Bold start: The biggest story isn’t just who wins or loses—it's how teams push through a fragile moment when the season could splinter. Now, here’s a fresh, reader-friendly rewrite of the original piece, keeping every key detail intact while clarifying nuances for beginners and adding light context.
The Chicago Bulls went without a win in February, following a turbulent trade deadline, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. At the same time, the Chicago Sky may finally learn when free agency will start, because the players’ union and the WNBA are closing in on a March 10 deadline to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement.
Every Tuesday, Tribune writers recap what happened and what lies ahead for the Bulls, Sky, and local college programs.
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Irish momentum builds
After some rough spells earlier in the season, Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team finished strong, winning their last five games of the regular season. This run secured them the No. 5 seed and a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.
Last week the Irish defeated Syracuse and No. 10 Louisville. Guard Hannah Hidalgo delivered standout numbers—an average of 28.5 points, six steals, nine rebounds, and seven assists across the two wins—and was named ACC Player of the Week for a league-record seventh time this season.
Hidalgo even broke her own single-season steals mark in the win over Louisville, bringing her total to 162 steals for the year.
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey praised Hidalgo, describing her as phenomenal and consistently reliable. She said Hidalgo has led the team with heart and soul since she arrived on campus, acting as the team’s engine. Hidalgo’s leadership has become more evident this season, and her performance has been contagious for the rest of the Irish.
Notre Dame’s next game is Thursday in Duluth, Georgia, where they will face the winner of the Stanford–Miami matchup.
WNBA strike hesitation as deadline nears
As the March 10 deadline for a new CBA approaches, WNBA players appear more reluctant to strike. The league and the WNBA Players Association have exchanged several counteroffers in recent weeks. With the season set to start in May, both sides are racing toward a deadline that could trigger a work stoppage if no agreement is reached.
Players welcomed some concessions from the league, including improvements in player housing provisions, higher salaries across all experience levels, and a quicker path for All-Rookie players to reach maximum deals. However, revenue sharing remains a sticking point.
Currently, the league’s proposals would base revenue sharing on net revenue (revenue after expenses). Players are pushing for a share based on gross revenue (revenue before expenses). In concrete terms, the league has proposed 70% of net revenue, while players advocate for 26% of gross revenue. The core question is a simple one with big consequences: is it better to take a larger slice of a smaller pie, or a smaller slice of a larger pie?
Although revenue sharing has caused tension, union leadership has signaled that compromise may be necessary to avoid shortening the season.
“Players want to play,” noted WNBPA vice president Kelsey Plum. “We’re going to keep negotiating to finish this quickly, but a strike would be the worst outcome for both sides.”
If an agreement is reached before March 10, there will still be several steps before the May 8 opening day. The Associated Press reported a possible preseason outline, including an expansion draft between April 1–6, followed by a two-day window for free-agent qualifying offers and a three-day free-agency window, with deals signed by April 18. Even with such a compressed timetable, teams would have about three weeks to finalize rosters before opening day, which will be especially challenging for teams like the Sky.
The Sky currently have only four players under contract for 2026: Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Hailey Van Lith, and Maddy Westbeld. Veteran Courtney Vandersloot is expected to re-sign, and Ajša Sivka (from Europe) plus a lottery pick are expected to join. General manager Jeff Pagliocca would still need to fill several more spots within an 18-day period, as the Sky aim to become a more attractive free-agent destination.
Mid-major tournament watch
While major conference men’s teams wrap up the regular season, the Missouri Valley Conference begins its tournament on Thursday.
Belmont earned the top seed after finishing 26–5 overall and 16–4 in the MVC. Illinois teams occupy three of the top five seeds and will receive first-round byes: Bradley is second, while Illinois State and UIC are third and fifth, respectively.
Valparaiso, coached by former Joliet West and Illinois player Roger Powell Jr., enters as the No. 7 seed and hopes for a strong run in St. Louis.
Valpo has won six of its last eight games, including a dramatic victory over Drake on a game-winning three from Bolingbrook alumnus JT Pettigrew, improving to 17–14, 11–9. This marks a notable improvement over Powell’s first two seasons at Valpo, when the Beacons had just nine conference wins, making it Valpo’s best MVC performance since joining the conference in 2017–18.
Number of the week: 11
The Bulls finished February without a win in 11 straight games, the franchise’s worst February on record. While not their longest winless streak ever (that belongs to the 2000–01 team with 16 straight losses), this February marks a historic low for this iteration of the Bulls. Other teams have endured longer droughts, but no squad has posted back-to-back winless months. The Pistons nearly matched that feat in late 2023–24 but snapped their drought just before year-end.
March began with a bright spot for the Bulls, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 120–97.
Week ahead: Bulls
- Tuesday: vs. Thunder, 7 p.m., CHSN
- Thursday: @ Suns, 8 p.m., CHSN
- Sunday: @ Kings, 8 p.m., CHSN+
Week ahead: Top college basketball games
- Tuesday: Oregon (men) at No. 11 Illinois, 8 p.m., NBCSN and Peacock
- Wednesday: Illinois women vs. Wisconsin at the Big Ten Tournament, 5 p.m., BTN
- Wednesday: Villanova (men) at DePaul, 7 p.m., Peacock
- Wednesday: No. 15 Purdue (men) at Northwestern, 7:30 p.m., BTN
- Thursday: Notre Dame women vs. Stanford/Miami at the ACC Tournament, 12:30 p.m., ACC Network
- Sunday: No. 11 Illinois (men) at Maryland, 2 p.m., FOX
Illinois and Northwestern will honor notable seniors on senior night. Illinois will recognize Kylan Boswell, a Champaign native who has led the Illini defensively the last two seasons. Northwestern plans to honor Big Ten scoring leader Nick Martinelli when they host Purdue.
Notre Dame and Illinois women kick off conference tournament play, aiming to bolster their NCAA Tournament resumes.
What we’re reading today
- Column: Chicago Bulls say goodbye to February as March Madness arrives
- Big Ten Tournament: Illinois women seeded 10th and opening vs. Wisconsin (No. 15)
- Morez Johnson Jr. ignores distractions to help No. 3 Michigan beat No. 10 Illinois and clinch the Big Ten title
- Anfernee Simons’ wrist fracture adds to concerns for the Bulls’ latest trade-deadline addition
- Coby White returns to Chicago with the Charlotte Hornets, reflecting on what could have been for the Bulls
Quote of the week
“That physicality, that nastiness, that grit, that fight, that’s on me. That’s not on them. That’s on me. I’ve got to do a much better job getting us much nastier in those situations. We scrimmaged Florida, and we had way more fight against them than we did tonight. … That’s because we’ve gotten a little bit, maybe, content. That’s on me.” — Illinois coach Brad Underwood after a loss to No. 3 Michigan, as he prepares his team for the NCAA Tournament
