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Deion Sanders will be happy with any team that drafts Shedeur Sanders

Deion Sanders won’t be playing matchmaker at the NFL draft.

The Colorado coach, who is sending two sons and another star to the pros in 2025, is singing a different tune this year.

During an appearance on ‘The Skip Bayless Show,’ Sanders spoke at length about the draft process and his thoughts on Shedeur Sanders, including whether he’s going to have influence over the quarterback’s potential destination.

‘Shedeur has told me, he’s talked to me intently about all the visits he’s had with all the teams, so I know where his heart is, I know where he wants to go,’ Sanders said. ‘If it’s New York, it’s New York, if it’s Tennessee, if it’s Cleveland, if it’s still the Raiders, if it’s New Orleans, if it’s any of those teams that are seeking a quarterback, I’m happy with it, man. Because I know what he’s going to do to the organization.’

Sanders said the later some players go in the draft, the better the team will be. He added that it’s still a blessing rather than a curse. The Colorado coach called his kids ‘born winners’ and that he isn’t worried about them on the field.

When asked by Bayless, Sanders said he wouldn’t orchestrate where Shedeur is eventually drafted.

‘No, no, no,’ he said. ‘Because that’s not God’s will right now. I want Shedeur to do what he’s consistently done – excel against all odds. I like the hating, I like the naysaying, I like the ignorance because it makes us feel better about what we do and it gives him another chip on his shoulder.’

It’s a noticeable shift from Sanders’ comments in 2024, when he essentially insisted the opposite.

‘I know where I want them to go,’ Sanders said during an appearance on the ‘Million Dollaz Worth of Game’ podcast in March 2024. ‘So, it’s certain cities that ain’t going to happen. It’s going to be an Eli.’

He even added that cold weather cities could’ve been on the chopping block.

‘Like, I don’t want my kid (Shedeur) going nowhere cold next year,’ Sanders said via Pro Football Talk. ‘He grew up in Texas. He played in Jackson (Mississippi), played in Colorado. Season’s over before it gets cold in Colorado. I’m just thinking way ahead. I don’t want that for him.’

Shedeur Sanders is expected to come off the board early on draft night, with a destination that remains a mystery. He projects inside the top-10, with a ceiling at high as No. 2 overall but could slide if the board doesn’t break right.

Whenever the quarterback hears his name called, Deion Sanders seems to be happy with whatever the end result is. Time will tell if that remains the case.

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Cooper Flagg has Duke on brink of Final Four with dominant effort

NEWARK, N.J. — With seven seconds left in the first half, Duke forward Mason Gillis rebounded an Arizona miss and underhanded the ball to Cooper Flagg, who raced up court, stopped with his heels just ahead of the March Madness logo at halfcourt and drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer as time expired to put the Blue Devils ahead 48-42 at the halftime of their NCAA men’s tournament Sweet 16 matchup in the East Region.

“Let’s (expletive) go, man!” Flagg screamed as he led the Blue Devils into the locker room.

The lead swelled to 62-47 just over four minutes into the second half, with Flagg making a pair of free throws and handing out three assists on as many offensive possessions to send a Duke-friendly crowd at the Prudential Center into a frenzy.

“It was an inflection point for us,” said freshman guard Kon Knueppel. “That was huge for momentum. That’s why we went on that big run at the start of the second half.”

Flagg put on a show as top-seeded Duke held on for a 100-93 win against the No. 4 Wildcats to reach the Elite Eight, scoring 30 points, pulling down six rebounds and dishing out seven assists in the sort of well-rounded performance that has moribund NBA franchises salivating and Duke aimed at the program’s first national championship since 2015 and sixth overall.

He’s the first player since former Marquette guard Dwyane Wade in 2003 to score at least 25 points with at least five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a tournament game.

“That was one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer.

“What I’ve wanted from him is not to defer. I’ve just wanted him to fully be him, and I thought he was that. He was in his element tonight. He was him. He had just a great personality. He was loose, talking, competitive, the whole thing. So yeah, he impresses me all the time. But we need more of that on Saturday.”

The Blue Devils next face No. 2 Alabama, which set an NCAA tournament record with 25 3-pointers in a 113-88 win against No. 6 Brigham Young.

