Women's Final Four X-factors: Four players who can be key to national title

The month of March might have come to a close, but the madness of the2026 Women's NCAA Tournamentis marching into April with theFinal Fourin Phoenix rapidly approaching.

The remaining four teams —No. 1 UConn,No. 1 UCLA,No. 1 TexasandNo. 1 South Carolina— have been powered to the Final Four by superstar talent. We're talking about UConn'sSarah Strong, UCLA'sLauren Betts, Texas'Madison Bookerand South Carolina'sRaven Johnson.

But the national title might come down to an unsung hero that steps up when the lights are the brightest. Here's a look at a player from each team that must make an impact when it matters most for their team to hoist a trophy:

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

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See women's March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the2026 NCAA Women's March MadnessSecond Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

Agot Makeer, South Carolina

South Carolina is back in the Final Four for the sixth consecutive year, but the key to defeating the reigning champion UConn Huskies might come down to an 18-year-old freshman coming off the bench. Agot Makeer, a 6-foot guard from Canada, was limited to 5.8 points across 26 games this season after dealing with various injuries. But Makeer has made an impact during March Madness and quickly became "a vital piece to our success," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said.

Makeer scored double-digit points off the bench in four consecutive tournament games, including a career-high 18 points in No. 1 South Carolina's Elite 8 rout of No. 3 TCU. She's averaging 14.8 points in the tournament, nearly tripling her scoring average, while shooting an efficient 55.6% from the field. "I'm in a flow right now," said Makeer, who only had three double-digit games all season heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

It's more than just her offense. Makeer uses her length and size to be a disruptive defender and is averaging nearly three steals in March Madness.

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Blanca Quiñonez, UConn

UConn's depth has been its strength all season long, with Sarah Strong confidently stating, "No other team has a bench like us." Freshman Blanca Quiñonez has been the biggest X-factor coming off the bench. Quiñonez scored 20 points in UConn's Elite 8 win over No. 6 Notre Dame, where she knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers in the win. The 6-foot-2 guard from Ecuador has reached double-digit scoring in four consecutive March Madness games and is shooting 9-of-19 (47.4%) from deep.

Quiñonez also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, highlighting her ability to impact the game in many different ways. UConn has won 54 games in a row and will be pivotal to extend the win streak as defenses zero in on Sarah Stong and Azzi Fudd.

Angela Dugalić, UCLA

Angela Dugalić opted to come off the bench and the decision has paid dividends for both the Bruins and the Big Ten Women's Basketball Sixth Player of the Year. Dugalić is a 6-foot-4 forward, but has the skillset of a guard. She creates instant mismatches, spreads the floor and brings a different level of intensity that "our team was really feeding off of," head coach Cori Close said after UCLA's Elite 8 comeback win over No. 3 Duke. Dugalić finished with 15 points and six rebounds in the win, making her third double-digit game in March Madness. She's also posted two double-doubles in the Round of 64 and Sweet 16. UCLA is one win away from its first national championship appearance in program history.

Kyla Oldacre, Texas

"You win with guard play, but you win championships with guard play and size," Texas head coach Vic Schaefer. That statement is especially true heading into the Final Four. Schaefer will deploy Kyla Oldacre to contain UCLA's 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts in the paint. Oldacre has come off the bench for Texas, but has averaged over twenty minutes through the tournament. The 6-foot-6 center is coming off a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double in Texas' Elite 8 blowout of No. 2 Michigan, her sixth double-double of the season.

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Women's Final Four X-factors: Who will be key to national title?

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April 01, 2026

Women's Final Four X-factors: Four players who can be key to national title

The month of March might have come to a close, but the madness of the2026 Women's NCAA Tournamentis marching into Apr...

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UCLA women enjoy 'home-court advantage' during Final Four run

SACRAMENTO, CA ―UCLAhas felt right at home during its second consecutiveWomen's NCAA Tournamentrun to a Final Four.

The Bruins lucked out, being the only team in the Final Four that hasn't had to change time zones throughout March Madness.

UCLA has played every round in the Pacific time zone, beginning with the first and second rounds on their home court at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight were played in Sacramento, California, which is a little more than an hour flight or a five- to six-hour drive. Again, Bruins fans, students and alumni traveled to pack the Golden 1 Center. They "showed up and showed out."

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

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See women's March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the2026 NCAA Women's March MadnessSecond Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

In their Elite Eight game against Duke, there were 9,627 people in attendance, nearly half the max capacity of Golden 1 Center. Still, it sounded as if it were jam-packed for a Sacramento Kings game the way fans cheered for their SoCal squad.

It served the Bruins well on the court. They were down in the contest against Duke but fed off the energy of the friendly fans to stage a comeback and ultimately take a lead in the second half which they never relinquished.

