FORT WORTH, Texas — Hannah Hidalgo’s voice was a calming presence in Notre Dame’s huddles.

With less than a minute to play, she gathered her teammates and reiterated the same two words: “One stop.” With Notre Dame holding a one-point lead over Louisville in a March ACC meeting, she went down the line speaking to each teammate, “I need you to get me one stop.”

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But as Hidalgo has done all season, she got the stop herself.

As Louisville guard Taj Roberts dribbled at the top of the key, hoping to get into the offense and take the game-winning shot, Hidalgo began sizing up the sophomore guard. Everything began moving in slow motion for the Notre Dame All-American, her eyes locked onto the ball and each dribble triggered a thought from her. She picked up the cadence of Roberts’ handle and knew that once Roberts turned around, she was going to go for the steal.

It took 11 dribbles and two trips to the left and right side of the arc before Roberts turned. Hidalgo didn’t hesitate. She swiped at the ball with her right hand, and before Roberts could react, Hidalgo was running down the court with the ball. She was eventually fouled and iced the game with two free throws.

“I told her right after that, I said, ‘You’re player of the year,’” Irish teammate KK Bransford said. “Like, no matter what anybody says, I know she’s player of the year, because of plays like that.”

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Hidalgo scored seven of Notre Dame’s final nine points and tallied 30 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in the victory.

It’s impossible to summarize the season that the ACC Player of the Year has had in one play, but much like she did against Louisville, Hidalgo has done everything for this year’s Irish.

When Notre Dame returned just three players from last year’s Sweet 16 team, Hidalgo knew she’d have to take a step up as a leader, but she also sets the tone on both sides of the ball. She’s the nation’s third-leading scorer with 25.2 points per game. She leads the country in steals with 189. Her 5.5 per game average is the second time she’s averaged over four steals per game. Only two other Power 4 conference players have done that even once in their careers since 2009.

She’s carried the Irish to the Sweet 16 and done it by being one of the best two-way guards in the history of women’s college basketball. Her next test is going head-to-head against the nation’s top scorer, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line Friday afternoon.

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“She has had a lot of weight, a lot of pressure, she’s helped take this group, and I had a completely new team, and got us to where we are right now,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said. “And that speaks a lot to her game. She’s the best two-way player and one of the best guards I’ve ever coached.”

Ivey, who began as an assistant coach at Notre Dame in 2007, has coached Irish standout guards Skylar Diggins, Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale.

Charel Allen was an All-American in her own right during her playing time at Notre Dame. She was the first player in program history to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals in her career. Now, as a Notre Dame assistant, her focus is on the guards, which means she spends a lot of time with Hidalgo.

They’ve played one-on-one often, and Hidalgo’s advice to Allen was always the same: “Don’t dribble.”

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“So guess what? I don’t (dribble) around her anymore,” Allen said with a chuckle. “I try to use my size and shoot over her. I think, until you’re out there and actually going up against her, you don’t realize how quick her hands and feet are.”

Hidalgo is just 5 feet 6 inches, but she’s faster and more agile than most players on the court. She shows that on offense, especially as she attacks the basket with the ball in her hands, but it’s also obvious on defense.

A quick turn of her hips can be the difference between an opponent’s offense running its set to plan or Hidalgo going the other way with the ball.

Arguably, nobody understands that more in Notre Dame’s program than Vanessa De Jesus. The sixth-year guard played her first five years at Duke and faced Hidalgo often in conference games.

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“It’s definitely better to be on her team,” De Jesus said.

Hidalgo puts opposing offenses in conflict with the multitude of ways she can steal the ball. She can pick a ballhandler’s pockets, as she did against Louisville, or she can jump passing lanes or even steal inbounds passes. After a missed layup, she can steal the ball from the rebounder within seconds, as she did in the first quarter of Notre Dame’s first-round NCAA Tournament win against Fairfield.

“On the defensive end, it’s a whole other thing that she brings,” De Jesus said. “Just that fieriness, the relentlessness that she brings.”

Her intensity from the beginning of the game to the end makes her hard for opponents to scout.

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“She plays really hard,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “You have a player that plays really hard, good things usually happen, and you can tell she’s been playing a lot.”

Hidalgo ranks 10th nationally in usage rate among players who have played at least 20 games. She’s third among all Power 4 conference players in usage rate, and only three Power 4 conference players have played more minutes per game.

For Notre Dame to be successful, that usage rate is about more than just one side of the ball. Notre Dame wouldn’t have 24 wins if Hidalgo were just an offensive-minded player.