Flagg’s first 30-point game since dropping a career-high 42 points against Notre Dame on Jan. 11 came after suffering an ankle injury in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, sidelining him for wins against North Carolina and Louisville. Flagg played a combined 41 minutes in routs against No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s and No. 9 Baylor as coach Jon Scheyer eased him back into the lineup.

“I think it’s just a credit to coach Scheyer, the vision that he laid out for me,” Flagg said. “It just really felt like the right place with the right people.”

There’s not much left to say about the phenomenal freshman, who has lived up to his advance billing and then some as the consensus top recruit in his class and one of the top NBA prospects to recently come through the college game. Again and again, his play has pundits digging deep into the thesaurus to find ways to describe Flagg’s blindingly bright future.

But you can say this: When it comes to how this team matches up with the rest of the NCAA tournament field, the No. 1 Blue Devils’ biggest advantage is that they have Flagg and, well, you don’t.

“There’s nothing more I can say about how good a player Cooper is,” senior guard Sion James said. “It’s well-documented. Everyone knows.”

There are highlight-reel plays and then there are highlight-reel players; Flagg fits into the latter category. For most of Thursday night, no matter what or who Arizona threw at him — harassing guards, physical forwards, the kitchen sink — Flagg did what he wanted when he wanted to do it.

He scored from deep, connecting on three of five attempts from 3-point range. He scored in transition. He got buckets from the line, hitting 9 of his 10 free throws. He scored off screens. In isolation. From the elbow. In the paint. He orchestrated the Blue Devils’ offense as a point-forward, often bringing the ball up court.

Flagg’s shooting stroke “has gotten so much better” since Duke beat the Wildcats in November, said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd. “And just his ability to play-make.”

Again and again, especially as Arizona climbed back into the game in the second half, Duke leaned on Flagg to deliver a response.

He went to the bench with the Blue Devils ahead 70-51 with 13:12 remaining, only to return a minute later, after a 5-0 Arizona run. Flagg quickly pulled down a defensive rebound and drilled a shot from the top of the key to push the lead back to 15 points at 75-60 with 10:07 to play. He made a crucial block of a Henri Veesaar layup attempt after the Wildcats had trimmed the score to 82-73 at the 7:11 mark. He made three free throws in the final 1:33 to ice the win.

“He was definitely big,” freshman center Patrick Ngongba said. “He led the charge and then we all followed him.”

He looms large over Alabama’s pursuit of a second Final Four appearance in a row. Flagg is a matchup nightmare for the Crimson Tide, who allowed BYU to score 50 points in the paint and simply do not have the personnel to combat his ability to singlehandedly commandeer games against some of the best teams in college basketball.

“I mean, I think just playing with really good energy, trusting our game plan, trusting my teammates,” Flagg said. “They put me in some really good spots tonight. Coach, as well, put me in some really good spots. I think just making the right play and just letting the game happen.”

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Trump doubles down on acquiring Greenland for ‘world peace’ amid Vance visit

President Donald Trump stressed the need to acquire Greenland as part of the U.S. for international security purposes Friday, as Vice President JD Vance conducted a trip there with second lady Usha Vance. 

Although the Danish territory has said it is seeking independence from Copenhagen and isn’t interested in becoming part of the U.S., Trump has repeatedly offered, dating back to his first administration, a desire to secure Greenland for the U.S. as Russian and Chinese presence grows in the Arctic. 

‘If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that,’ Trump told reporters Friday. ‘We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody to take care of that situation. And we’re not talking about peace for the United States, we’re talking about world peace, we’re talking about international security.’ 

 

The Vances, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, arrived in Greenland on Friday to visit Pituffik Space Base, the Department of Defense’s northernmost military installation. The base is home to the Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group to conduct missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations.

Despite the Trump administration’s push to secure Greenland, leaders in Denmark and Greenland remain staunchly against the president’s wishes, even as Greenland’s prime minister has called for independence from Copenhagen. 

But the Trump administration has pointed out that Denmark has faced backlash for its treatment of indigenous people from Greenland. A group of indigenous women from Greenland sued the Danish government in May 2024 and accused Danish health officials of fitting them with intrauterine devices without their knowledge between the 1960s and 1970s.

Both Denmark and Greenland initiated an investigation into the matter in 2022, and the report is expected for release this year.

A senior White House official said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Denmark’s treatment of the people of Greenland will receive ample attention during Vance’s visit. 

‘Unfortunately, Danish leaders have spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair. Expect the Vice President to emphasize these points as well,’ the official said Thursday. 

