Last Mamba Amalia Holguin Is Ready to Show the World What Kobe Bryant Taught Her As the final member of the heralded Team Mamba squad to finish her high school career,  the Texas-bound guard is ready for a bigger stage.

This is an exceptional piece by @emmabaccellieri.bsky.social about a child who lost her coach — who happened to be an icon.

www.si.com/college-bask...

Rory McIlroy Was Ready for This Masters Even When It Looked Like He Wasn’t McIlroy put on a clinic in course management on Sunday at Augusta, writes Michael Rosenberg. And as a changed player, he deserved to repeat as Masters champion.

From the moment he turned pro, Rory McIlroy was supposed to be so much. This week, he was even more: www.si.com/golf/masters...

Rory McIlroy Was Ready for This Masters Even When It Looked Like He Wasn’t McIlroy put on a clinic in course management on Sunday at Augusta, writes Michael Rosenberg. And as a changed player, he deserved to repeat as Masters champion.

From the moment he turned pro, Rory McIlroy was supposed to be so much. This week, he was even more: www.si.com/golf/masters...

After a Hard Reset, UCLA Decided to Win a National Championship on Its Own Terms Many doubted if the Bruins were tough enough to win it all. It turns out they had so much heart for each other that they played heartlessly against opponents.

The UCLA women won the title their way: with ruthless tenacity, and a whole bunch of love. www.si.com/college-bask...

Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma Aren’t Threatened by Each Other. They Just Want to Win. The Gamecocks and Huskies take incredible pride in pushing each other to be the best version of themselves. That is their culture. Winning is a byproduct of it.

Dawn Staley isn’t here for Geno Auriemma’s apology. She also isn’t in this to beat Geno’s ass. She is driven by something else — and it’s the same thing that drives Geno: www.si.com/college-bask...

South Carolina Forced UConn, Geno Auriemma Into the Worst Version of Themselves Dawn Staley saw the holes the Huskies had been hiding all season and used a disciplined defense to win in the Final Four.

Geno Auriemma screamed, he complained, he doubled down afterward. But if he and Dawn Staley can agree on anything, it’s this:
The better team won. www.si.com/college-bask...

Geno Auriemma Made It All About Himself and That’s a Real Shame It’s not exactly clear what happened between the Huskies coach and Dawn Staley after South Carolina beat UConn, but he made it publicly personal.

“I never want it to be Geno and Dawn, Geno and this, Geno and that… I’ve tried really, really hard over the years to not make it about that ever again.” That was Geno Auriemma on Thursday. So where was that on Friday? Column from Phoenix:

South Carolina Forced UConn, Geno Auriemma Into the Worst Version of Themselves Dawn Staley saw the holes the Huskies had been hiding all season and used a disciplined defense to win in the Final Four.

Geno Auriemma screamed, he complained, he doubled down afterward. But if he and Dawn Staley can agree on anything, it’s this:
The better team won. www.si.com/college-bask...

Hannah Hidalgo, the Ultimate Disrupter, Is Stealing Dreams This March Madness Vanderbilt simply couldn’t keep up with the junior guard, who had a triple-double in Notre Dame’s upset win to send her team to the Elite Eight.

Geno Auriemma just compared Hannah Hidalgo to Lawrence Taylor: “A unique player that comes along once in a lifetime.”

www.si.com/college-bask...

Hannah Hidalgo, the Ultimate Disrupter, Is Stealing Dreams This March Madness Vanderbilt simply couldn’t keep up with the junior guard, who had a triple-double in Notre Dame’s upset win to send her team to the Elite Eight.

Column from Fort Worth on the staggering brilliance of Hannah Hidalgo: www.si.com/college-bask...

After Another Car Crash, Tiger Woods Must Face the Hard Truth: He Is an Addict Woods seems to be focused on his playing career and his injury rehab, but addiction is unrelenting, writes Michael Rosenberg.

The only person who did not see Tiger Woods’s DUI coming was Tiger Woods.

He deserves empathy. He also needs everyone in his life to see him as the addict that he is:

www.si.com/golf/after-a...

After Another Car Crash, Tiger Woods Must Face the Hard Truth: He Is an Addict Woods seems to be focused on his playing career and his injury rehab, but addiction is unrelenting, writes Michael Rosenberg.

The only person who did not see Tiger Woods’s DUI coming was Tiger Woods.

He deserves empathy. He also needs everyone in his life to see him as the addict that he is:

www.si.com/golf/after-a...

Hannah Hidalgo, the Ultimate Disrupter, Is Stealing Dreams This March Madness Vanderbilt simply couldn’t keep up with the junior guard, who had a triple-double in Notre Dame’s upset win to send her team to the Elite Eight.

Column from Fort Worth on the staggering brilliance of Hannah Hidalgo: www.si.com/college-bask...

Mikayla Blakes, Shea Ralph Have Turned Vanderbilt From an Afterthought Into a Contender The revived Commodores have held their own in a tough SEC and are a legitimate threat for a No. 1 seed heading into March.

“The landscape was changing, but that didn’t mean that we had to change who we are or how we operate. I still believed that we could win and be developmental." On what Shea Ralph has built at Vandy with Mikayla Blakes:

Sophomore Slump? Not for Michigan’s Band of Young Stars The Wolverines’ trio of guards, Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway, have powered this team’s NCAA tournament run.

