We have reached the regional championship portion of the 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament.

The field has dwindled from 64 teams to 32 entering play on Sunday, with 16 more teams facing the end of their seasons today. The 16 winners from today will advance to the super regional and continue on the road to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The 2025 tournament has featured a lot of parity, as a number of ranked teams are on the ropes entering the championship. No. 1 seed Texas A&M needs to win twice to advance to a regional, while one loss could derail its season. No. 10 LSU has already been eliminated and will watch its home regional championship game from the stands.

No. 13 Arizona, No. 14 Duke and No. 16 Oregon also enter similar situations as the Aggies. The Wildcats, Blue Devils and Ducks all need two wins to continue their seasons. Will their seasons continue to the super regionals, or will they all face disappointment with an early ending to their seasons?

Here’s a look at scores and highlights from the second day of the 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament regional round on Sunday, May 18:

NCAA Softball Tournament scores today

Sunday, May 18

Tallahassee Regional: Auburn 8, No. 5 Florida State 3
Knoxville Regional: No. 7 Tennessee 5, Ohio State 0 | Ohio State eliminated
Gainesville Regional: No. 3 Florida 8, Mercer 0, 5 innings | Mercer eliminated
Columbia Regional: No. 8 South Carolina 8, North Florida 0, 5 innings | North Florida eliminated
Clemson Regional: No. 11 Clemson 5, Kentucky 1 | Kentucky eliminated
Austin Regional: No. 6 Texas 9, UCF 0 | UCF eliminated
Norman Regional: No. 2 Oklahoma 12, Cal 1, 5 innings | Cal eliminated
Durham Regional: No. 14 Duke 8, Georgia 1
Tuscaloosa Regional: No. 15 Alabama 3, Virginia Tech 2 | Virginia Tech eliminated
Lubbock Regional: No. 12 Texas Tech 9, Mississippi State 6 | Mississippi State eliminated
Baton Rouge Regional: Nebraska 8, Southeastern Louisiana 0 | Southeastern Louisiana eliminated
Fayetteville Regional: No. 4 Arkansas 12, Oklahoma State 0 (6 innings) | Oklahoma State eliminated
Bryan-College Station Regional: No. 1 Texas A&M 14, Liberty 11 (8 innings)
Eugene Regional: No. 16 Oregon 15, Stanford 5 (6 innings)
Los Angeles Regional: No. 9 UCLA 12, UC Santa Barbara 1 (5 innings) | UC Santa Barbara eliminated
Tucson Regional: No. 13 Arizona 10, Ole Miss 1 (5 innings)

If necessary games:

Tallahassee Regional: No. 5 Florida State 4, Auburn 0 | Auburn eliminated
Durham Regional: Georgia 5, No. 14 Duke 2 (8 innings) | Duke eliminated
Bryan-College Station Regional: Liberty 6, No. 1 Texas A&M 5 | Texas A&M eliminated
Tucson Regional: Ole Miss 7, No. 13 Arizona 3 | Arizona eliminated
Eugene Regional: No. 16 Oregon 10, Stanford 7 | Stanford eliminated

The NHL had to change referees in Game 7 of the Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs series because of an injury to Chris Rooney.

Rooney was hurt 13 seconds into the second period when he caught an errant stick from Niko Mikkola in the face. The Panthers defenseman was clearing a puck and accidentally hit Rooney on his follow-through.

The referee’s helmet was knocked off and he fell to the ice, grabbing his face. He stayed down for minutes and a stretcher was brought onto the ice.

Rooney eventually got up and left the ice with assistance as a towel was held to his face. TNT reported in the third period that Rooney needed stitches above his eye and wouldn’t return to the game.

The NHL carries backup officials at games and Garrett Rank took Rooney’s place.

The game was scoreless at the time, but the Panthers scored three quick goals afterward on the way to a 6-1 win and third consecutive trip to the conference final.

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The Minnesota Lynx handed the Los Angeles Sparks their first loss of the season.

Star forward Napheesa Collier led the Lynx to a 89-75 road victory over the Sparks on Sunday at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist in the win. Courtney Williams finished one assist short of a double-double, ending the night with 13 points and nine assists.

The Lynx led by a many as 16 points in the contest, but the Sparks came within five points with 7:45 remaining, 75-70. The Lynx responded by stepping on the gas and closed the game on a 14-5 run to move to 2-0 on the season.

Azura Stevens led the Sparks with 21 points, while Dearica Hamby recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kelsey Plum finished with 18 points and five assists.

