Louisiana Gov. says athletes should ‘risk their athletic scholarship’ if absent for national anthem after LSU-Iowa

The 2023 championship rematch between Iowa and LSU in this year’s Elite Eight was a scintillating production that stockpiled praise from celebrities, athletes and fans alike, while shattering the record for the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever. But Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry was unimpressed before a basketball even bounced Monday after LSU was not … Read more

Iowa vs. LSU showdown exceeded the hype. We dreamed, they delivered

ALBANY, N.Y. — It’s felt like Iowa and LSU have been on a collision course for a full year now, ever since the teams clashed in the national championship and one very famous basketball player taunted another very famous basketball player at the end. So, on Selection Sunday, when the selection committee unveiled the women’s … Read more

Angel Reese doesn’t need to be liked, but she and LSU demand your respect

ALBANY, N.Y. — There was joy, because of course there is when a team survives and advances in March. Flau’jae Johnson, who scored 24 points and willed LSU past UCLA, bounded over toward the Tigers’ family and friends in the stands with a big, bright smile. But about 15 minutes later, Johnson’s guard was back … Read more

NCAA women’s Sweet 16 breakdowns and predictions: Is an Iowa-LSU rematch in store?

The Sweet 16 field is set — mostly as we expected it but with some twists. The left side of the bracket (Albany 1 and Portland 4 regions) includes every No. 1 through No. 4 seed, while the right side (Albany 2 and Portland 3 regions) low seeds include a No. 5 and a No. … Read more

Caitlin Clark will be ‘backbone of a franchise’: Anonymous WNBA GMs scout guard prospects

Caitlin Clark will headline the 2024 WNBA Draft, but she is far from the only impact guard who will make her way into the league. As the professional game modernizes, franchises are looking for more playmakers on the perimeter in an effort to improve the pace and spacing of their offenses. Clark is the most … Read more

What’s next for Louisville? Should LSU worry? Women’s NCAA Tournament first-round briefing

The first game of the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament featured near-madness. No. 8 seed North Carolina led No. 9 seed Michigan State by 12 points with less than four minutes to play. Then, poof. UNC committed four turnovers, missed five free throws and allowed the Spartans to cut the lead to 1 with only eight … Read more

What do March Madness stars listen to before tip-off? 13 players and coaches share their mixtapes

As college basketball players head to NCAA Tournament arenas on their team buses, many will slip on headphones, zone out to a song and absorb the vibes. Coaches also sometimes take a small moment from poring over last-minute scouting reports to escape to a melody filtering through their airpods. These soundtracks, perhaps subconsciously, serve an … Read more

Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch

There’s always a sign. Last spring, I first noticed something special was happening when I couldn’t walk half a block in Dallas without running into large packs of Iowa or South Carolina fans. There were also my guy friends back home who, for the first time, were planning their weekend around the women’s NCAA Tournament … Read more

Women’s March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more

After five months of regular-season and conference tournament action, we have finally reached the best stretch of the year. It’s March Madness, and it’s setting up to be yet another eventful NCAA Tournament. At 32-0, South Carolina seems like the easy pick to make it to the championship game, but we thought that last year, … Read more

What we know about Kamilla Cardoso’s suspension, the NCAA Tournament implications of South Carolina-LSU fight

The rivalry between SEC foes LSU and South Carolina reached new heights when an altercation broke out during the conference championship game Sunday. Multiple players were ejected, and Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso has been suspended for the first game of the NCAA Tournament, the SEC confirmed to The Athletic on Monday. Wondering what happened between … Read more