Top seeds survive early March Madness scares

When the going gets tough…

Top seeds survive early March Madness scares

Half the Sweet Sixteen field is set, after top NCAA tournament seeds tallied blowouts, survived scares, and saw more than a few star performances in the first few days of March Madness action.

• With one more day of second-round play left, all No. 1 through No. 4 seeds remain safe, with No. 1 Texas, No. 2 LSU, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 3 Duke among the standouts advancing to Friday’s third round.

• “You want to start playing your best basketball at this time,” LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson said. “You want to start clicking. You want everything to look seamless.” (See full bracket)

Rough waters: It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, as No. 3 TCU and No. 4 Minnesota both saw close calls on Sunday.

• The Horned Frogs eked out an overtime 62-59 win over No. 6 Washington, while guard Amaya Battle’s buzzer beater lifted the Badgers over No. 5 Ole Miss 65-63.

• “She hits those shots every day in practice over our scout guys,” said Battle’s teammate Mara Braun. “Everyone I think knew that it was in.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: The second round continues today with No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 6 Alabama at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Hidalgo vs. Cambridge headlines today’s NCAA bill

Today’s NCAA lineup promises a heated battle, as No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 3 Ohio State put AP All-Americans to the test in the tournament’s second-round.

• Two dynamic point guards meet in Columbus, when Irish standout Hannah Hidalgo looks to upset star Buckeye Jaloni Cambridge.

• Hidalgo enters the game leading DI in steals and ranking third in scoring with 25.2 points a game — followed closely by Cambridge’s 22.7 points per game. (See full stats)

Putting up a fight: Lower-seeded Notre Dame shouldn’t be underestimated, riding a late-season winning streak to a 10-2 record over their last 12 games.

• “It’s super exciting, another phenomenal guard like Jaloni, and to be able to go head-to-head with her, it’s going to be a fun game,” Hidalgo said ahead of today’s clash. “She’s extremely fast.”

• “She can do everything, especially on the defensive end,” Cambridge said of Hidalgo. “She’s a two-way player, so I really look up to her.”

Tune in: Ohio State hosts Notre Dame today at 4 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Chicago stuns Kansas City in NWSL weekend upset

Chicago pulled off an epic comeback on Sunday, avenging last week’s 4-0 loss to Angel City by humbling reigning NWSL Shield winners Kansas City 2-1.

• Stars defender Tessa Dellarose opened the scoring with her first NWSL goal in her professional debut, before recent signing Jordyn Huitema doubled the tally in the 49th minute of Chicago’s home opener in Evanston.

• Current forward Haley Hopkins responded with a second-half strike, but the Stars held on to earn the year’s first win. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: After a dominant 2025 run, Kansas City looks slow to warm up, after conceding first against both Utah and the Stars.

• “We’re going to respond like champions and winners,” said head coach Chris Armas. “We’ve got to recover, regroup and respond in a way that you’d expect the professionals that we have in that locker room to do so.”

Up next: Neither team will have much time to regroup, as Chicago takes on Orlando on Wednesday at 8 PM ET (Victory+), before Seattle hosts Kansas City at 9 PM ET (NWSL+). (See full schedule)

Thorns stack red cards in Cascadia Rivalry win

Portland extended its perfect start on Friday, taking down rival Seattle 2-0 despite tallying two red cards to close out the game with just nine players.

• Portland midfielder Cassandra Bogere received two yellow cards in quick succession shortly into the first half, before Pietra Tordin’s header put the shorthanded Thorns up 1-0.

• Portland’s Reilyn Turner doubled the lead in the second half, with defender Reyna Reyes shown a straight red in the 57th minute — the first two red cards in Cascadia Rivalry history. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Coming off a tough travel week that required an emergency charter flight, the Reign couldn’t catch a break despite their personelle advantages.

• “When you’re fatigued, the first thing that goes is your brain,” said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey.

Up next: It’s onwards and upwards, as Seattle faces Kansas City on Wednesday at 9 PM ET (NWSL+), before Portland visits San Diego at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports). (See full schedule)

Wisconsin wins second straight NCAA hockey title

The Badgers are hockey champions once again, as Wisconsin took down rival Ohio State 3-2 in Sunday’s Frozen Four final to claim a second straight NCAA title.

• Winger Kelly Gorbatenko opened scoring for the Badgers in the 78th second, before Laney Potter doubled the lead just six minutes later.

• Ohio State battled back, as Kassidy Carmichael and Jocelyn Amos tied it up with two unanswered third-period goals — before Wisconsin’s Claire Enright slotted home the game-winner. (Watch full highlights)

Another one: The win marks Wisconsin’s fourth championship in six seasons, sending legendary Badgers like Olympic gold medalists Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards off to the PWHL in style.

• “We did enough to get to the finish line,” said Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson. “We’re excited to bring the trophy back to Madison.”

JPMorgan Chase teams up with women’s sports stars

JPMorgan Chase is getting into the game, teaming up with some of the biggest names in women’s sports to help athletes manage their money from college through retirement.

• The firm launched its Athlete Council this week, alongside legends like Sue Bird, A’ja Wilson, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe.

• “An athlete’s career and earning power are unique,” said Kristin Lemkau, CEO of JPMorgan Wealth Management. “Careers can be short and retirement unexpected.” (See full release)

Big picture: According to reports, less than 2% of NCAA athletes turn pro and most retire before age 35, while 65% of athletes report never receiving financial education.

• As part of the initiative, JPMorgan Chase is also spearheading the Athlete Center of Excellence, with programming “built for athletes, guided by athlete experience.”

Quote of the day

USC guard Kara Dunn
to teammate Jazzy Davidson after the star freshman dropped 31 points to power the Trojans over Clemson on Saturday.