FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Lionel Messi made an immediate impact for Inter Miami against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory that lifted the South Florida side into first place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.

Messi returned to the lineup and scored less than two minutes after subbing into the match early in the second half. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner took a pass from Luis Suárez on the right side of the penalty box, made a quick move and sent a right-footed shot past two Philadelphia defenders into the net for a 2-0 Inter Miami lead.

It was Messi's second goal in three MLS matches this season.

Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said he wanted to ease Messi back to action, while avoiding the risk of further injury, after he missed two World Cup qualifiers for Argentina with an adductor injury.

"We wanted Leo to have minutes," Masherano said at a news conference. "The idea was to have him play for 30-35 minutes, with the added time he played more but he feels good.

"We didn't want to risk him by starting him because we thought we'd run a risk in doing that. Luckily he finished well, and that makes us very happy."

Messi also was dealing with an issue with his left thigh along with the adductor injury, which happened two weeks ago in an Inter Miami game against Atlanta. However, Miami did not play during the FIFA window so the only matches Messi missed were the World Cup qualifiers -- when Argentina, which Messi captained to the 2022 title, qualified for the 2026 tournament.

Messi came in Saturday in the 55th minute, and the goal came in the 57th. He's had at least one goal contribution in all three MLS matches in which he has appeared this season for Inter Miami, which is 4-0-1 in MLS play and 8-0-1 overall this season when adding in four victories in Concacaf Champions Cup matches.

Inter Miami jumped in front in the 23rd minute and took a 1-0 lead into half-time on a goal by Robert Taylor. Benjamin Cremaschi and Jordi Alba assisted on that goal.

Messi came on for Taylor and quickly stretched the lead to 2-0 with Suarez and Fafà Picault getting the assists.

Dániel Gazdag got the goal for Philadelphia (4-2-0) in the 80th minute, but Inter Miami held on from there.

Inter Miami will now prepare to face LAFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup series Wednesday night at BMO Stadium. Mascherano said he anticipates Messi will make the trip to Los Angeles if all goes well during upcoming training sessions.

"The plan is for him to recuperate and travel to Los Angeles. Today, the time that he played, he played because he was good," Mascherano said. "We didn't risk him.

"He wasn't for the full 90, but it did him well to play the 45 minutes including added time and if nothing weird happens, the plan is for him to travel."

The team previously defeated Cavalier FC in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

This article was first published on March 9 and has been updated.

Arsenal have announced that former Atlético Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta has joined the club, but who is he and what does he need to do right away?

The Gunners announced in November that Edu had resigned from his role as sporting director at the Emirates, with sources telling ESPN's James Olley that the Brazilian had been approached by Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis to lead their multiclub group with an offer that would include a considerably increased salary.

Berta, 53, was in talks to join AC Milan after leaving Atlético in December, but those discussions broke down, and has now replaced Edu. Sources said Arsenal had also shown interest in former Manchester United recruitment chief Dan Ashworth and Roberto Olabe, who will leave Real Sociedad at the end of the season.

Who is Andrea Berta?

Berta, who has been linked with a number of executive roles in the Premier League and his native Italy over the years, spent 12 years at Atlético, making him one of the longest-serving sporting directors at the elite level in European football.

During his time in Madrid, he struck up an extremely close relationship with CEO (and part owner) Miguel Angel Gil Marin and head coach Diego Simeone. While he has been shielded from the tumultuous process of replacing a head coach, by virtue of Simeone's 13-year tenure, he has to come to Simeone's defense whenever Atlético have suffered poor spells.

Berta conducts most of his work in private and doesn't appear excessively in the media, while any new signings are often brought in without much of a preceding public buildup (the signing of Chelsea's Conor Gallagher aside).

Though Atlético make the occasional move for an up-and-coming youngster -- such as Arthur Vermeeren for 18m in January 2024 (he made a permanent move to RB Leipzig a year later, after an initial loan) -- they tend to go for tried-and-tested players with a good work ethic, physicality and intensity, as that is the Simeone blueprint. -- Tor-Kristian Karlsen

Key skills

Berta has a lot of experience of completing complex deals at the top end of European football, with Gallagher's 42m move from Chelsea and Julián Álvarez's 75m transfer from Manchester City the two most recent examples.

A banker by trade, Berta has a lot of financial nous and that should come in handy when trying to navigate the Premier League's rules. -- Karlsen

Transfer focus

Best signings: Goalkeeper Jan Oblak moved to Atlético from Benfica for just 4m in 2014 and has gone on to become one of the best in the world.

