Yahoo Sports AM: The women's Sweet 16 is (almost) as chalky as it gets
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning.
🚨 Headlines
🏀 JuJu's season is over: In a massive blow for USC and every basketball fan, superstar JuJu Watkins tore her ACL during Monday's win over Mississippi State. The potential Player of the Year's season is over.
🏈 Ward aces pro day: Miami QB Cam Ward is increasingly looking like a lock to be selected No. 1 by Tennessee after impressing at his pro day following a visit from top Titans brass.
🏀 Drake-Big Ten pipeline: Drake's last three coaches have all been hired by Big Ten programs in the past week: Ben McCollum is going to Iowa and Colorado State's Niko Medved (Drake '17-'18) is going to Minnesota after West Virginia's Darian DeVries ('18-'24) went to Indiana.
🇺🇸 White House visits: President Trump invited the Chiefs to the White House to celebrate their 2020 Super Bowl after they originally missed that opportunity due to COVID, and Ohio State will visit next month to celebrate their CFP title.
🏀 Last night in the NBA: The Lakers fell to the Magic for their second straight loss since LeBron James returned; Anthony Davis scored 12 points in his first game back since getting injured in his Mavs debut; Devin Booker hit a game-winner to lift the Suns over the Bucks.
🏀 The women's Sweet 16 is (almost) as chalky as it gets
If you thought the men's Sweet 16 was chalky, just wait until you see the women's.
Last teams standing: A trio of 5-seeds are the only thing stopping this year's Sweet 16 from being all chalk for the second time in tournament history (1999).
No. 1 UCLA
No. 1 South Carolina
No. 1 Texas
No. 1 USC
No. 2 UConn
No. 2 TCU
No. 2 Duke
No. 2 NC State
No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 3 LSU
No. 3 Oklahoma
No. 3 North Carolina
No. 4 Maryland
No. 5 Ole Miss
No. 5 Tennessee
No. 5 Kansas State
Matchups: The regional semifinals begin on Friday.
Friday: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Maryland (Birmingham); No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 North Carolina (Birmingham); No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 5 Ole Miss (Spokane); No. 2 NC State vs. No. 3 LSU (Spokane)
Saturday: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Tennessee (Birmingham); No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (Birmingham); No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State (Spokane); No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (Spokane)
Welcome to the Sweet 16: TCU is in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever, continuing their epic turnaround after winning just a single conference game two years ago.
Game of the day: On Sunday, the Maryland men pulled off the most thrilling victory of the weekend; on Monday, the Maryland women won one of the most exhilarating games in recent NCAA tournament history.
Maryland 111, Alabama 108 (2OT): The Terps stormed back from 17 down in the third quarter to reach their fourth Sweet 16 in the past five years, forcing OT with a late three before ultimately holding on for the win in the tournament's first double-overtime game since 2022.
The Terps were led by a trio of 20-point scorers in guards Sarah Te-Biasu, Shyanne Sellers and Kaylene Smikle, who combined for 78 points, seven steals and nine threes — including Te-Biasu's clutch triple with 12 seconds left that sent the game to OT.
Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker nearly dragged the Tide to the Sweet 16 by herself, scoring a program-record 45 points in the loss, tied for the fourth-most by a woman in NCAA tournament history. That included three clutch foul shots to send the game to double-OT.
Second-highest scoring game ever: The 219 points scored were the second-most ever in a women's tournament game. Ironically, the Tide were also on the losing end of the highest-scoring game, falling 121-120 to Duke in quadruple overtime in 1995.
🏒 NHL frontrunners: Curse of the No. 1 seed?
The Capitals and Jets face off tonight in a matchup of the NHL's two best teams. And though that looks on the surface like a potential Stanley Cup Final preview, history — and the current title odds — says otherwise.
Conference frontrunners: With three weeks left in the regular season, Washington (102 points) and Winnipeg (100) hold sizable leads atop the East and West. But entering the playoffs as your conference's 1-seed doesn't end with a trip to the finals as often as you'd expect.
2001 was the last year in which both No. 1 seeds faced off for the title, when the Avalanche beat the Devils for their second championship.
Since then, just seven of the ensuing 22 Stanley Cup Finals have featured a 1-seed. When they do make it that far, though, they tend to win, with six* of those seven hoisting the Cup.
