By the end of the day Monday, one SEC team with some shade of orange and the initials ‘UT’ would be headed to the championship series of the 2025 Women’s College World Series while the other would see its season come to an end.

In just one game, Texas provided an answer to the question.

Behind a solo home run from Katie Stewart and a combined shutout from Mac Morgan and Teagan Kavan, the No. 6 Longhorns defeated the No. 7 Lady Vols 2-0 in the WCWS semifinals on June 2 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City in the WCWS semifinals.

With the victory, Texas moves on to the WCWS championship series for the third time in the past four seasons. In each of their previous two appearances, the Longhorns fell to archrival Oklahoma. The No. 2 Sooners will need to beat No. 12 Texas Tech in order to make it back to the championship series to try to win their fifth consecutive NCAA title.

Tennessee’s season ends with a 47-17 record and the program’s second WCWS appearance in the past three years.

Texas, which is one of two undefeated teams in the event, needed just one win to advance while Tennessee, which already had a loss to its name in the double-elimination tournament, would have needed to beat the Longhorns in back-to-back games to keep its season alive.

Stewart’s fourth-inning solo shot just cleared the outfield wall and broke what had been a 0-0 deadlock. She was the only player on either team to finish the game with more than one hit. The Longhorns doubled their lead in the sixth inning with a run on a wild throw to first base.

Morgan and Kavan combined to allow just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Karlyn Pickens took the loss for the Lady Vols despite a strong outing in which she allowed two runs, only one of them earned, and struck out nine in six innings.

Here’s the score, updates, highlights and more Texas softball’s win against Tennessee in the semifinals of the 2025 WCWS:

Tennessee vs Texas softball live score

This section will be updated throughout the game.

Tennessee vs Texas softball live updates

Final: Texas 2, Tennessee 0

Texas beats Tennessee, advances to WCWS championship

Teagan Kavan strikes out Emma Clarke and Texas is off to the championship series of the Women’s College World Series with a 2-0 victory against Tennessee.

It’s the third appearance in the WCWS title series in the past four years for the Longhorns, who, once there, have lost to Oklahoma in each of the previous two trips.

Texas extends lead on throwing error

With runners on first and second with two outs, Texas’ Victoria Hunter hit a grounder to third base, but Tennessee’s Taylor Pannell’s throw to first goes high, sending Joley Mitchell from third to home to double the Longhorns’ lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Lady Vols limit any further damage, getting a groundout with runners on second and third, but they’ll need at least two runs in the seventh inning to continue their season.

Tennessee goes three up, three down

The Lady Vols are down to their final three outs.

The Tennessee lineup goes down in order in the top of the sixth inning, allowing Texas to hold on to its 1-0 edge.

Karlyn Pickens retires Texas in order

Three up and three down for the Longhorns, who are unable to build on their 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Texas makes pitching change, gets out of jam

Tennessee had the chance to provide a quick answer to Texas, but the Lady Vols weren’t able to capitalize.

With a runner on second base with one out after Texas made a pitching change from Mac Morgan to Teagan Kavan, Gabby Leach strikes out swinging and Taylor Pannell pops out to right field to end the threat and allow the Longhorns to hang on to a 1-0 lead.

Pickens settles down after home run

After allowing the home run to Stewart, Pickens settles down and strikes out the next three Longhorns she sees. Even so, with Kavan in the bullpen and the Vols down 1-0, Tennessee goes into the fifth on tenterhooks.

Katie Stewart puts Texas on the board

Texas breaks the scoreless tie with a home run off the bat of Katie Stewart. The ball looked like a flyout off the bat, but it just kept carrying and cleared the wall to give Texas a 1-0 lead. Now, with Morgan rolling and Kavan waiting in the wings, the real game begins for Texas manager Mike White.

Tennessee held scoreless again, Craig Snider ejected

Another clean inning on the scoreboard for Mac Morgan sees Tennessee assistant Craig Snider get ejected. Snider was arguing balls and strikes and got run, so the Vols will be down a coach for the rest of the game.

Texas leaves bases loaded, Tennessee gets out of jam

A game defined by missed opportunities just had its biggest one yet.