Antoine Griezmann was allowed to join Barcelona for 120m, but Atlético re-signed him for around 20m and he has been the club's top scorer over the past two seasons.

Midfielder Rodri was snapped up from Villarreal for 25m in 2019 and played a single season before moving to Manchester City for around 70m, which is quite a decent profit. He went on to win the Ballon d'Or last year.

Worst signings: The 126m signing of Benfica forward João Félix (now at Chelsea, on loan at Milan) in 2019 shows that Berta doesn't always get it right.

Atlético spent over 60m to bring in France forward Thomas Lemar from Monaco but he has not lived up to that pricetag and has struggled with injury.

A 58m outlay to bring striker Álvaro Morata to the club permanently in 2020 saw him leave within the year for a two-year loan to Juventus, while Diego Costa's return in 2017 for over 55m was a mistake as the combative striker managed just 19 goals in five years. -- ESPN

Priority tasks at Arsenal

Backup goalkeeper: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will want a backup to David Raya, as Neto's loan from Bournemouth will expire at the end of the season. Reports have linked them with a 25m move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García.

Central midfielder: The futures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey are up in the air as both players are out of contract at the end of the season. Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal have made a move to sign Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for around 60m, while they will battle Manchester City to sign teenage Norway midfielder Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg.

Striker: Long-term injuries to Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus showed how much Arsenal need another attacking player this season and, having kept their powder dry in January after a bid to sign Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was rejected, they should sign one in the summer.

Berta brought Brazil forward Matheus Cunha to Atlético, and the Gunners are reported to be interested in him now he is at Wolves. However, sources said that the club's preferred target is RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, 21, and he could be allowed to leave for a fee of around 70m.

The Gunners have also long held an interest in Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, who has a release clause in the region of 60m, and have previously explored a move for Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic. But if Newcastle gave any indication they would let Alexander Isak go, Arsenal would be keen. -- James Olley

Arsenal have appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, the club announced on Sunday.

Berta will take on the permanent role, replacing Edu Gasper who resigned in November and has been on a six-month period of gardening leave since.

"I am thrilled to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club," Berta said in a statement.

"I have watched with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I have admired the hard work that has gone in to reestablishing the club as a major force in European football with a passionate following around the world.

"The club has great values and a rich history, and I am looking forward to playing my part in shaping a successful future with a great team.

"I cannot wait to get started in my new role and I am really looking forward to experiencing my first game at Emirates Stadium together with our supporters."

Edu's deputy Jason Ayto was the club's interim sporting director following his departure and was in contention for the permanent position.

Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth, ex-Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Roberto Olabe, who will leave Real Sociedad at the end of the season, were also considered for the role.

"Anyone who knows football knows Andrea is an impressive figure. He has vast knowledge of the game, a great track record, a strong network and an insatiable desire to build winning teams," Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke said.

"Andrea will be a great addition to our club. He understands our values and what we stand for and we have no doubt he will help us push on and take the next steps in our bid to win major trophies.

"We undertook a thorough recruitment process and we were hugely impressed with the level of all the other candidates, but it was Andrea's experience and the success he has enjoyed that stood out.

"We are really looking forward to working together and welcoming him into the Arsenal family."

Berta spent 12 years at Atlético Madrid and is credited with helping the club compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.

Under his watch, Atlético won two LaLiga titles, a Copa del Rey, a Europa League title and a UEFA Super Cup.

SAN FRANCISCO -- With Florida on the brink of elimination from the NCAA men's basketball tournament, All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. answered with one of the great clutch performances in school history Saturday to guide the Gators to the Final Four with an 84-79 win against third-seeded Texas Tech.

Clayton scored 13 of his game-high 30 points over the game's final 5:24, helping the top-seeded Gators erase a 10-point deficit at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. He was later named the West Region's Most Outstanding Player.

Clayton's style of play has drawn comparisons to Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the past, and while neither he, nor Florida coach Todd Golden, wanted to add to that conversation, that Clayton's heroics occurred in San Francisco made them tough to ignore.

"[Comparing him to Curry] is kind of a lot to put on a young man," Golden said. "But I'd say the one thing where Walt 100 percent is similar to Steph is their shot-making and their ability to get it off whenever they want.

"Just like the Warriors want Steph to be able to find a way to get open and get those shots in those moments, we want Walt taking the shots for us down the stretch. There's a reason why he was an AP first-team All-American. He is, in my humble opinion, the best guard in America."