Top 10 title favorites: Add it all up and it's not hard to understand why these two regular-season juggernauts currently have just the fifth- and seventh-best odds to win the Stanley Cup, per BetMGM.
Panthers (+575)
Stars (+600)
Avalanche (+750)
Oilers (+750)
Capitals (+1000)
Hurricanes (+1000)
Jets (+1100)
Golden Knights (+1100)
Lightning (+1200)
Maple Leafs (+1300)
Playoff picture: If the season ended today, these 16 teams would make the playoffs.
East: Capitals (102 points), Hurricanes (90), Panthers (89), Maple Leafs (87), Lightning (85), Devils (81), Senators (79), Canadiens (75)
West: Jets (100), Stars (94), Golden Knights (92), Avalanche (89), Kings (87), Oilers (87), Wild (85), Blues (81)
*1-seeds to win the Cup since 2002: Red Wings (2002, 2008), Lightning (2004), Blackhawks (2013), Avalanche (2022), Golden Knights (2023). The 2011 Canucks are the lone 1-seed to reach, but lose, the Cup in that time.
📸 In photos: Holloway's dominance continues
There may be no athlete right now who is more dominant in his or her particular discipline than Grant Holloway, who on Saturday in China became the first hurdler ever to win three consecutive Indoor World Championships.
94 straight wins: The 27-year-old American won gold in the 60m hurdles in Nanjing after also doing so last year in Glasgow and two years earlier in Belgrade. In fact, he's won 94 consecutive indoor hurdles races, a streak that dates back to 2014 when he was a sophomore in high school.
He's also the outdoor champ: Unsurprisingly, Holloway is also the world's premier 110m hurdler, winning gold last summer at the Paris Olympics and at each of the past three outdoor World Championships. He'll go for the four-peat this fall in Tokyo.
New challenge coming? "I think I can put grace in it, and hang up the 60m hurdles and try out a new event next year," Holloway said of his future plans for Indoor Worlds. Perhaps the Florida grad will try the flat sprints, relays or long jump, all of which he excelled at in college.
🏀 The NBA's tanking problem
Cooper Flagg hasn't worn an NBA uniform yet, but make no mistake about it: After an incredible season and a dominant opening weekend in his first (and only) March Madness, his presence is being felt all across the league.
From Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh:
The 18-year-old made his NCAA tournament debut Friday against Mount St. Mary's, fighting through an ankle injury that knocked him out for most of the ACC tournament.
You can be sure that the stands will be peppered with NBA scouts and executives getting a closer look at the loaded Duke Blue Devils, but they know what they're getting with Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward has long been considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick while leading the ACC and the entire NCAA field in just about every advanced metric.
We can take a guess at how NBA teams feel about Flagg because the league has launched multiple investigations into teams for purposely sitting good players on bad teams: i.e. tanking. This problem isn't new as the NBA has wrestled with the black eye of tanking for decades.
It's clear that tanking practices are alive and well. Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for violating the league's Player Participation Policy involving 2023 All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who sat against the Washington Wizards earlier in the month (league investigators determined that Markkanen was fit to play).
The league has also reportedly launched an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a top-6 protected first-round pick in the 2025 Draft, for sitting their stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
However, there are more subtle tanking practices that have taken hold across the NBA that seem to be, at the very least, tolerated by the league office. And it has created a problematic climate that staffers around the league worry could get dangerous quickly.
📺 Watchlist: Crowning a champ
TGL's inaugural season ends tonight, with Atlanta and New York facing off in Match 2 (and, if necessary, Match 3) of the best-of-three finals (7pm ET, ESPN).
Atlanta leads, 1-0: After Atlanta narrowly won Monday's championship opener, New York must win tonight's first match to force a winner-take-all showdown at 9pm. Well, not quite winner-take-all: The champs earn the $9 million grand prize, but second place still pockets $4.5 million.
More to watch:
🏀 NBA: Warriors at Heat* (7:30pm, TNT); Thunder at Kings (10pm, TNT)
🏒 NHL: Capitals at Jets (8pm, ESPN+)
🏀 NIT: Chattanooga at Bradley (7pm, ESPN2); North Texas at Oklahoma State (9pm, ESPN2) … Quarterfinals.
*Jimmy's return: After five-plus seasons and two Finals appearances with the Heat, Jimmy Butler returns to Miami tonight for the first time since he was traded to Golden State at the deadline. And the Warriors have flourished with their new playmaker, going 16-4 since his Feb. 8 debut.