With just one out, Texas had the bases loaded and two of its most productive hitters due up. Instead, Karlyn Pickens was able to get out of a jam, striking out Reese Atwood swinging and getting Joley Mitchell to foul out to first. Pickens had spotted Mitchell a 3-0 count, but fights her way back to get the out.

Atwood had been 7-for-9 this season with the bases loaded before her latest at-bat. Pickens had to work to get out of the inning, though, logging 27 pitches.

Tennessee held without a run

The Lady Vols now have three hits, but nothing to show for it, with Taylor Pannell singling to left field, but Ella Dodge lining out in the next at-bat to end the inning.

Texas remains scoreless

Through two innings in Oklahoma City, neither team has broken through.

Texas gets a single from Leighann Goode, but nothing else, with Goode unable to advance past first.

Tennessee leaves another runner on second

Two innings and two missed opportunities for the Lady Vols.

This time, Tennessee gets Laura Mealer to second base after a single up the middle and a groundout. But with two outs, Emma Clarke grounds out to shortstop to end the inning.

Texas strands runner on second to end first inning

Right after Tennessee stranded a runner on second base, Texas does the same.

Ashton Maloney gets on base to lead off the inning on a fielding error by Laura Mealer and gets to second base with just one out, but Mia Scott fouls out and Karlyn Pickens strikes out Longhorns star Reese Atwood swinging to end the threat.

Tennessee strands runner in scoring position

The Lady Vols looked to be in a good position to get an early run after a two-out double from Ella Dodge, but Texas’ Mac Morgan strikes out Sophia Nugent swinging that holds Tennessee without a run.

It was only the 36th strikeout of the season for Morgan, who is appearing in her 26th game of the season today.

Texas softball lineup

Here’s the lineup Texas is rolling out against Tennessee Monday, with Mac Morgan getting the start at pitcher:

Tennessee softball lineup

Here’s the lineup Tennessee will trot out against Texas, with Karlyn Pickens getting the start at pitcher:

WCWS bracket 2025

Karlyn Pickens height

Pickens, the record-setting Tennessee pitcher who the Lady Vols are likely to turn to in Monday’s game, is listed at 6-foot-1 on the official Tennessee roster.

What time does Tennessee vs Texas softball start?

Date: Monday, June 2
Time: Noon ET
Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

First pitch for Tennessee and Texas’ softball game in the 2025 Women’s College World Series is set for noon ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

Watch Tennessee vs Texas softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+

What TV channel is Tennessee vs Texas softball on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+

Monday’s WCWS semifinal game between Tennessee and Texas will air on ESPN. Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Michele Smith (analyst) and Jessica Mendoza (analyst) will be on the call while Holly Rowe will serve as the sideline reporter.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service.

Tennessee vs Texas softball predictions, picks, odds

This section will be updated when odds become available

Prediction from the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee 6, Texas 3

In explaining her pick, Tennessee beat writer Cora Hall says:

The Lady Vols have proven they have what it takes to win games in Oklahoma City. With Pickens still relatively fresh this deep into the WCWS, Tennessee can steal a game from Texas, especially with how its offense is performing.

Tennessee softball schedule 2025

Knoxville Regional:

Friday, May 16: No. 7 Tennessee 17, Miami (Ohio) 0 (5 innings)
Saturday, May 17: No. 7 Tennessee 4, Ohio State 2
Sunday, May 18: No. 7 Tennessee 5, Ohio State 0

Knoxville Super Regional:

Friday, May 23: Nebraska 5, No. 7 Tennessee 2
Saturday, May 24: No. 7 Tennessee 3, Nebraska 2
Sunday, May 25: No. 7 Tennessee 1, Nebraska 0

Women’s College World Series:

Thursday, May 29: No. 2 Oklahoma 4, No. 7 Tennessee 2
Friday, May 30: No. 7 Tennessee 11, No. 3 Florida (5 innings)
Sunday, June 1: No. 7 Tennessee 5, No. 9 UCLA 4 (9 innings)
Monday, June 2: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Texas (noon ET)

Texas softball schedule 2025

Austin Regional

Friday, May 16: No. 6 Texas 10, Eastern Illinois 2
Saturday, May 17: No. 6 Texas, Michigan 4
Sunday, May 18: No. 6 Texas 9, UCF 0