With 3:14 left, it looked like Florida would be the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated from the tournament. Texas Tech star JT Toppin scored inside to put the Red Raiders up 9, and the Gators had been unable to score back-to-back buckets the entire second half.

But Thomas Haugh answered with back-to-back 3-pointers for the Gators to cut the deficit to 75-72 with 2:27 left before Clayton took the baton. He also hit back-to-back 3s to give Florida its first lead since early in the half and iced the game in its closing moments with a pair of free throws.

The whole sequence was surreal for Clayton, as he shook off some early-game shooting woes to come through when it mattered.

"Nothing was going through my mind. My mind was blank," he said. "Thankful those shots went in, but we were locked in until the final buzzer sounded."

The Gators (34-4) have won 10 straight games and will play the winner of Sunday's Auburn-Michigan State matchup on Saturday in San Antonio. Florida won its only regular-season matchup with SEC rival Auburn 90-81 on Feb. 8.

As much as Clayton's big 3-pointers mattered for the Gators' comeback, it was his ability to get to the line that Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said was the difference-maker. Clayton was 13 of 14 from the charity stripe. Florida was 25 of 27 as a team while the Red Raiders made just 7 of 13 free throws.

"That was the part that, honestly, I was disappointed," McCasland said. "It was just that he got to free the line so much and yeah, he's a hard cover. He just is so difficult.

"He hurts you in so many different ways. He's dynamic at shooting, but he's crafting his change of pace and they do such a good job of moving the ball. We decided we were going to live with those forwards making 3s and that's what made it difficult. When you're keying on him and then he's starting to get fouled and then other guys need to step up and they did."

Haugh's two key late 3s were part of his best overall performance as a Gator. The sophomore finished with 20 points off the bench and was a huge spark in the first half.

"The thing about [Haugh] -- and it goes for other guys on the roster as well -- he's just a winning player," Golden said. "He just finds ways to affect the game and to help the team win the most. One of, if not the most unselfish guys out there just being comfortable on the bench when he can be starting pretty much anywhere America."

San Francisco has become an unlikely city of importance for the Gators. The school plucked Golden from the University of San Francisco three years ago, and this week returned to punch its ticket to the Final Four. The last time the Gators went this far in March was in 2014, the second-to-last season under longtime coach Billy Donovan.

For Texas Tech (28-9), the game was somewhat of a role reversal compared to the Sweet 16. In that win against Arkansas, the Red Raiders erased a 16-point second-half deficit to advance, thanks to clutch shooting down the stretch.

This time, despite big nights from Darrion Williams (23 points) and Toppin (20 points), it wasn't meant to be.

NEWARK, N.J. -- In Duke's first meeting of the season, back in the summer, there was a picture of San Antonio up on the screen. The Blue Devils wanted to get to the Final Four for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski retired, the first Final Four of the new Duke era.

"That was our main focus all year," Tyrese Proctor told ESPN earlier this week.

The top-seeded Blue Devils took the next step in their seasonlong quest Saturday night, knocking off No. 2 Alabama 85-65 to advance to next week's national semifinal in Texas.

The Blue Devils advanced to their first Final Four since coach Jon Scheyer took over in 2022, their 18th overall, and will face the winner of Sunday's Houston vs. Tennessee regional final. It's one step further than last season, when they lost to NC State in the Elite Eight.

"The feeling of losing last year at this point, every decision we made, everything we did was to get back here and then have the team have the opportunity to advance to the promised land," Scheyer said. "To go to San Antonio, to go to the Final Four."

Kon Knueppel led the way for Duke with 21 points, while Cooper Flagg -- who earned Most Outstanding Player of the East Region -- finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Labaron Philon had 16 points for Alabama.

It was inevitable that Mark Sears and the Crimson Tide wouldn't carry over their incredible shooting display from Thursday night against BYU, when Alabama set an NCAA tournament record with 25 3-pointers and Sears finished with 34 points, 10 3s and 8 assists.

Alabama coach Nate Oats spoke Thursday night after the Crimson Tide's win about "regression to the mean," in reference to Sears' performance after he had gone 5-for-35 from 3 in his previous six games. But on Saturday, it could just as easily have been used to describe the Crimson Tide coming back to earth after making history two nights earlier.

They hit three of their first five 3s but missed nine of the next 10 while Duke jumped out to an early lead by scoring 13 points in the first 3:10. The Crimson Tide shot 5-for-19 from behind the arc in the first half and missed six straight in the second half when looking to get back in the game.