“People don’t understand what it takes to be that active defensively, playing 36, 37 minutes a night,” ACC Network analyst Kelly Gramlich said. “There’s a reason why these numbers haven’t been done before, and it’s because most players of her ability, who — by the way, she’s scoring 25 a game — they exert so much effort on the offensive end that they either they don’t have enough left to put that much on the defensive end, or they just have not been as defensive-minded as her.”

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Defense has always been part of Hidalgo’s game, though.

Growing up in New Jersey, she was always the smallest player on the court as a kid, so to stay on the court, she had to lean on her defense.

In many ways, Hidalgo is a natural at reading ballhandlers because her experience as a point guard helps. But she also spends plenty of time studying ballhandlers and understanding their tendencies.

“I try (to) think a couple steps ahead of the ballhandler,” Hidalgo said.

Her big shots and acrobatic finishes may grab the headlines, but defense has always come first for Hidalgo.

“I had to prioritize something else and bring something else to the floor so that I can get playing time,” Hidalgo said. “It was just poking at the ball, and just making the ballhandler uncomfortable, especially (because) it’s hard bringing up the ball with somebody pressing you like that.”

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With just under five minutes left in the sixth-seeded Irish’s second-round upset over No. 3 seed Ohio State, Hidalgo picked up her fourth foul.

She eventually fouled out with 40 seconds left, but not before risking her in-game eligibility to get two more steals to reach eight total and set a new single-game NCAA Tournament program record, passing Diggins and Ivey’s total of seven from when she was a Notre Dame guard.

Getting the green light to even attempt that steal is trust that has been built over the years among Hidalgo, her teammates and Ivey.

“That’s her superpower, the way that she defends,” Ivey said. “There’s sometimes that she takes chances, and we have to re-take off of the chance that she takes, but the majority of the time she makes great decisions and great plays.”

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Hidalgo’s focus on defense trickles over to her teammates as well. When at its best, Notre Dame causes chaos and forces turnovers in whatever defense it’s using.

That’s because Hidalgo’s competitiveness is contagious.

“She just makes everyone want to compete 10 times harder,” Irish guard Iyana Moore said.

It’s steals like the one against Louisville that she enjoys more than making a pivotal late-game shot.

“The feeling of getting a defensive stop is just so much more pride and joy because, you know, again, that’s what I pride myself in,” she said.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Women’s College Basketball

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Paris Saint‑Germain boss Luis Enrique has been among the names linked with the Manchester United job

Manchester United have suffered a major setback in their search for a new manager, with shortlisted candidate Luis Enrique now expected to sign a new contract at Paris Saint‑Germain. According to the i paper, club president Nasser Al‑Khelaifi is eager to extend Enrique’s deal beyond 2027 – a development that leaves Michael Carrick ‘closing in’ on the full‑time job.

It’s also reported that the signing of Spanish wonderkid Dro Fernandez, secured ahead of several top European clubs, was used as a ‘sweetener’ to reassure Enrique that PSG are fully committed to his long‑term project. United are thought to have shortlisted Enrique, with interest said to come from chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

Last week, Enrique was asked about his future during a brief interaction with a fan. The video, which went viral online, suggests the 55‑year‑old wants to stay put.

In the video, Enrique stopped his car to sign autographs for fans when one stated: “I hope you stay with PSG for a long time.”

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The Spanish manager’s reply was telling as he said: “Me too.”

The same fan then brought up United, asking: “Not at United though?” Enrique simply laughed off the suggestion.

The report also claims that Carrick is now ‘closing in’ on becoming the next permanent manager as a result, with Ineos understood to be leaning towards offering him the full‑time role at Old Trafford – albeit initially on a ‘short‑term basis.’

The former midfielder has impressed since taking over in January, losing just once and guiding United up to third in the table.

Champions League football is becoming an increasingly realistic prospect for next season, and if United do secure qualification, it would be difficult to overlook Carrick.

While no decision is expected before the end of the season, it’s clear that if the club choose to go in a different direction, Enrique could already be off the table.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has emerged as another contender for the Old Trafford job. His contract is due to expire this summer after nearly three years in charge on the south coast.

Iraola has built an impressive reputation, guiding Bournemouth to 12th and ninth in his first two Premier League seasons.

Despite losing several influential players in the summer, he has the Cherries on course for another strong finish – currently sitting 13th and unbeaten in 11 matches.

What time is LSU vs. Duke today? Channel, live stream, TV schedule to watch women’s NCAA Sweet 16 game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A highly anticipated matchup is coming to Sacramento Friday night as No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Duke go head-to-head in the Sweet 16.