Austin Super Regional

Thursday, May 22: No. 11 Clemson 7, No. 6 Texas 4
Friday, May 23: No. 6 Texas 7, No. 11 Clemson 5
Saturday, May 24: No. 6 Texas 6,No. 11 Clemson 5

Women’s College World Series

Thursday, May 29: No. 6 Texas 3, No. 3 Florida 0
Saturday, May 31: No. 6 Texas 4, No. 2 Oklahoma 2
Monday, June 2: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 7 Tennessee (noon ET)

WCWS schedule

Women’s College World Series: May 29-June 5/6
WCWS finals: June 4-5/6

The Women’s College World Series began May 29 and will run through either June 5 or June 6. The WCWS three-game championship series will begin on June 4 and end on June 5 or 6, depending on whether the series concludes in two or three games.

Sure, kid, keep dreaming.

Bryant kept dreaming, and just as important, worked hard, and while he might not be the No. 1 pick this month, he is a projected first-round pick and possibly a lottery pick.

“For me to have the opportunity to even be selected in the draft is just actually crazy to me,” Bryant said. “But there was never a point in time where it was like, ‘Oh, I knew.’ I felt like I’ve always had the belief in myself to know I could play at the highest level of basketball.”

Bryant is one nearly two-dozen potential 2025-26 NBA rookies represented by Wasserman, the powerhouse sports, music entertainment and culture agency. Wasserman’s NBA agents have signed several projected 2025 first-round draft picks, including multiple projected lottery picks: VJ Edgecombe, Kasparas Jakucionis, Collin Murray-Boyles and Bryant.

Also part of Wasserman’s 2025 class: Adama Bal; Oumar Ballo; Tyson Degenhart; Dawson Garcia; Cameron Hildreth; Augustas Marciulionis; Dayvion McKnight; David N’Guesson; Jaxson Robinson; Mitchell Saxon; Christian Shumate; Lazar Stefanovic; Des Watson; Luke Barrett; Nolan Traore; Joan Beringer; Eli John Ndiaye; and Saliou Niang.

Wasserman on Monday announced its class with an old-school nod to classic cars, diners, varsity jackets with the catchphrase, “Where Everybody Eats.”

“We normally attract very focused players and families who aren’t worried about the extras and are focused on basketball,” Wasserman senior vice president of basketball Joe Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “We have a very rigorous pre-draft process and the families and players that want that is normally who we attract.

“So this year is just kind of a microcosm of all those very, very good players and their families choosing to come with us, which turns out, in my opinion, one of the best classes in the world. That’s what it is … understanding how competitive the NBA is and being realistic on that and getting those guys prepared for that.”

Wasserman clients are on a stellar run – San Antonio’s Stephon Castle earned 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, and Cleveland’s Evan Mobley was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Most of Wasserman’s NBA prospects have been working out with each other in Southern California preparing for the draft.

“It’s a very, very competitive iron-sharpens-iron environment, and you’ve got to want that,” said Smith, a former pro basketball player who spent 14 seasons overseas, including six years in Italy’s top division.

Bryant, who spent one season at Arizona, has dedicated his workouts to all aspects of his game, which include defense, shooting, ball-handling and conditioning.

“The main focus for me was just staying in tiptop shape,” said Bryant who is gaining an appreciation for low-impact workouts in a pool.

Asked what he was focused on during predraft workouts, Murray-Boyles didn’t hesitate. He called his 3-point shot (26.5% on 34 attempts) the elephant in the room.

“My goal is just to obviously become a better shooter,” he said. “That’s my only concern, only question mark in my game really, or the biggest one.”

He reminds himself daily: make sure his guide hand is in the right spot on the basketball; keep his hips low; stay consistent; build proper habits.

“The first day here I knew the amount of preparation I would be getting and the type of player I would be coming out of this pre-draft process,” Murray-Boyles said.

Said Smith: “We just have a really good stable of young players who are really, really hungry and work really hard. So we are super-excited for them.”

Correction: A previous headline for this story misspelled the name of the former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman. He is Jedrick Wills.

Wills is planning to sit out ‘most – or possibly all’ of the 2025 campaign, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

The reason? Wills dealt with a lingering knee issue that limited him to five games in 2024. Schultz noted that while the 26-year-old Wills has drawn interest from multiple teams, he believes taking time off to get healthy ‘is the best move for the long-term future of his career.’