They finished 8-for-32 from 3-point range.

"The big thing for us was just playing our defense," Duke's Sion James said. "We recognized that, as good of a shooting team as they are, they look to drive you and then hit spray-out 3s. So we really just stayed true to who we are defensively, didn't give them easy ones and make them hit tough 3s over the top."

Oats' team struggled to get anything going offensively early against Duke, especially when the Blue Devils had freshman Khaman Maluach in the game as a rim protector. Sears finished with two points on 1-for-4 shooting in the first half. The All-American guard wasn't getting the clean looks he consistently found against BYU, with Duke defending him far more aggressively -- and with more size.

Sears' frustration peaked late in the second half, when he was called for a travel and an offensive foul on back-to-back possessions with Alabama trailing by 14. He finished with six points on 2-for-12 shooting.

"First of all, it was by committee," James said of how Duke defended Sears. "We were switching a lot, especially in the second half, so Khaman was on Sears just as much as me or Tyrese was. The big thing for him was showing them bodies, making sure whoever was guarding the ball knew they weren't on an island by themselves and making sure Sears knew that he wasn't on an island with our big or whoever else. And I think we did a good job for the most part of keeping him off the foul line where he gets a lot of his points from."

The Crimson Tide, who shot better than 60% inside the arc during the season and had more points in the paint than any team in the NCAA tournament through the first two rounds, also had extreme difficulty finishing in the paint against Maluach. It wasn't until Maluach was subbed out of the game late in the first half that Grant Nelson was able to get free for two dunks through a wide-open lane.

"We made the point to our guys, we're not going to go in and score on him, and we had a few guys still try to challenge him," Oats said. "It's kind of a habit, you can tell them going in. And then he ended up having two blocks. We ended up having more blocks than them, but the way he challenges, it's a problem. He challenges at the rim."

Duke ultimately held Alabama, the nation's top-scoring team at more than 91 points per game, to 26 points below its average -- and to 48 points fewer than it scored Thursday.

"These guys, they're incredible, the way they compete on both ends," Scheyer said. "They are so connected, and tonight, they were so disciplined. I'm incredibly grateful. When you're at a special place like Duke, special things can happen."

At the other end, Duke's superior size and physicality on the perimeter were causing consistent problems for Alabama. Knueppel and Proctor were getting into the lane with ease, and after Flagg grabbed a defensive rebound, he drove coast to coast for an easy layup against an unsettled Alabama defense to put Duke up 35-22 with 6:47 left in the first half.

The Blue Devils were able to finish consistently at the rim or throw lobs to Maluach for easy dunks. He had three such finishes in the first half and another one early in the second half. Duke won the battle around the rim, outscoring Alabama in the paint 40-28.

Against a fast-paced and deep Alabama team, Scheyer used his bench much more than he did against Arizona on Thursday. Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans played just four minutes apiece against the Wildcats, but Foster saw nine minutes in the first half (14 total) and Evans played six in the opening period. Both provided some positive moments, as did freshman big man Patrick Ngongba II and junior Maliq Brown, who has missed most of the past two months with a shoulder injury.

Foster hit a critical 3-pointer late in the first half to push the lead back to nine after Brown grabbed an offensive rebound and dished out three assists.

"I just try to do what I can do when I can do it," Foster said. "I just try to bring energy and do whatever it takes to win."

Duke took a 46-37 lead into halftime after a Nelson layup in the final seconds took some of the sting out of a Flagg 3-point play with 16 seconds remaining.

Alabama was only briefly able to generate consistent momentum, however. On one sequence early in the second half, Nelson had one of the blocks of the tournament when he met Flagg at the rim to deny him a dunk, and then Sears came back down and buried his first 3 of the game. On the Crimson Tide's next possession, Chris Youngblood finished a layup-and-foul to bring Alabama back within six.

That was as close as it got in the second half.

Duke responded with an 11-4 run to extend the lead to 13, and the Blue Devils kept Alabama at arm's length the rest of the way before growing the lead to 20 points in the final minutes.

After falling one game short last season with the regional final loss to their ACC rival, Scheyer has now cemented his legacy in Duke lore, leading his own team to the Final Four.

"A lot has changed in a year," Proctor said. "When we were in the bathroom last year after we lost, I told Coach I was coming back. We both had a vision, and I think just the way we executed and doubled down, the way I doubled down in the offseason, the way these guys had my back, I had theirs, I think it just shows a lot of resiliency, and I just couldn't be more proud of our group."

