Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.

USWNT kicks off SheBelieves Cup against Argentina

The US retakes the pitch on Sunday, opening the 2026 SheBelieves Cup against Argentina in an attempt to take back its tournament crown.

• The USWNT made two defensive replacements this week, as Avery Patterson took over for Kate Wiesner due to a calf issue while a hamstring knock saw Jordyn Bugg give way to Emily Sams.

• Despite the changes, US manager Emma Hayes remains focused on honing roster stability, entering the three-game round-robin tournament armed with both NWSL stars and European standouts. (See full roster)

At stake: The US holds a 6-0-0 record over Argentina, tallying 35 straight goals against the Latin American squad since their first meeting in 1998.

• But the USWNT still has something to prove, after 2025 SheBelieves Cup winner Japan snapped its five-tournament winning streak. (See full recap)

Big picture: SheBelieves has announced formatting changes this year, with the four participating teams now able to tap 23-player game-day lineups from their larger training camp pools.

• All tied matches will also go directly to penalty kicks, with teams winning in regulation awarded three points, penalty-kick winners earning two points, and penalty-kick losers taking one point, while the team with the most total points wins the tournament. (See full rules)

Tune in: The US welcomes Argentina to Nashville on Sunday at 5 PM ET, live on TNT.

NCAA rivalries cap regular-season action

The NCAA’s regular season ends Sunday, with the weekend delivering a stacked lineup despite most conferences already crowning regular-season champions.

• No. 3 South Carolina won their fifth straight SEC title last night, joining No. 2 UCLA (Big Ten), No. 12 Duke (ACC), No. 11 TCU (Big 12), and No. 1 UConn (Big East) as top regular-season finishers heading into Champ Week.

• “They knew [the title] was at stake,” Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said after the 112-71 win over Missouri. “We’ve been mentioning just wanting it outright and doing it on our home court in front of the fans that really have supported us to the nth degree.” (Watch full highlights)

Last hurrah: But it’s not over yet, as Sunday’s rivalries serve as season finales for teams banking on deep postseason runs.

• Duke first tips off against in-state nemesis No. 21 UNC, before TCU battles fellow Texas standout No. 18 Baylor and UCLA takes on SoCal neighbor USC.

• “It’s been amazing to watch the program grow,” said Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez. “That’s a reason we all came here, is to do things UCLA has never done before.” (See full schedule)

Tune in: Duke faces North Carolina at 12 PM ET (ESPN), TCU hosts Baylor at 4 PM ET (ESPN), and UCLA takes on USC at 6 PM ET (FS1).

Young Olympians hit the ice for NCAA postseason

More Olympic stars take the ice tonight, as NCAA hockey teams open their conference tournaments ahead of March 8th’s Selection Sunday.

• No. 1 Wisconsin kicks off its 2025 NCAA title defense with help from four US Olympic gold medalists — Laila Edwards, Ava McNaughton, Kirsten Simms, and 2026 MVP Caroline Harvey — while No. 2 Ohio State’s Joy Dunne and No. 4 Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy are hot on the Badgers’ heels.

• “There’s a lot of excitement around playoffs now,” Harvey said of Wisconsin’s post-Olympics mindset. “This is a time especially when we all naturally come together and we’re united for a common goal, and we know that’s winning a couple championships.”

Setting the field: Every 2026 US Olympian plays in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, as the conference hosts three of the NCAA’s top four teams.

• Additional DI conferences include Atlantic Hockey America, New England Hockey Alliance, Hockey East Association, and ECAC Hockey.

• Conference tournaments run through next week, before the NCAA tournament kicks off its quarterfinal round on March 12th. (See full schedule)

Tune in: Wisconsin takes on Bemidji State tonight at 7 PM ET, live on B1G+.

Your favorite WNBA show is back, as an all-new episode of hit JWS podcast 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, WNBA star Skylar Diggins opens up about navigating motherhood as a pro athlete, bringing an edge to Unrivaled, carrying Notre Dame’s legacy, and forming bonds with the game’s OGs.

• “When I came into the W, it was in a very fragile place,” Diggins reflected. “You paid homage to whoever had been there before you and been doing the thing, no matter how many points they averaged, what school they went to. It was just the way we carried ourselves around the OGs — we didn't fear anybody, but we respected everybody.”

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

Unrivaled 3×3 enters the postseason

Unrivaled is down to its final regular-season slate, as the 3×3 league determines each playoff team’s path to the 2026 championship this afternoon.

• No. 1 seed Phantom BC already secured a first-round bye, but both Mist and Laces are jockeying for the No. 2 spot — and a direct trip to the quarterfinals.

• Breeze, Rose, and Vinyl are all locked into first-round berths, though today’s results could impact postseason seeding. (See full field)

Up next: The winners won’t have much time to rest, as the postseason tips off on Saturday before Unrivaled heads to Brooklyn for Monday’s semifinals.

Tune in: Unrivaled’s regular-season finale begins today at 1 PM ET, before the playoffs tip off Saturday at 8:30 PM ET, live on TruTV.

Top gymnastics teams battle for SEC dominance

NCAA gymnastics is hitting its stride, with the SEC gearing up to flex its regular-season muscles via a stacked conference schedule.

• Fresh off last weekend’s close loss to No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU and all-around contender Kailin Chio take on No. 3 Alabama tonight at home.

• “She’s just operating at such an efficient, consistent, extremely high level, and seems to really rise to the occasion in moments where we need her,” Tigers head coach Jay Clark said of the star sophomore.

Big picture: SEC teams have won the college women’s gymnastics championship every year since 2021, with Oklahoma earning three titles to LSU’s one.

• The Crimson Tide will come to play tonight, as bars specialist Chloe LaCoursiere looks to strengthen her NCAA-leading grip on the event.

Tune in: Alabama visits Baton Rouge tonight at 9:30 PM ET, live on SEC Network.

Number of the day

$28 million

2028 NWSL expansion team Atlanta signed a $28 million deal with Aflac, scoring the league’s largest-ever kit sponsorship contract two years before the team’s debut.