Wills was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft after a standout career at Alabama. The 6-5, 307-pound blocker immediately emerged as the team’s starting left tackle and started 48 of a possible 53 games to begin his NFL career.

Over the last two seasons, injuries have limited Wills to just 13 appearances and 12 starts. He played just 245 offensive snaps (20.8% of Cleveland’s team total) in 2024, surrendering three sacks and allowing a whopping seven penalties while struggling with his overall mobility.

Even when healthy, Pro Football Focus has never graded Wills better than 52nd among qualified tackles during his five-year career. As such, it isn’t clear what type of interest he’ll draw if he does sit out the 2025 NFL season in an effort to get healthy.

The Browns are set to roll with Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin as their starting tackle duo during the 2025 NFL season. Cleveland signed veteran Cornelius Lucas to help replace Wills and occupy the swing tackle role on its roster.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Best fits for remaining free agents.

Detroit Lions starting center Frank Ragnow is retiring from the NFL at age 29, he announced Monday in an Instagram post.

Ragnow acknowledged he grappled with a ‘very trying’ few months before deciding to retire. He cited the toll of injuries and the physical demands of the sport as the main reason for his decision.

‘I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my families future,’ Ragnow wrote. ‘I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t. I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.’

The Lions selected Ragnow 20th overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He quickly blossomed into a quality starter for the team, making 96 starts over his seven NFL seasons.

Ragnow made four Pro Bowls during his career and was named an All-Pro second-teamer in three of his final five seasons. He was a key cog in Detroit’s top-scoring offense during the 2024 NFL season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ second-best center for the campaign, behind only Kansas City Chiefs star Creed Humphrey.

That said, Ragnow was frequently listed on the Lions’ injury report, though he still played at least 14 games in six of his seven NFL seasons. He gained notoriety for playing through a fractured throat in a December game during the 2020 season and also dealt with foot, toe, knee, ankle, back and groin injuries throughout his career.

Ragnow’s retirement comes as the Lions opened their OTAs for the 2025 NFL offseason. The 29-year-old was not in attendance for those workouts, and speculation arose he might want a new contract as he entered the penultimate year of his deal.

Ragnow put those rumors to bed with his decision to retire. The Lions will now look to replace him, with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo noting veteran Graham Glasgow and second-round rookie Tate Ratledge are taking reps at center in Ragnow’s stead.

Meanwhile, Ragnow took his retirement announcement as an opportunity to thank the Lions and their fans for the support they offered him throughout his seven-year career.

‘The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can’t emphasize this enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans,’ Ragnow wrote. ‘It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all.’

Power-hitting prospect Jac Caglianone is set to make his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, who starred collegiately at Florida, was officially promoted on Monday after just 79 games in the minors.

The left-handed slugger is a natural first baseman, but he has seen time in the minors this season in the outfield – an area where the Royals have been among the least productive in the major leagues.

But what makes Caglianone, 22, special is his elite raw power. He posted an impressive .322/.389/.593 combined slash line with 15 home runs in 38 games this season at Class AA Northwest Arkansas and 12 with Class AAA Omaha.

With his tremendous bat speed and elite exit velocity, Caglianone’s home runs are often of the highlight-reel variety.

Earlier this season, Caglianone hit a ball 120.9 mph for an opposite-field single. At the time, it was the 12th-hardest hit ball in Statcast history – and the highest exit velocity ever recorded in the minor leagues.

The Royals demoted outfielder Dairon Blanco to open a spot on the team’s 26-man roster.

After an off day on Monday, Caglianone is expected to make his Royals debut Tuesday in St. Louis. When he does, he will become the team’s first hitter to reach the majors within one year of being drafted since Bo Jackson in 1986.

Jack Brennan was like a handful of powerful people in the NFL: He was a team PR person. In this case, for the Cincinnati Bengals. And as a PR person he was, in many ways, the front person for the team. If you wanted to talk to then coach Marvin Lewis one-on-one, you went through Brennan. Brennan was always professional, kind and did whatever he could to make your job easy. He was, in other words, a pro. He was also queer.

