USWNT tops Canada to take SheBelieves lead

What doesn’t kill you makes Pink stronger.

USWNT tops Canada to take SheBelieves lead

The US sits atop the SheBelieves Cup, blanking North American rival Canada 1-0 last night to climb the 2026 tournament table.

• Despite dominating possession, the USWNT tallied just one goal — a second-half Ally Sentnor strike off a corner kick — while goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce sealed the deal with another US clean sheet.

• “Honestly, our goal was just to win the game,” Sentnor said postmatch. “I think going into a rivalry game, we knew what was going to happen.” (Watch full highlights)

Core formation: US manager Emma Hayes significantly rotated her starting XI after Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Argentina, leaning on established players like defender Naomi Girma, midfielder Sam Coffey, and forward Trinity Rodman.

• The US notched its seventh straight shutout on Wednesday, having not conceded a goal since last October’s 3-1 win over Portugal.

• “Our control the last 10 minutes of the game — that, for me, is indicative of maturity in the performance,” Hayes said. “It was one of my favorite performances, because they’re growing up.” (Read more)

Up next: The US closes out the SheBelieves Cup against Colombia on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET, live on TBS.

Kansas State makes Big 12 tournament history

Champ Week tipped off with a bang, as teams seeking NCAA tournament boosts fought for conference tournament survival in yesterday’s opening round.

• Top Power Four seeds mainly held fast through the first round, with only SEC No. 10 seed Texas A&M and Big Ten No. 12 seed Nebraska suffering upsets.

• “If we could keep the game under 60, we’ve got a good chance to win, and we were able to do that today,” No. 15 seed Auburn coach Larry Vickers said of the Tigers’ 50-49 win over the Aggies. (Watch full highlights)

Big air: One team stood out amid the chalk, as No. 12 seed Kansas State dropped 17 3-pointers on No. 13 Cincinnati to break the Big 12 tournament record.

• The Wildcats shot 53.1% from behind the arc in the 91-66 win, led by Jordan Speiser (6-of-8), Nastja Claessens (5-of-7), and Taryn Sides (5-of-11) — while also tying the program’s single-game 3-point record.

• “I don’t even know what to think,” Speiser said postgame. “Just the energy that we all gave each other, that really helped go into the way I played today.” (Watch full highlights)

Next up: Power Four tournaments tip off second-round action today at 11 AM ET, live across ESPN, ACCN, SECN, and BTN. (See full schedule)

Notre Dame hunts ACC comeback

The ACC tournament is heating up, as lower-seeded teams look to impress the NCAA committee with conference fireworks leading up to the Big Dance.

• After all four higher seeds prevailed Wednesday, today’s second-round winners will next meet No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 North Carolina, and No. 4 NC State in the ACC quarterfinals.

• “I think in postseason basketball, everyone’s more urgent,” said Duke head coach Kara Lawson. “The players are on both sides, because it’s one and done for everybody.” (See full bracket)

Fighting Irish: No. 5 seed Notre Dame is counting on a deep ACC run, after closing out a shaky regular season on a five game winning streak — including Sunday’s finale upset over Louisville.

• Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Hanna Hidalgo leads the charge for the Irish, averaging 25.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while setting the program’s career-steals record.

• “She’s part of that Notre Dame legacy guards that are different,” head coach Niele Ivey said. “Arike [Ogunbowale] was different. Skyler [Diggins], different. Jewell [Loyd] — a list of those guards who just play this game at such an elite level. That’s Hannah.” (See full stats)

Tune in: Notre Dame takes on No. 12 seed Miami today at 1:30 PM ET, live on ACCN.

PRESENTED BY JWS & SINCLAIR
Don’t miss ‘Post Moves’ with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston

Last week on Post Moves, Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston didn’t hold back, covering everything from boat rides in Miami and NBA games at Intuit Dome to Olympian Laila Edwards making USA Hockey history.

• In the episode, Parker and Boston dive into NCAA basketball, highlighting Olivia Miles’s stellar run with TCU after the star transfer registered her fifth triple-double of the season.

• The hosts also react to Overtime’s debate about the country’s best WNBA regions, breaking down their picks for the sport’s geographical titans.

Tune in: Catch Post Moves: I’m Really Proud of You! on YouTube.

Breanna Stewart lifts Mist to 2026 Unrivaled title

Breanna Stewart played hero last night, lifting Mist BC over the Phantom 80-74 to claim the 3×3 league’s Season 2 trophy.

• The Unrivaled co-founder dropped 32 points in the title victory, overcoming Phantom guard Kelsey Plum’s 40 points to earn Championship Game MVP.

• Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points while Allisha Gray chipped in 12, as the Mist went on to split the $600,000 prize pool despite going 0-2 against Phantom in regular-season play. (Watch full highlights)

From the bottom: Mist ended 2025 in fifth place, missing the playoffs before restocking its roster ahead of this year’s second-place finish.

• “What I’ll remember the most about this Mist team is we might not be the loudest, but we’re going to work the hardest,” Stewart said.

Thorns hire ex-Tottenham coach

The Portland Thorns have finally landed a boss, bringing on ex-Tottenham Hotspur coach Robert Vilahamn less than two weeks before NWSL kickoff.

• Vilahamn managed Tottenham’s women’s team from 2023 to 2025, exiting last June after the struggling WSL side narrowly missed relegation.

• “Robert arrives with managerial experience at the highest levels of the women’s game, possesses a strong track record of helping players grow, and will strengthen our team environment by providing new global perspectives and insights,” Thorns GM Jeff Agoos said. (See full release)

Big picture: The final NWSL club to fill a coaching vacancy before opening day, Portland began preseason training under interim manager Sarah Lowden.

• “The club has everything I look for, with a clear ambition to win, an incredible fan base and a strong environment for developing talented players,” Vilahamn said.

Quote of the day

Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier
naming her pick for the 3×3 league’s 2027 tour stop at last night’s final.