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Women’s college basketball debate: Which teams have a shot at winning the NCAA Tournament?

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Women’s college basketball debate: Which teams have a shot at winning the NCAA Tournament?

The Athletic’s debate series features two writers breaking down a topic. In this edition, Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman debate which teams are capable of winning the national championship.

Ben Pickman: We’re less than two weeks away from Selection Sunday and the whole world caring about seed lines, bracket draws and Cinderellas. Before March Madness begins, let’s undergo an exercise to predict the teams we think have a shot at winning this year’s national title before seeing the matchups. We’ve been talking about the parity across the women’s basketball landscape throughout the season. Four teams have been No. 1 in the AP poll, tying the record most recently set in 2021.

Champions often have commonalities. Over the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, only one winner (Notre Dame in 2017-18) has been outside the top-10 NET rating. Only two champions, that Fighting Irish team and 2016-17 South Carolina, have been outside the top-10 in defensive rating.

So, Sabreena, how many teams do you think have a legitimate chance at cutting down the nets come the evening of April 7?

Sabreena Merchant: There are five teams I can envision holding that trophy — as in, I don’t have to stretch my imagination to see any of these teams winning six games in the NCAA Tournament.

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UConn is the betting favorite, and it’s the team with the most additional upside in the tournament because the Huskies don’t play their stars a ton during the regular season. Texas is the AP No. 1 team and elite on both ends of the floor. USC has the best player in the country, plus an outstanding defense. Notre Dame has a dominant backcourt and beat each of the previous three teams during the regular season.

My shakiest inner-circle national title choice is probably South Carolina.

Pickman: Oooh! Why do you say that?

Merchant: The Gamecocks’ frontcourt still concerns me. Without Ashlyn Watkins, they’re a little thin in the post and a little small. Taller centers have given them difficulty, including the Taylor Jones/Kyla Oldacre duo from Texas, Kentucky’s Clara Strack, and even UConn’s Jana El Alfy in spurts. That’s a more significant weakness than the other four title contenders have. Plus, Raven Johnson and Bree Hall haven’t been as consistent as last season.

Pickman: That may be true, but South Carolina is still No. 1 in defensive rating, according to Her Hoop Stats. The Gamecocks feature an experienced backcourt and coach, and they’re efficient on offense. Though their frontcourt might not be as good as last year (or previous years), it’s also notable that South Carolina is in the nation’s top 15 in turnovers per game (averaging just 12), and is sixth, per HHS, in foul rate. Avoiding turnovers and fouls makes a recipe for success in March.

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Merchant: All those elements push South Carolina into Tier 1, but if I had to pick a Final Four without looking at the bracket, the Gamecocks would be on the outside looking in.

Do you think I’m being too restrictive? Does anyone else warrant title consideration for you?

Pickman: I have another school on my title shortlist. UCLA spent the most weeks (12) at No. 1 this season. They’re in the top five in offensive and defensive rating; they have arguably the most dominant post player in the country in Lauren Betts; and they boast experience in the backcourt. I picked the Bruins to win the title last year for similar reasons. On paper, yet again, they have the résumé of a national title contender.

Merchant: On paper, I agree with you about UCLA, but the Bruins don’t come through in big games. Beating South Carolina earlier in the year suggested they had turned a corner, but they finished the season in less than inspiring fashion and were essentially noncompetitive in their regular-season finale against USC — which doubled as the Big Ten title game.

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Familiar demons haunt UCLA in another loss to USC

Pickman: All fair. Perhaps I’m holding on to their victory over South Carolina too much. Plus, after the loss to USC, coach Cori Close seemed to acknowledge the need for some kind of shakeup in critical games. Maybe I’m betting on them doing some soul-searching in the leadup to the NCAA Tournament. I could, yet again, look foolish in a month.

LSU was on my short title contender list as of two weeks ago, but losses to Alabama and Ole Miss (albeit the latter without Flau’jae Johnson) have dampened my expectations. Johnson is out through the SEC tournament, which gives me pause. And though LSU is No. 2 nationally in free throw attempts, its backcourt — apart from Johnson — is inexperienced and has been inconsistent throughout the year.

Merchant: I’d be surprised if the Tigers even made the Final Four because they rely so much on their top three players. Kim Mulkey’s track record in the NCAA Tournament is impressive, but I don’t think this is the year she adds another banner to her collection.

