US battles Canada for SheBelieves Cup lead

Life’s a journey.

USWNT battles Canada for SheBelieves lead

The USWNT returns tonight, taking on rival Canada with a spot at the top of the 2026 SheBelieves Cup standings on the line.

• Both the US and Canada enter the match with three points, while Canada sits atop the four-team leaderboard on goal differential after Sunday’s 4-1 win over Colombia.

• “We all know that there is a historic rivalry between the two teams, so it’s always going to be a competitive fixture,” said US manager Emma Hayes, telling reporters she anticipates a tougher fight than the USWNT’s 3-0 shutout over its North American neighbor last July. (See full clip)

Stocking up: The US should be bolstered by Trinity Rodman’s bounce-back, as the star forward returned to training this week after exiting Sunday’s chippy 2-0 win over Argentina with a back injury.

• However, the team will be without Gotham’s Lilly Reale, with the defender departing USWNT camp after taking a knock to the foot on Sunday.

• “We want these opportunities,” Hayes said of Argentina’s physicality. “If we were seeking perfection, then I might be approaching something differently, but I’m here to develop a whole squad to be ready for these situations.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: The US takes on Canada tonight at 6:45 PM ET, live on TNT.

SEC tournament showcases NCAA depth

The SEC is stepping into the spotlight, as the NCAA’s deepest conference tips off 2026 Champ Week with ranked matchups in every round.

• No. 17 Kentucky enters as the No. 9 seed, while No. 11 seed Alabama fell off the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since Week 9 on Monday.

• “Kentucky has done a great job,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the top-seeded Gamecocks narrowly survived the Wildcats on Sunday. “Take some of what has happened in this league, and what this league is doing, [and] it’s hard to measure.” (See full bracket)

Tournament titans: The SEC bracket features eight ranked teams, as No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 22 Georgia, and No. 24 Ole Miss enter tomorrow’s second round.

• No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Vanderbilt, and No. 6 LSU join on Friday, with the conference final set for Sunday.

• “Thank God we’re a tournament team,” Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “Go ahead, put us where you want. Because were going to be ready to compete when we’re full go. This is our storm.” (See full rankings)

Tune in: The SEC tournament tips off today at 11 AM ET, live on SEC Network.

NCAA underdogs look to climb Big Ten bracket

While No. 2 UCLA eyes a Big Ten table run, this week’s conference tournament provides ample opportunity for underdogs to better their national odds.

• Today’s first round features unranked Indiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Purdue, before unranked USC and Washington tip off alongside No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, and No. 18 Michigan State on Thursday.

• Top-seeded No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, and No. 19 Minnesota are set to join for Friday’s quarterfinals. (See full bracket)

Youth movement: One of the teams in the hot seat is No. 9 seed USC, as the Trojans continue to build around Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson.

• The top 2025 recruit stepped up in lieu of injured star JuJu Watkins, averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 blocks, and two steals per 34.4 minutes of game time to lead the team in nearly every category.

• “She’s had an incredible freshman year,” USC head coach Lindsey Gottlieb said. “And I think we’re still only tapping into what she’s capable of.” (See full stats)

Tune in: The Big Ten tournament tips off today at 3:30 PM ET, live on Peacock.

‘Worst-to-first’ Phantom & Mist fight for Unrivaled title

The Unrivaled 3×3 field is down to two, as last year’s bottom finishers Phantom and Mist BC battle for the offseason league’s Season 2 crown tonight.

• Phantom entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, taking down Vinyl BC in the semifinals before Mist scored a comeback victory over expansion side Breeze BC to book tonight’s final.

• “Our goal is a championship, and that has been the goal from the very beginning,” said Mist center Alanna Smith. (See full recap)

Lining up: The Mist will lean on forward Breanna Stewart’s all-around dominance, while Phantom spotlights sharpshooting guards like Kelsey Plum.

• In addition to bragging rights, tonight’s champions will win a cut of the $600,000 prize pool, up from the $50,000-per-player payday Rose BC banked last season.

Tune in: Unrivaled’s title game tips off tonight at 9:30 PM ET, live on TNT.

NCAA conferences honor top performers

As the 2026 Player of the Year race heats up, Tuesday’s NCAA conference awards teased this year’s national honors front-runners.

• UCLA’s Lauren Betts took both Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while Vanderbilt’s DI scoring leader Mikayla Blakes won SEC PoY.

• “I just want to do whatever my team needed me to do and put me in that position to be able to win,” Blakes said this week, after rising to the top of the NCAA’s deepest conference.

Big picture: Betts and Blakes lead the national award shortlist, joined by ACC PoY and DPoY Hanna Hidalgo of Notre Dame.

• Hidalgo’s former teammate Olivia Miles took home Big 12 PoY in her first season at TCU, while fans can expect UConn’s Sarah Strong to remain in the mix as Big East awards emerge later this week.

Quote of the day

WNBPA VPs Breanna Stewart & Kelsey Plum
voicing “serious concerns” about union executive director Terri Jackson’s handling of WNBA CBA negotiations in a letter acquired by ESPN this week.