Lauren Jackson shoots a free throw during the Seattle Storm 66-53 victory over the San Antonio Silverstars at Key Arena.
Credit: © Andrew Fredrickson, Southcreek Global/ZUMA Press/Alamy Images

Australia is famous for its unique culture, metropolitan cities, and unusual wildlife, among other things. Each week, this seasonal feature will spotlight one of Australia’s many wonders.

Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson was named to the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jackson is one of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball. Jackson has been an Olympian and WNBA champion. She was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Jackson played both the center and forward positions. She stands 6 feet 5 inches (195 centimeters) tall. Jackson won many Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards in both Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) of the United States. She led three professional teams to a number of titles and helped Australia win a world championship.

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson was born on May 11, 1981, in Albury, New South Wales. Her mother, Maree, was a superstar player for the Australian national women’s basketball team, and her father, Gary, was a skilled role player on the men’s national squad. At the age of 15, Lauren won a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). She helped lead the 1998-1999 AIS team to the WNBL title. She led the WNBL’s Canberra Capitals to the championship the following season.

In 2001, the Seattle Storm made Jackson the first pick in the WNBA draft. She played 12 seasons for the Storm, winning MVP awards in 2003, 2007, and 2010. She also won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2007. The Storm won league titles in 2004 and 2010. Jackson returned to the WNBL for several seasons, leading the Capitals to additional titles at the conclusion of the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, and 2009-2010 seasons. She won MVP awards in 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2004. In four appearances at the Olympic Games, starting in 2000, she led the Australian women’s team to three silver medals and one bronze medal. Jackson won a World Championship in 2006 with the Australian national team and won EuroLeague championships with the Russian squad Spartak Moscow Region in 2008 and 2009 and with the Spanish team Ros Casares Valencia in 2012. She also played seasons in China and Korea. Jackson played her last WNBA game in 2012 and retired from professional basketball in 2016.

A memoir, My Story: A Life in Basketball and Beyond, was published in 2018. In 2019, she was selected as the head of women in basketball for Basketball Australia, the country’s governing body for the sport.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons during the NBA London Game 2018 at the O2 Arena, London.
Credit: © Simon Cooper, PA Wire/Alamy Images

Australia is famous for its unique culture, metropolitan cities, and unusual wildlife, among other things. Each week, this seasonal feature will spotlight one of Australia’s many wonders.

Ben Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player. Though he showed talent in many sports, Simmons came to the United States in high school to excel in basketball. He is now a talented guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Simmons became the second-fastest player in the league to make 1,000 assists, 2,000 points, and 1,000 rebounds. He also ranks among the league’s tallest point guards at 6 feet 10 inches (208 centimeters). That is taller than the average door! Can you imagine ducking every time you walk into a room?

Simmons has played for the Philadelphia 76ers since the start of his professional career. He is known for his outstanding passing and defense. Simmons won the Rookie of the Year award for his play in the 2017-2018 NBA season. In 2019, he became the first Australian selected for the NBA’s All-Star game. He was again named an All-Star in 2020 and 2021.

Benjamin David Simmons was born in Melbourne, Australia, on July 20, 1996. His father, Dave Simmons, was an American who starred in Australia’s National Basketball League. As a youth, Ben gained notice for his skill in rugby and Australian Rules football, as well as basketball. In 2012, his Australia team finished second in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Under-17 World Championship. The following year, Simmons moved to Florida to complete high school and play against elite competition. He starred at Louisiana State University during the 2015-2016 college season. The 76ers selected him as the first pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

Soon after being drafted, Simmons broke a bone in his foot, forcing him to miss the 2016-2017 NBA season. During his debut 2017-2018 season, he averaged about 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. Simmons was selected to his first NBA All-Star Team for his play in the 2018-2019 season. He led the league in steals per game during the 2019-2020 season and was named to the All-Defensive First Team.

Baylor guard Jared Butler shoots between Gonzaga forward Anton Watson (left) and guard Andrew Nembhard (right) during the second half of the men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 5, 2021.
Credit: © Darron Cummings, AP/Shutterstock

On Monday, April 5, the Baylor University Bears routed the previously undefeated Gonzaga University Bulldogs 86-70 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was Baylor’s first championship win, having last appeared in the championship game 73 years ago.

Gonzaga went into the game with a 31-0 record. The Indiana University Hoosiers were, in 1976, the last undefeated team to win a championship. But almost immediately, the Bulldogs’ bark was worse than their bite. Baylor swiftly took the lead. Nearly four minutes passed before Gonzaga got a single basket. And by that point, Baylor was approaching the double digits. With rebounds, shooting, and pure speed, Baylor quickly established a rhythm that Gonzaga was unable to break throughout the rest of the game.