Here is a recap of the Lynx and Sparks battle in Los Angeles:

End of Q3: Lynx 70, Sparks 62

The Minnesota Lynx have an eight-point lead over the Los Angeles Sparks heading into the fourth quarter. Napheesa Collier has 19 points and six rebounds, while Courtney Williams added 13 points and six assists. Dearica Hamby scored 20 points, while Azura Stevens added 17 and Kelsey Plum recorded 15 points.

Halftime: Lynx 46, Sparks 45

The Sparks outscored the Lynx 20-16 in the second quarter, yet trail Minnesota by one at halftime. Sparks’ Dearica Hamby scored nine of her 15 points in the second quarter, while Azura Stevens added 14. Napheesa Collier is the only Lynx player in double-digits with 17 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-2 from three.

End of Q1: Lynx 30, Sparks 25

The Minnesota Lynx have a five-point advantage over the Los Angeles Sparks heading into the second quarter. Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier led the way with 12 points and three rebounds, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 1-of-1 from three. Sparks’ Azura Stevens has a game-high 14 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.

What time is Lynx vs. Sparks?

The Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks will tip off at 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. local time, on Sunday, May 18 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

How to watch Lynx vs. Sparks: TV, stream

Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Location: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, FanDuel Sports Network – North
Stream: Fubo, WNBA League Pass

Watch the Sparks vs. Lynx live with Fubo

Maybe if Aaron Gordon hadn’t been limited by a hamstring strain, the Denver Nuggets could’ve made it a closer game or even beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

Maybe. But we will never know.

On the road for Game 7 with Gordon hobbled by an injury that rendered him way less than 100% and should’ve sidelined him, the Nuggets didn’t have enough.

The Thunder moved to the Western Conference finals with a 125-93 victory against Denver, an anticlimactic Game 7 that showed promise early but turned into a Thunder rout late in the second quarter and into the second half.

MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with an efficient 35 points on 12-for-19 shooting, plus four assists, three rebounds and three steals, and Jalen Williams had 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

The Thunder used their size, depth, versatility and offensive and defensive power throughout the series, and they made offense difficult for Denver MVP finalist Nikola Jokic.

This was an impressive series for the Thunder, and they took one step further in the playoffs than they did last season. Oklahoma City closed out Game 5 against Denver for a 3-2 series lead and left no doubt in Game 7. The Thunder are learning in real time what’s required to get to the next level, and that’s an encouraging sign.

But they will need to be much better in the conference finals against the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards.

Both teams are relatively healthy – as healthy as a contender can be at this point in the season – and seeds no longer matter. Minnesota beat the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in five games, dispatched the Golden State Warriors in five (albeit no Steph Curry for the final four games) and now gets the Thunder.

Minnesota has a star in Edwards, Julius Randle is playing outstanding in the postseason, and while the Timberwolves might not be as deep and versatile as Oklahoma City, they still have a strong bench and can go big or small.

It should be a competitive series.

But Oklahoma City – based on its 68 regular-season wins, No. 1 seed and home-court advantage – is favored. The roster was assembled and designed for long-term success which includes competing for a championship. The Thunder have been close, getting to the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in 2012 and the West finals three other times before this season.

Following Durant’s departure in 2016 and Westbrook’s departure in 2019, the Thunder embarked on another rebuild, and executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, this season’s NBA executive of the year, used trades, free agency and the draft to create the roster. He’s as good as it gets in the front office – not only does he and his staff have an eye for talent but they have a knack of knowing the right combination of players.

With stakes and pressure rising with each game, the Thunder must prove – to themselves and the rest of the league – they can take the next step. That’s the storyline that hangs over this series.

Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

Friday night, he was the Baltimore Orioles’ third base coach and infield instructor, a minor league lifer who’d earned his stripes on the major league staff the past four seasons. Saturday morning, he was thrust into the manager’s seat when the man who gave him a big-league shot, Brandon Hyde, was fired amid a 15-28 start.

By Sunday morning, he was holding his first media briefing and aiming to contextualize it all.

‘This is very different than what I was doing. I had a nice little silo that I worked in, and it was comfortable,’ says Mansolino. ‘This is about as uncomfortable as it gets right now.’

A few hours later, Mansolino learned it can always, always get more uncomfortable.

For the second consecutive game in the post-Hyde era, the Orioles trailed their quasi-rival Washington Nationals by seven runs after just two innings. Both games, the Orioles trailed before recording an out, with CJ Abrams ripping Sunday’s first pitch from Baltimore ace Zach Eflin over Camden Yards’ right field wall.

