Latest news with #MarchMadnessSweet16
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Women's Sweet 16 & Elite 8: Second Most Watched Behind Caitlin Clark Era
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: A detailed view of the March Madness Elite Eight signage before the ... More women's NCAA basketball tournament game between the UCLA Bruins and the LSU Lady Tigers held at the Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by) Last week's March Madness Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games outperformed many critics predictions. According to ESPN's Press Room report and Nielson, the Sweet 16 games averaged 1.7 million viewers and the Elite Eight captured 2.9 million viewers, which both were up 39% respectively from 2023. As the data continuously points to, when women's basketball is given the larger national platforms it shines. ABC saw its second-best Sweet 16 on record with 2.7 million viewers and ESPN averaged 1.4 million viewers, delivering the second-best Sweet 16 ever, down only 3% year-over-year. Furthermore, as the parity continues as the tournament field narrows, the viewership continues to increase. ABC averaged 3.2 million viewers over the Elite Eight games which was a 17% year-over-year increase and ESPN solidified its second-best Elite Eight with 2.6 million viewers. BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - MARCH 29: Rori Harmon #3 of the Texas Longhorns reacts during the second half ... More against the Tennessee Lady Vols in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 29, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by) On March 28, No. 1 seeded South Carolina's battle against No. 4 Maryland captured 1.7 million viewers on ESPN. On March 29, No. 2 TCU faced No. 3 Notre Dame on ABC, ESPN+, and Disney+ to 2.5 million viewers, peaking at 3.5 million viewers, making it the fourth most watched Sweet 16 game on record. Directly following TCU and Notre Dame, No.1 Texas squared off against 5 Tennessee and drew an average of 2.9 million viewers, peaking at 3.6 million viewers. This match-up was the third most watched Sweet 16 game on record. This year delivered four of the top 10 most watched Sweet 16 games of all time, including the three games above in Birmingham Regional 3, and out of Spokane Regional 4, No. 2 UConn defeated No. 7 Oklahoma to 1.9 million viewers on ESPN on March 29. For context, the games on March 29 were directly competing against multiple MLB games, NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway, the men's March Madness tournament, and The PGA Tour's Houston Open. SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: Lauren Betts #51 of the UCLA Bruins reacts in a game against the LSU ... More Lady Tigers during the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Tyler McFarland/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The most watched Elite Eight matchup out of Spokane Regional 1 was between No. 1 overall seed UCLA and No. 3 LSU to 3.4 million viewers on ABC, ESPN+, and Disney+ and peaked at 4.4 million on March 30. This was the third most watched Elite Eight game on record. The battle of the border states between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 Duke out of Birmingham Regional 2 drew 3.1 million viewers on ABC, ESPN+, and Disney+, peaking at 4.1 million viewers and the fourth most watched Elite Eight game on record. Additionally, despite the absence of JuJu Watkins, the highly anticipated game in Spokane Regional 4 between No. 1 USC and No. 2 UConn on March 31 captivated an audience of three million on ESPN and peaked at 3.4 million. Overall, the women's March Madness tournament has been averaging 967,00o viewers through the Elite Eight which is up 47% from 2023. Thus, it will be no surprise if during the Final Four the viewership also surpasses that of previous years before 2023 and any records previously held outside of the 2024 season that saw the likes and draws of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Fox News
30-03-2025
- Fox News
March Madness shooting in Atlanta puts man in ICU: report
Atlanta Police are investigating a shooting near State Farm Arena during Friday's March Madness Sweet 16 game between Michigan State and Ole Miss, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The victim is reportedly in intensive care. The shooting happened just a few minutes before tipoff and left a 42-year-old man from Charlotte, North Carolina, hospitalized. "The victim was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he is currently in ICU," said Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of Atlanta's homicide unit. "Grady was able to bring him back in the trauma room, where he was taken to the operating room and is now in ICU," Smith said. Investigators say a man approached a group of people on a sidewalk and exchanged words before a weapon was fired, FOX 5 reported. No suspects were in custody at the time of publication. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Atlanta Police Department for comment. Michigan State won the game 73-70 to advance to the Elite Eight. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC women's basketball honors JuJu Watkins with matching Nike shirts for Sweet 16 trip
USC women's basketball honors JuJu Watkins with matching Nike shirts for Sweet 16 trip Show Caption Hide Caption Lisa Leslie reacts to JuJu Watkins season ending injury WNBA Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie discusses fellow USC Trojan JuJu Watkins recent season ending injury. Sports Seriously Still part of the team. USC players honored their fallen star, JuJu Watkins, by wearing Nike shirts with her face and signature bun on the front. The players were greeted by the school's marching band and cheerleaders as No. 1 USC departed its hotel and boarded a bus for its women's March Madness Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 Kansas State. ESPN will broadcast the 8:30 p.m. ET game. Watkins' ACL injury in the first half of the team's second-round game against Mississippi State briefly brought the entire sporting world to a halt, sending notes of sympathy to college basketball's biggest star. The Trojans rallied to win the game 96-59, led by senior forward Kiki Iriafen's 36 points, and advance to the Sweet 16. The JuJu Watkins Nike collaboration shirt can be purchased on the Nike website.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Raegan Beers? What to know about Oklahoma star for March Madness game vs. UConn