Baylor’s guards were key to the win. Jared Butler scored 22 points with 7 assists. Davion Mitchell had 15 points and 5 assists. And MaCio Teague had 19 points. Baylor neared the end of the game with a 16-point cushion, but there was no way to cushion the blow for a Gonzaga team, which had not lost since before the start of the pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19. (Because of the ongoing pandemic, there was limited attendance throughout the tournament.)

Stanford guard Lexie Hull drives past Arizona forward Trinity Baptiste during the first half of the women’s NCAA championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on April 4, 2021.
Credit: © Morry Gash, AP/Shutterstock

The men’s national championship game was not the first major basketball event of the week. On Sunday, April 4, the Stanford University Cardinal edged out the University of Arizona Wildcats 54-53 in the NCAA women’s basketball championship in San Antonio, Texas. Stanford was ahead for much of the game. But, the Wildcats’ guard Aari McDonald managed to close the lead to just a single point. In the final seconds of the game, McDonald tried for a jump shot. But, the ball bounced off the back of the rim as time—and the Wildcat’s incredible run—expired. Stanford’s championship title—the third in school history—was their first in 29 years.

The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball championships are a group of tournaments played at the end of the regular season in March and April to determine national college champions in men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. Played mostly during March, the tournament has been labeled March Madness and is one of the most-watched television sports events of the year in the United States.

In March 2020, the tournaments were canceled, because of the threat of COVID-19. A year later, the respiratory disease is still affecting nearly every part of life. Basketball is no exception. Cardboard cutouts of fans have filled stadiums for some games and players have congratulated one another with elbow bumps—well, except when they’ve embraced after last-second game-winning shots. Despite the restrictions, the 2021 NCAA basketball championships offered a bit of normalcy to an otherwise abnormal time.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during Game Six of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Oct. 11, 2020, at The AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Credit: © Andrew D. Bernstein, NBAE/Getty Images

On October 11, the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) defeated the Miami Heat, 106-93, to win the franchise’s 17th NBA championship. The Lakers won the best-of-seven Finals four games to two, capping an extraordinary season interrupted by COVID-19 and later played out in a “bubble” at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Los Angeles superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped the Lakers overcome a spirited performance by the injury-depleted Heat and its willful leader Jimmy Butler. The game six victory secured James’s fourth championship, adding to title runs he enjoyed with the Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. James, who averaged 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the series, was named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The Miami Heat were led by battle-tested Butler, active young center Bam Adebayo, and rookie guard Tyler Herro. Butler totaled 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in a Game Three Heat victory. He also recorded a triple-double in the Heat’s Game Five victory.

After accepting the championship trophy, James and Davis dedicated the trophy to the former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant was one of the most exciting players in the NBA, playing guard for a record 20 seasons for the Lakers. On Jan. 26, 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash. One of his daughters, 13-year-old Gianna, and the seven other people aboard the craft died as well. The Lakers—and the NBA as a whole—honored the Bryant family throughout the season. The Lakers have worn black jerseys that were designed by Bryant before his death. The jerseys also have the number “2” in a heart, Gianna’s jersey number.

Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm reaches for the ball during Game Three of the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces on Oct. 6, 2020, at Feld Entertainment Center in Palmetto, Florida.
Credit: © Stephen Gosling, NBAE/Getty Images

On Tuesday, October 6, the Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces 92-59 to win the 2020 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Championship in a three-game sweep. Seattle’s win was the largest margin of victory in finals history. It is Seattle’s second title in three seasons. With the win, Seattle tied the Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx for the league’s most championship wins.

The celebration looked different than in years past. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic (global outbreak of disease), teams have been in a bubble—nicknamed the “Wubble,” for the WNBA bubble—at IMG Academy sports training complex in Bradenton, Florida, since July. The victors could not celebrate with friends, family, or fans, but they certainly will when they return to Seattle. Before that, however, the players settled for a celebration of making confetti angels on the court.

The legends Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart play for the Seattle Storm. Since Bird joined the team in 2000, she has been part of all four Storm titles. In addition to 2020, the Storm won in 2004, 2010, and 2018. Stewart joined the Storm in 2016, earning Rookie of the Year that same year. She was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player for the 2018 season. Both Bird and Stewart missed the 2019 WNBA season while recovering from injury.