Abrams would homer his next at-bat, and Dylan Crews hit a three-run homer, and a lively crowd on Little League day was soon lulled into the catatonic stupor that just may accompany Baltimore’s final 117 games of the season.

If the firing of Hyde – who endured the club’s tanking and survived to guide it to a 101-win season and two playoff berths – was supposed to invigorate a clearly underperforming club, it’s initially had the opposite effect.

The Orioles were swept at home by the Nationals, who prevailed 10-4 on Sunday, for the first time since 2018, when they lost a franchise-record 115 games that inspired this rebuild that only recently went sideways, resulting in Hyde’s firing.

For a team widely expected to make the playoffs a third consecutive season, and a young core that seems to be regressing rather than peaking, there’s seemingly no bottom.

‘I don’t think there’s really any words I can tell you,’ says Eflin after withstanding the early barrage to pitch into the sixth inning. ‘I mean, it’s frustrating. We’re not necessarily having fun right now.’

And for a young club playing for a different manager for the first time, it might take some adjustments.

A new sensation

The Orioles looked relatively shell-shocked in the aftermath of Hyde’s Saturday firing. Mansolino, 42, who has four seasons of minor league managerial experience, does not expect that to disappear overnight.

‘This is tough. This is emotional. There’s a lot of emotions,’ says Manosolino. ‘For a lot of our guys, for us as coaches. I mean, this was a tough pill to swallow in a lot of ways.

‘So, we have to say that, but we also have to recognize this is not going to be as linear as we want.’

With that, Mansolino anticipates the seven-game trip that begins Monday at Milwaukee will allow space after a chaotic weekend to pull individuals aside and take their emotional temperature.

‘This is going to linger for a little bit,’ he says, ‘and we got to do the best we can to move forward and try to win some games.’

All this is new for the Orioles’ core. They sent five players to the All-Star Game last season, with Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg representing the homegrown core of the rebuild.

Henderson missed the start of the season with an oblique injury, one of many nicks that have waylaid the club so far. He had a predictably uneven beginning to the season but now has reached base in 21 of his past 23 games.

He slammed his seventh homer Sunday, then reflected on this new sensation for the group.

‘It’s definitely different,’ says Henderson. ‘This is my first change in manager, so it is a little bit different, but I have full faith in Manso and the surrounding staff, so we’ll see if we can get it turned around.’

That seems unlikely – at least, to the extent that the 15-30 Orioles reach .500, avoid a sell-off at the trade deadline and remain live dogs for their third consecutive playoff berth.

Still, it’s plenty early, though that means nothing if the team can’t pitch. Sunday, the club designated for assignment right-hander Kyle Gibson, one day after he created that 7-0 second-inning hole in the first game of the Mansolino era.

Eflin, their opening-day starter, won’t meet that fate after his Sunday foibles. But he also couldn’t stop whatever bleeding – on the scoreboard, and emotionally – that lingered from the Hyde dismissal.

‘This was tough yesterday. There’s no doubt,’ Mansolino said Sunday. ‘But as you walk into that clubhouse today, even yesterday, I don’t think that they’re feeling sorry for themselves. I don’t think that their compete has diminished in any ways.’

For the first time, the World’s Strongest Man hails from Africa.

Rayno Nel, a South African rugby player turned strongman, held on to win Sunday in his World’s Strongest Man debut — becoming the first man from outside Europe or Noth America to take the title in the competition’s 48-year history. He is also the first rookie to win since 1997.

‘I’m just over the moon,’ he told USA TODAY Sports shortly after securing the title at the 2025 competition, held in Sacramento, California.

‘To represent (South Africa) in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal. I mean, we’re a small country with a lot of struggles. To have something like this I know means a lot to my people.’

It was a stunning outcome, particularly given the circumstances — and the frantic finale.

At World’s Strongest Man, competitors earn points based on the order of finish in each event, with the top finisher getting the most points. Nel built a sizable lead on the first day of the finals Saturday by finishing no worse than second in the day’s three events, but he knew that his two worst events — the Flintstone Barbell and the storied Atlas Stones — were ahead of him. The Flintstone Barbell requires competitors to overhead press a bar weighing 531 pounds, while the Atlas Stones involve placing a series of stones between 310 and 460 pounds on pedestals.

‘I think to have your two worst events coming up, that’s one thing. But knowing that (2023 champion) Mitch Hooper and (three-time World’s Strongest Man) Tom Stoltman are chasing you, with your worst events coming up, that’s something different,’ Nel said. 

