Millions tuned in to watch women’s basketball powers UConn and South Carolina dominate in the Final Four last Friday. Many more watched Houston and Florida stun their opponents in the men’s Final Four a day later.

Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman sees a world where both premier events happen in the same place.

It’s not a new conversation, but Ackerman believes the exponential growth of women’s basketball in a landscape long dominated by the men makes now an ideal time for a joint Final Four.

“You will get people to say that it shouldn’t happen,” said Ackerman, who has been commissioner of the Big East since 2013. “That the women’s tournament is doing just fine. And that’s not without merit. I’m saying if the NCAA is looking for growth — and it is — and is looking for revenue growth — and it is. I can’t think of many ways you could accomplish that in a significant way versus in an incremental way than combining the two Final Fours.”

The men and women’s basketball tournaments would hold their semifinals and title games in the same city on the same weekend, with similar staggered scheduling as there currently is. Though a combined Final Four likely couldn’t take place until at least 2032, with sites on both sides locked in until 2031.

NCAA President Charlie Baker isn’t opposed to the idea, which would have to be approved by a committee of NCAA, but he acknowledged there would be challenges.

“It’s not something they don’t discuss,” Baker said. “They do. I think there are two big issues with it. The biggest one is just finding a place that would be able to make that whole thing work. Just logistically (it) would be challenging.”

Arizona hired Buffalo’s Becky Burke as its women’s basketball coach.

Burke replaces Adia Barnes, who left to become SMU’s coach last week.

Burke spent the past three seasons at Buffalo, leading the Bulls to a program-record 30 wins and the WNIT title in 2024-25.

Hockey

Hayley Scamurra and Kelly Panek scored two goals each as the United States routed Finland 7-1 in its opening game at the IIHF Women’s World Championships on Wednesday in the Czech Republic.

Captain Hilary Knight, making her 15th world championship appearance, and Taylor Heise both had a goal and an assist, and Lee Stecklein also scored for the U.S.

Goaltender Aerin Frankel saved 19 shots in a Group A match between last year’s runner-up U.S. and the bronze medalist.

In another Group A game, the Czech Republic blanked Switzerland 3-0. Sweden defeated Germany 5-2 in their opening game in Group B.

The U.S. and defending champion Canada are the tournament favorites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry. Canada has won 13 world titles followed by the U.S. with 10 spanning the previous 23 championships.

Canada opens its title defense against Finland on today.

Longtime NHL executive Ray Shero, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009, has died. He was 62.

Tennis

Novak Djokovic’s latest bid to win a 100th career title ended Wednesday in another shock defeat to a familiar face.

Alejandro Tabilo, who handed the 24-time Grand Slam champion a surprising loss at the Italian Open last year, beat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Djokovic, who recently lost the Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik, turns 38 next month — shortly before the French Open starts May 25.

French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz started his clay-court season by rallying for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Francisco Cerundolo.

The second-seeded Alcaraz was coming off a surprising loss to Belgian veteran David Goffin in his first match at the Miami Open.

SOCCER

Score it a big win for women’s soccer at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Olympic women’s soccer tournament will be bigger than the men’s edition for the first time in 2028, the International Olympic Committee decided Wednesday, with 16 teams for women and now just 12 for men.

The IOC decision flipped the gender imbalance at the Paris Olympics last year when it was 16 men’s teams and 12 in the women’s tournament. It was unequal since women’s soccer debuted at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with just eight teams.

Amanda Gutierres scored in stoppage time and Brazil defeated the United States women’s national team 2-1 late Tuesday night for the its first victory over the Americans since 2014.

Catarina Macario put the U.S. in front just 34 seconds into the match. Brazil drew even with Kerolin’s goal from distance in the 24th minute.

NFL

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute at their South Florida high-rise condominium, but no charges were filed, according to a police report.

Sunny Isles Beach officers responded to the home Monday following a call from Hill’s mother-in-law, who began living with the couple in November, shortly after her granddaughter was born, according to the report.

The mother-in-law told responding officers that Hill, 31, was aggressive and impulsive and that she was afraid for her daughter, according to the report. She said Hill threw a laptop on the floor and grabbed his baby before walking toward the balcony.

Hill’s wife told police the two had been arguing recently and attending couple’s therapy. She said therapy had not been working out and that she was in the process of filing for a divorce.