Big time players making big time plays

The GIST: Record-setting viewership, stunning starpower, and a whole lot of hoopla later, the women’s March Madness tournament culminates this weekend. First up, tonight’s stacked Final Four lineup, with two spots in Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET championship game on the line.

No. 3 NC State vs. No. 1 South Carolina — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: Naismith Coach of the Year Dawn Staley’s undefeated Gamecocks are back in the Final Four for the fourth straight year — a run characterized by depth and dominance. South Carolina looks downright unstoppable, thanks in large part to standout senior Kamilla Cardoso and her average 14 points, nine rebounds per game.

• That said, NC State is no stranger to pulling off upsets: they downed No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas to reach their first Final Four since 1998. The Wolfpack player to watch? Sophomore Aziaha James, who dropped a career-high 27 points in the Elite Eight. Big time.

No. 3 UConn vs. No. 1 Iowa — Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET: Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers vs. back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year Caitlin Clark — need we say more? Rallied by yet another historic Clark performance, the Hawkeyes avenged last year’s title game loss to No. 3 LSU to reach their second straight and just third-ever Final Four.

• UConn, meanwhile, overcame a myriad of injuries to make a surprisingly unlikely Final Four appearance. Their short bench could pose a problem, especially if they get into foul trouble, but the dynamic duo of Bueckers and Canadian Aaliyah Edwards have persevered before.

• The Huskies also have the edge on defense, but what can you even do to guard Clark? One thing’s for sure: the women’s game will be shining bright under those Friday night lights.

The GIST: Tomorrow’s blockbuster men’s Final Four matchups both feature powerhouse programs vs. scrappy underdogs. Will the cream rise to the top, or can the Cinderellas hold onto their glass slippers until Monday’s title game?

No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue — Tomorrow at 6:09 p.m. ET: NC State’s improbable run began with their shocking ACC tournament win, and they’ll need all that momentum in their toughest postseason challenge yet. Between Purdue’s Zach Edey — the likely back-to-back Player of the Year — and NC State’s breakout star, DJ Burns Jr., this will be a big-man battle for the ages.

• Edey’s unparalleled ability to draw fouls will likely be a deciding factor: If Burns gets into foul trouble, the Wolfpack could lack answers for the 7-foot-4 Canadian. But if Burns can play clean, history could repeat itself.

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn — Tomorrow at 8:49 p.m. ET: UConn’s a runaway train heading toward their second straight natty: They rolled over their first four tourney opponents by an average of almost 28 points. Their one weakness? Teams who can sink risky shots from beyond the three-point arc…which just happens to be Alabama’s bread and butter.

• The Tide’s success rests heavily on senior guard Mark Sears’ shoulders. He drained an impeccable six second-half three-pointers in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over No. 6 Clemson, and Bama will need another stellar performance to have a shot tomorrow.

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The GIST: The ninth annual SheBelieves Cup kicks off tomorrow, with four of the world’s best women’s footy squads competing in a preview of this year’s Paris Olympics. Oui oui.

• But this edition of SheBelieves looks a bit different than years prior. The tourney was trimmed to four teams, so the winners of tomorrow’s semis head straight to Tuesday’s championship and the losers to the third-place match. Efficient.

No. 4 USWNT vs. No. 7 Japan — Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET: The USWNT is dealing with a possibly tense locker room, but remains focused on clinching a fifth consecutive title.

• Forward Mallory Swanson, the all-time leading SheBelieves scorer, and high-powered forward Catarina Macario are expected to make their highly anticipated national team comebacks from injury, but veteran Japanese defender Saki Kumagai could stymie the Americans’ offensive efforts.

No. 9 CanWNT vs. No. 10 Brazil — Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET: After a dismal performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the defending Olympic champion red and white are finding their stride, impressing at the Concacaf W Gold Cup (even when underwater) behind a strong showing from forward Adriana Leon.

• But CanWNT’s midfield woes may cause issues, which the legendary Marta and Brazil’s veterans can certainly expose, despite missing several of their own rising stars to injury. Nevertheless, they persist.