"Just tremendous," UCLA forward Angela Dugalic told USA TODAY Sports about the crowd presence. "I'm so happy that we got an opportunity to play. It just felt like a home-court advantage. Honestly. In fact, we were able to play in California. I know it's a little bit away from LA, but it just still felt like a homecoming advantage."

Dugalic scored 15 points against Duke. She was able to channel to energy of UCLA fans and apply it to the court. She had a determined look all game and was dialed in, shooting 7-of-13, 53% from the field.

"Thank you for everyone who came in and showed up and showed out for us. And I know some people obviously couldn't make it. It's a long Friday flight for some people," Dugalic said. "... but it just really is such a blessing the fact that we were able to play in front of our fans and our crowd."

But UCLA isn't new to playing in Sacramento or Golden 1 Center. They had a trial run during a non-conference Nov. 10 game against Oklahoma, holding it in California's capital city.

For what it's worth, the Bruins won 73-59. And yes, UCLA fans were rambunctiously loud in rooting for their team.

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UCLA head coach Cori Close believes being so close helped the team with preparation and being familiar with their surroundings.

"It was palpable, right? When we walked out, the energy in the building, and we're really thankful to Sacramento for being great hosts," Close told USA TODAY following their win against Duke. "But also what they did with us, we had a game fall through with Oklahoma that was supposed to be played in New York, and we decided we were going to bring it here, and that they got behind that game in November.

"There was a familiarity. We stayed at the same hotel. We had the same rhythms, you know, and ... we were really planning intentionally for what it was going to be like here."

This isn't your ordinary college basketball team. They get support from all over, because their players are from all over. Dugalic, for example, is Serbian but grew up in northwest Chicago. Her brother, Milos Dugalic, texted her she said, as he tuned in with his pro team in Bristol, England. Her teammate Lena Bilić is Croatian.

"I can proudly say that we're international or worldwide," Dugalic said.

And that worldwide support should give them a leg up during the Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 3.

Los Angeles is literally a hop, skip and a jump away from Phoenix. Pick your mode of transportation. It takes about 90 minutes to fly and driving can be around six hours, maybe less if you do it right.

UCLA anticipates using their proximity will be an advantage and looks forward to their crowd arriving in bunches during the Final Four, and potentially, a national championship.

"It was really fun to just have the energy and the people behind us," Close said following their Elite Eight win against Duke on March 29. "I got to share a moment with Denise Curry and Debbie Halliday, and who are part of the '78 and '79 teams that also went to back to back Final Four's when it was AIAW, and want to give them their flowers.

"It's really only meaningful if you get to share it with genuine people. And I thought that having it here in Sacramento brought a different meaning, because we were able to share it with people that we really care about, and we know that people that helped us get here."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:UCLA enjoys home-court advantage during Women's NCAA Tournament

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April 01, 2026

UCLA women enjoy 'home-court advantage' during Final Four run

SACRAMENTO, CA ―UCLAhas felt right at home during its second consecutiveWomen's NCAA Tournamentrun to a Final Four. ...

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Severe Thunderstorms, Including Tornadoes, Are Likely In The Plains, Midwest, East Through Saturday

Severe thunderstorms are once again forecast in parts of the Plains, Midwest and East through Saturday, capping off an active March and kicking off the typically dangerous month of April.

Happening Now

The map below shows where rain and thunderstorms are right now, along with any active watches or warnings.

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible from the Southern Great Lakes into the Central and Southern Plains with hail and strong wind gusts through the overnight hours.

Forecast

This could be a more active day of severe weather during this week's stretch.

-Main area of concern: Parts of the central, southern Plains from north Texas to western Missouri

- Main threats: Tornadoes (some strong), large hail possibly larger than golf balls, destructive wind gusts possibly up to 75 mph

- When: Late afternoon through the night

Semi-discrete thunderstorms are expected to blossom by late afternoon before growing into a line of thunderstorms through the evening and overnight hours. Early thunderstorms could have significant hailstones before the threat turns to tornadoes and damaging wind gusts. Storms will reach the Interstate-35 corridor during the late evening and overnight hours.

More isolated severe storms are possible in parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic, with hail or strong wind gusts.

-Main area of concern: Parts of the Midwest from Illinois to Michigan and northwest Ohio

- Main threats: Damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes

- When: Afternoon and evening

-Main area of concern: The southern and central Plains, possibly as far north as the Great Lakes and as far east as the mid-Mississippi Valley

- Main threats: Damaging wind gusts, tornadoes, large hail

- When: Afternoon through the night

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The map below shows the area where this is most possible several days away.

But, Friday could be a more widespread threat of numerous severe thunderstorms, both as discretesupercellsand also aslines of storms.