Other key Storm players include Jordin Canada, Alysha Clark, Natasha Howard, and Jewell Lloyd. Alysha Clark, in particular, spoke about the league’s mission to bring attention to Breonna Taylor, as well as Black women and girls in general. In March, Taylor, a Black woman, was shot and killed by police officers executing a botched search. WNBA players put Taylor’s name on the back of their jerseys and raised awareness about social justice issues. After the win, Clark said, “It’s a championship for little Black girls and Black women across the country, honestly. I said it after the game, when I was letting it all soak in: ‘I hope each and every one of them feels just as victorious in this moment as I do, because you should. We see you, we hear you. We acknowledge you, and your life matters.’”

T. J. Warren of the Indiana Pacers goes for a lay-up shot against the Philadelphia 76ers on August 1, 2020, at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The NBA resumed its suspended 2019-2020 season with teams sequestered (isolated) at the resort and no fans in attendance, precautions against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (worldwide outbreak of disease). Virtual fans can be seen in the background, projected against the walls of the arena.
Credit: © Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE/Getty Images

The National Basketball Association (NBA) resumed its season on Thursday, July 30. But, this season looks much different than seasons past. Gone are the cheering fans. Instead, the stands are empty.

In March 2020, the NBA suspended its 2019-2020 season because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, a contagious respiratory disease, first broke out in China in late 2019. It soon spread throughout the world. The NBA suspended play on March 11, 2020, after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the disease. Most other major sports leagues around the world quickly followed the NBA in suspending or canceling scheduled events. In June, NBA teams and players agreed to a plan in which the top 22 teams in the standings would resume play under a shortened schedule to compete for a place in the playoffs.

All 22 teams are sequestered (isolated) at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Living in this “bubble” is intended to protect the players, coaches, and staff from contracting and spreading COVID-19. The complex includes weight rooms, practice gyms, and game courts. There are no Disney princesses or pirates. But, there are many famous faces, including such top players as LeBron James and Zion Williamson.

The season resumed with a game between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Jazz beat the Pelicans 106 to 104. That same night, the Los Angeles Clippers played the Los Angeles Lakers. It was another two-point victory—the Lakers beat the Clippers 103 to 101.

Opening night provided a platform for players and others to express support for Black Lives Matter (BLM). BLM is an activist movement that was formed to campaign against racial injustice and what its members consider police brutality against African Americans. BLACK LIVES MATTER was painted on the court, and the players knelt during the national anthem, an expression of protest begun by the American quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The NBA is not the only sports league to resume suspended play. The National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have resumed their seasons, too. One thing all the leagues have in common is the absence of spectators at games. But at-home celebrations are likely to be spirited, as fans throughout the world have been without professional sports for months.

April 8, 2020

Today, April 8, Behind the Headlines was originally scheduled to cover this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championships in the United States. However, the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments were canceled in March because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The tournaments were not alone: nearly all sports leagues and sporting events have been suspended or canceled because of COVID-19, putting sports on hold in all corners of the globe. COVID-19 is a pneumonia-like disease caused by a coronavirus, a type of virus that also causes the common cold and other diseases of the upper respiratory system. To date, COVID-19 has killed more than 80,000 people among nearly 1.5 million confirmed cases.

Dodger Stadium sits empty in Los Angeles, California. Baseball stadiums, usually teeming with people at this time of year, are going unused throughout the world as leagues have been suspended or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: John McCoy/Getty Images

All collegiate and high schools sports in the United States were suspended or canceled because of COVID-19 (the schools were then closed), and Little League Baseball, too, had to put off the start of its season. In professional sports, Major League Baseball, which had begun its annual spring training, canceled all exhibition games on March 12 and indefinitely delayed the start of the regular season. Minor League Baseball shut down, as did baseball leagues in Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and other countries. The National Basketball Association suspended its season on March 11, and basketball leagues in other countries were also shut down. The recently launched XFL football league suspended its first season on March 12, and the fledgling Basketball Africa League also lost its inaugural season, which had been scheduled to start on March 13.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo until 2021. Credit: Pakpoom Phummee/Shutterstock

Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League suspended their seasons in March, and other hockey and soccer leagues around the world were forced to do the same. Rugby and cricket leagues and tournaments were suspended, as were the upcoming Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open golf competitions. In tennis, Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II (1939-1945), and the French Open was postponed. The Kentucky Derby horse race and the Indianapolis 500 auto race were postponed, and the Monaco Gran Prix auto race was canceled. (All three races are usually run in May.) Marathons around the world have been canceled or postponed, and athletes of all types will have to wait for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were postponed a year until July 2021.

This illustration of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) shows the spikes on the outer surface of the virus that appear as a corona, giving the virus its name. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of sports continued to be played without fans in attendance, but fears for the safety of athletes quickly led to the canceling of the competitions themselves. Suspended and postponed sports leagues and events have issued optimistic timelines about when they will resume or take place. All timelines, however, depend on the containment or continued spread of COVID-19.

