Texas have replaced Vanderbilt as a projected number one seed alongside UConn, UCLA and South Carolina in the latest women’s NCAA tournament reveal.
The Longhorns moved up to the fourth overall spot in the rankings announced on Sunday, displacing the Commodores.
Defending national champions UConn remain the overall number one seed as the only unbeaten team in Division I women’s basketball.
Hawkeyes and Sooners on the rise
Iowa made the most significant leap among the top contenders, rising from 11th to the sixth overall seed.
The Hawkeyes enter the business end of the season in strong form having won five consecutive games.
Oklahoma also climbed four spots to 12th on the back of a matching five-game winning streak.
Conversely, Ohio State suffered the biggest slide in the projections, dropping from ninth to 16th.
Big Ten leads conference representation
Minnesota have entered the top 16, replacing Ole Miss as the only change to the projected field since the February reveal.
The Big Ten dominates the landscape with seven teams included in the rankings, while the SEC follows with five representatives.
The ACC has two teams featured, with the Big 12 and Big East contributing one apiece.
Unbeaten UConn eye history
Geno Auriemma’s Huskies sit at a flawless 30-0 record as they chase the program’s seventh perfect season.
The Big East powerhouse head the Fort Worth 1 regional projection alongside LSU, Louisville and Maryland.
UCLA, Vanderbilt, Duke and Ohio State populate the projected Sacramento 2 bracket.
South Carolina lead the Fort Worth 3 region, while Texas anchor the Sacramento 4 group joined by rising Iowa.
Road to Phoenix
The official top 16 seeds will be confirmed on 14 March, one day before the full tournament bracket is unveiled.
Tournament action begins with the First Four on 18 March.
The Final Four is scheduled to take place at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, with the national champion crowned on 5 April.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss at least three games after an MRI scan confirmed he has suffered a strained right oblique.
The team announced on Saturday that the 2023 MVP sustained the injury during their recent victory over the Miami Heat.
He was forced to leave the court during the 124-117 win on Thursday night.
An MRI examination subsequently revealed the extent of the damage to his right side.
Wait for medical re-evaluation
Embiid will definitely be absent for Sunday’s trip to face the Boston Celtics.
The seven-time All-Star will also sit out back-to-back home fixtures on Tuesday and Wednesday before being reassessed.
His absence comes amid a rich vein of form, having posted 26 points and 11 rebounds against Miami before suffering the setback.
Dominant February form
The 29-year-old was the Eastern Conference’s leading scorer in February, averaging 29 points per game throughout the month.
Philadelphia must now navigate a challenging stretch of the schedule without their talismanic center as they look to secure their playoff positioning.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort was ejected for a flagrant foul on Nikola Jokic, who described the trip as “unnecessary” following Denver’s overtime defeat.
The incident occurred early in the fourth quarter at the Paycom Center when Dort appeared to stick his leg out to trip the three-time MVP.
Jokic reacted furiously to the contact, sparking a heated confrontation involving players from both sides.
‘A necessary reaction’
The Serbian superstar immediately pounced to his feet to confront the Canadian guard after tumbling to the court.
“It’s an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction,” Jokic said after the 127-121 loss.
“There is no such a thing — I think there’s not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor.”
Thunder centre Jaylin Williams rushed in to intervene, exchanging shoves with Jokic before officials separated the group.
“Just competing,” Williams said regarding the scrum. “Two teams competing, that’s it.”
Officials explain ejection
Referees upgraded the call to a Flagrant Foul 2 after a video review, resulting in an automatic ejection for Dort.
Crew chief James Williams stated the contact was deemed “unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury”.
He added that the subsequent altercation was a contributing factor in upgrading the ruling.
Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault accepted the decision but called for consistency in future officiating.
“If [Williams] is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a Flagrant 2 from this point forward,” Daigneault stated.
Tensions were already high between the Western Conference rivals following a gruelling seven-game series in last season’s play-offs.
Gilgeous-Alexander shines on return
The on-court drama overshadowed the return of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander following a nine-game absence.
He scored 36 points and provided nine assists in 34 minutes to help the Thunder secure the victory.
However, the guard sat out the overtime period having reached his minutes limit following an abdominal strain.