A threat of at least a few severe thunderstorms could extend into theEaster holiday weekendahead of the cold front from the Midwest, Northeast and Tennessee Valley Saturday to parts of the East Coast on Easter Sunday.

(MAPS:7-Day US Rain/Snow Forecast)

Flash Flood Threat, Too

While swaths of the Plains and Midwest are currently indrought, these repeated rounds of thunderstorms could also trigger areas of flash flooding, particularly in areas that have been soaked repeatedly this month.

That includes parts of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Plains.

Be Prepared

There are steps you can take to stay safe in severe weather:

1. Know where to seek safe shelter when severe weather strikesbeforethe storm. If you live in a manufactured home, the safest place is probably either a designated community shelter or the closest building such as a church, industrial building or any building with reinforced concrete.

2. Have multiple ways of receiving official National Weather Service watches and warnings, including from yourphoneandNOAA weather radio. Make sure your devices are full charged in case you lose power and alerts are turned on to wake you up at night.

3. Seek safe shelterimmediatelywhen you receive a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning for your area.

4.Never drive into flood waters. You could be carried away and the road underneath could have been washed away.

(MORE:14 Severe Weather Tips That Can Save Your Life)

Storm Fatigue

It has been yet another active March for severe weather in the U.S., including parts of the Midwest.

On March 6, four tornadoes struck southern Michigan, including an EF3 in Branch County killing three, an EF2 in Three Rivers and an EF1 tornado that claimed a life in Cass County.

Four days later, a lone supercell spawned 12 tornadoes across northeast Illinois into northwest Indiana, including the EF3 Kankakee, Illinois, tornado, which killed three.

Then on March 15, another 17 tornadoes were confirmed across central and southern Illinois.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has received 196 reports of and confirmed tornadoes in March, almost double the 20-year average of March twisters (104).

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him onBluesky,X (formerly Twitter)andFacebook.

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April 01, 2026

Severe Thunderstorms, Including Tornadoes, Are Likely In The Plains, Midwest, East Through Saturday

Severe thunderstorms are once again forecast in parts of the Plains, Midwest and East through Saturday, capping off an...

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Chinese chipmakers claim nearly half of of local market as Nvidia's lead shrinks, IDC says

By Che Pan and Laurie Chen

BEIJING, April 1 (Rtrs) - Chinese GPU and AI chip makers captured nearly 41% of China's AI accelerator server ‌market last year, erodingNvidia's once-dominant position in one of its ‌most important overseas markets, according to data from an IDC report reviewed by Reuters.

The gains ​come as Beijing grows increasingly cautious about dependence on foreign chips, pushing government agencies and companies to adopt domestic alternatives after successive waves of U.S. export controls cut China off from Nvidia's most advanced products.

Total shipments of AI accelerator cards ‌by Nvidia, AMD, and ⁠Chinese chipmakers reached approximately 4 million units in China in 2025, the data showed.

Nvidia remained the market leader, shipping around ⁠2.2 million cards and holding a 55% share. But that figure marks a significant retreat for the U.S. chipmaker, which held a dominant market share in China's ​AI chip ​market. AMD carved out a modest ​presence, shipping roughly 160,000 cards for ‌a 4% share, the IDC data showed.

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Chinese vendors collectively shipped 1.65 million cards, accounting for 41% of the total market — a milestone that underscores how aggressively domestic players have moved to fill the void left by tightening U.S. export controls.

Huawei Technologies emerged as the runaway leader among Chinese vendors, shipping ‌around 812,000 AI chips, roughly half of all ​domestically branded shipments. Alibaba's chip design unit ​T-Head claimed second place, shipping ​approximately 265,000 cards.

Baidu's Kunlunxin and Cambricon each shipped around 116,000 ‌cards, ranking them jointly third among ​Chinese vendors.

Hygon, GPU startups ​MetaX and Iluvatar CoreX accounted for 5%, 4% and 3% of total Chinese vendor shipments, respectively.

In 2025, the central government launched a new ​wave of AI infrastructure ‌spending, with local governments accelerating intelligent computing centers across provinces, many ​of which carried implicit directives to "buy Chinese."

(Reporting by Che Pan and ​Laurie Chen, Editing by Louise Heavens)

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April 01, 2026

Chinese chipmakers claim nearly half of of local market as Nvidia's lead shrinks, IDC says

By Che Pan and Laurie Chen BEIJING, April 1 (Rtrs) - Chinese GPU and AI chip makers captured nearly 41% of Chi...

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South Korea and Indonesia expand cooperation on defense and energy as Mideast war disrupts markets

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and Indonesia agreed Wednesday to expand cooperation in defense industries, technology and supply chains as their leaders pledged to upgrade their strategic partnership in face of uncertainties stemming from the war in the Middle East, Seoul's presidential office said.

