UConn & Texas march on | USWNT sets clash with Canada | Miles forgoes WNBA draft

Luck of the Irish?

UConn & Texas keep dancing

No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed UConn punched their tickets to Tampa last night, joining No. 1 seeds UCLA and South Carolina in the Final Four after two tight matchups closed out the NCAA tournament’s fourth round.

• Texas got the best of in-state foe TCU 58-47, behind a game-high 18-point performance from SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker.

• UConn then handled USC 78-64, holding off the JuJu Watkins-less Trojans as superstar guard Paige Bueckers followed up her career-high 40-point Sweet 16 performance by dropping 31 points on the night.

Big picture: After four Elite Eight appearances in five years, the Longhorns finally punched their ticket to the Final Four — their first time back since 2003 — behind a tenacious defense that forced 21 TCU turnovers.

• “Anybody that watched that game today, when they turned the TV off, they had to go, ‘Wow, that freaking team plays their ass off.’” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said after the game.

UConn returns: The Huskies are headed to their fourth Final Four in the last five years, advancing on a balanced scoring strategy that saw three different players put double-digit points on the board.

• In addition to Bueckers’s 30-piece, Freshman phenom Sarah Strong ran the frontcourt, pairing 22 points with 17 rebounds and four assists for her fifth postseason double-double, while Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen bolstered the backcourt with 15 points of her own.

Bottom line: All four remaining teams have the potential to win a national championship — now it’s a matter of who can deliver when the going gets tough.

USWNT sets a date with Canada

The USWNT announced their final match of the summer’s three-game international window yesterday, with the team set to take on northern neighbors Canada in Washington, DC on July 2nd.

• The friendly rounds out a bill that also includes two previously announced clashes with the Republic of Ireland scheduled for June 26th (Commerce City, Colorado) and 29th (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Big picture: With much of Europe focused on the 2025 Euros, July’s bout with Canada will mark the North American nations’ 67th meet-up — but the first under Canada’s new boss.

• Coach Casey Stoney arrived in Canada after parting ways with the San Diego Wave last June, her two years of NWSL experience providing extra familiarity with many USWNT stars.

• Stoney previously led WSL side Manchester United for four seasons, giving her further insight into current USWNT manager — and ex-Chelsea head coach — Emma Hayes’s style.

Injury report: Yesterday, the US posted a major roster change ahead of this month’s friendlies against Brazil, with Gotham center-back Tierna Davidson officially sidelined due to a knee injury suffered last weekend.

• Davidson will be replaced by 19-year-old Angel City defender Gisele Thompson, who earned her first two senior caps during February’s SheBelieves Cup.

Bottom line: While Hayes’s USWNT is all about fierce competition and roster experimentation, mounting injuries could force the team into thinner lineups than expected — and up the competition across the board.

Final Four spotlight: South Carolina

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

As the reigning NCAA champions return to the Final Four, South Carolina’s March Madness journey hasn’t exactly mirrored last year’s dominance — but their resilience has kept them very much in contention.

• The Gamecocks bounced back from third-quarter deficits in their last two tournament games, relying on tight defense and smart positional rotations to wear opponents down.

• “It is that type of year, that for us, there’s not any blowouts,” head coach Dawn Staley said after her team’s Elite Eight win over Duke. “We have to grind for every single win that we can get.”

Big picture: After losing center Kamilla Cardoso to the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Gamecocks harnessed their depth, relying on strict minute restrictions to disrupt game flow and launch second-half runs.

• Sophomore standout MiLaysia Fulwiley has popped off the bench, complementing leading scorer Joyce Edwards and inside show-runner Chloe Kitts.

• One of the team’s key veteran leaders, senior Te-Hina PaoPao has been a grounding force as the only player averaging 25+ minutes per game.

Bottom line: For the Gamecocks to become back-to-back champs, they’ll have to lean hard on their time-honored calling card: defense.

• “If we’re not scoring a whole lot of points, then we gotta up our defense,” Staley recently told reporters. “If we’re scoring a lot of points, we gotta up our defense.”

'Sports Are Fun!' takes over Tampa

JWS is heading to Tampa, hosting a live recording of Sports Are Fun! with Kelley O’Hara on Thursday, April 3rd ahead of the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

• O'Hara and co-hosts Greydy Diaz, Merritt Mathias, and BJ Beckwith are bringing their hit women's sports podcast to the biggest weekend in college basketball, serving up interactive moments, surprise guests, and a behind-the-scenes look at the 2025 NCAA tournament's final rounds.

• “There’s never been a better time to be a women’s sports fan, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring Sports Are Fun! to Tampa during the Final Four,” says O’Hara. “The energy around this weekend is going to be electric, and we’re giving fans a front-row seat to be part of it.”

Be there: Tickets are $20 and include a complimentary drink and JWS party favor. Get yours now.

Miles forgoes WNBA draft

Notre Dame standout Olivia Miles will forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft and instead play out her final year of college eligibility — but reportedly not for the Irish.

• Miles is set to enter the transfer portal, posted ESPN’s Shams Chariana on Monday, moving on from Notre Dame after back-to-back Sweet 16 exits.

• “I love college. I think I’ve outgrown it a little bit, though, so that makes my decision tougher to stay. It’s comfortable, a place where you have security,” Miles said after Saturday’s loss.

Big picture: Miles will certainly have her choice of top-ranked NCAA programs, but the projected No. 2 draft pick’s decision also has major implications on both the 2025 WNBA Draft and the 2026 draft lottery.

• With UConn’s Paige Bueckers’s sitting comfortably at No. 1, expected Top 5 pro recruits USC’s Kiki Iriafen, South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao, and fellow Irish Sonia Citron could all see a rankings boost.

Liberty fields 2025 roster news

The New York Liberty is shoring up their 2025 roster, with the 2024 WNBA champs announcing a pair of big roster changes this week as they gear up for another title run.

• The Liberty have locked down the services of two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, re-signing the 30-year-old to a one-year guaranteed deal for a reported $208,400.

Injury report: Though it wasn’t all good news, with New York also announcing that guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will open the season on the sidelines after undergoing surgery for an acute meniscus injury.

• Currently rehabbing, Laney- Hamilton is expected to be out of commission for five to six months.

Quote of the day

Injured USC star JuJu Watkins
showing her support after the Trojans’ Elite Eight loss to UConn on Monday.