The Boston Celtics recorded the most efficient shooting performance in NBA history as they dismantled the Brooklyn Nets 148-111 at TD Garden on Friday night.
Record-breaking efficiency
Joe Mazzulla’s side shot a season-high 66.7% from the floor, marking the franchise’s third-highest percentage in the shot clock era.
The hosts were particularly devastating from deep, converting 64.7% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
That accuracy resulted in an effective field goal percentage of 80.8%, establishing a new NBA record since statistics began tracking the metric in the 1954-55 season.
Effective field goal percentage adjusts shooting figures to account for the fact that three-point shots are worth more than two-pointers.
Vucevic and Brown dominance
Jaylen Brown led the charge for the Eastern Conference contenders, finishing with 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
He was ably supported by trade deadline acquisition Nikola Vucevic, who matched Brown’s 28-point tally.
The Montenegrin centre also secured 11 rebounds, registering his third double-double since arriving in Boston.
“I thought we just did a good job reading the game. I thought tonight Vooch [Vucevic] really looked comfortable in his offensive reads and his offensive screening. He unlocked a lot of stuff for us.”
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla
The dominance was a collective effort, with all 13 active players getting on the scoresheet.
Ball security was also paramount for the home side, who committed just three turnovers after halftime.
“We just try to read the game and take what’s there.”
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown
Tatum return on the horizon?
Attention now turns to Sunday’s clash with the Philadelphia 76ers, where star forward Jayson Tatum could make a long-awaited comeback.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined for 41 weeks after rupturing his right Achilles tendon during last season’s Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks.
Speculation regarding his return has intensified after the fixture was moved to a primetime television slot.
Boston are required to submit an initial injury report by 17:00 EST on Saturday.
The Celtics have been in formidable form even without their talisman, winning five of six games since the All-Star break to sit second in the East with a 39-20 record.
The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association has submitted a revised counterproposal to the WNBA, offering key concessions on revenue sharing and housing arrangements to advance collective bargaining negotiations.
The updated offer, delivered to league officials on Friday evening, represents a significant shift in the union’s financial demands.
Sources indicate the new terms include a reduction in the players’ desired share of gross revenue, amounting to nearly $100m in total reductions.
Financial framework adjustments
The players’ union is now requesting 26% of gross revenue over the lifetime of the agreement, down from the 27.5% figure outlined in their previous submission from mid-February.
Despite this movement, a substantial gap remains between the two sides regarding the fundamental economic model of the league.
The WNBA has held firm on a system based on net revenue, offering a split that equates to less than 15% of gross revenue.
Under the union’s latest plan, the salary cap for the first year of the deal would remain unchanged at approximately $9.5m.
By contrast, the league’s most recent proposal set the 2026 cap at $5.65m, though this would still represent a significant increase from the 2025 figure.
Housing and roster updates
The revised document also includes compromises regarding the provision of player accommodation.
Teams would no longer be obligated to provide housing for athletes earning at least 75% of the maximum salary, a threshold lowered from the previously requested 80%.
Negotiators for the players also removed a stipulation that required athletes to be on multi-year contracts to qualify for this housing exemption.
Discussions regarding developmental players are ongoing, with the union proposing a six-year service limit for these specific roster spots.
The league, which expects each franchise to carry two developmental players, had previously suggested a limit of four or five years based on minutes played.
Context of negotiations
This counterproposal arrives just one week after the WNBA submitted its own offer, which guaranteed housing for all players in 2026 before phasing it out.
Negotiations continue as both parties seek to capitalise on the sport’s explosive growth in popularity while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to return for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday following an abdominal injury.
The Canadian point guard was absent from the official injury report released on Thursday evening.
It marks the end of a nine-game absence for the superstar, who suffered the strain during a victory over the Orlando Magic on 3 February.
Western Conference race tightens
Oklahoma City managed a 5-4 record while their captain was sidelined.
However, their cushion at the top of the Western Conference has become precarious.
The San Antonio Spurs have utilised a 10-game winning streak to trim the Thunder’s lead to just two games.
San Antonio also hold the crucial season tiebreaker between the two franchises, adding pressure to Friday’s home fixture.
