General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 23, 2026, 5:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
The second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament set the Sweet 16 field espn.com on Sunday, with better seeds largely prevailing, though some lower seeds managed to advance. TCU overcame Washington espn.com in overtime, 62-59, powered by Olivia Miles' 18 points and 10 rebounds, sending the Horned Frogs to the Sweet 16 for the second time. Elsewhere, Minnesota secured its first Sweet 16 berth espn.com in 21 years after Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jumper with 0.7 seconds left for a 65-63 victory over Mississippi, while No. 2 seed UConn survived a scare espn.com behind Tarris Reed Jr.'s dominant 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman.
The top seeds generally moved on, with South Carolina beginning its title defense espn.com with a massive 114-55 pounding of Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest margin of victory in NCAA tournament history. In contrast, Kentucky suffered its worst tournament loss espn.com since 1972, falling by 19 points to Iowa State in an 82-63 defeat, concluding a disappointing run for the Wildcats. Meanwhile, No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first upset espn.com of the weekend by defeating No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 on Saturday, even as No. 2 seed UCLA won in overtime espn.com against Clemson after a late Clemson buzzer-beater was nullified by review.
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
The men's bracket finalized its Sweet 16 matchups following several dramatic second-round contests, with upsets providing significant bracket volatility. Texas completed an improbable run espn.com from the First Four to the Sweet 16 by defeating Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday, with Coach Sean Miller insisting his team is not a Cinderella espn.com despite the trajectory. Another major upset saw Iowa eliminate defending champion Florida espn.com after Alvaro Folgueiras connected on a critical 3-pointer with just 4.5 seconds remaining in the game.
The field was also marked by incredible finishes, including St. John's reaching its first Sweet 16 espn.com since 1999 thanks to Dylan Darling's game-winning layup as time expired, giving them a 67-65 win over Kansas. Kansas coach Bill Self remains noncommittal espn.com on his coaching future following the season-ending loss. Further advancing, No. 1 seed Purdue secured coach Matt Painter's 500th win at the school, beating Miami 79-69 to punch their ticket to the next round espn.com, while No. 1 seed Michigan relied on Yaxel Lendeborg’s 25 points to dispatch Saint Louis espn.com.
College Basketball Coaching Carousel & Records
The off-season saw immediate movement in high-major coaching positions, with Syracuse reportedly targeting former star Gerry McNamara espn.com to take the helm, while Providence announced the hiring of South Florida's Bryan Hodgson as their new men's basketball coach espn.com. On the court, Purdue's Braden Smith broke Bobby Hurley's long-standing NCAA all-time assists record, reaching 1,077 during Friday's first-round victory over Queens University espn.com. Conversely, South Carolina parted ways with baseball coach Paul Mainieri midway through his second season amid struggles to replicate LSU success espn.com.
Tennis & Golf
At the Miami Open, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the last 16 bbc.com after sweeping past Caty McNally, keeping her hopes alive to capture the 'Sunshine Double.' In men's cycling, Tadej Pogacar secured his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com following a tight battle with Britain's Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw a serious incident where Debora Silvestri reported breaking five ribs in a crash bbc.com. On the links, Australia's Hannah Green achieved her third straight tournament win bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship, while Jon Rahm dropped his appeal against DP World Tour sanctions but refused to pay the outstanding fines bbc.com.
Track & Field World Championships
Great Britain delivered a sensational performance at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland, claiming three gold medals bbc.com in a span of just 28 minutes, leading to the team's best-ever medal haul at the event. Keely Hodgkinson dominated the 800m, winning her first world indoor title with a championship record in Poland bbc.com, while Josh Kerr completed a remarkable comeback from injury to reclaim his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com. Ireland's Kate O'Connor also secured a podium finish, earning the bronze medal bbc.com in the pentathlon, though Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu narrowly missed out on a medal in a highly competitive 60m final that was called one of the best ever bbc.com.
Combat Sports & Athlete Mindsets
The debate over fighter compensation resurfaced following UFC London, where Mason Jones earned the fight of the night bonus bbc.com after a redemption victory, while Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision over Lerone Murphy, denting Murphy's featherweight title aspirations bbc.com. In boxing, 19-year-old Isis Sio was placed in a medically induced coma following a knockout, prompting renewed discussion on refereeing and safety, as referee Phil Edwards discussed the complexities of officiating in the sport bbc.com. Meanwhile, athlete mindset shifts were evident elsewhere; Scottish middle-distance runner Josh Kerr, reflecting on his return from injury, admitted that he once felt untouchable but learned sport is brutal bbc.com, a sentiment contrasting with the determined comeback of Alice Kinsella, who became the first British artistic gymnast bbc.com to return to elite competition after childbirth.
Rugby & Super League Action
In the United Rugby Championship, the Stormers secured a bonus-point victory bbc.com over the Dragons, moving them back into second place, while Connacht produced a strong second half to post a statement win against Ulster bbc.com. Welsh rugby saw mixed results, with Dragons' Ryan Woodman aiming to earn his first cap after his call-up, hoping to shine in upcoming action bbc.com, while Taulupe Faletau and Jac Morgan returned for Wales amid a strong weekend for South African sides in the URC matchups bbc.com. In the Rugby Super League, London Pulse edged Nottingham in extra time bbc.com as coach Sam Bird praised the team's composure, and Warrington Wolves moved into second place after Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries in a dominant win over Castleford bbc.com.
Motorsports & Other Sports Updates
NASCAR star Tyler Reddick joined an elite club espn.com by securing his fourth victory of the season at Darlington Raceway, while the Moto GP series saw Marco Bezzecchi claim the win in Brazil in a race that was shortened to 31 laps due to extreme track heat bbc.com. In professional darts, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh shocked Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World Open final, achieving a maximum 147 break during his 10-7 victory espn.com. Darts star Luke Littler is also taking steps to protect his brand, applying to trademark his face to combat unauthorized AI use bbc.com. Finally, in a non-competition story, the Hydro in Glasgow was selected to host the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games this summer, promising a unique, Clyde-built experience bbc.com.