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LSU’s powerhouse offense will face a worthy opponent as they prepare for the Blue Devils in the regional semifinal. The Tigers are playing some of their best basketball right now, though, and Kim Mulkey’s squad already defeated Duke by a margin of nearly 20 points back in December.

Duke enters the Sweet 16 on the heels of a dominant 69-46 win over Baylor in the second round. Delaney Thomas led the squad in that matchup with 17 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks on the night. The Blue Devils’ defense is rock-solid — can they use it to their advantage for a win in Sacramento?

Who will secure their bid in the Elite Eight?

Here’s everything you need to know about LSU vs. Duke women’s basketball, including TV channel and streaming options for the Sweet 16 matchup.

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What channel is LSU vs. Duke on today?

LSU vs. Duke will be available to watch on ESPN.

Fans looking to stream LSU vs. Duke can watch live on the ESPN app, which will carry every NCAA women’s basketball tournament game in 2026.

Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.

Fans can also stream the game via Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers so you can try before you buy.

LSU vs. Duke start time

• Time: 10 p.m. ET | 9 p.m. CT | 7 p.m. PT

The NCAA women’s tournament game between LSU and Duke is set to tip off at 10 p.m. ET from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Under head coach Kim Mulkey, LSU has reached four consecutive Sweet 16 rounds. This year will mark the program’s 18th time in the regional final.

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Meanwhile, Duke is tallying their 19th Sweet 16 appearance in Sacramento, and their third under head coach Kara Lawson.

LSU vs. Duke radio coverage

Listen to LSU vs. Duke in the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament live on the SiriusXM app.

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Women’s March Madness bracket 2026

Check the Sporting News women’s NCAA Tournament live bracket for the latest final scores and next-round matchups.

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When is the Women’s Final Four in 2026?

• Location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix

The 2026 Women’s Final Four is set for April 3 and 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. The semifinals will be played Friday night and the national championship game is set for Sunday afternoon.

Women’s March Madness tournament schedule 2026

Here is the round-by-round schedule for the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament:

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A collection of over 100 human rights groups have raised concerns over the ethics and “fairness” of the International Olympics Committee’s decision to use mandatory genetic sex testing to determine eligibility for future women’s events.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry announced on Thursday that eligibility for the women’s category at future Olympic events will be determined by a one-time gene-screening test, starting from the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The committee said any athletes found to posses the sex-determining SRY gene – a gene located on the Y chromosome – would be ineligible for the women’s category, ruling out transgender athletes and the majority of those with differences in sexual development (DSD).

The IOC said the one-time gene-screening test would be conducted via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, and would be “unintrusive compared to other possible methods”.

But experts have warned that universal sex testing for the SRY gene could cause “considerable harm to affected athletes” and is an “inaccurate test of both sex and athletic advantage”.

The IOC’s ruling followed an 18-month consultation, with the policy “based on science” and “led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart”. Coventry said: “The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power or endurance.”

The ​French Olympic Committee said on Thursday that it had “major ethical and scientific concerns for all those affected” ‌and that the SRY tests would be illegal ⁠in France under the nation’s strict bioethics law on genetic testing.

“A sex testing and blanket ban policy would be a catastrophic erosion of women’s rights and safety,” said Andrea Florence, the executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance.

“Gender policing and exclusion harms all women and girls, and undermines the very dignity and fairness the IOC claims to uphold. Our concerns are compounded by the fact that the IOC also seems to be, at the same time, divesting from the safe sport infrastructure that actually provides protection for women and girls.”

The Sport & Rights Alliance, along with over 100 other allied organisations, called on the IOC to abandon its plans to mandate genetic sex testing and warned the policy “would constitute an astounding rollback on gender equality and set women’s sport back 30 years”.

Payoshni Mitra, executive director of Humans of Sport, said: “Requiring women and girls to undergo mandatory genetic screening just to participate in sport would revive a practice that – even if it’s a ‘one-time test’ – violates women’s and girls’ privacy, exposes them to extreme public scrutiny, humiliation, and opens a pathway to medically unnecessary interventions.

“People often forget that child athletes compete at the Olympics and international competitions – this policy would cause massive safeguarding risks by requiring young women and children’s bodies to be investigated and their intimate health information disclosed, potentially leading to permanent harm to their dignity, mental health, and safety.”

The IOC ‌did not foresee a major problem ​with the legality issue. “Based on (International Federation) experience, genetic screening for ‌sex does not create significant problems in practice,” the ​policy document read. It is legal in most countries, and athletes from the countries where it is not permitted can lawfully be tested elsewhere.”

The new rules have no retroactive power and have no impact on grassroots or amateur sports.