The sports cancellations are part of social distancing, also known as physical distancing, an effort to slow or stop the spread of a contagious disease by limiting contact between people. Social distancing is most effective against illnesses that can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing, direct or indirect physical contact, or through the air. Typical social distancing measures call for the closing of such public places as sports arenas, schools, restaurants, museums, and many offices and stores. They may also call for people to maintain a distance of around 6 feet (2 meters) between them in public places.

October 14, 2019

On Thursday, October 10, the Washington (D.C.) Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun 89-78 to win the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) finals presented by YouTube TV. The Mystics won their first title by taking down the Sun three games to two in the best-of-five series. The Mystics made the 2018 finals, but were swept by the Seattle Storm. The Sun were also trying for their first WNBA championship. A capacity crowd of 4,200 fans packed the Entertainment and Sports Arena on the St. Elizabeths East Campus in Washington, D.C., for the deciding game five.

Emma Meesseman of the Washington Mystics shoots over a Connecticut Sun defender in game five of the WNBA finals on Oct. 10, 2019, in Washington, DC. Credit: © Rob Carr, Getty Images

The Mystics had the WNBA’s best record during the regular season (26-8), and the Sun had the second-best record (23-11). In the WNBA, the eight best teams make the playoffs and are seeded according to record, regardless of conference. This system allowed the Mystics and Sun—two Eastern Conference teams—to be seeded no. 1 and no. 2 and eventually meet in the WNBA finals. The Mystics and Sun also received automatic bids to the semifinals as the six lower-seeded teams duked it out in two playoff rounds. The no. 4 seed Las Vegas Aces emerged in one semifinal, which they lost three games to one to Washington. The no. 3 seed Los Angeles Sparks survived the other bracket, but were swept by Connecticut in that semifinal.

In the finals opener on September 29 in D.C., the Mystics jumped out early and held off the Sun for a 95-86 victory. The 2019 WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Elena Delle Donne powered the Mystics with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Washington forward Ariel Atkins scored 21 points and guard Kristi Toliver added 18. Connecticut guard Courtney Williams sank six three-pointers and led the Sun with 26 points.

In game two in D.C. on October 1, the visiting Suns stole a tough road victory, 99-87. Back spasms sidelined Washington power forward Delle Donne in the first quarter, clearing the way for the Suns to dominate inside. Connecticut center Jonquel Jones scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and Sun forward Alyssa Thomas added 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Courtney Williams enjoyed another fine performance with 22 points and 6 assists. Washington forward Emma Meesseman filled in more than ably for Delle Donne, scoring 23 points and pulling down 8 rebounds.

The series moved to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, for game three on October 6. The road Mystics spoiled the Sun homecoming, however, with an impressive 94-81 win. Meesseman came off the bench again to lead a balanced Washington attack with 21 points. Mystics guards Toliver (20 points) and Natasha Cloud (19 points) had strong games, and a hobbled Della Donne added 13 points.

In game four in Connecticut on October 8, the Sun evened the series at 2-2 with a 90-86 victory. Sun center Jones again was a force inside, scoring 18 points with 13 rebounds. Sun forward Thomas had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. Mystics forward Aerial Powers came off the bench to lead the team with 15 points, while four other Mystics scored in double figures—including Meesseman, who had earned a new nickname: “Playoff Emma.”

June 19, 2019

Last week, on June 13, the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 to win the team’s first NBA championship. The Raptors won the best-of-seven finals four games to two. Raptors stars Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and an underrated supporting team overcame Stephen Curry and his two-time defending champion Warriors to bring the first-ever NBA championship to Canada. The Raptors team, with its “We the North” slogan, celebrated the Canadian coup with nearly 2 million fans at a Toronto parade on June 17.

Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors lobs a shot over Golden State defenders during the sixth and deciding game of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena on June 13, 2019, in Oakland, California. Credit: © Kyle Terada, Getty Images

The Warriors, one-time heavy favorites to “three-peat” (repeat a third time) as champions, played most of the finals without the nine-time All-NBA forward Kevin Durant. (A calf injury limited Durant to just 12 minutes before a ruptured Achilles tendon ended his postseason). The Warriors also lost the star shooting guard Klay Thompson to a hamstring injury in game three and a torn knee ligament in game six. Curry and teammates Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala failed to muster enough offense to keep up with the hungry Raptors, who delivered big plays in the series’s final moments.

The Raptors began the 2018-2019 season with high hopes, having acquired the top forward Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs in a trade involving longtime Raptors swingman (multi-position player) DeMar DeRozan last July. Toronto also netted the steady shooter and defender Danny Green in the transaction, and they picked up the center Marc Gasol in a deal with Memphis this February. The emergence of the rangy third-year forward Pascal Siakam gave the Raptors star power at every position.