‘I just tried to stay focused and do as much damage limitation as possible.’

Nel, 30, ultimately won by just half a point over Stoltman thanks to a third-place finish in the Atlas Stones, which was the last event of the finals. 

Not bad for a guy who, at least as of three years ago, had only played rugby.

‘Rugby was what I thought I would do for my sport career. I didn’t think I’d do any sport ever again,’ he said. ‘But I always had this competitive side to me, so when I stopped playing rugby, I knew I needed to do something competitive. That’s just who I am.’

Nel, who is 6 feet 3 and weighs 326 pounds, has said he realized at one point that he had always had a bit more muscle over even larger opponents in rugby matches. So he decided to give strongman a try. He said he lucked out because his coach, Terence Bosman, had a world-class facility just a few miles from his house.

‘Although the strongman community is very small in South Africa, of the whole country, I lived 5 kilometers from the best place to train,’ Nel said.

Though he had won continental strongman competitions before this week, Nel admitted that World’s Strongest Man marked a massive step up. Of the 25 strongmen in the field, he had only competed against one of them before. He said it led to some nerves — errors — in the opening events.

‘Coming in, I won’t say I was starstruck by everything, but World’s Strongest Man is just such a big scene and competition,’ he said.

‘Luckily in the sport, I know what the other guys’ numbers are. I know, pretty much, what they can do. So deep down, I knew there was a chance.’

Asked about how he would celebrate his win — and the history he made for his continent — Nel laughed. His only plan was to have a beer with his family, even if his preferred South African brand, Black Label, would likely be impossible to find.

‘I’ll try out some American beer tonight,’ he said.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

(This story has been updated to add new information).

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi held his arms up in the air in disbelief. The rest of his Inter Miami teammates joined him in complaint, and waited to see what would come from their contest with a referee.

No one was watching Orlando City’s Luis Muriel, who scored a goal just before halftime that kept the Inter Miami players fuming as they walked onto the pitch for the second half.

Orlando City’s Marco Pašalić doubled the lead (53’), Dagur Thorhallsson scored before the final whistle (90’+4’), and Inter Miami lost 3-0 at Chase Stadium on MLS Sunday Night Soccer.

“There’s always something going on with the referees, some isolated plays. I think MLS needs to look a little more closely to the referees,” Messi said during a post-match interview with Apple TV.

It’s easily the most difficult stretch Inter Miami has experienced in the Messi era – even more for first-year coach Javier Mascherano, whose lineup changes are not sparking enough fire offensively to keep up.

Inter Miami has won just one match in its last seven games – conceding 20 goals, while scoring just 12. They have lost five matches during the stretch, including their elimination in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament by MLS Western Conference leaders Vancouver late last month. 

Messi and his squad are a club in disarray, about to be exposed on the world stage during the FIFA Club World Cup next month.

“It’s a difficult time, but we’re going to come through this together,” Messi said. “Now we’ll really see if we’re a team in difficult times because when everything is going well, it’s very easy. But when difficult times come, like now, that’s when we have to be more united than ever, be a real team and get through it.”

“We as a coaching staff are failing, and we have to try to turn things around,” Mascherano added.

Inter Miami’s frustration boiled over as Messi, Luis Suarez and others contested with referees before their first goal allowed.

Messi contested an Orlando player made a pass backward to his goalkeeper, who then picked the ball up with his hands – leading to the transition goal. However, there was another Orlando player in front of the goalkeeper who did not touch the ball – making it permissible for the goalkeeper to pick it up.

“There was a strange play where one of their players passed the ball to goalkeepers and the referee told me that he didn’t know the rule, that he didn’t think it was a foul or that he didn’t understand it,” Messi said. “And well, from there came a long ball, and the goal.”

Messi and Luis Suarez each received yellow cards within minutes of each other midway through the second half as tensions remained raised. A season ago, they both scored twice in a 5-0 win over their in-state rivals as part of a record-setting season where Inter Miami won the MLS Supporters’ Shield.

After losing the Florida Derby during MLS Rivalry Week, Inter Miami fell to sixth place (21 points) in the MLS Eastern Conference, jumped by Orlando City (24 points) in the standings.

They dropped from fourth to fifth earlier this week behind Philadelphia Union (29 points), FC Cincinnati (29 points), Columbus Crew (27 points) and Nashville (24 points) after a 3-3 draw in San Jose on Wednesday night.

