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Final Four spotlight: UCLA

Every day this week, JWS is spotlighting a different Final Four team in the lead-up to Friday’s NCAA tournament double-header.

UCLA will hit the court for their first-ever NCAA Final Four on Friday, but as they extend the most successful season in program history, the Bruins have looked anything but green.

• “We said talent was going to be our floor,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said after Sunday’s Elite Eight win over LSU. “Our character, our chemistry, our habits were going to be our ceiling.”

Big picture: With just two losses on the season, UCLA’s status as a first-rate NCAA title contender has been years in the making.

• In 2022, the Bruins signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, stacking their roster with top high school standouts Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, and Londynn Jones.

• UCLA then upped their game even further last year, when 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Lauren Betts transferred in from Stanford — a move that fueled the Bruins all the way to the Sweet 16 with the promise of even greater success.

• “Everyone came to UCLA for this reason: to do something we haven't done in a really long time,” Jaquez said on Sunday. “[I’m] just really proud of my teammates, the staff, the coaches, just continuing to get better every day and grow from each season prior.”

Core vision: As one of the most dominant post players in college basketball, Betts is at the literal center of every UCLA performance — but that doesn’t mean the Bruins lack the depth it takes to handle a team like Final Four opponent UConn.

• “When we have a deep team, I don’t have to be in the game at all times,” Betts said ahead of Friday’s showdown. “I have a team full of players who are just amazing and talented in their own right, and they put in the work.”

Bottom line: UCLA is coming into their own after developing much of its squad from the ground-up, with the team now intent on making the case that patient roster-building can pay off on NCAA basketball’s biggest stage.

NWSL shops Sunday night lineup

The NWSL is looking to sell a new Sunday night TV package, according to a Sports Business Journal report published this week.

• The league is targeting a two-year deal starting in 2026, with both new and existing partners interested in picking up additional NWSL games.

Big picture: The NWSL is currently two years into a four-year, $240 million TV partnership with ESPN, Prime, ION, and CBS Sports.

• However, the current contract doesn’t cover the entire schedule, and with league expansion planned for 2026, even more inventory is on the way.

• SBJ notes that the market for this season’s lineup has been strong, with all four media partners already selling out all 2025 advertising slots.

Sunday night lights: ESPN could be a prime candidate for a Sunday package, with the network set to move on from Sunday Night Baseball after the 2025 MLB season.

• The NWSL has traditionally leaned into network-owned nights, with Prime airing Friday night matchups and ION running Saturday double-headers.

Bottom line: The NWSL’s most recent contract added serious value to the league, and the returns have networks coming back for more — setting up a potential bidding war and easing growing pains as new teams join the fold.

Notre Dame’s exodus continues

Less than a day after Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles shocked the women’s basketball world by opting to enter the transfer portal rather than declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Irish’s fallout has continued.

• Sophomore guard Emma Risch and freshman forward Kate Koval have also entered the portal, with Koval — who started in 10 games this season — leading the Irish in blocks.

• Between transfer moves and graduating seniors, sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo remains Notre Dame’s only returning starter — a sharp turn for an Irish squad ranked No. 1 in the country just six weeks ago.

Big picture: Notre Dame isn’t the only top-tier program experiencing a roster shakeup after exiting the NCAA tournament.

• LSU sophomore forward Sa'myah Smith entered the transfer portal after the Tigers’ season ended in Sunday’s Elite Eight, with USC sophomore guard Aaliyah Gayles following suit after the Trojans fell to UConn on Monday.

Scouting key additions: Schools like TCU have become national contenders via the portal, with the Horned Frogs recruiting both Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince ahead of their first-ever Elite Eight run.

• Former Kentucky center Clara Silva will be joining TCU next season, as the team comes off their best tournament finish in school history.

Bottom line: The modern era of NCAA roster building is upon us, with top players taking the reigns as ambitious teams scramble to fill offseason gaps.

Flag football takes a leap

The NFL is weighing investor interest in creating both a men’s and women’s professional flag football league, Front Office Sports reported this week.

• The plan would be for the NFL to heavily support, but not operate, the new US leagues, with the launch timed to the sport’s 2028 Olympic debut in LA.

• Flag football has reportedly attracted one high-profile investor already, with tennis great Serena Williams looking to buy into the prospective leagues alongside husband Alexis Ohanian.

UCLA’s next Betts thing

UCLA-bound high school senior Sienna Betts registered 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in last night’s McDonald’s All-American Girls Game, earning MVP honors after lifting the West 104-82 over the East.

• Betts is set to join older sister Lauren Betts at UCLA next year as the nation’s No. 2 overall high school recruit, with the elder Betts currently leading the Bruins to this season’s NCAA Final Four.

• The 6’4” forward is in good company: Recent McDAAG MVPs include South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards, USC’s JuJu Watkins, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, and UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez.

Number of the day 

105

Fifth-year UConn guard Paige Bueckers scored 105 points in her last three NCAA tournament games — the most points scored in a three-game span in program history.