How’s that bracket doing? March is already off to a heart-pounding start, with the signature Madness in full force during yesterday’s men’s first-round matchups.

How’s that bracket doing? March is already off to a heart-pounding start, with the signature Madness in full force during yesterday’s men’s first-round matchups.

The Bhathals are changing how the women’s sports game is played, from building the first-ever dual WNBA and NWSL practice facility to creating the first local channel dedicated to women’s sports. That synergy is helping the teams become a major draw for high-profile brand deals. This week, we spoke with Bhathal Merage in a rare interview ahead of her appearance at the Power Play Sports Sponsorship Accelerator about the benefits of owning both teams, both from an ownership and sponsorship perspective. As she put it, “one plus one equals five.” The math is mathin’.

Hooping for their NCAA–record extending 13th natty title, the reigning champs are even better this season led by Player of the Year frontrunner sophomore Sarah Strong and grad student Azzi Fudd. The Huskies are unquestionably the team to beat, pummeling opponents by 38.4 points per game on average and riding a 50-game win streak into the Madness.

Duke Blue Devils (East): The No. 1 overall seed came tantalizingly close to an undefeated season — their two losses were by a combined four points. Led by freshman phenom Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils’ only weakness is the absence of guard Caleb Foster, who broke his foot on March 7th. Legendary coaches abound in their region, but head coach (HC) Jon Scheyer can hang with the best.

The Sports Bra and the Women’s Premier Basketball Association (WPBA) — a developmental women’s league similar to the NBA’s G League — announced a strategic partnership that will use the sports bar’s reach among women’s sports fans to promote the WPBA as it looks to strengthen relationships with the WNBA and sponsors.

Dust off your dancing shoes because March Madness is right around the corner with Selection Sunday slated for, you guessed it, this Sunday. Most of the women’s conference tournaments have already wrapped, but the men are in the thick of it. Let’s shimmy into the latest.

Last week, Front Office Sports covered the ATX Open’s rage room, an idea that came from Jessica Pegula on the podcast she launched alongside Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Kawczyk. After countless women players have been criticized for showing their frustrations on the court, Pegula argued athletes need this — and the tournament agreed.

The WNBA’s self-imposed March 10th collective bargaining agreement (CBA) deadline is…tomorrow — and despite the exchange of highly-classified counterproposals over the weekend, the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal. Let’s hoop to it.