I wrote about the Michigan women’s hoops team, getting so much right by getting so little wrong: www.si.com/college-bask...

SI Bracket Challenge: Join the Sports Illustrated March Madness Bracket Contest Join the Sports Illustrated Bracket Challenge for March Madness. Fill out your tournament bracket, compete with fans and see how your picks stack up.

I don’t advocate gambling, except when you have a hunch. Then you should bet all your assets and future income. Play SI’s Bracket Challenge here: www.si.com/college-bask...

March Madness Rankings: Every Men’s NCAA Tournament Team From 1 to 68 How accurate are the seeds? We examine each team’s strengths, weaknesses and everything in between.

New SI Digital Cover: The selection committee had its say, now it's our turn. The annual 1-68 rankings, with 9,500 words of gory details on every team in the Big Dance. bit.ly/4uz8xfV

Ranking the Best 68 Women’s Basketball Players in the March Madness Field From impressive freshmen to top 2026 WNBA draft prospects, this year’s NCAA tournament will have highlight-worthy talent.

At SI, we ranked the top 68 players who will be competing in the women's NCAA tournament. These are the names to know in March.

(many thanks to @emmabaccellieri.bsky.social, @blakesilverman.bsky.social, Tim Capurso and Kristen Nelson for their help with this project!)

www.si.com/college-bask...

Lou Holtz, One of College Football’s Great Architects, Dies at 89 The longtime college football coach won Notre Dame’s last national championship and 249 games along the way at six schools.

Column: Lou Holtz kept everyone laughing while he kept winning games at different schools. Farewell to the author of a remarkable football life.

bit.ly/46IuxdT

USA Hockey’s Olympic Gold Medal Win Was Decades in the Making Thanks to heroics from Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck, the U.S.finally got the better of its Canadian rivals, ending a 46-year gold medal drought.

Column from Milan on U.S. men’s hockey … finally: www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Jack Hughes's broken teeth

Fantastic close-up shot of Jack Hughes’ busted teeth from @sportsillustrated.bsky.social’s Erick Rasco. The full gallery of Rasco’s best photos from the gold medal game is just amazing www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Team USA Honored Johnny Gaudreau’s Memory by Making Him an Olympic Champion The NHL veteran was killed by an alleged drunk driver in 2024. With his family in Milan, his former U.S. teammates dedicated their gold medal to him.

Column: Guy Gaudreau and his family dried their eyes, sang the anthem and then watched Johnny Hockey’s kids take the ice for the team picture.

“He grew up with all these guys. He’s probably here with them right now in spirit, right?”

bit.ly/4tKYvIh

USA Hockey’s Olympic Gold Medal Win Was Decades in the Making Thanks to heroics from Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck, the U.S.finally got the better of its Canadian rivals, ending a 46-year gold medal drought.

Column from Milan on U.S. men’s hockey … finally: www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Casey Wasserman Must Resign. The Integrity of the 2028 L.A. Olympics Depends on It The LA28 chair’s ties to Ghislaine Maxwell and the Epstein Files should make it clear that the upcoming Summer Games are better off without him.

Casey Wasserman is selling his agency because clients started bailing.

He remains chair of the L.A. Olympics organizing committee.

You are the client.

Why Wasserman has to go: www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Gold Hair, Gold Dress, Gold Medal: Alysa Liu Radiates Joy As Olympic Champion Four years after retiring at 16, the U.S. star has dazzled the figure skating world with endless exuberance and a penchant for the biggest stage.

Gold Hair, Gold Dress, Gold Medal:

On what Alysa Liu achieved, and also what she won:

www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Gold Hair, Gold Dress, Gold Medal: Alysa Liu Radiates Joy As Olympic Champion Four years after retiring at 16, the U.S. star has dazzled the figure skating world with endless exuberance and a penchant for the biggest stage.

Gold Hair, Gold Dress, Gold Medal:

On what Alysa Liu achieved, and also what she won:

www.si.com/winter-olymp...

Megan Keller’s Masterful Goal Makes the U.S. Queens of Hockey Once Again The veteran defender's game-winning shot in overtime punctured Canada’s defensive wall and gave Team USA its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

Column: in the city of “The Last Supper,” American hockey player Megan Keller created “The Last Shot” masterpiece to stave off a huge Canadian upset and capture gold. bit.ly/4rq6bhb

Casey Wasserman Must Resign. The Integrity of the 2028 L.A. Olympics Depends on It The LA28 chair’s ties to Ghislaine Maxwell and the Epstein Files should make it clear that the upcoming Summer Games are better off without him.

Casey Wasserman is selling his agency because clients started bailing.

He remains chair of the L.A. Olympics organizing committee.

You are the client.

Why Wasserman has to go: www.si.com/winter-olymp...

U.S. Women’s Hockey Turns Semifinal Into Swedish Shellacking in Gold Medal Warmup A 5–0 rout of Sweden was yet another casual win on Team USA’s dominant Olympic run. But the Americans’ focus remains on Thursday’s final.

Best team ever? The U.S. women’s hockey team is staking its claim:

www.si.com/winter-olymp...

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin Comes Down to Earth in Olympic Collapse The 21-year-old phenom was the heavy favorite to win individual gold in Milan. What followed left the figure skating world in complete shock.

There are collapses, and then there is what happened to Ilia Malinin Friday. On one of the most stunning nights in Olympic history: www.si.com/winter-olymp...