Rolling out the red carpet
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
— No. 5 UConn women’s basketball grad student Azzi Fudd, who still has another year of NCAA eligibility but is deciding whether or not to declare for April’s WNBA Draft, which follows closely after March Madness. Time to sharpen that pencil.
NCAA women’s basketball
🎓🏀 A Hollywood ending
The GIST: If yesterday’s NCAA women’s basketball regular-season finale were a movie, it would have won an Oscar for Best Drama last night. Several Sunday upsets shook things up as teams made their last postseason push before conference tournaments tip off this week.
- As a refresher, these last few regular-season games gave squads a chance to improve their seeding for the aforementioned conference tourneys, where coveted automatic March Madness bids are up for grabs. Popcorn at the ready.
No. 4 USC’s JuJu Watkins shines in Big Ten Battle for LA: The sophomore phenom had a weekend for the ages. Not only did she drop 30 on crosstown rival No. 2 UCLA on Saturday to complete the season sweep, but the 80–67 win clinched the Big Ten regular-season title for the Trojans in their first season in the conference. They came, they saw, they conquered.
- This is USC’s first title since the Lisa Leslie era in 1994. The Trojans’ glory days were long behind them before Player of the Year favorite Watkins’ arrival — but in two short years, the sophomore has pushed them back into the national conversation. A true game-changer.
The best of the rest: The SEC saw its fair share of turbulence yesterday, but the big dogs still came out on top: No. 1 Texas and reigning national champ No. 6 South Carolina tied for the regular-season crown with the conference’s No. 1 seed being decided by the world’s most awkward coin toss, which SC won.
- Elsewhere, the ACC was No. 3 Notre Dame’s to lose…and they almost did, halting their two-game skid with yesterday’s 72–59 win over No. 25 Louisville to salvage a shared ’ship with No. 9 NC State.
- Over in the Big 12, No. 10 TCU sealed their first program title in last night’s winner-take-all showdown: The Horned Frogs won the wire-to-wire defensive battle against No. 17 Baylor 51–48, snagging the conference’s No. 1 seed in the process.
🏈 San Francisco 49ers wide receiver (WR) Deebo Samuel to be traded to Washington Commanders
The All-Pro is on his way to the nation’s capital in a deal that’ll be official on March 12th, the first day of the 2025 season. Samuel spent six seasons in the Bay Area, highlighted by a pair of Super Bowl appearances, but his most recent campaign was marred by injuries. A fresh start with Offensive Rookie of the Year, Washington quarterback (QB) Jayden Daniels, is just what the doctor ordered.
- Elsewhere, the two best friends that anyone could have — NY Jets duo QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Davante Adams — might be on the move, with Rodgers drawing interest from a Big Apple neighbor, the NY Giants, and Adams expected to be released.
🏀 Philadelphia 76er Joel Embiid done for the season
It’s no secret that this season has been a living nightmare for the former MVP: Embiid’s only played in 19 of his team’s 59 games this season as he deals with a lingering knee injury suffered in February 2024. Notably, he’s undergone two surgeries to repair the meniscus in his left knee since 2017.
- Unfortunately, though the knee is the biggest, it’s far from the only issue Embiid has faced over his NBA career— the five-time All-Star has had horrible injury luck, missing nearly the same number of games (407) that he’s played in (452). Not great.
🏒 Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin 11 goals away from breaking NHL scoring record
One guy that certainly won’t be traded ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline? Ovi, who tallied his 884th career goal in Washington’s 3–1 Saturday loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With 22 regular-season games left on the calendar, the latest lamp light moves Ovechkin just 10 goals shy of equalling Wayne Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record.
- And that’s not the only history being made on the ice: Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby notched his 1,050th career assist in yesterday's 6–5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, moving him up to 10th on the all-time assists list. An apple a day…
🤑 World No. 3 Lydia Ko won the HSBC Women’s World Championship yesterday, a $360K payday that makes her the second-highest all-time earner in the LPGA. It’s all grand, and it’s all green.
⚽ USWNT star Naomi Girma suffered an undisclosed injury while making her highly anticipated Chelsea debut in England’s Women’s Super League yesterday, but head coach Sonia Bompastor is optimistic about her anticipated recovery time.
🎓🤸 Clemson’s Brie Clark is now the first NCAA gymnast to land the Biles I in competition, completing the double layout with a half twist on floor on Friday — and earning praise from the GOAT herself.
🏀 Crown her — Maddy Siegrist (who hoops for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA) won the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Basketball title last night after tallying 7,052 points in the fast-paced, four-week season.
👎 Homophobic chants at San Diego FC’s Saturday home opener have been condemned by the squad’s head coach, who reiterated the need for a supportive, inclusive community as the MLS expansion team finds its footing in the league. No place for hate.
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Recs from our roster!
🫄 How to know if a product is safe for pregnant mamas
With the Little Bean app. It scans the ingredients in your cosmetics to flag potentially harmful ingredients, giving you the tools you need to keep your lil’ bub safe. The ultimate self-care.*
🏀 What to read about
The true story behind the Netflix special “Running Point,” a basketball comedy starring Kate Hudson.
⚽️ Who to root for
Gender Goals, Scotland’s first trans and non-binary football club. The team creates a safe space for all players across the pond.
🎾 What to check out
The WTA’s bold new look. The WTA just dropped a fresh brand identity, aiming to elevate women’s tennis and inspire the next generation. Aces.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Mother knows best.Question of the Day
The turning of the calendar can only mean one thing — we want to know: Which sporting event are you most looking forward to in March? Choose from the options below or reply to this email with your top pick.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Megan Murray, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Mikaela Perez and Rachel Fuenzalida. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.