Includes reporting from Reuters

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Even though Tom Brady had become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, the legendary quarterback still inquired about a potential return to the field.

Brady, 48, said the NFL was not a fan of the possibility of Brady coming out of retirement as an owner and playing again.

“I actually have inquired, and they don’t like that idea very much,” Brady told CNBC. “We explored a lot of different things, and I’m very happily retired. Let me just say that, too.”

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Founders FFC quarterback Tom Brady during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles March 21, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Brady impressed in last week’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic, throwing for 85 yards and two touchdowns on the smaller field over two games. Brady said he loved being back on the field but said the game confirmed his retirement decision.

“I loved being out there, playing in the flag game. I loved not getting hit. I got a lot of really fun things I’m involved in, and it’s never going to get old throwing passes to incredible athletes on the football field. But, if anything, that game reconfirmed to me that I’m very happy in retirement,” Brady said.

KYLIE KELCE REVEALS HER ‘DOS AND DON’TS’ OF TALKING TO POSTPARTUM WOMEN: ‘OH, I’M SO SERIOUS’

Fox Sports announcer Kevin Burkhardt, left, with Tom Brady on the field before the Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome Feb. 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

The NFL is also happy that Brady wants to stay in retirement because if the future Pro Football Hall of Famer returned to play, it would cause a headache for the league.

An NFL spokesperson told CNBC that if Brady were to return to the field, he would have to divest his ownership stake in the Raiders after a policy was created in 2023 that prohibits players or team employees from taking equity in a club.

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Founders FFC’s Tom Brady reacts to a call made by the referee against the U.S. National Flag team during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

The spokesperson told CNBC that there would also be salary cap issues for a player-owner.

Brady purchased a 5% share of the Raiders in 2024.

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Today’s front pages offer plenty of variety. With friendlies taking center stage, in Spain the headlines focus on someone who broke barriers in the world of sport: Carolina Marín’s retirement makes her the main story.

However, looking abroad, the aftermath of the European playoffs is the front-page topic in Italy, as is the friendly between France and Brazil in the neighboring country.

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Plenty of stories on Friday’s agenda.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For 39 minutes and 49 seconds, No. 2 seed Purdue and No. 11 Texas battled and bruised and fought through (quite literally) broken bones to put on a sizzling Sweet 16 battle. When the time came for a decider, college basketball’s most prolific assister in history wanted the winner for himself.

But Braden Smith didn’t quite have it. 

Purdue ran an action that gave Smith the space he wanted to drive down the right side of the lane. He tried to touch the ball off the backboard, but he shot it just a touch awry. Fortunately, he let go with three seconds on the clock, leaving just enough time for his fellow fourth-year Boilermaker, Trey Kaufman-Renn, to muscle in over Texas’ Dailyn Swain and gently tip the ball back through the hoop with 0.7 seconds remaining to give Purdue the 79-77 win. The man nicknamed TKR delivered more than a TKO — this was an outright knockout shot for Texas in the tournament.

It was also the least amount of time left of any Purdue winning shot in NCAA Tournament history and the first of Kaufman-Renn’s college career.

Conspicuously, Texas’ best big man, Matas Vokietaitis, was not on the floor for the final defensive possession. 

Did Sean Miller make a mistake? 

Anything but, the Longhorns coach told CBS Sports. For all of Vokietaitis’ size and game-disrupting ability, he managed just two rebounds against Purdue, one on each end. Given Smith’s maestro-like control to work the high screen-and-roll with as much command as anyone in the college game, Miller wasn’t willing to chance getting his big on an island against one of the most seasoned and savvy players in the sport.

“Because Matas was playing the 5, and in my mind, [Purdue would] have to switch that on the game-winner,” Miller told CBS Sports. “So, if we would have done that, Matas would have been guarding Braden Smith. I know he would have guarded Braden Smith there. So, by playing a quicker player, it allowed us to be able to switch.

“In hindsight, the other part of it is, if you don’t involve Matas in that, and he has to guard somebody else? They’re a perimeter team, and they’re so good shooting the ball. So, we elected to go a little quicker to negate that; then, we ended up giving up an offensive rebound. But I don’t know if it was because of our lack of size, as much as, like, you have to block him out on that.”

The sub-in for Vokietaitis was 6-8 sophomore Nic Codie. Texas was told to switch every position, 1 through 5. Miller wanted Swain on TKR so that, if he set a ball screen, Texas would switch onto him in that scenario.

It never played out that way. Purdue slipped out of the screen, Smith never passed and no switch happened.

These are the tiny decisions that can flip a game’s outcome.

“Many times a game is won and lost not on the first shot but the second,” Miller said. 

