March Madness, meet April reality check

The GIST: There’s a mid-week lull in the on-court action ahead of this weekend’s Final Four, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any hoops news to catch up on. Consider this a chance to catch your breath and prepare for one last weekend of Madness.

The women’s Final Four is set: As you read, fans sadly missed out on a Monday Elite Eight rematch between Player of the Year finalists USC’s Watkins and No. 2 UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Without Watkins on the floor, Bueckers shined in the spotlight, leading the Huskies past the Trojans and sealing the school’s 24th Final Four appearance under head coach (HC) Geno Auriemma.

• As for Monday’s other game, everything was bigger in Texas…except the scoreline. No. 1 Texas held No. 2 TCU center Sedona Prince to just four points and won the defensive battle 58–47, ending Prince’s marred collegiate career.

• The loss also put a bow on superstar point guard Hailey Van Lith’s NCAA career. TCU was her last stop on a sometimes tumultuous journey, but this final run ended things on a high note as she prepares for the WNBA Draft, where she’ll likely be a first-rounder.

Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles hits transfer portal: There was debate as to whether Miles would enter the W’s draft (she was the expected No. 2 overall pick behind Bueckers) or use her last remaining year of NCAA eligibility to rack up more NIL money and compete for a title with the Irish. But yesterday, she blindsided everyone by opting to seek a change of scenery with a new program.

• The second-team All-American teamed up with Player of the Year finalist Hannah Hidalgo to make up the country’s fiercest backcourt this season — and now, she’s the most desirable player in the transfer portal. Can’t wait to see where she ends up.

Getting into long-distance running can be intimidating. Thankfully, some legendary female runners are leveling the playing field pavement with Every Woman’s Marathon, hitting Scottsdale, AZ, in November. This race is for:

🐣 Marathon novices. Forty-two percent of runners laced up for their first marathon at last year’s race. Inspiring.

💪 Seasoned vets. This is a Boston Marathon qualifying event, and the environment will have you fired up to chase that personal best.

🌎 Everyone in between. When they say Every Woman, they mean it.

Marathon running shouldn’t be scary — it should be fun. Find your home in the running world with a supportive community by your side.

• And while you’re at it, work nature’s sports drink into your training nutrition plan. Dairy milk contains 13 essential nutrients that will help fuel your run and your recovery.

⚾ MLB: Atlanta Braves vs. LA Dodgers— Tonight at 8:38 p.m. ET — MLB.TV

• Undefeated through seven games, no one can seem to dethrone the defending champ Dodgers. See if LA can extend that win streak to eight with offseason acquisition, lefty pitcher Blake Snell on the mound tonight.

🏐 LOVB: Atlanta vs. Omaha — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — DAZN

• There’s just one week remaining in the LOVB regular season and Atlanta is kill-ing it, clinching the No. 1 playoff seed (and a first-round bye) with last week’s win over rival Houston. But don’t expect them to ease up, especially against an Omaha team that refuses to quit.

🏀 NBA: Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers — Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET — TNT

• The NBA Play-in Tournament is less than two weeks away, followed closely by the official postseason tip-off.

• That means everyone’s jostling for playoff position, including a pair of legends in LA’s LeBron James and Golden State’s Steph Curry, fresh off his record-breaking performance last night. Appointment television.

Planning a road trip to see your favorite basketball team this season? Then you need a vehicle that can go coast-to-coast. Enter: the new 2025 Ford Maverick® truck.

🍃 The Maverick hybrid engine and available AWD helps you take on stop-and-go traffic or leave it all behind.

✅ Check a major moment off your bucket list and see the basketball game of your dreams with the new 2025 Ford Maverick truck.