Maryland's Kevin Willard accepted Villanova's offer to become the program's next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN, ending more than a week of speculation.

An official announcement could come as early as Sunday.

Maryland just completed one of its best seasons in the past 20 years, earning a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament and making a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to top-seeded Florida. The Terrapins finished 27-9 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten and were ranked in the top 10 in most predictive metrics. After a 1-3 start to Big Ten play, Maryland lost just four games to Big Ten opponents the rest of the season by a combined nine points.

Willard spent three seasons in College Park, going 65-39 with two NCAA tournament appearances.

He made headlines before Maryland's first-round NCAA tournament game against Grand Canyon when he essentially broke the news of Maryland athletic director Damon Evans leaving for SMU and explained why he hasn't signed a new contract in College Park.

"I need to make fundamental changes to the program," Willard said. "That's what I'm focused on right now. That's why probably a deal hasn't got done because I want to see -- I need to see fundamental changes done. I want this program to be great. I want it to be the best in the country, I want to win a national championship, but there's things that need to change.

"I need to make sure that we are where we are with NIL, and rev share is not where we've been with NIL over the past two years. We've been one of the worst, if not lowest, in the NIL in the last two years. So, that's first and foremost. I also have to make a fundamental change where I can do the things that I want to do with my program. I wanted to spend an extra night in New York this year to celebrate Christmas with my team and I was told that we can't do that because it's too expensive. So, I don't know how we can be a top-tier program and I can't spend one extra night in New York because it's too expensive."

As Maryland knocked off Grand Canyon and Colorado State to advance to Willard's first Sweet 16 and the first for the Terps since 2016, the head coach's message didn't change. He acknowledged after Maryland's Sweet 16 loss to Florida on Thursday that he didn't know his next step.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Willard said. "I'll be honest with you. I haven't talked to my agent. I haven't talked to my wife."

At Villanova, Willard will replace Kyle Neptune, who failed to reach the NCAA tournament in any of his three seasons in charge of the Wildcats. Neptune took over in 2022 after the sudden retirement of Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright, who led Villanova to two national championships and four Final Four appearances.

It marks a return to the Big East for Willard, a Long Island, New York, native who spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall. He led the Pirates to five NCAA tournament appearances and a share of the Big East regular-season title in 2020 -- when the program was on track for its highest NCAA tournament seed in nearly 30 years before the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

Before taking over at Seton Hall, Willard was the head coach at Iona for three seasons and an assistant coach under Rick Pitino at Louisville and with the Boston Celtics. Willard's father, Ralph, had previously spent time on Pitino's staff at multiple stops.

News of Willard accepting Villanova's offer was first reported by Inside Maryland Sports.

The games have gotten bigger, more competitive and exciting, but chalk remains the writing utensil of choice as the 2025 women's NCAA tournament shifts to the Elite Eight.

UConn, TCU and UCLA Bruins rode big performances by their stars -- Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith and Lauren Betts. South Carolina, Duke and Texas leaned into defense. USC somehow overcame the loss of star JuJu Watkins. And LSU got production from an unlikely source.

That leaves us with three 1 vs. 2 matchups and one 1 vs. 3 in the regional finals, which feature many of the big-time matchups that were anticipated when the bracket was announced two weeks ago.

That also makes the rankings of the final eight teams that much more difficult, but we took our shot.

1. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 2 (Spokane 4)
Tournament results: 103-34 vs. No. 15 Arkansas State (first round); 91-57 vs. No. 10 South Dakota State (round of 32); 82-59 over No. 3 Oklahoma (Sweet 16)

With all that Paige Bueckers has accomplished with the Huskies, it's hard to believe that she just had the greatest two-game stretch in her career and the greatest back-to-back NCAA tournament games in UConn history. She set a career-high 34 points in round two against South Dakota State and then blew past that with 40 in the Sweet 16 on Saturday against Oklahoma. Bueckers completely took in the second half after the Huskies trailed by four at halftime. She had 29 points after the break and at one point scored 19 straight fourth-quarter points for the Huskies. No UConn player had ever scored 40 points in a NCAA tournament game. Bueckers also just passed Maya Moore for the highest per game scoring average (19.8) in UConn history. The Huskies have won their three NCAA tournament games by an average of 42 points and easily retain the top spot in the rankings heading to the Elite Eight.

