And then a hero comes along

The GIST: Unrivaled is rocking straight into today’s regular-season finale with four games hitting the hardwood starting at 1 p.m. ET. And that’s only the beginning of the high-stakes hoopla because the first round of the single-elimination playoffs tips off tomorrow.

• Before it starts raining threes, let’s set the stage as the innovative 3v3 league inches closer to crowning its second-ever champion.

📌 Playoff seeding on the line today: All six postseason berths have already been claimed, but today’s games will decide who earns first-round byes to the semifinals and which teams must battle it out in tomorrow’s first round. There’s plenty to play for… unless you’re the already-eliminated Hive and Lunar Owls, who match up in today’s first game. That one’s for pride.

👻 Phantom control their own destiny: Led by the dynamic one-two punch of Kelsey Plum and Aliyah Boston, the Ghost Gang has been on an absolute tear, winning their last six games. If they can make it seven straight tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET against Rose, they’ll lock up the No. 1 seed and punch their ticket to the Big Apple. It’s been waiting for them.

• 🌧️ From there, our money’s on second-place Mist to snag that other bye. They’re sporting a three-game win streak ahead of their 2:15 p.m. ET tilt vs. Vinyl and boast two of basketball’s best two-way players in Allisha Gray and Breanna Stewart. A terrific tandem, indeed.

⚽ The topic blowing up everyone’s group chat? Nike’s 2026 NWSL kit release. Debating fellow fans about the best jersey drops is a major part of soccer culture, and this year, the consensus is: banger after banger.

• A mixture of classic tributes and audacious eye-catchers, this collection captures the vibe of an exciting new season for a league on the rise. Imaginative refreshes, stunning color schemes, hidden Easter eggs with nods to home cities — each kit slays in its own way.

📅 Tick, tock: The NWSL regular season kicks off on March 13th. Get your head in the game and order your jersey ASAP to show off your footy fandom.

The GIST: The 11th annual SheBelieves Cup — an international four-team friendly tournament hosted by the USWNT — begins in Nashville, TN, on Sunday, featuring the world No. 2 Americans, No. 10 CanWNT, No. 20 Colombia, and No. 30 Argentina. 2025 was a year of experimentation for both the USWNT and CanWNT, but now it’s go time.

👀 SheBelieves is just the beginning: The USWNT and CanWNT head coaches (HCs) were in reset mode last year, adding numerous new players to their talent pools without the pressure of a major international tourney on the calendar. While SheBelieves is a friendly competition, it features four fierce squads who’ll likely feature in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup — if they qualify, of course.

• For the USWNT and CanWNT, those high-stakes qualifiers will come this November at the Concacaf W Championship, making SheBelieves the perfect place to start determining which players are roster-worthy.

🇺🇸 Trinity Rodman, Naomi Girma lead the red, white, and blue: If you’re not familiar with all 26 names on the USWNT roster, have no fear: HC Emma Hayes has debuted 32 new players in her 32 games since 2024, expanding the player pool to include footballers like new goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce (four caps) competing alongside veterans, like midfielder Rose Lavelle (116 caps).

• Speaking of, this SheBelieves roster features a mix of the old guard and new, allowing players like forward Rodman and defender Girma to further ascend as leaders. Perhaps one of them will rock the captain’s armband Sunday at 5 p.m. ET vs. Argentina.

🔥 Welcome back to The Heat Check, our weekly feature spotlighting the spiciest Unrivaled showdowns. Time flies when you’re having fun: We’ve reached the regular-season finale with four games gracing our screens starting at 1 p.m. ET. Permission to start the weekend early? Granted.

🌧️ Mist BC at 💿 Vinyl BC — Today at 2:15 p.m. ET — TruTV

• All six playoff teams are locked in, but all-important seeding is still on the line. Breanna Stewart and the second-place Mist are coming for one of two coveted first-round byes…unless Rae Burrell decides to turn it up for the Vinyl again.

⛳ LPGA: HSBC Women’s World Championship — Today through Saturday — Golf Channel

• World No. 39 Auston Kim leads the pack after the opening round in Singapore, holding a narrow one-stroke lead over No. 88 Yan Liu. Can Kim hold on for her first career LPGA Tour victory? Will bogey-free rookie Mimi Rhodes continue to stun the field in her debut? Only one way to find out.

🏒 PWHL: Toronto Sceptres vs. Seattle Torrent — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET — YouTube

• The GIST’s favorite Knight returns to the ice tonight, hoping to spark that same Milan fire with her expansion Seattle squad, who currently reside in the PWHL basement. And it won’t be easy — Sceptre forward Daryl Watts has been on an offensive tear.

🎓🏀 NCAA men’s basketball: No. 11 Virginia vs. No. 1 Duke — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — ESPN

• Led by freshman Cam Boozer, Duke’s a juggernaut on offense and defense, but Virginia’s deep bench could cause enough of a raucous to pull off the upset. March is almost here, after all.

🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Kentucky — Sunday at 2 p.m. ET — ESPN+

• It’s South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s world, and we’re just living in it after the Gamecocks wrapped up their fifth straight regular-season SEC title with last night’s 112–71 win over Missouri. With postseason play looming, expect a much tougher test from this talented Wildcats squad.