The latter fact almost no one knew. Brennan kept it a secret throughout his 23-year Bengals career which ended in 2017. Brennan’s story remains one of the most fascinating in recent league history because while the NFL and media has (understandably) focused on players coming out, there have been few team and league officials who have done the same. That’s because, even in an NFL environment that is allegedly more acceptable now, it’s been historically hindering to be LGBTQ+ in the NFL, either as a player or team official.

If you crave the NFL, ‘Project: June’ is for you. Because the league never truly sleeps

When asked if he felt the NFL was an unwelcoming place to come out when he was with the Bengals, Brennan said during an interview with USA TODAY Sports: ‘I didn’t come out until I left the NFL, so I guess I felt that way.’

There are many different types of heroes in what is the continuing battle for the LGBTQ+ community to keep its rights and protect itself. Brennan is one of those heroes. He wasn’t vocal as the PR chief for the Bengals, but he’s speaking out now, and Brennan has a lot to say.

He does some of the talking in a new book Football Sissy: A Cross-Dressing Memoir from Belt Publishing which is scheduled to be released in September.

The book is a striking piece of work. In many ways it’s an historical document because Brennan gives you an inside look at a man who had a secret passion for wearing dresses while working for an extremely conservative league.

“I feel like I want to become more genuine to people around me and not hide anymore. And maybe, I don’t know, someone else will see this and it will help them,” Brennan told journalist Joe Posnanski then.

‘I wanted to write something good and informative,’ Brennan says now. ‘I also wanted to write something that would help people. I think one thing I wanted to say was if you’re in the LGBTQ community, and you want to help other people in it, you can do so by coming out.’

One thing Brennan makes clear during our interview was how he felt the league office itself was tolerant of the LGBTQ+ community and for the most part, he said, so were the Bengals. However, Brennan explained that on occasion around the Bengals’ complex: ‘Sometimes people would make slurs or insensitive comments in the office, or in the locker room.’

What concerned Brennan the most about possibly coming out while with the Bengals? That he would be reassigned.

‘Would the Bengals think it was inappropriate for me to be walking around the locker room,’ Brennan said during his interview with me, ‘around players not always wearing clothes?’

Brennan believes the NFL is a better place now for the LGBTQ+ community than when he was with the Bengals. Not greatly better, he said, but better. There’s just one thing that concerns him. Brennan explained he’s watched as some institutions have buckled to pressure from the Trump administration which has been anti-LGBTQ.

‘I just hope the NFL doesn’t,’ said Brennan.

If the league has the bravery of Brennan, it won’t.

Less than three weeks into the 2025 WNBA season, a clear pecking order has emerged in the MVP race.

It’s Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, reigning MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and then everybody else, according to oddsmakers. Those three have a tremendous jump start on the rest of the contenders for the league’s top individual award, and Collier remains atop the field.

Her odds got even better as the Lynx extended their undefeated start to the regular season after last year’s run to the WNBA Finals. Collier is leading the league in scoring through six games and she’s put together three-consecutive double-doubles in her most recent appearances.

Clark’s MVP hopes remain stagnant after missing her first WNBA games due to injury and she’s expected to be out for at least another week. Wilson, meanwhile, continues to put up big numbers and could be due for a rise now that the Ace have strung together wins in four of their past five games. Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and new Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum round out the top five MVP candidates at the moment, per BetMGM.

Here’s a breakdown of the WNBA MVP odds after more than two weeks of the 2025 season schedule:

WNBA power rankings: 2025 MVP odds

BetMGM odds as of Monday, June 2

Favorites

Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (-250)
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (+450)
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (+700)

Collier continues to stake claim to being the early favorite to win her first MVP award during the Lynx’s undefeated start to the 2025 season. She’s currently averaging a career-best 26.3 points while shooting 45% from 3-point range. Clark’s candidacy has been put on pause by her ongoing quad injury. She will be out for at least one more week, according to the Fever’s initial injury update. Wilson became the first player in league history to put up multiple games with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists last week when she scored 36 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out six assists in the Aces’ win over the Los Angeles Sparks on May 30.

Contenders

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (+5000)
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks (+6600)
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (+8000)
Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury (+8000)
Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm (+8000)
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury (+10,000)
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm: (+12,500)
Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx (+12,500)
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (+15,000)
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (+15,000)
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (+15,000)
Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (+17,500)