🏀 Tourney trivia
Question: Can you name all five schools that have won at least three NCAA women's basketball national championships?
Hint: Three are still alive in this year's tournament.
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 Sweet 16, throwback edition
Behold, the men's Sweet 16…but with throwback logos. It's the graphic I never knew I needed, but am so thankful I have.
Trivia answer: UConn (11 titles), Tennessee (8), South Carolina (3), Baylor (3), Stanford (3)
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
-
Yahoo Sports AM: The Sweet 16 is set
In today's edition: The men's Sweet 16 is set, the women's tournament has been filled with blowouts, Vonn finds the podium in her comeback, Ingebrigtsen makes history at Indoor Worlds, and more.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Women's Sweet 16 rankings: UConn is No. 1, USC holds tight at No. 4
The Sweet 16 is set, and there's a new No. 1. But all eyes are on USC and injured JuJu Watkins.ESPN - 34m -
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
There is plenty of star power left in women’s March Madness with Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts still playing even if JuJu Watkins won’t beABC News - 11h -
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
There is plenty of star power left in women's March Madness with Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts still playing even if JuJu Watkins won't be. Watkins hurt her right knee in the ...Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Ole Miss women get March Madness redemption in Waco with 69-63 win over Baylor for Sweet 16 spot
Mississippi advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 69-63 victory over Baylor on the Bears’ home court Sunday.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Why Kansas State could push USC women's basketball in Sweet 16 after JuJu Watkins injury
JuJu Watkins' injury might impact USC women's basketball's ability to offset the resiliency and experience of Kansas State in Sweet 16 bracket.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Van Lith has double-double and TCU women going to 1st Sweet 16 in after 85-70 win over Louisville
Second-seeded TCU advanced to its first NCAA Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament with an 85-70 win over seventh-seeded Louisville on Sunday.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Yahoo Sports AM: Is Cosm the future of watching sports?
In today's edition: Cosm in action, Flagg injures ankle, NIL stars of yesteryear, Selection Sunday is nearly here, dad trades his son (possibly for nothing), and more.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
Who has the edge in the women’s Sweet 16: Can USC beat Kansas State without JuJu Watkins?
And then there were 16. While the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament provided mostly chalk, the second weekend is sure to have some surprises in store as the biggest stars are still in play ...Yahoo Sports - 11h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Reporter says UConn staffer apologized for men's March Madness incident, 'life rolls on'
Local North Carolina reporter, Joey Ellis, said Tuesday that UConn staffer, Bobby Mullen, and him spoke after a March Madness confrontation Sunday.Yahoo Sports - 23m -
Lauren Macuga is skiing fast and having a blast doing it
Lauren Macuga from Park City, Utah, finished the World Cup season fourth in downhill rankings. She's a medal contender for the 2026 Olympics.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Swiatek gets extra security after harassment
World number two Iga Swiatek is receiving additional security at the Miami Open after she was harassed by a spectator during her practice.Media reports said that Swiatek was verbally harassed by a ...Yahoo Sports - 2h -
Raiders sign former Panthers veteran starting TE
Tuesday the Raiders added some depth to the tight end room with the addition of longtime Panthers TE Ian Thomas.Yahoo Sports - 5h -
Bengals show more pre-draft interest in notable name
More updates on the Bengals working ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.Yahoo Sports - 13h
More in Sports
-
Pain Index: Whose 2025 NCAA tournament loss hurt most?
Some losses are understandable; others will haunt us forever. Let's break down the 2025 men's NCAA tournament defeats.ESPN - 16m -
'Gotta carry it like a battle scar': Can Yankees bounce back from fifth-inning World Series nightmare?
Starting with their historic Game 5 meltdown, the road to Opening Day in the Bronx has been a rough one.ESPN - 17m -
Premier League stars are tough, but criticism can hurt them and their loved ones
In his latest column, ESPN FC analyst and ex-Man City defender Nedum Onuoha reveals how much attention players pay to all the negative talk about them.ESPN - 20m -
France fix issues, reach Nations League finals. Next? World Cup
France have belief to go with their talent and, after righting the ship to beat Croatia, can look toward 2026.ESPN - 20m -
Champions Argentina qualify for 2026 World Cup
Argentina will get the chance to defend its World Cup title in 2026 after becoming the first South American team to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.ESPN - 22m