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Pickman: Even without LSU, there might be more than 10 teams that could make the Final Four. History says that unlike national champions, Final Four participants can be elite at either offense or defense and struggle on the other end of the floor. (Think Iowa of the past two seasons and Oregon in 2018-19.) TCU falls into that bucket for me, as the Horned Frogs are No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 35 in defensive rating. They’re the oldest team in the country, top 10 in blocks and turnovers per game and No. 1 in 3-pointers made. It’s hard to imagine the Horned Frogs going from winning their first Big 12 title to winning a national title — TCU has never even made a Sweet 16, let alone Final Four — but this has been a historic year for the program.

Merchant: As long as we’re on the subject of long shots, another Big 12 team interests me by being elite on one end of the floor. That’s West Virginia. “Press” Virginia has the nation’s best defense thanks to the Mountaineers’ full-court pressure. With the short turnaround of the NCAA Tournament, this team could produce upsets. We saw West Virginia nearly take down Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes in Iowa City during the 2024 second round, and the defense has only gotten stouter in the interim. Depending on the draw — because big centers generally wreck them — the Mountaineers could make some noise.

Pickman: We agree that Mountaineers could pull off some upsets early in the bracket. However, of the teams that have made the last five Final Fours and had a significant offense-defense disparity, only Arizona in 2020-21 has made it as a defense-first team.

Merchant: Maybe the teams we should keep an eye on are Florida State and Vanderbilt. We’ve already seen Ta’Niya Latson obliterate the defense of one of our top-tier teams (Notre Dame) within the last week, and Mikayla Blakes put up 50-plus points twice on SEC opponents. The Seminoles are more experienced in the NCAA Tournament, so this could be the year they break through and win a game or more.

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Pickman: For FSU, and almost everyone else, the draw is critical. Nobody is as dominant as South Carolina was a season ago. That’s what will make this year’s tournament so exciting.

(Photo: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images)

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Buccaneers bring back 464-pound defensive lineman Desmond Watson

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Buccaneers bring back 464-pound defensive lineman Desmond Watson

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed defensive tackle Desmond Watson and added him to the practice squad as the team prepares to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.

Watson, the 464-pound rookie defensive lineman out of Florida, failed to make the 53-man roster in the preseason. He was forced to the sideline as he failed to meet the conditioning requirements to take the field. He was considered to be the heaviest player in NFL history.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Desmond Watson (56) warms up during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Mini Camp workout on May 9, 2025 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Florida. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that Watson had a “good workout” when the team brought him in last week.

The Buccaneers will look to try to find a way to stop the Eagles’ tush push, which has come under the spotlight in the last few weeks as it appeared some players had been jumping before the ball was snapped to Jalen Hurts.

Bowles said Watson wasn’t just being brought in as the answer to the tush push.

“We’ll never bring him in just to stop a tush push. If we’ve got to bring in a guy to stop one play and the tush push never comes up, you’re wasting your time,” Bowles said. “If we bring him in, we think he can play, not just for a Philadelphia thing. 

Desmond Watson looks on

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Desmond Watson watches from the sideline during practice at NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Tampa, Fla.  (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

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“It’s very unlikely he’d be ready to play, once we bring him in, for Philadelphia right now anyway. It’s just a matter of us making room and seeing if we have a place for him, and then what we see for him in the future.”

The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle was working with a nutritionist during the summer. The team didn’t say what an ideal weight for him would be.

Watson spoke about his weight gain to reporters earlier this year. He said he would consistently stop off to get food while at Florida.

“Stopping while driving,” Watson said when asked about bad habits he’s tried to shed at his pro day. “My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That’s helped me immensely.

Desmond Watson warms up

Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Desmond Watson (56) runs a drill during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

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“Don’t go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because inside it’s snacks and all types of things like that. Don’t pull over. If you’re on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you’ve got to go.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Prep talk: Another day, another life saved by high school athletic trainer

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Prep talk: Another day, another life saved by high school athletic trainer

For those high schools in California that still don’t have an athletic trainer, what happened last week at San Clemente High was another reason why they are so valuable for the safety reasons. And also proven was the requirement that coaches be certified in CPR every two years.

As a soccer class was ending last Thursday, an assistant coach fell to the ground. Head coach Chris Murray thought he tripped. Then he looked into his eyes, which appeared dilated, and saw that his face was purple. While a football coach nearby was calling 911, Murray began chest compressions.

