We’re heading into a championship-packed weekend, and it’s all about the best of the best. No underdog upsets here—both the men’s and women’s Final Fours are stacked with top seeds, heavy hitters and big names you’ll want to drop into conversation at brunch.
🏆 Women’s Final Four: No Sleep ‘Til Sunday
Three No. 1 seeds and a powerhouse No. 2 in UConn? Yes, please. UConn’s Paige Bueckers is playing like she wants that WNBA No. 1 pick locked up. But all eyes are also on South Carolina, UCLA and Texas—each of whom has already beaten South Carolina once in the past two seasons. Translation: expect fireworks.
One name you’ll hear again? Lauren Betts. She’s 6'7", a force on the court, and her story off the court—bullying, a tough transfer and mental health struggles—makes her rise to the Final Four that much more powerful.
🔥 Men’s Final Four: Experience vs. Youth
It’s all No. 1 seeds in the men’s Final Four for the second time ever. On the docket: Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida.
Fun fact: Auburn’s starting lineup has an average age of 23.2—just over a year younger than the NBA’s OKC Thunder starting five. Meanwhile, Duke brings both legacy (18 Final Four appearances) and future: Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old phenom who’s already a top NBA draft pick in waiting.
🏒 Hockey’s History Book Is About to Be Rewritten
Alex Ovechkin is this close to tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. If he nets two more this weekend, he’ll match Gretzky’s 894 goals in the exact same number of games. You can’t script that.
⛳ Augusta Gets a Head Start
Before The Masters kicks off next week, Augusta is hosting the sixth Augusta National Women’s Amateur. It’s the who’s who of women’s amateur golf—with 49 of the top 50 players competing. Not bad for a place that didn’t allow women members until 2012.
Photo: Unsplash
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