Up next: USC (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

2. UCLA Bruins
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane 1)
Tournament results: 84-46 vs. No. 16 Southern (first round); 84-67 vs. No. 8 Richmond (round of 32); 76-62 vs. No. 5 Ole Miss (Sweet 16)

Everything with UCLA starts with Lauren Betts. The Bruins spread their half-court offense with a focus on getting their 6-foot-7 junior the ball in isolated one-on-one matchups. That neutralized an aggressive Ole Miss defense and helped Betts score 31 points on 15-of-16 from the field. When she grabbed her 10th rebound, Betts became just the third player in the past 25 years to record back-to-back 30-point, 10-rebound performances in the NCAA tournament. That's some elite company: Elena Delle Donne did it in 2012 and Brittney Griner in 2013. Betts' legacy would be cemented at UCLA if she can get the Bruins one final step into their first NCAA Final Four.

Up next: LSU (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

3. South Carolina Gamecocks
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 2)
Tournament results: 108-48 vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech (first round); 64-53 vs. No. 9 Indiana (round of 32); 71-67 vs. No. 4 Maryland (Sweet 16)

The irony is striking: One of the most consistent programs of the past decade once again relied on its most wildly inconsistent player to deliver in the biggest game of the year. MiLaysia Fulwiley -- the Gamecocks' second-leading scorer on the season but also a player that three times this season played 10 minutes or fewer -- was the best player on the court Friday against Maryland. Her 23 points, eight of which came in the final 2:22, were one shy of her season high but also came just days after Fulwiley had one of those stints with short minutes in the second-round win. Now comes Duke, a rematch of the SEC/ACC Challenge in December. South Carolina won that game by 11, but it was another three-point performance for Fulwiley in 15 minutes of playing time. In keeping with the script, she scored 20 points just three days later against TCU. Consistency sustains the Gamecocks and is the only part missing for Fulwiley.

Up next: Duke (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

4. Texas Longhorns
Original seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 3)
Tournament results: Defeated No. 16 William & Mary 105-61 (first round); defeated No. 8 Illinois 65-48 (round of 32); 67-59 vs. No. 5 Tennessee (Sweet 16)

Tennessee pushed Texas, but the defense once again delivered for the Longhorns, securing the program's fourth Elite Eight appearance in the five years since Vic Schaefer arrived in Austin. A Lady Vols team that was third in the country in scoring at 86.6 points per game was held 27.6 below its average. Schaefer tweaked his lineup to accommodate for Tennessee's frantic style of play and it paid off. Rotation regulars Shay Holle and Kyla Oldacre played just a total of 17 minutes, while freshmen Bryanna Preston and Jordan Lee played above their average minutes and combined for 25 points. Preston played a season-high 27 minutes and became the key to the Longhorns' press break with her speed. That depth might pay dividends against a TCU team that has very little as the Longhorns try to break through for their first Final Four since 1987.

Up next: TCU (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

5. TCU Horned Frogs
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 3)
Tournament results: 73-51 vs. No. 15 FDU (first round); 85-70 vs. No. 7 Louisville (round of 32); 71-62 vs. No.3 Notre Dame (Sweet 16)

TCU's magical season continues, largely because Hailey Van Lith's success in the postseason rolls on. In a game with likely three future top-five WNBA draft picks playing on the other team, Van Lith was the best player on the court. Her 18 second-half points and 26 for the game helped the Horned Frogs erase a nine-point deficit. TCU dominated Notre Dame defensively, particularly in the second half when the Horned Frogs blocked eight shots, including five by Sedona Prince. The Irish's 62 points were their lowest output of the season. While this marks the first Elite Eight in TCU history, it's now the fifth for Van Lith with her third school. She is the first player, in women's and men's college basketball, in at least 25 years to appear in five regional finals.

Up next: Texas (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

6. LSU Tigers
Original seed: No. 3 (Spokane 1)
Tournament results: 103-48 vs. No. 14 San Diego State (first round); 101-71 vs. No. 6 Florida State (round of 32); 80-73 vs. No. 2 NC State (Sweet 16)

Mikaylah Williams made multiple key plays down the stretch Friday (10 points in the final 4:09) and Aneesah Morrow was dominant throughout (30 points, 19 rebounds), but teams that make deep NCAA tournament runs often have that one player who plays above her regular-season value. Sa'Myah Smith has been that player for LSU. Her second consecutive double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds) was a huge boost against NC State, especially with Flau'Jae Johnson struggling through a three-point performance. Smith, who equaled her career high in scoring, is playing the best basketball of her career as she continues to come back from last season's knee injury. She has become LSU's security blanket if one the Tigers' big three have an unproductive night like Johnson's 1-of-8 shooting Friday.

