seattle at 10 PM ET (Prime).

NWSL expansion teams see fiery debuts

Boston and Denver entered the league with a bang, as the NWSL’s newest teams opened their 2026 campaigns with red cards in twin Saturday losses.

• Boston’s Bianca St. Georges and Denver’s Janine Sonis left their clubs shorthanded, after earning the young season’s first two red cards.

• The results reflected on-pitch frustrations, as the Legacy fell 1-0 to Gotham (watch full highlights) before the Summit lost 2-1 to Bay FC (watch full highlights).

History made: It wasn’t all disappointment, however, as Boston set an inaugural home opener attendance record with more than 30,200 fans packing Gillette Stadium.

• “This environment — to the players, to women’s football — I think contributes a lot to the game,” said Legacy head coach Filipa Patão. “We need to continue to do that.”

• But the high might be short-lived, as Denver looks to break the NWSL’s overall attendance record after selling more than 50,000 tickets to its March 28th home opener at Mile High Stadium.

Up next: The newcomers will have another crack at it this weekend, as Denver visits Orlando on Friday at 8 PM ET (Victory+) before Boston faces Houston on Saturday at 4 PM ET (ION).

Your favorite WNBA show is back, as an all-new Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie presented by Intuit TurboTax brings more unfiltered commentary, insider perspective, and cultural critique to basketball fans everywhere.

• In the episode, Texas star Madison Booker sits down to discuss the Longhorns’ defensive identity under coach Vic Schaefer, why chemistry is key in March, and how she stays locked in when things heat up.

• “Right now it’s about everybody else but yourself,” Booker says of her March Madness mindset “It’s about your coaches, about your teammates, about this program — we’re all we have right now.”

Tune in: Catch Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie on YouTube.

NCAA hockey sets the Frozen Four field

The 2026 Frozen Four is set, after the NC women’s ice hockey tournament’s regional finals delivered just one upset on Saturday.

• Despite two goals from Olympic gold medalist Abbey Murphy, No. 4 Minnesota fell to No. 5 Northeastern 4-2, ending the Gophers’ postseason run.

• “Every day I just kind of soaked it all in,” Murphy said, capping her college career with a program-record 143 goals. “It’s crazy it’s all over.” (Watch full highlights)

What’s next: Northeastern now moves on to face No. 1 seed Ohio State, after the Buckeyes defeated Yale 6-1 in their own regional final. (Watch full highlights)

• OSU’s revenge campaign against reigning champion Wisconsin remains intact, as the No. 2 Badgers advanced to take on No. 3 Penn State with Saturday’s 6-0 win over Quinnipiac. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: The Frozen Four hits the ice on Friday at 4 PM ET, live on ESPN+.

Aryna Sabalenka scores 1st Indian Wells title

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is riding high, lifting her first Indian Wells trophy with Sunday’s grueling three-set victory over No. 3 Elena Rybakina.

• As temperatures ventured into the 90s, Sabalenka outlasted the reigning Australian Open champion 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, avenging both January’s Melbourne loss as well as last year’s Indian Wells final exit.

• “I think the whole idea going into this match was to be mentally strong, to stay strong, no matter what, to show with the body language that I’m here, I’m fighting,” Sabalenka said postmatch. (Watch full highlights)

What’s next: Sabalenka now has one half of this year’s Sunshine Double in the bag, as the WTA’s top star gears up to defend her Miami Open title later this week.

• “With these vibes that I’m taking from here, I think I’ll be able to be there and to fight and to do my very best to defend that beautiful trophy,” she said.

Quote of the day

US forward Angel Reese
naming what she loves most about playing for Team USA at this week’s FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament.