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Good morning! ☕️
Team USA opened the World Cup Qualifying Tournament with a win over Senegal on Wednesday. Up next: Puerto Rico tonight at 8 PM ET on truTV and HBO Max.
What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. WNBA CBA Talks Stretch Into Marathon Sessions 🥵
The WNBA and the players’ union spent roughly 12 hours negotiating the CBA on Tuesday, continuing the long discussion again on Wednesday. While no agreement has been reached yet, union leadership said talks are moving in a “promising” direction. (Front Office Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: Hearing that negotiations are moving in the right direction is encouraging. But the reality is the clock is still ticking. The March 10 deadline that the league previously pointed to has now passed without a deal. That means there’s still real uncertainty about whether the 2026 season begins on time, or at all. The good news is both sides appear fully engaged in serious negotiations now, which is the best sign of progress we’ve seen so far.
2. This NCAA Season is Most-Watched in 17 Years 📈
ESPN announced that the 2025–26 NCAA women’s basketball regular season across its networks was the most-watched in 17 years. Viewership jumped 19% year over year, with fans consuming a record 3.6 billion minutes and 20 games topping 500,000 viewers. (ESPN Pressroom)
WHY IT MATTERS: When the games are available, fans show up. Expanded broadcast windows and stronger promotion are helping more people discover the sport and the players driving it forward. Add in the marketing power of NIL, and it’s clear interest in the game is still climbing.
🗳️ Did you watch college basketball this season?
3. ESPN Honors The Best in College Basketball ⭐
ESPN released its annual college basketball awards, highlighting some of the season’s biggest standouts. Sarah Strong was named National Player of the Year, Aaliyah Chavez Freshman of the Year, Hannah Hidalgo Defensive Player of the Year, and Shea Ralph Coach of the Year.
WHY IT MATTERS: These honors don’t officially decide the sport’s biggest awards, but they often hint at where those races are headed. And with March Madness just getting started, there’s still time for the story to change. A dominant tournament run can shift the spotlight quickly.
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OVERTIME ⏱️
Small Forward Showdown: Mikaylah Williams, Olivia Olson, Cotie McMahon, Madison Booker, and Gabriela Jaquez were named finalists for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year award.
Dunkin’ Dom: France’s Dominique Malonga threw down a breakaway dunk in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
Reese’s Pieces: Angel Reese now has an ownership stake in the Brisbane Bullets, an Australian pro team in the WNBL.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked about your interest in watching Team USA hit the court this week for the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament and an overwhelming majority of you (81%) are very excited to see them play.
