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Women’s March Madness: Breaking down the regions

Women’s March Madness: Breaking down the regions

With the final sixteen teams in the Women’s March Madness tournament decided, it’s time to leave home courts and head to neutral tournaments! The bracket will now be split into four different regions in two different locations: Fort Worth 1 and 3, and Sacramento 2 and 4. These regions will host the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds before the winners from each region head to the Final Four in Phoenix the following week.

Let’s break down each region:

No. 1 UConn vs No. 4 North Carolina

While North Carolina battled through a close game against Maryland to book their trip to the Sweet Sixteen, UConn’s journey was… a little easier. The overall No. 1 seed Huskies beat No. 9 Syracuse 98-45 on Monday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Starting the game with a 31-0 run, the Huskies scored 65 points in the first half. They will head into the Sweet Sixteen as the favourites, with North Carolina having to pull off something spectacular in order to win this one.

No. 2 Vanderbilt vs No. 6 Notre Dame

While Notre Dame was definitely seeded a bit lower than their talent may suggest, their underdog win against Ohio State in the Round of 32 was a great achievement. The Fighting Irish have been up and down this season, but when Hannah Hidalgo is playing her best, you can’t count them out. They’ll be playing against a tough Vanderbilt team, which has another dynamic scorer on their side in Mikayla Blakes. This game will likely be more of a nail-biter than the other game in this region.

No. 1 Texas vs No. 5 Kentucky

Texas achieved a huge win against Oregon in the Round of 32, scoring 100 points. For a team that usually relies a bit more on defence, it was a huge offensive output for the Longhorns. They get to stay in their home state for the Sweet Sixteen and potentially the Elite Eight, which will help their momentum for sure. Kentucky is a younger team that is just growing, and their one-possession win over West Virginia is sure to boost confidence as they head into a game with a team as forceful as Texas.

No. 2 Michigan vs No. 3 Louisville

Michigan’s trio of super sophomores have been leading their team to new heights for two seasons now. It was the first time the Wolverines had hosted first-round games, and they delivered. Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway led Michigan to a 92-63 win over NC State in the last round. Louisville had to grit its way past Alabama in a one-point victory to get to the Sweet Sixteen. This is another game to watch as we head into the next round.

No. 1 UCLA vs No. 4 Minnesota

Minnesota delivered one of the most memorable moments of the tournament so far when Amaya Battle made the buzzer-beater shot to win the Gophers their last game. In a packed Minnesota arena, the crowd erupted in celebration, which was incredible for the senior Battle, who is from the state. They now have their toughest ‘battle’ ahead of them, facing region No.1 UCLA. UCLA’s victories haven’t been by as big of margins as their fellow No. 1 seeds have been, so Minnesota may have some upset potential here.

One of the country’s best defenses versus one of the best offenses? You’ll want to be seated for this one. LSU’s star in Flau’Jae Johnson will want to extend her final March Madness as long as possible, and LSU sees a path to the Final Four for itself. Duke, on the other hand, had a slow start to the season but picked it up in the new year and went on to win the ACC Tournament. Their defence will need to be at 100% to stifle a quick and dynamic LSU team.

No. 1 South Carolina vs No. 4 Oklahoma

South Carolina has only lost three games this season. Two against Texas, and one against Oklahoma. Which makes this Sweet Sixteen match-up extremely interesting, to say the least. South Carolina had an incredible showing against USC, winning 101-61 against the Trojans, but Oklahoma has more size in the post than them, leading to a trickier matchup

No. 3 TCU vs No. 10 Virginia

Virginia caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far when they beat No. 2 Iowa in a thrilling double overtime victory in the Round of 32. It was truly such an entertaining showing, and a story like a No. 10 seed making it to the Sweet Sixteen is what March is all about. That confidence will give them a fighting chance against TCU, and it will be interesting to see if their Cinderella run can continue.

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The Delhi High Court directed the interim Executive Committee of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to expediate the process of amending its Constitution and bringing it in line with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 and National Sports Governance Rules, 2026.

The Court said that a fresh election under the amended Constitution will have to be held on or before September 30, 2026.

The nudge was part of the interim order passed on June 18 in an appeal filed by the AITA, and players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja, against the judgment delivered in late April which removed the stay on the results of the AITA election held in September 2024 and appointed Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal as the AITA administrator.