Inter Miami’s last win was a 4-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls on May 3.

Inter Miami has three MLS regular-season matches remaining, and Messi is expected to join Argentina for two World Cup qualifying matches – Argentina will visit Chile on June 5, and host Colombia on June 10 –before the Club World Cup.

They will play in the tournament opener on June 14 against Egyptian side Al Alhy at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the first of three group-stage matches during the summer tournament between 32 of the best teams in the world.

They’re barely a Top 15 team in MLS, amid their difficult stretch. And time isn’t on their side for much-needed improvement.

“It has been a period of poor results, but we must continue working and think about what lies ahead,” Messi said. “We have four games left to finish the month on a high note ahead of the Club World Cup.” “If we all start pulling in different directions, it’s going to be impossible to get out of it. It’s clear that we have to get out of this together,” Mascherano added.

Marco Pašalić scores goal: Orlando City 2, Inter Miami 0

Inter Miami allowed a goal before halftime, and one to begin the second half. Marco Pašalić has scored in the 53rd minute to double Orlando City’s lead.

Luis Muriel scores goal: Orlando City 1, Inter Miami 0

Orlando City is on the board just before halftime as Luis Muriel scored a breakaway goal in the 43rd minute of the match.

Iván Angulo shot saved by Oscar Ustari: Inter Miami 0, Orlando City 0

Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saved this attempt by Orlando City’s Iván Angulo in the 24th minute. Ustari has been on the opposite end of 17 goals allowed in the last six games.

Messi misses shot with right boot: Inter Miami 0, Orlando City 0

Lionel Messi lined up this opportunity with his right foot instead of his legendary left, but was unable to score past Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese in the 22nd minute.

Messi contract talks: When will he re-sign with Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi is under contract this season, but Inter Miami wants to extend the World Cup champion.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said of a possible extension for Messi: “Hopefully in a few weeks, we can have some news about Leo because I think it will be very, very good for the club, for the fans, and for MLS.”

Is Messi playing vs. Orlando City? Inter Miami lineup today

Yes, Messi was announced as a starter by Inter Miami before the match. Here are the starting lineups for both clubs:

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Orlando City match on TV, live stream?

The match is available on the Apple TV+ channel, and MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

What time is Inter Miami vs. Orlando City match?

The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (8 p.m. in Argentina).

Is Luis Suarez playing tonight vs. Orlando City?

Suarez is also listed in the starting lineup, and returns after missing the last two Inter Miami matches due to personal reasons.

Inter Miami vs. Orlando City prediction

Inter Miami 2, Orlando City 1: Messi scores a goal and has an assist in a 2-1 victory for Inter Miami against Orlando City. — Safid Deen, Lionel Messi reporter.

Inter Miami vs. Orlando City betting odds

Inter Miami enters the match as the favorite (-130), while a draw (+290) has slightly lower odds than a win by Orlando City (+300), according to BETMGM.

Messi to join Argentina before Club World Cup

Messi has been called up by the defending World Cup champions for qualifying matches for the 2026 tournament. Argentina will visit Chile on June 5, and host Colombia on June 10.

Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule

May 24: Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 28: Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 31: Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET

Messi, Inter Miami schedule for Club World Cup

June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy, 8 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)
June 19: Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmerias, 9 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)

The WNBA said it is looking into hateful comments made during the season opener between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday in Indianapolis.

‘The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms – they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,’ the league said in a statement.

While the league didn’t specify what the allegations are, a person with knowledge of the situation told IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, it’s directed toward hateful comments to Sky forward Angel Reese.

‘The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter. Such behavior is unacceptable in our sports,’ the players’ union said in a statement.

A rivalry between Reese and Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been going on since their college days, and it’s been no different in the WNBA. There was anticipation for the season beginning with the two stars starting their second-year campaigns against one another, but it got heated during the contest.

With less than five minutes left in the third quarter, Clark intentionally fouled Reese on the arm and shoved her as the Chicago star went for a layup. Reese immediately got up and appeared to say something to Clark as she went toward her before Indiana forward Aliyah Boston intervened. Clark walked away while the situation was quickly deescalated by the players on the court and coaching staff.

Referees reviewed the play and upgraded the foul by Clark to a Flagrant 1, while Boston and Reese were given offsetting technical fouls.

Reese was heavily booed by the Indiana crowd during player introductions and throughout the game, but the intensity picked up as she shot the free throws following the Flagrant 1 call.

Indiana won the contest 93-58. Clark finished with a game-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the third triple-double of her career, while Reese had 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.