March Madness, meet April reality check

The GIST: There’s a mid-week lull in the on-court action ahead of this weekend’s Final Four, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any hoops news to catch up on. Consider this a chance to catch your breath and prepare for one last weekend of Madness.

The women’s Final Four is set: As you read, fans sadly missed out on a Monday Elite Eight rematch between Player of the Year finalists USC’s Watkins and No. 2 UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Without Watkins on the floor, Bueckers shined in the spotlight, leading the Huskies past the Trojans and sealing the school’s 24th Final Four appearance under head coach (HC) Geno Auriemma.

• As for Monday’s other game, everything was bigger in Texas…except the scoreline. No. 1 Texas held No. 2 TCU center Sedona Prince to just four points and won the defensive battle 58–47, ending Prince’s marred collegiate career.

• The loss also put a bow on superstar point guard Hailey Van Lith’s NCAA career. TCU was her last stop on a sometimes tumultuous journey, but this final run ended things on a high note as she prepares for the WNBA Draft, where she’ll likely be a first-rounder.

Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles hits transfer portal: There was debate as to whether Miles would enter the W’s draft (she was the expected No. 2 overall pick behind Bueckers) or use her last remaining year of NCAA eligibility to rack up more NIL money and compete for a title with the Irish. But yesterday, she blindsided everyone by opting to seek a change of scenery with a new program.

• The second-team All-American teamed up with Player of the Year finalist Hannah Hidalgo to make up the country’s fiercest backcourt this season — and now, she’s the most desirable player in the transfer portal. Can’t wait to see where she ends up.

⚾ MLB: Washington Nationals vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Today at 3:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet

• A Jay to watch this season? Second baseman Andrés Giménez, who leads the team with three home runs and is largely responsible for turning Toronto’s offense around. Tune in to see if his bat stays hot in today’s three-game series finale.

🏐 LOVB: Atlanta vs. Omaha — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — DAZN

• There’s just one week remaining in the LOVB regular season and Atlanta is kill-ing it, clinching the No. 1 playoff seed (and a first-round bye) with last week’s win over rival Houston. But don’t expect them to ease up, especially against an Omaha team that refuses to quit.

🏀 NBA: Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers — Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET — NBA League Pass

• The NBA Play-in Tournament is less than two weeks away, followed closely by the official postseason tip-off.

• That means everyone’s jostling for playoff position, including a pair of legends in LA’s LeBron James and Golden State’s Steph Curry, fresh off his record-breaking performance last night. Appointment television.

The GIST’s women’s and men’s college basketball bracket challenges are heating up, and a few GISTers are leading the charge:

• 🔥Goophers is currently leading the women’s bracket challenge with 115 points. They have UCLA going all the way — will their pick hold up?

• And in the men’s bracket challenge, Liam67 and Chente are top dogs with 110 points apiece. Nicely done.

But it ain’t over ’til it’s over. With the semis and championship games still ahead, anything can happen. So even if your bracket’s busted (same), you can stay in the action by placing live bets with FanDuel. LFG.