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Happy Championship Weekend. 🏆
It’s a full day of conference title games on Sunday, with automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The action starts at noon ET and runs all evening.
What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Billings and Burrell Added to Team USA 🇺🇸
Less than one week before the World Cup Qualifying Tournament, USA Basketball updated its team roster. Monique Billings and Rae Burrell will join the senior team after Aliyah Boston and Sonia Citron were ruled unavailable. (USA Basketball)
WHY IT MATTERS: Losing All-Stars Boston and Citron is a hit, but Billings and Burrell are strong additions. Both are coming in with good momentum after successful seasons in Unrivaled. They’ll have to get up to speed quickly, but with this being the senior national team debut for both, they’ll likely work hard to adjust and make the most of this special opportunity to play with the best of the best.
The tournament games will air on truTV and TNT, and stream on HBO Max. 👉 See the full schedule
🗳️ Will you watch the World Cup Qualifying Tournament?
2. What Happens Next If the WNBA CBA Gets Done by March 10? ⏳
Fans are hoping the WNBA and players union can get a deal done by March 10 and keep the 2026 season on schedule. But with training camp getting close, the calendar could get very crowded fast. Front Office Sports outlined the potential timeline if the Tuesday deadline is met:
March 10: CBA agreed on
March 31: CBA signed and officially complete
April 1-6: Expansion draft
April 7-8: Qualifying offers and core designations sent to free agents
April 9-11: Free agent negotiating period
April 12-18: Free agent signing period
April 13: College draft
April 19: Training camp begins
WHY IT MATTERS: If this timeline holds, WNBA front offices will have almost no breathing room. And with little time for free agency negotiations, don’t be surprised if many players sign short one-year contracts. As for fans, that means April could bring a nonstop stretch of big WNBA news.
3. Naismith Reveals Girls High School Player of the Year Finalists ⭐
The Naismith Trophy announced the five finalists for the 2026 Girls High School Player of the Year award, the top individual honor in high school basketball. (Naismith Awards)
WHY IT MATTERS: Three of the finalists are seniors already headed to powerhouse programs: Saniyah Hall (USC), Jerzy Robinson (South Carolina), and Kate Harpring (North Carolina). The other two, Kaleena Smith and Ivanna Wilson‑Manyacka, are juniors who remain uncommitted. Being in this group could raise their national recruiting profiles even more.
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OVERTIME ⏱️
Take Five: UConn took home five major BIG EAST awards, including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Sixth Woman of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Yes, Coach: Naismith also revealed the finalists for the 2026 Girls High School Coach of the Year award.
Miss America: The Athletic’s All-America First Team features Sarah Strong, Mikayla Blakes, Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles, and Madison Booker.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked what impressed you most about the Unrivaled championship game, and 42% of you picked Kelsey Plum’s 40-point performance.
