UCLA Wins First-Ever Women's NCAA Title, Michigan Faces UConn Tonight for Men's Crown
Not a ton of local action to report today, but here's a Minnesota highlight worth celebrating: **Gianna Kneepkens**, a Minnesota native, helped the **UCLA Bruins** win the women's NCAA national championship on Sunday ...
Minnesota Teams
Not a ton of local action to report today, but here's a Minnesota highlight worth celebrating: Gianna Kneepkens, a Minnesota native, helped the UCLA Bruins win the women's NCAA national championship on Sunday — UCLA's first-ever title in women's basketball. She'll now head to the WNBA Draft, where she could potentially end up back in Minnesota with the Lynx. Keep an eye on that one!
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NBA
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the playoffs in rough shape — both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves (oblique injury) are now out, meaning L.A. will be without its top two scorers right from the start of the postseason. That's a tough spot. Meanwhile, it's the final week of the regular NBA season, so playoff seedings are still being sorted out — expect some meaningful games this week before the real action starts.
There are also rumblings in Milwaukee: Doc Rivers may be changing roles with the Bucks, and the team is apparently already looking at potential coaching replacements, with Taylor Jenkins mentioned as a candidate.
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MLB
Baseball is just getting going for 2026, and ESPN's Watchability Index is out ranking the most fun teams to follow this season — the Phillies, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees all get a nod for young talent and exciting play. On Sunday night, the Cardinals hosted the Tigers in an early-season matchup. The season is young, so no major standings shake-ups yet, but it's a good time to pick a team to casually root for if you haven't already.
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NHL
The NHL playoffs are getting close, and in the Atlantic Division, things are still unsettled at the top — both the Lightning and Sabres have clinched playoff spots, but the No. 1 seed is still up for grabs between them. Separately, with the Winter Olympics recently wrapped up, ESPN is tracking which players who won Olympic gold medals also have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup this year — only eight players in history have ever pulled off both in the same season.
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College Sports
The big story of the weekend was the women's NCAA Tournament championship: UCLA defeated South Carolina on Sunday to win the program's first-ever national title in women's basketball. South Carolina had been going for its third title in five years, which would've been a dynasty-level run, but UCLA had other plans.
Tonight (Monday), the men's national championship tips off: Michigan vs. UConn. It's a clash of styles — UConn is the defending powerhouse, while Michigan built its roster creatively in the NIL era (where players can now earn money from endorsements). If you're only watching one game this week, make it this one.
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Other Sports
The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals are here, and the headliner is a monster matchup: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid. Interestingly, Real Madrid — usually considered one of the best clubs in the world — comes in as an underdog for this one. Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid is the other marquee tie. You can catch the games on Paramount+.
In boxing, Andres Cortes won a decision over Eridson Garcia in the Zuffa Boxing 5 main event on Sunday, positioning himself as a potential lightweight contender to watch going forward.