Athletic trainer Amber Anaya received a text in her office that said, “Emergency.” She got into her golf cart that contained her automated external defibrilator (AED) machine and raced to the field within two minutes. She determined the coach was in cardiac arrest.

While Anaya hooked up her AED machine to the coach, Murray continued chest compressions. The AED machine evaluated the patient and recommended one shock. This went on for some seven minutes until paramedics arrived. Another shock was given after the paramedics took over.

The coach was transported to a hospital and survived. He would receive a pacemaker. It was a happy ending thanks to people who knew what to do in case of an emergency.

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Last school year, the Culver City athletic trainer helped save a track athlete who went into cardiac arrest.

Murray said what he did was based on instincts and adrenaline. As soon as the ambulance left, he said he collapsed to his knee exhausted.

“His ribs are sore but not broken,” Murray said, “so I guess I did good.”

All the preparation in case of an emergency was put to good use by the coach trained in CPR and the athletic trainer who knew how to use an AED machine.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Police investigating USA Cycling incident as footage of organizers' interaction with activist goes viral

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Police investigating USA Cycling incident as footage of organizers' interaction with activist goes viral

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Police in Livermore, California, are investigating an incident that occurred at a USA Cycling event on Sunday, when organizers were seen berating a women’s sports activist who was inquiring about sex tests.

“At the moment, we are looking into the matter and are in the process of reviewing our report and video footage,” a Livermore Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Footage of the interaction at USA Cycling’s Oakland Grand Prix has gone viral in recent days. 

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Beth Bourne, a California activist known to oppose biological male athletes in women’s and girls’ sports, was seen in the footage asking organizers if the women’s competitors at the event had been sex-tested to prove they were not male. One organizer was then seen approaching Bourne and covering her camera, saying, “We have policies in place. You can stop filming me.” 

Bourne was then heard saying, “Give me my phone!” 

The footage then showed Bourne walking away from that organizer in a panic before another organizer came up behind her to shout, “Hey! Get the f— out of here!” 

Bourne told Fox News Digital that the incident was “emotional.”

“It was so unexpected. I have an idea that we’re going to have people maybe calling us names, or maybe calling us TERFs, which we’ve had, maybe even grabbing our signs. But to have somebody come up from behind me, before I even, I hadn’t even gotten a sign out, I had just asked two or three questions, so that shocked me, I was scared,” Bourne said. 

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“I was actually terrified, I was terrified that this person might really, really hurt me.” 

Additional footage of the incident showed the same organizer who yelled in Bourne’s face later putting a pizza box in front of her face, covering the view of Bourne’s camera, then picking up her protest signs and throwing them in the garbage. 

Bourne alleged that the organizer told her, “Your God isn’t going to protect you.”

“‘You’re just a hateful, awful person’” he told Bourne, she alleged. “And then he grabs all my signs and takes them and puts them in the trash can next to the start and finish area. And like that’s insane to me, that someone would grab someone’s property and throw it in the trash can, and it would be the race organizer himself.” 

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Fox News Digital has reached out to USA Cycling for comment, but has not received a response. 

The same event also drew scrutiny for another viral video of transgender cyclist Chelsea Wolfe telling protesters, “Go suck a sawed-off shotgun,” “You’re a Nazi piece of s—,” and “We kill Nazis.” 

Chelsea Wolfe of Team USA competes in the women’s final during the BMX Freestyle World Cup on Dec. 11, 2022, in Gold Coast, Australia.  (Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Wolfe, a former Team USA alternate in women’s BMX who previously said the athlete wanted to win an Olympic medal to “burn the American flag,” took to social media to share multiple posts celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week.

“We did it!” Wolfe wrote in an Instagram Story sharing a report on the assassination last Wednesday.

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Police in Livermore, California are investigating an incident at a USA Cycling event where a 'protect women's sports' protester was berated by organizers.

Police in Livermore, California are investigating an incident at a USA Cycling event where a ‘protect women’s sports’ protester was berated by organizers. (Getty Images, Courtesy of Beth Bourne)

USA Cycling provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing Wolfe’s posts. 

“The views of current and former national team athletes are their own and do not reflect those of USA Cycling. Chelsea Wolfe has not been a member of the USA Cycling National Team or a member of USA Cycling since 2023,” the statement read. 

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