MVP form
Before his layoff, Gilgeous-Alexander was in imperious form for the defending champions.
He is averaging 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game this campaign.
The 26-year-old remains the clear favourite to win back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards.
Squad depth tested
While the return of their talisman is a major boost, the Thunder remain without other key contributors.
All-NBA wing Jalen Williams is scheduled to be re-evaluated in approximately one week.
Williams had briefly returned before the All-Star break but subsequently aggravated a right hamstring strain.
Reserve guard Ajay Mitchell also remains unavailable.
Mitchell was nearing a return from an abdominal issue but suffered an ankle sprain during a workout.
The Duke Blue Devils have risen to the summit of the latest Power Rankings, establishing themselves as the team to beat just weeks out from the NCAA tournament.
Jon Scheyer’s side have climbed to the number one position in the AP poll following a string of dominant performances.
There was little debate regarding their ascension after a commanding victory over Michigan in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
The Blue Devils showcased their credentials as the nation’s premier defensive unit, denying the Wolverines transition opportunities and controlling the offensive glass.
Defensive solidity and offensive flair
While their defensive rigidity has been laudable, the ACC leaders have also discovered a rich vein of scoring form.
Sandwiched around the defensive masterclass against Michigan were high-scoring routs of Syracuse and Notre Dame, where the team tallied 201 total points.
Much of this success is driven by Cameron Boozer, who has cemented his status as the favourite for National Player of the Year.
The Durham-based outfit now appear to have the inside track to the number one overall seed for the upcoming NCAA tournament.
With a 26-2 record, they currently sit first in the NET rankings and are tied with Arizona for the most Quadrant 1 wins with 12.
Scheyer silencing the doubters
Head coach Jon Scheyer has orchestrated a remarkable campaign despite his roster being picked outside the top five in the preseason.
The second-year boss has arguably not received sufficient credit for guiding a team with less raw talent than last year’s squad to a superior standing.
Duke’s only two defeats this season have come in the dying seconds of contests, highlighting their consistency.
Scheyer also recently became the first head coach in ACC history to record multiple 40-point road wins against conference opponents.
To maintain their pole position ahead of Selection Sunday, the Blue Devils must navigate a tricky final stretch.
They face three top-30 calibre opponents in their remaining fixtures: Virginia, NC State, and arch-rivals North Carolina.
Wildcats lead the chasing pack
Sitting just behind Duke in the rankings are the Arizona Wildcats, who also boast a formidable 26-2 record.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd has relied heavily on the clutch performances of his backcourt stars, Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries.
While they may not possess the statistical volume of other elite guards, the duo combined for 49 points in a recent victory over Baylor.
With the postseason looming, both Duke and Arizona look poised to battle for the ultimate billing as the tournament’s top seed.
The San Antonio Spurs have extended their winning streak to 10 games and closed the gap on Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder with a narrow victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Devin Vassell top-scored with 21 points, while team-mate De’Aaron Fox added 20 in the 110-107 triumph at Scotiabank Arena.
It marks a 10th successive victory for the Texan franchise, a feat they have not achieved since the 2015-16 campaign.
Victor Wembanyama contributed just 12 points but made a decisive impact at the other end of the court.
The French centre produced his fifth block of the night with 44 seconds remaining to deny the hosts.
Gregg Popovich’s side have improved their record to 42-16, placing pressure on the conference frontrunners.
Pistons overtake Thunder for NBA’s best record
Oklahoma City remain top of the West on 45-15 despite falling to a 124-116 defeat by the Detroit Pistons.
The visitors were missing reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a ninth consecutive match due to injury.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren both posted 29 points for Detroit, who now boast the league’s best record at 43-14.
The result extends the Pistons’ lead at the summit of the Eastern Conference over the Boston Celtics.
Jokic stars for Nuggets as Bucks win
Boston fell to a 103-84 loss against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Serbian star Nikola Jokic dominated for the hosts with a double-double of 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks edged past the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-116 despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek forward remained sidelined with a calf problem, while the Cavaliers were missing new signing James Harden with a broken thumb.
The Houston Rockets secured their largest win of the season by beating the Sacramento Kings 128-97.
Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors were also victorious, winning 133-112 at the Memphis Grizzlies.