Up next: UCLA (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

7. USC Trojans
Original seed: No. 1 (Spokane)
Tournament opener: Defeated No. 16 UNC Greensboro 71-25 (first round); defeated No. 9 Mississippi State 96-59 (round of 32); 67-61 vs. No. 5 Kansas State (Sweet 16)

Two years ago, Lindsay Gottlieb landed JuJu Watkins as the No. 1 recruit in the country. Last year she brought in the top-rated class. Watkins has transformed the program. With their star now out after suffering a torn ACL in the second round, it was time to lean on the group of freshmen. That's exactly what the Trojans did to reach their second consecutive Elite Eight. Kennedy Smith delivered the most important performance of her career with 19 points and outstanding defense. Classmate Avery Howell made 4-of-8 3-pointers and scored 18 points. Not only did USC overcome the loss of Watkins, the freshmen also helped pick up senior Kiki Iriafen, who only made 3 of 13 shots to finish with 7 points (she averages 18.6 PPG).

Up next: UConn (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

8. Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 2 (Birmingham 2)
Tournament results: 80-57 vs. No. 15 Lehigh (first round); 59-53 vs. No. 10 Oregon 59-53 (round of 32); 47-38 vs. No. 3 North Carolina (Sweet 16)

The Blue Devils gave up the first 11 points of Friday's game over the opening four minutes, then gave up 27 points over the next 36 minutes. It was another incredible performance by a team whose success is based on its defense. That's how Duke reached its first regional final since 2013. The Blue Devils' three opponents in the tournament have averaged 38.7 points per game and shot 29.8% from the field. Only UConn in 2010 and South Carolina's 2022 team allowed fewer points through three games. Both of those teams won the national championship. Duke has forced 62 turnovers and allowed nine 3-pointers in the NCAA tournament, but the offense might be as concerning as the defense is devastating. Duke's 47 points in the win over North Carolina tied for the fewest in an NCAA tournament win, and the Blue Devils are about to face a South Carolina team that allows the third-fewest points per 100 possessions in the country.

Up next: South Carolina (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

A 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Exquisite Rookie Patch Autograph LeBron James card sold for $1.159 million, including buyer's premium, at Goldin Auctions on Saturday night. It's the second James RPA from this set to eclipse the $1 million plateau with Goldin Auctions in five weeks.

In the same auction, Caitlin Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Prizm card -- numbered 1-of-1, receiving a perfect 10 grade with a 10 autograph grade from grader Professional Sports Authenticator -- sold for $366,000, including buyer's premium.

It set a record for a women's sports card, shattering the previous mark of $266,400 paid for a 2003 NetPro Serena Williams RPA in May 2022.

The 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection -- one of the most lucrative NBA sets of all time, featuring RPAs of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James -- features base Exquisite Rookie Patch autographs numbered to 99, parallels numbered to the rookie's jersey number and a rainbow parallel numbered 1-of-1.

The $1.159 million James card is numbered to 99 while the James RPA sold five weeks ago -- for $1.22 million -- is numbered to 23. According to population reports, there's no James Exquisite Rookie Patch Autograph in the base, parallel or rainbow versions with a higher grade than the 9.5 grade the $1.159 million James RPA received from Beckett Grading Services.

In early 2021, a numbered-to-23 parallel James RPA from this set sold for $5.2 million privately via PWCC Marketplace (now owned by Fanatics, rebranded as Fanatics Collect), which set the still-standing record for most expensive basketball card ever sold.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman took sole responsibility for the surprise firing of coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday.

"I came to the conclusion that this is in the best interest of the team, and urgency is a core principle of ours, so decided to go on with the move," Kleiman said Saturday, speaking publicly for the first time since Jenkins' dismissal while his team had shootaround in preparation for its game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kleiman said he did not speak to anyone on the roster before letting Jenkins go.

"The players were not consulted on this decision," Kleiman said. "This decision is mine and mine only."

Jenkins, 40, coached Memphis to a 250-214 record (.539) in nearly six full seasons and a 44-29 record this season -- No. 5 in the Western Conference with nine games remaining in the regular season at the time of his dismissal.

But the Grizzlies had lost four of their past five by an average margin of 16.8 points and had gone 8-12 in their past 20 games.

Kleiman, 37, was elevated to his current role in charge of the Memphis front office in April 2019. Jenkins was hired two months later after six seasons as an assistant coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer.