Greenland is rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas, and both Russia and China have bolstered their presence in the region in recent years.

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Two trans inmates ordered back to women’s prisons in Reagan-appointed judge’s injunction

Transgender inmates who were moved from a women’s prison to an all-male facility, after President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating inmates live in facilities corresponding to their biological sex, are now being sent back to the women’s prison after a judge issued a preliminary injunction.

‘This is the latest example of an activist judge attempting to seize power at the expense of the American people who overwhelmingly voted to elect President Trump,’ a Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement Friday. ‘The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Defending Women Executive Order, and will continue to do so.’

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington issued the injunction last week after the two inmates, identified in court documents as Rachel and Ellen Doe, were added as plaintiffs to a lawsuit against Trump’s executive order with nearly a dozen other inmates.

‘The fact that they have already been transferred and, allegedly, have been abused at their new facilities can only strengthen their claims of irreparable harm,’ Lamberth, a Reagan-appointed U.S. district court judge, wrote in the injunction.

The court documents also allege that since being transferred to a male prison, ‘they have been unable to access bras and women’s underwear’ while being subjected to ‘sexual harassment’ at the new facilities.

The Bureau of Prisons did not respond when reached for comment Friday.

The original lawsuit the two new inmates were added to alleged that ‘the inmates, all of whom are transgender women, ‘will not be safe’ if transferred to men’s facilities, the lawsuit states, and the inmates will be at risk of ‘sexual harassment, assault, and rape.’

This injunction adds to a lengthy list of legal battles the Trump DOJ faces regarding the president’s executive orders. The first lawsuit against Trump’s ‘two sexes’ executive order came from a transgender inmate receiving taxpayer-funded medical treatments just days after Trump signed the order in January.

That inmate, anonymously identified as Maria Moe, is being represented by advocacy groups GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and National Center for Lesbian Rights and Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Once Trump signed the executive order, Moe was transferred to a men’s prison facility, and BOP records changed the sex from ‘female’ to ‘male,’ the complaint says.

At least 15 trans prisoners are now protected by orders blocking or reversing the transfers, the Associated Press reported.

Lamberth has not yet ruled on a lawsuit filed this month by three other inmates—a transgender woman in a men’s prison and two transgender men in women’s prisons—who are challenging the executive order’s ban on transgender medical treatments in prisons.

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Putin says Trump plans for Greenland ‘has nothing to do’ with Russia

Speaking from the Arctic as Vice President JD Vance prepared for his trip to Greenland to assess U.S. security concerns, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Washington’s ambitions for the Arctic nation had ‘nothing to do’ with Russia. 

‘In short, America’s plans in relation to Greenland are serious,’ Putin said Thursday during an address to Russia’s Arctic Forum in Murmansk. 

‘These plans have deep historical roots,’ he continued, according to a BBC report. ‘And it’s clear that the US will continue to systematically pursue its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic.

‘As for Greenland, this is a matter for two specific countries,’ he added. ‘It has nothing to do with us.’

Putin’s comments coincided with remarks by President Donald Trump, who on Thursday doubled down on his ambitions for the Arctic nation despite international rebuke, and said, ‘We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it.’

‘It’s [an] island from a defensive posture and even offensive posture is something we need,’ he told radio host Vince Coglianese. ‘When you look at the ships going up their shore by the hundreds, it’s a busy place.’

Trump acknowledged he was unsure if the people of Greenland wanted to become U.S. citizens, but he said it was important to ‘convince them.’

Greenland’s citizens and leadership have repeatedly made clear they are not interested in becoming a part of the U.S. and are seeking full independence from Denmark. 

It is unclear if the vice president will be advancing Trump’s message while visiting the U.S.’ Pituffik Space Force base in northwest Greenland, but Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, quickly changed their itinerary earlier this week upon announcing the planned trip after Greenland’s leaders made clear the Vances were not issued an invitation — sparking a diplomatic uproar.

However, as Trump claims the Arctic nation is needed for U.S. security, Russian officials are now touting the idea that Washington and Moscow could expand economic cooperation in the Arctic. 

‘We are open to considering different investment opportunities that we can do jointly with the U.S., in certain sectors approved by the Russian government,’ Putin’s envoy for foreign investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said according to the BBC report, which also noted the Kremlin official has already been in ‘direct talks’ with the U.S.