New power centre

The AITA contended that the original judgment, which arose out of a petition filed by Devvarman and Raja, did not find any illegality in the elections, and the appointment of an administrator in such a scenario was impermissible and had created a “parallel structure”.

The AITA also stated that tennis’ world governing body – the International Tennis Federation (ITF) – may construe this as “third-party interference” and derecognise it. The remuneration of ₹10 lakh per month for the administrator was termed “excessive, arbitrary and unaffordable”.

Devvarman and Raja, while welcoming the appointment of the administrator, had objected on the grounds that 2024 election was not held according to the law of the land then – the National Sports Code, 2011 – and the officials thus elected cannot be part of the interim management.

ITF query

The Union Sports Ministry told the Court that it does not support the appointment of the administrator and submitted that it had indeed received a letter on May 18 from the ITF seeking clarification.

The Ministry, however, stated that ITF recognised the temporary nature of the proceedings and that the world body would only act if the timelines in the original judgment aren’t adhered to.

Race against time

The Court has now asked the AITA to examine the draft amendments already proposed by the administrator and submit its suggestions and objections by June 25. The administrator, after hearing the AITA, should finalise the amendments by July 15.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the AITA should be convened by July 31 to ratify these amendments, and the whole process ought to culminate in an election by the end of September.

Interestingly, the Court clarified that state associations affiliated to the AITA can vote in the EGM and in the new AITA election “irrespective of whether they are compliant with the Sports Act and the Sports Governance Rules at the time of voting”. The state bodies are required to comply with the new rules on or before December 31.

The Court further said that any action at the EGM will be subject to the final outcome of the present case, and this would allay the concerns of Devvarman and Raja regarding the AITA not adopting the amendments proposed by the administrator.

Published on Jun 23, 2026

#Delhi #High #Court #directs #AITA #expediate #Constitutional #amendments #election">Delhi High Court directs AITA to expediate Constitutional amendments and election  The Delhi High Court directed the interim Executive Committee of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to expediate the process of amending its Constitution and bringing it in line with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 and National Sports Governance Rules, 2026.The Court said that a fresh election under the amended Constitution will have to be held on or before September 30, 2026.The nudge was part of the interim order passed on June 18 in an appeal filed by the AITA, and players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja, against the judgment delivered in late April which removed the stay on the results of the AITA election held in September 2024 and appointed Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal as the AITA administrator.New power centreThe AITA contended that the original judgment, which arose out of a petition filed by Devvarman and Raja, did not find any illegality in the elections, and the appointment of an administrator in such a scenario was impermissible and had created a “parallel structure”.The AITA also stated that tennis’ world governing body – the International Tennis Federation (ITF) – may construe this as “third-party interference” and derecognise it. The remuneration of ₹10 lakh per month for the administrator was termed “excessive, arbitrary and unaffordable”.Devvarman and Raja, while welcoming the appointment of the administrator, had objected on the grounds that 2024 election was not held according to the law of the land then – the National Sports Code, 2011 – and the officials thus elected cannot be part of the interim management.ITF queryThe Union Sports Ministry told the Court that it does not support the appointment of the administrator and submitted that it had indeed received a letter on May 18 from the ITF seeking clarification.The Ministry, however, stated that ITF recognised the temporary nature of the proceedings and that the world body would only act if the timelines in the original judgment aren’t adhered to.Race against timeThe Court has now asked the AITA to examine the draft amendments already proposed by the administrator and submit its suggestions and objections by June 25. The administrator, after hearing the AITA, should finalise the amendments by July 15.An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the AITA should be convened by July 31 to ratify these amendments, and the whole process ought to culminate in an election by the end of September.Interestingly, the Court clarified that state associations affiliated to the AITA can vote in the EGM and in the new AITA election “irrespective of whether they are compliant with the Sports Act and the Sports Governance Rules at the time of voting”. The state bodies are required to comply with the new rules on or before December 31.The Court further said that any action at the EGM will be subject to the final outcome of the present case, and this would allay the concerns of Devvarman and Raja regarding the AITA not adopting the amendments proposed by the administrator.Published on Jun 23, 2026  #Delhi #High #Court #directs #AITA #expediate #Constitutional #amendments #election