These are the quick decisions that alter how a bracket takes shape.

“When it happened, we didn’t set a screen, and so we curled our screen to act like we were coming up, and then Braden didn’t go through it,” Purdue coach Matt Painter told CBS Sports. “A lot of times, those on-ball guys, they feel that screen coming, and then they open a little bit, and when they open, you’re just trying to get that angle. So, that was the play that we were running.”

The irony: Vokietaitis would have been on the floor, Miller said, if not for Purdue center Oscar Cluff fouling out on the prior possession. Swain, who did not box out Kaufman-Renn, drew Cluff’s fifth foul on an and-one that made it 77-77 with 11.9 seconds remaining. 

“The reason that Matas wasn’t in was simply because Cluff wasn’t, and when you take Cluff out, when Renn is at the 5, it’s a very difficult matchup in a game-winning situation for a center. So, we elected to go quicker,” Miller said.

Painter said he felt good about Purdue’s chances regardless of who Texas put on the floor. The experience of Smith and Kaufman-Renn goes a long way toward that confidence.

“It wouldn’t have mattered whether he was out — I mean, I think it would have mattered to the end result,” Painter said. “If Vokietaitis is on the floor, I don’t think Trey gets the tip-in. … But we weren’t setting up all these screens, so it didn’t matter who that was on the floor.”

The teams tussled for 40 minutes, playing a terrific game. The Boilers and Horns gave the Sweet 16 a riveting start to what could be a special four days of tournament ball, volleying through 16 lead changes and 10 ties and inducing only 11 combined turnovers.

Even in defeat, Jordan Pope goes home heroic and literally broken. His status was “literally a game-time decision,” per Texas’ coaching staff, after he purportedly injured his ankle in the second round. After Thursday’s loss, Pope came as clean as the break in his right foot. This was no ankle issue; his foot was fractured.

“I think I can clear the air now. Five minutes left against Gonzaga, I broke my foot, a complete break, so it was definitely tough,” Pope said.

Pope had to grit his teeth through Purdue’s myriad dizzying offensive sets. The staff was unsure whether he would manage even 10 minutes of game time. The tournament inspires a lot out of players; Pope’s showing is the latest admirable effort that shouldn’t be forgotten. What a gamer.

“I don’t know how many guys that I’ve coached under these conditions on this stage would have chosen to play,” Miller said. “It would have been very easy for him just to say, ‘Made the Sweet 16, I’m not going to be 100%, I don’t know how I’ll look, and because of that, I can’t go.’ But he gave us everything and gave us the opportunity to win.”

Pope gutted through 33 minutes and scored 12 points. He was a necessary complementary piece in such a close game, but Texas only ever had a chance because of fellow senior Tramon Mark, who made this Longhorns run possible with his game-winning shot vs. NC State in the First Four nine days ago and put a bow on his outstanding career by dropping a game-high 29 points, including five from beyond the arc. 

And he did it after twisting his ankle in the first half on a 3-point attempt when he landed on Fletcher Loyer’s foot. His 29 points were the most by any Texas player in an NCAA Tournament game since Kevin Durant dropped 30 on USC in 2007.

“When he gets in that rhythm, and that was our concern, they have Pope, Swain and him,” Painter said. “They’re three pretty unique guys.” 

At 63-63, after Texas got it knotted with 8:24 to go, Painter told his staff, “We’re going to have to go offense/defense.”

He was referring to Loyer, who’s been on a heater from 3 (12-of-20 through three games in the NCAAs) but can be a liability on the other side. But Painter thought better of it and only took out Loyer a couple of times down the stretch. Purdue had enough, barely, to hold off the rare 11-seed from making the Elite Eight.

Purdue is in its seventh Elite Eight in program history and third under Painter thanks to good fortune and right-place-right-time instinct from Kaufman-Renn. Miller hasn’t been that far in 11 years; his most recent regional final came in 2015 with Arizona, which coincidentally enough will face Purdue here on Saturday. 

“There’s no moral victory of, that’s OK, because there’s no guarantee you’re coming back any time soon,” Miller said.

For Painter, who has fallen to Nos. 16, 15, 13 and 12 seeds over the years, a third Elite Eight after dodging an 11 is cherished territory. On this night, the scale balanced a bit more for one of the game’s most consistently successful coaches. Sometimes, that scale tips with just one touch.

“We out-rebounded them by one, but that last rebound being pretty damn important,” Painter said.

The difference between survival and a send-off can sometimes be whittled to something as simple as one tap. A maddening thought that encapsulates the thinnest of lines defining whether a team keeps its name around for another round.

That’s the tournament.