‘We are open for investment cooperation in the Arctic. That could be in logistics, or other areas beneficial to Russia and to the U.S.,’ Dmitriev added. ‘But before deals can be done, the war in Ukraine needs to end.’

Russia has stalled U.S. attempts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine by laying out conditions European nations have made clear they will not agree to, like lifting sanctions and booting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from office — which security experts have long warned is Putin’s chief aim to cement control over the former Soviet nation.

Putin reiterated this goal during his address from the Arctic and said, ‘We could, of course, discuss with the United States, even with European countries, and of course with our partners and friends, under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine.’

It remains highly unlikely Ukraine or its European partners, including France and the U.K. who sit on the UN Security Council, will agree to Putin’s conditions. 

Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

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Vance’s ‘America First’ approach goes global, takes hardline message to Greenland

Vice President JD Vance refuses to mince his words with European allies. 

From blasting European nations on censorship issues, to publicly urging Ukrainian Vice President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express gratitude for U.S. support during its conflict with Russia, Vance has secured his spot as a vocal advocate and messenger for the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ agenda. 

Now Vance has another opportunity to deliver the Trump administration’s gospel. He will be visiting Greenland Friday amid efforts from President Donald Trump to check off another foreign policy win for his administration and acquire the Danish territory. 

While, historically, vice presidents have resorted to the wings on foreign policy issues, that is not the case for Vance. He is in the foreign policy spotlight now.

‘He’s someone who’s not going to just sit by and stand back like Mike Pence did a lot of the times,’ a GOP source familiar with Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda told Fox News Digital Thursday. ‘He’s really taking the charge.’

Vance and second lady Usha Vance, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, are poised to visit Pituffik Space Base in Greenland Friday, the Department of Defense’s northernmost military installation that houses Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group to conduct missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations. 

Vance’s departure from his predecessors and involvement in the foreign policy theater stems from a generational shift following the Global War on Terror, according to Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida. 

While former vice presidents Mike Pence and Joe Biden had no direct military experience, that’s not the case for the current cohort of foreign policy leaders at the White House. 

Vance, who served for four years in the Marine Corps and completed a deployment to Iraq, and Waltz, a former Army Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan, are now calling the shots on foreign policy initiatives for the White House’s agenda. 

‘Like myself, Mike Waltz, and others, he served in the Global War on Terror and saw firsthand the damage of bad foreign policy,’ Mast, a combat veteran who lost both his legs during a deployment to Afghanistan, said in a Thursday statement to Fox News Digital. ‘Unlike other vice presidents, JD’s not afraid to go out there and talk about what he cares about — and what he cares about is putting America First.’

 

The Trump administration has accused Denmark of neglecting Greenland, and Trump has said that acquiring Greenland is critical for national security purposes as a strategic area in the Arctic. 

But leaders in Denmark and Greenland remain unequivocally opposed to Greenland becoming part of the U.S., although Greenland’s prime minister has called for independence from Copenhagen. 

Meanwhile, Denmark has come under scrutiny for its treatment of indigenous people from Greenland. A group of indigenous women from Greenland sued the Danish government in May 2024 and accused Danish health officials of fitting them with intrauterine devices without their knowledge between the 1960s and 1970s. 

Denmark and Greenland launched an investigation into the matter in 2022, and the report is expected for release this year. 

A senior White House official said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Denmark’s treatment of the people of Greenland will be a prominent aspect of the visit. 

‘Unfortunately, Danish leaders have spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair. Expect the Vice President to emphasize these points as well,’ the official said. 

Greenland is rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas, and both Russia and China have bolstered their presence in the region in recent years. 

Mast also pointed out how European countries are now vowing to bolster defense spending as an example of Vance’s leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put forth an $841 billion proposal March 4 for European Union nations to enhance defense spending. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged in February to boost his country’s defense spending to 2.5% of its gross domestic value. That is an increase from the 2.3% the U.K. currently spends, and amounts to a nearly $17 billion increase.

As a result, Mast said that Vance’s approach is proving successful in lighting a fire under European allies to take action. 

‘He wants to make sure America is not being taken advantage of, or being taken for granted,’ Mast said. ‘We need a Europe that steps up and is an equal partner, because if you are not a partner, then you are a dependent. Europe needs to hear this tough talk, and it’s already working.’