Toronto finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for second in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The team then topped the Philadelphia 76ers in a hard-fought seven-game series. Toronto overcame a two-games-to-none deficit against top-seeded Milwaukee and its towering superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, sweeping the last four games to close out the conference finals.

The Warriors, the most storied NBA dynasty since Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers and Michael Jordan’s  Chicago Bulls, finished 57-25 in the regular season, tops in the Western Conference. In the opening playoff round, the Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in a tough series that went six games. In Golden State’s second-round match up against the Houston Rockets, Durant exited after a game five calf strain. The Warriors still prevailed, however, and went on to sweep the upstart Portland Trail Blazers in the conference finals.

In game one of the finals in Toronto, the Raptors thrilled the home fans with a 118-109 victory over the Warriors—the first-ever NBA Finals game played in Canada. (The Raptors entered the league as an expansion team for the 1995-1996 season, and this was the team’s first finals. The only other Canadian NBA team, the Vancouver Grizzlies, never made the finals before moving to Memphis.) Toronto looked strong through halftime of game two, but the Warriors outscored the Raptors 34-21 in the third quarter and held on to win, evening the series at a game a piece.

The series continued on Golden State’s home court in Oakland, where the Raptors showed themselves to be the more complete team. Toronto won game three 123-109 and game four 105-92. Back in Toronto for game five, the Warriors overcame Durant’s postseason-ending injury, winning a tight 106-105 contest. In game six, Toronto stormed back after Klay Thompson’s injury, and Leonard, Lowry, and Siakam, together with the reserves Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet, proved invincible down the stretch. Leonard—who averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game in the series—won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. The award was Leonard’s second; he earned finals MVP honors in 2014 as a member of the champion Spurs.

Finals game six was the last the Warriors will play in Oakland’s Oracle Arena, which first hosted games as Oakland-Alameda County Arena in 1966. Warriors fans enjoyed championship teams at the venue in 1975 and again during the team’s recent dominance in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Beginning next season, the Warriors will play their home games at the new $1.4-billion Chase Center across the bay in San Francisco.

April 10, 2019

On Sunday night, April 7, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the Baylor University Lady Bears defeated Notre Dame 82-81 to win the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Baylor senior guard Chloe Jackson provided the winning margin with a go-ahead lay-up with just 3.9 seconds remaining in the game. Jackson led Baylor with 26 points and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player (MOP). It was the third NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) women’s basketball title for Baylor. The Lady Bears previously won in 2005 and 2012. Notre Dame won NCAA titles in 2001 and 2018.

The Baylor Lady Bears–including Most Outstanding Player Chloe Jackson (24)–celebrate their NCAA title at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on April 7, 2019. Credit: © Justin Tafoya, Getty Images

Baylor dominated early, taking a 43-31 lead into halftime. But Notre Dame stormed back, making up the deficit and battling to a 74-74 tie with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter. The evenly-matched teams then battled down the stretch, with Baylor prevailing by a single point. Led by Jackson and senior center Kalani Brown (20 points), the Lady Bears overcame Notre Dame’s scoring tandem of Arike Ogunbowale (31 points) and Marina Mabrey (21 points). In the Final Four semifinals, Notre Dame took out perennial powerhouse Connecticut, and Baylor downed Oregon.

Virginia guard Kyle Guy (5) attempts a shot against Texas Tech defenders during the NCAA men’s title game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 8, 2019. Credit: © Tom Pennington, Getty Images

On Monday night, April 8, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the University of Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 85-77 in overtime to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Virginia, led by guards De’Andre Hunter (27 points) and Kyle Guy (24 points), carried a tight 3-point lead into halftime and held the advantage for most of the second half. Texas Tech rallied, however, to take a 3-point lead of their own into the game’s final minute. With just 12 seconds on the clock, a Hunter 3-pointer evened the score at 68-68 to send the game into overtime. The Cavaliers pulled away in the extra five minutes, outscoring the Red Raiders 17-9 for the title. Virginia’s Guy took home tournament MOP honors. 

It was the first NCAA championship game for both Virginia and Texas Tech, who knocked out Auburn and Michigan State, respectively, in the Final Four semifinals. Virginia entered the tournament as a number-1 seed, and Texas Tech was a 3 seed. Virginia’s first title was especially sweet following the team’s epic collapse in last year’s NCAA tournament. In 2018, Virginia became the first number-1 seed to lose to a 16 seed—the lowest—when the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers shocked the Cavaliers 74-54.