General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 23, 2026, 6:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Advances
The women's NCAA tournament second round saw several seeded teams secure their spots in the Sweet, though not without drama, as half the bracket was set Sunday espn.com. TCU overcame Washington 62-59 in overtime espn.com on Sunday night, propelled by Olivia Miles’ 18 points and 10 rebounds, sending the Horned Frogs to the Sweet 16 for the second time. Elsewhere, Minnesota punched their ticket for the first time in 21 years espn.com, relying on Amaya Battle's tiebreaking jump shot with 0.7 seconds left to defeat Mississippi 65-63. In contrast, defending champion Florida was eliminated espn.com after Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras hit a go-ahead three-pointer with just 4.5 seconds remaining in the second round.
Strong performances defined the early stages, with top seeds largely prevailing, as chalk dominated the opening day espn.com. South Carolina opened their title defense by routinely overwhelming Southern 103-34 espn.com, anchored by Joyce Edwards' 27 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, UConn remains the favorite espn.com in the updated title odds heading into the second round, though No. 2 seed UConn needed a dominant 31-point, 27-rebound effort from Tarris Reed Jr. to escape an upset bid from Furman, winning 82-71 espn.com. On the upset ledger, No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first major shock espn.com, defeating No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 in the first round Saturday.
NCAA Men's Tournament Field Solidifies
The men's bracket has now reached the Sweet, featuring a lineup that includes five Big Ten teams and an upset-minded Texas squad espn.com. Purdue punched their ticket after coach Matt Painter secured his 500th win espn.com at his alma mater, defeating Miami 79-69. The team’s success was partly fueled by Braden Smith, who broke the NCAA all-time assists record espn.com Friday, surpassing Bobby Hurley’s mark with 1,077 career assists. A stunning upset saw Texas advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 espn.com for the first time in five years after downing Gonzaga 74-68, leading coach Sean Miller to insist his team is "not Cinderella" espn.com.
The second round was marked by several thrilling finishes and coaching milestones. St. John's reached its first Sweet 16 since 1999 espn.com following Dylan Darling's game-winning layup as time expired to edge Kansas 67-65; following the loss, Kansas coach Bill Self confirmed he had not yet decided on his coaching future espn.com. Elsewhere, No. 1 seed Michigan advanced behind Yaxel Lendeborg’s 25 points espn.com, prompting intrigue over the matchup against Saint Louis, whose coach Josh Schertz has been exchanging ideas with Michigan’s Dusty May for years espn.com.
Global Athletics & Combat Sports Milestones
Track and field saw Great Britain achieve historic success at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland, securing three gold medals bbc.com within a sensational 28-minute span. Keely Hodgkinson claimed her first world indoor title in the 800m by setting a championship record bbc.com, while Josh Kerr completed a remarkable comeback from injury by reclaiming the world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com. Kerr reflected on his journey, admitting that his previous feeling of being "untouchable" was shattered by injury, leading to a renewed perspective on his career bbc.com.
In combat sports, the debate over fighter compensation resurfaced following UFC London, where Mason Jones earned the fight of the night bonus bbc.com in his redemption win nearly four years after his prior professional defeat at the same venue. On the MMA side, Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy bbc.com, halting Murphy’s featherweight title aspirations. In boxing, the tragic news emerged that 19-year-old women's junior flyweight Isis Sio was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a knockout during a Pro Box TV event espn.com.
Motorsport & Tennis Updates
In motorsports, Tyler Reddick entered an elite club espn.com by securing his fourth victory of the season at Darlington, navigating the demanding "Track Too Tough To Tame." Meanwhile, the Moto GP season continued in Brazil, where Marco Bezzecchi took the win in a race that was shortened to 31 laps due to extreme heat bbc.com. On the cycling front, Tadej Pogacar claimed his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com following a thrilling final-stage battle with Britain's Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw Debora Silvestri later report she had broken five ribs in a serious crash bbc.com.
On the tennis court, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the last 16 of the Miami Open bbc.com, keeping her hopes alive for completing the 'Sunshine Double' after sweeping past Caty McNally. In other global tennis news, Wimbledon officials announced that video review technology will be implemented bbc.com for the first time this year, a move aimed at improving officiating accuracy.
Rugby & Soccer Developments
The United Rugby Championship saw mixed results for the Welsh and South African contingent over the weekend. Stormers moved back to second place bbc.com in the standings after scoring four tries in a victory over Dragons, while Connacht secured a statement bonus-point win over Ulster bbc.com. Conversely, Edinburgh suffered a heavy defeat in Johannesburg, conceding eight tries in a dominant showing by the Lions bbc.com. In the Six Nations context, Welsh players saw a boost as Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, and Elliot Dee were all called up for the upcoming fixtures bbc.com.
In soccer news, Wales boss Craig Bellamy gave an in-depth interview covering a wide array of topics bbc.com, while in the Netball Super League, London Pulse’s Sam Bird praised his team’s composure after they secured a victory over Nottingham Forest in extra time bbc.com. Gymnastics made history as Alice Kinsella became the first British artistic gymnast to return to elite competition after giving birth, competing for her son bbc.com.