Vance’s tough stance on Europe emerged recently when messages from a group chat discussing strikes against Yemen leaked on Monday, according to a report from the Atlantic. 

The group chat, which included White House officials like Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, outlined plans to strike Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Vance initially remained skeptical of the strikes, and in one message, he said: ‘I just hate bailing out the Europeans again.’ 

Vance has signaled such views publicly as well in recent appearances. At the Munich Security Conference in February, he laid out the Trump administration’s stance that Europe ‘step up in a big way to provide for its own defense,’ while also cautioning that Russia and China don’t jeopardize as great a threat to European nations as the ‘threat from within,’ in regard to issues like censorship and illegal immigration.

European leaders decried the statements, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he interpreted the remarks as a comparison to ‘conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes.’

When Zelenskyy visited the White House in February, Vance also didn’t shy away from defending the Trump administration’s position. After Zelenskyy pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin has a history of breaking agreements and challenged Vance’s statements that the path forward was through diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine, Vance accused Zelenskyy of being ‘disrespectful.’ 

‘Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?’ Vance asked at the Oval Office meeting. 

Vance declined to comment through a spokesperson when reached for a statement by Fox News Digital. 

Now, Vance is slated to exercise his foreign policy skills again with a trip abroad less than eight weeks after appearing in Munich and his spat with Zelenskyy. 

While it’s unclear whether the Trump administration will successfully take over Greenland, Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, predicted that Vance’s understanding of Trump’s America First agenda will shine through during the vice president’s trip to Greenland once again. 

‘JD Vance was a great messenger for that agenda in the Oval Office exchange with Zelensky, in his speech in Munich, and I expect we’ll see it again during his trip to Greenland,’ Banks said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report. 

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Messi to be on Inter Miami roster, but will he play vs. Philadelphia?

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi will be on Inter Miami’s matchday roster for Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Union, coach Javier Mascherano said Friday, but it remains unclear if Messi will play. 

Messi has been nursing an adductor strain in his left thigh. He felt discomfort during Inter Miami’s last match at Atlanta United March 16, and he did not join Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay March 21 and Brazil on Tuesday. 

‘Messi is doing well” and ‘if nothing happens” during Friday’s training session, Messi ‘should be available” Saturday, Mascherano said before Friday’s practice.

‘He knows his body very well, and the reality is that he has been training progressively more and more, and has joined in to do some training sessions with the group. And today he will do the entire training session,’ Mascherano said of Messi, his former teammate with Barcelona and Argentina.

Philadelphia sits atop the MLS Eastern Conference with 12 points from a 4-1-0 (win-loss-draw) record, while Charlotte FC, Inter Miami, Nashville SC and Chicago FC each have 10 points to round out the Top 5, entering Saturday’s slate of MLS games.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union?

The Inter Miami-Philadelphia Union match begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. 

Is Messi playing tomorrow vs. Philadelphia? 

It’s unclear if Messi will play, but he’s expected to be on Inter Miami’s matchday roster.

How does Messi’s return impact Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule? 

Saturday begins a five-match stretch for Inter Miami over a span of 16 days, so expect Messi’s potential playing time to be limited as he makes his return.

Inter Miami will play LAFC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The club will host Toronto FC April 6, then host LAFC in the second leg of their matchup April 9. Inter Miami will play on the road at the Chicago Fire April 13, ending the five-match stretch.

Inter Miami said Messi had an MRI, which revealed he has a ‘low-grade injury in the adductor muscle” on March 17, a day after he scored a goal to help Inter Miami win 2-1 at Atlanta. 

Before the Atlanta match, Messi scored a goal March 13 during his return from a three-game layoff to help Inter Miami advance past Jamaican side Cavalier FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament. 

Messi did not play in the club’s 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo March 2, the first leg against Cavalier March 6, or against Charlotte FC March 9. 

Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, which included five preseason matches to start the year.

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‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports.’ Including Nike.

Everyone watches women’s sports. Including Nike.

The sportswear giant and TOGETHXR are partnering on a merchandise collection featuring the now ubiquitous slogan championing women’s sports. The collection will include T-shirts, hoodies and baseball hats, and will be available through Nike and TOGETHXR as well as at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

‘TOGETHXR was created to amplify the voices of women athletes and to show the world that women’s sports are not just something to be watched, but something to be centered and invested in,’ Jessica Robertson, TOGETHXR’s chief content officer and co-founder, said in a release Friday.