The general manager said Jenkins "leaves the team in a much better position than when he started" but would not address what prompted him to fire the coach at this juncture of the season.

"In this case, I am going to leave it that I of course gave this real thought and came to the conclusion that this is in the best interest of our team going forward," Kleiman said.

Tuomas Iisalo, named the 2024 EuroCup Coach of the Year for his work leading Paris Basketball, was named the Grizzlies' interim head coach. His first game resulted in a 134-127 loss to the Lakers.

"There's clearly noise now around the team and that's something that can also be a destabilizing factor for the whole team. And we just talked about it like control the controllables, there will be other talking points hopefully in a few days and let's do what we do best, which is our own job," Iisalo told reporters before the game, with reference to him meeting with the team earlier. "And then, we talked about also the time constraints, what we want to do that, how we want to approach it day by day. One practice at a time."

Kleiman is optimistic.

"Looking forward to seeing what he is able to do with this group," he said of Iisalo. "There is realistic expectations. There's not going to be time to install a bunch of things this time of the year. My expectations are clarity of direction, and we'll see what we can do, we'll see what we can execute."

Asked if the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs would be an audition for Iisalo to fully assume the role of coaching the team, Kleiman sidestepped the question.

"We're focused on the Lakers tonight," Kleiman said.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- With the Los Angeles Lakers looking to salvage some momentum on their four-game road trip that featured a gut-punch loss on a half-court buzzer-beater by the Chicago Bulls, Lakers coach JJ Redick gathered LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for a meeting in Memphis on Saturday morning.

"We challenged all three of them when we get to their three-man actions to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity," Redick said of his message.

The trio responded by combining for 85 points and 25 assists in Los Angeles' 134-127 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The three generated 120 of Los Angeles' points.

"We played as well as we've played so far, offensively," Redick said.

Reaves led all scorers with 31 points on 8-for-16 shooting (5-of-8 on 3-pointers), adding 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Doncic scored 29 with 9 assists and 8 rebounds. James scored 25 with 8 assists and 6 rebounds -- his most points since returning from a two-week absence because of a strained left groin.

"I think the meeting was just still trying to build that chemistry amongst the three of us to help the team be successful," Reaves said. "Tonight, it just showed that when we play the right way and trust one another, especially offensively, we can have open looks on almost every possession. ... It was really just a conversation about how bad all of us want to win and win at a high level."

Los Angeles shot 50.6% and 44.2% on 3-pointers, hitting 19-for-43 from the outside.

Seven of those 3s came from reserves Gabe Vincent (4-of-6) and Dorian Finney-Smith (3-of-7).

"The ball was flying around because of the advantages and [James, Doncic and Reaves] getting into the paint," Finney-Smith said. "Me, Gabe, Rui [Hachimura], [Jarred Vanderbilt], just recipients of them playing well."

The Lakers' approach from the start, with James dunking on and taking a charge from the Grizzlies' 7-foot-4, 305-pound rookie center Zach Edey in the first quarter, showed that they were ready to move past the nightmarish end to their game in Chicago.

"He was an incredible leader tonight," Redick said of James. "And it was early. It was throughout the game. When we got down, I challenged the group in a timeout and he was as vocal as he's been since he got back from injury. And that galvanized the group. ... I think if he doesn't say what he said in the timeout, we probably don't win the game."

"It was the first time I've heard him yell in a while," Reaves said of James' timeout address. "It was refreshing, to be honest. I loved it."

Redick might not have shouted, but before the game in Memphis, he checked in with his players after the Bulls handed them their eighth loss in their previous 12 games. He wanted to remind them of their potential and the dire consequences of those losses as the regular season winds down with playoff seeding up for grabs.

"I'm not surprised at how hard we played and how well we played tonight," Redick said. "I made sure the group knew that I believed still, and that the coaching staff believed and they were resolute in their belief in this team."

The win kept the Lakers (45-29) fourth in the Western Conference standings, taking a one-game lead over No. 5 Memphis and earning the tiebreaker by winning the season series.

Los Angeles' remaining eight regular-season games are against West opponents, starting with a three-game homestand versus Houston, Golden State and New Orleans this week.

"I think this was a big game for us in the sense of how we lost the other night. We hadn't been playing great," Reaves said. "So, coming into this game, it was obviously high intensity. It's hard, the last game on a road trip because you're pretty excited to go home. But for that three hours or whatever the game is, you got to lock in and try to put your best foot forward and win."