And Then There Were Four

Did someone share this email with you? Get daily women’s basketball updates straight to your inbox. Sign up here!

What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

1. Final Four Teams Locked In 🔒

Texas and UConn punched the final two tickets on Monday night, rounding out a powerhouse Final Four lineup. The Longhorns held off TCU in a gritty 58–47 win, while UConn beat a JuJu-less USC, 78–61. (NCAA)

📆 The Final Four is this Friday, April 4th:

• (1) South Carolina vs (1) Texas - 7:00 PM ET | ESPN

• (1) UCLA vs (2) UConn - 9:30 PM ET | ESPN

WHY IT MATTERS: Three No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four in Tampa, with UConn being the lone No. 2. But the Huskies have the college game’s biggest star in Paige Bueckers. The UConn senior is on a mission to win a national championship in her final college season, averaging a jaw-dropping 35 points over her last three games.

2. Liberty’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Out Until WNBA Midseason 🩼

The New York Liberty announced that standout guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss 5–6 months after undergoing surgery to repair an acute meniscus injury. The injury occurred earlier this year while she was competing in Unrivaled, the offseason 3-on-3 league. (AP News)

WHY IT MATTERS: Laney-Hamilton was a key part of New York’s 2024 championship campaign, averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. With her expected return coming after the All-Star break, the Liberty will start the season without one of their most versatile two-way players.

3. Nell Fortner Announces Retirement from Coaching 👋

Basketball coaching legend Nell Fortner announced her retirement on Monday. Fortner, who spent her last six seasons at Georgia Tech, finishes her career with an incredible 415-262 (.613) record across collegiate, professional, and international level coaching stops. (Georgia Tech)

WHY IT MATTERS: Fortner has been a pillar of women’s basketball for four decades, coaching women at every level—from high school to the pros. Her résumé includes head coaching stints at Auburn, the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, and Team USA, where she led the national team to gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The news comes as a surprise—Fortner signed an extension with Georgia Tech earlier this season—but as she shared in her announcement: “After spending much of the last 30-plus years on the sideline, I just feel that it’s time.”