Who is Raegan Beers? What to know about Oklahoma star for March Madness game vs. UConn Show Caption Hide Caption Paige Bueckers on JuJu Watkins after season ending injury UConn's Paige Bueckers knows what it's like to tear an ACL, and shares some empathetic words for JuJu Watkins after suffering a season ending injury. Sports Pulse Editor's note: Follow UConn women's basketball vs. Oklahoma live updates from their Sweet 16 matchup. Raegan Beers and No. 3 Oklahoma aim for their fourth Elite Eight appearance as they face No. 2 UConn in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA women's tournament. The Oregon State transfer is the top scorer for the Sooners, putting up 25 points and 18 rebounds in their first-round game against Florida Gulf Coast University. In the second-round win over Iowa, the junior added 11 points and 13 rebounds. FOLLOW THE MADNESS Women's March Madness Sweet 16 best games: Schedule, players to watch Beers was named to the All-SEC First Team and is a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award. Here is more of what you need to know about the Oklahoma star center. Raegan Beers Career stats Oregon State Beavers 2022-23: Played in 31 games, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Played in 31 games, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. 2022-23: Started 31 games, averaging 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Oklahoma Sooners 2024-25: Started in 32 games, averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Is Raegan Beers eligible for the WNBA draft? Beers was born on March 23, 2004, which makes her 21 years old. She does not qualify for the WNBA Draft because the league requires domestic draft entrants to be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place and to have no remaining college eligibility. She would qualify for the 2026 draft. Raegan Beers height Beers is listed at 6-foot-4 on the official Oklahoma women's baseball roster, sharing the title of tallest player with forward Kiersten Johnson. Raegan Beers recruiting Beers was a five-star recruit and the No. 10 overall player and the No. 3 center in the 2022 recruiting class by ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She attended Valor Christian in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where she was a McDonald's All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. Beers committed Oregon State over Stanford, Colorado, UConn and Notre Dame.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness Sweet 16: Complete wrap-up of potential OKC Thunder prospects
March Madness Sweet 16: Complete wrap-up of potential OKC Thunder prospects March Madness has officially started. The Men's NCAA Tournament will crown a national champion among 68 teams. After the Sweet 16 ended, only eight teams were left. While the first weekend is filled with fun chaos, the second strips down to the best squads with actual hopes of a title. As the entire sports world shifts its attention to the NCAA Tournament, the Oklahoma City Thunder will watch with vested interest to see how possible draft prospects handle the national spotlight. Depending on how the lottery shakes out, the title contender could have a high lottery pick to a bottom first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Thunder Wire looked at 10 prospects that the Thunder could look into in the first and second rounds. Here's how they did in the Sweet 16 among those who advanced: Egor Demin, BYU Demin's season ended with a 113-88 loss to Alabama. The lopsided loss showed the sea-sized gap between BYU and the rest of the field. Demin finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting, seven assists and two rebounds. He shot 1-of-8 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. That's likely it for his college career as a one-and-done prospect. Kon Knueppel, Duke Duke sweated out their first win of the NCAA Tournament. After two blowouts, they beat Arizona in a 100-93 win. Knueppel stepped up as the Blue Devils' second-best scorer behind Cooper Flagg. He finished with 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-2 from 3 and went 8-of-9 on free throws. After cruising the first two tournament games, Knueppel stepped up when needed. Khaman Maluach, Duke Maluach also stepped up for Duke with elite rim protection. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and four blocks. He shot 1-of-1 on free throws. Foul trouble kept him at 24 minutes but the seven-foot center did enough to contribute to their win over Arizona. Alex Condon, Florida Florida has been viewed as a top title favorite and it's easy to see why. When the competition is supposed to be more challenging, the Gators still cruised to an 87-71 win over Maryland. That was despite Condon's night being cut short due to an ankle sprain. He only played 14 minutes and finished with six points on 3-of-4 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. Johni Broome, Auburn A strong second half helped Auburn advance past Michigan in a 78-65 win. A 20-point scoring trio led the Tigers to victory. That included Broome. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting, 16 rebounds and one assist. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 3-of-5 on free throws. He also had two steals. The fifth-year senior put his squad on his back and refused to end his college career being quiet. Danny Wolf, Michigan The flip side of that result was Wolf's probable final game at Michigan. The Wolverines lost but he did enough to get a win. He finished with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting, six rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 0-of-2 on free throws. Isaiah Evans, Duke Evans only played four minutes in a tight win over Arizona. He tallied three points on 1-of-2 shooting and one rebound off the bench. As the Blue Devils go deeper into the tournament, his playing time dwindles.