‘This partnership with Nike allows us to take our mission to the next level,’ Robertson added. ‘We will not only create access to new and exciting products on a global scale, which we know women’s sports fans so greatly seek, but will also build a future where women’s sports receive the respect, resources and investment they truly deserve.”

Frustrated with the lack of coverage of women’s sports they saw throughout their respective careers, Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel created TOGETHXR with Robertson in 2021. A commerce and media company, it was meant to amplify the stories and voices of women athletes, and offer merchandise that was missing in the mainstream market.

‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ became TOGETHXR’s tagline, a rebuttal to the common refrain by naysayers who tried to dismiss the growing popularity of women’s sports. TOGETHXR began producing merchandise with the slogan in 2023, and it took off last year when South Carolina coach Dawn Staley wore one of the shirts during a game.

Jason Sudeikis was often seen in ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ gear as he sat courtside during last year’s NCAA tournament and WNBA season. Steph Curry, Shaq and actress Aubrey Plaza also were seen in gear with the slogan. ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ merchandise has already generated more than $6 million in revenue, TOGETHXR said, a number sure to grow under the new partnership.

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Women’s basketball predictions: March Madness picks for games today

The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament has reached the Sweet 16.

We’ve got a strong four-game slate today that includes a heated rivalry and two top seeds in action: No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC, No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Maryland, No. 2 NC State vs. No. 3 LSU and No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 5 Ole Miss.

Here is Friday’s full Sweet 16 March Madness schedule and expert predictions from reporters across the USA TODAY Sports Network.

Women’s basketball predictions for March Madness

All times EST.

Duke vs. North Carolina women’s basketball predictions

Time, TV: 2:30 p.m. | ESPN (Watch on Fubo) | Follow Duke vs. UNC live updates

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: Duke 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Duke 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: Duke 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: Duke 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: UNC 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: Duke 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: Duke 
Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic: Duke 

South Carolina vs. Maryland women’s basketball predictions 

Time, TV: 5 p.m. | ESPN (Watch on Fubo)

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: South Carolina 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: South Carolina 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: South Carolina 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: South Carolina 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: South Carolina 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: South Carolina 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: South Carolina 
Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic: South Carolina 

NC State vs. LSU women’s basketball predictions

Time, TV: 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Watch on Fubo)

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: NC State 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: NC State 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: NC State 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: NC State 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: LSU 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: LSU 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: LSU 
Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic: NC State 

UCLA vs. Ole Miss women’s basketball predictions 

Time, TV: 10 p.m. | ESPN (Watch on Fubo)

Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: UCLA 
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Ole Miss 
Meghan L. Hall, For The Win: UCLA 
Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY: UCLA 
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: UCLA 
Cory Diaz, Lafayette Advertiser: UCLA 
Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times: UCLA 
Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic: UCLA 

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Former soccer star’s rape conviction overturned in Spain

Former Barcelona star and Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves had his rape conviction overturned on appeal by a court in Spain’s Catalonia region on Friday, the latest twist in a high-profile case stemming from an alleged incident in a nightclub on New Year’s Eve more than two years ago.

The ruling was levied by Catalon’s top court, according to Reuters, due to ‘inadequacies of the evidence’ that did not meet the standard required by the presumption of innocence. The court also noted ‘a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions concerning the facts, the legal assessment and its consequences.’

Alves, 41, had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of a Barcelona, Spain night club last year and was sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison. The court instead concluded Friday the alleged victim ‘voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space,’ according to Reuters.

Alves was released from prison in March 2024 on 1 million Euro (about $1 million) bail while awaiting a decision in his appeals case, but had to surrender his Brazil and Spain passports. He had been imprisoned since January 2023. Friday’s ruling lifted all travel restrictions against Alves and a restraining order that had been put in place in relation to the alleged victim. The case can still be appealed to Spain’s Supreme Court.

Alves is regarded as one of the most decorated fullbacks in international soccer history, most notably due to his eight-year tenure with Barcelona and 126 appearances with the Brazilian national team. He helped Barcelona clinch five La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, and three Supercopa de Espana titles and won two World Cups with Brazil.

Alves last played professionally with Pumas UNAM in Liga MX in Mexico during the 2022-23 season. His contract with the club was terminated after his arrest in Spain more than two years ago.

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