South Korea Indonesia

After a summit in Seoul between PresidentLee Jae Myungand Indonesian PresidentPrabowo Subianto,the two governments issued a joint statement pledging deeper economic ties and continued cooperation on joint defense projects, including fighter jets, trainer aircraft and anti-tank missile systems.

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The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation on supply chains for energy, critical minerals and other resources. Lee described Indonesia as a vital source of natural gas and coal amid global energy disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.

According to Lee's government, South Korean companies will receive about 820,000 tons of liquefied natural gas from Indonesia this year, enough to power all of the country's gas-fired plants for about 12 days.

The leaders expressed satisfaction with the two countries' cooperation in developing South Korea's homegrown KF-21 supersonic fighter, a program launched in 2015 with Indonesia as a partner. The first of these planes were rolled out last week and South Korea reportedly plans to export 16 of them to Indonesia.

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April 01, 2026

South Korea and Indonesia expand cooperation on defense and energy as Mideast war disrupts markets

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and Indonesia agreed Wednesday to expand cooperation in defense industries, technol...

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Shohei Ohtani’s quest for Cy Young Award begins with 6 shutout innings as Dodgers beat Guardians

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtanigot started on his bid to win aCy Young Award— just about the only major prize to elude him — with six shutout innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first outing on the mound this season.

Guardians Dodgers Baseball

At the plate, the two-way superstar went 1 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout Tuesday night in a rainy4-1 winover the Cleveland Guardians.

The Dodgers have been waiting to see a full-time, two-way version of Ohtani since he joined them on a $700 million, 10-year deal before the 2024 season. He didn't pitch that year while recovering from a second major elbow surgery in September 2023 while with the Los Angeles Angels.

Last season, the team took a methodical approach to his return to the mound. Ohtani was 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings over 14 starts. His fastball averaged a career-high 98.4 mph.

"Last year, I felt good," Ohtani said through a translator. "But this year I do feel a lot more loose and easy pitching overall. Looking back at today's outing specifically, that wasn't necessarily the case. So that's something I want to work on. But compared to last season I felt more loose and easy."

Ohtani was limited to two spring training starts for the Dodgers because he played — but didn't pitch — for Japan in theWorld Baseball Classic.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts has noticed Ohtani is more critical of himself as a pitcher than a hitter.

"He's never going to be satisfied," Roberts said. "There's always something that he can improve on or get better at and that's what fuels him."

Ohtani has thrown 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the regular season, dating to Aug. 27, 2025, against Cincinnati — the longest shutout streak of his career. He bettered his previous high of 21 2/3 innings set in June 2022 with the Angels.

"If he's able to do it the whole year, that's just a huge boost to our pitching staff," third baseman Max Muncy said. "I expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him."

"I think he's got enough pressure already," Muncy said, "but it doesn't seem to faze him at all."

The only hit Ohtani allowed was a two-out double by Rhys Hoskins in the fourth. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.

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He was even successful on his first ABS challenge.

Ohtani retired his first seven batters before walking Gabriel Arias in the third. With two outs, he walked Steven Kwan to put runners on first and second. Ohtani had a 1-1 count on CJ Kayfus when he challenged a ball call. It was overturned, putting Ohtani ahead 1-2 in the count, and he got Kayfus on a swinging strike with his next pitch to end the third.

Heavy drizzle picked up over Ohtani's last couple of innings. The grounds crew groomed the front slope of the mound, specifically his landing spot, after he issued his third walk with two outs in the sixth. He used a metal tool to dislodge dirt from the bottom of his spikes. Ohtani then retired Hoskins with one pitch to end the inning.

"He's unflappable," Roberts said.

Offensively, Ohtani has yet to break out in his first five games. The four-time MVP is batting .167 with no home runs and no RBIs. He had 55 homers in 2025.

He extended his on-base streak to 36 games, tying the longest of his career.

"I've been able to get on base and that's a good thing," Ohtani said. "But on pitches that I should be making impact I'm not quite able to do that to the extent that I should be able to. That's the part that I'm not quite happy about."

Observing Ohtani's work habits on a daily basis has convinced Muncy that his first love is pitching.

"He's really bought into everything with pitching — his mechanics, how to attack hitters. He just focuses on it so much. You can really, really tell he loves it," Muncy said.

Roberts said Ohtani will get six days' rest before his next start.

"I believe the team should be prioritizing Yoshinobu (Yamamoto), (Tyler) Glasnow and (Blake) Snell when he's back," Ohtani said. "So I think it's easy to kind of fit me into that schedule whenever the team feels that's a good thing. What's most important is that we're all healthy in October."

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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April 01, 2026

Shohei Ohtani’s quest for Cy Young Award begins with 6 shutout innings as Dodgers beat Guardians

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtanigot started on his bid to win aCy Young Award— just about the only major prize to elude hi...

Read More