Deadspin | Reports: Wolves deal Julius Randle to Nets in 3-team trade  May 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images   The Brooklyn Nets reportedly added former All-Star forward Julius Randle and moved up five spots in the first round of the draft in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls on Monday, the night before the draft.  According to multiple media outlets, Minnesota dealt Randle and the 28th overall pick in the Tuesday draft to the Nets for the 33rd overall selection.  Brooklyn sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, who in turn shipped forward Mouhamadou Gueye to Minnesota. The Timberwolves reportedly will waive Gueye.  Randle, 31, is due to make .3 million in the upcoming season, and he has a player option for .8 million for 2027-28.  The three-time All-Star averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. In a 12-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15 to 2017-18), the New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19), the New York Knicks (2019-20 to 2023-24) and Minnesota (2024-25 to 2025-26), he has averaged 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.   Randle was selected the NBA’s most improved player in 2020-21.  Claxton, 27, has spent each of his seven NBA seasons in Brooklyn. He put up 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest in 69 games (68 starts) last season. His career norms are 10.6, 7.6 and 2.1, respectively.  He is signed for .3 million in 2026-27 and .1 million in 2027-28.  Gueye, 27, made his NBA debut in 2023-24 for the Toronto Raptors, appearing in 11 games off the bench. He got into two games as a reserve for Chicago last season. Overall, he has averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Reports #Wolves #deal #Julius #Randle #Nets #3team #tradeMay 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly added former All-Star forward Julius Randle and moved up five spots in the first round of the draft in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls on Monday, the night before the draft.

According to multiple media outlets, Minnesota dealt Randle and the 28th overall pick in the Tuesday draft to the Nets for the 33rd overall selection.

Brooklyn sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, who in turn shipped forward Mouhamadou Gueye to Minnesota. The Timberwolves reportedly will waive Gueye.

Randle, 31, is due to make $33.3 million in the upcoming season, and he has a player option for $35.8 million for 2027-28.


The three-time All-Star averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. In a 12-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15 to 2017-18), the New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19), the New York Knicks (2019-20 to 2023-24) and Minnesota (2024-25 to 2025-26), he has averaged 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Randle was selected the NBA’s most improved player in 2020-21.

Claxton, 27, has spent each of his seven NBA seasons in Brooklyn. He put up 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest in 69 games (68 starts) last season. His career norms are 10.6, 7.6 and 2.1, respectively.

He is signed for $23.3 million in 2026-27 and $21.1 million in 2027-28.

Gueye, 27, made his NBA debut in 2023-24 for the Toronto Raptors, appearing in 11 games off the bench. He got into two games as a reserve for Chicago last season. Overall, he has averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Reports #Wolves #deal #Julius #Randle #Nets #3team #trade">Deadspin | Reports: Wolves deal Julius Randle to Nets in 3-team trade  May 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images   The Brooklyn Nets reportedly added former All-Star forward Julius Randle and moved up five spots in the first round of the draft in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls on Monday, the night before the draft.  According to multiple media outlets, Minnesota dealt Randle and the 28th overall pick in the Tuesday draft to the Nets for the 33rd overall selection.  Brooklyn sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, who in turn shipped forward Mouhamadou Gueye to Minnesota. The Timberwolves reportedly will waive Gueye.  Randle, 31, is due to make .3 million in the upcoming season, and he has a player option for .8 million for 2027-28.  The three-time All-Star averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. In a 12-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15 to 2017-18), the New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19), the New York Knicks (2019-20 to 2023-24) and Minnesota (2024-25 to 2025-26), he has averaged 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.   Randle was selected the NBA’s most improved player in 2020-21.  Claxton, 27, has spent each of his seven NBA seasons in Brooklyn. He put up 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest in 69 games (68 starts) last season. His career norms are 10.6, 7.6 and 2.1, respectively.  He is signed for .3 million in 2026-27 and .1 million in 2027-28.  Gueye, 27, made his NBA debut in 2023-24 for the Toronto Raptors, appearing in 11 games off the bench. He got into two games as a reserve for Chicago last season. Overall, he has averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Reports #Wolves #deal #Julius #Randle #Nets #3team #trade

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