All articles tagged with #womens basketball
Thirty years after its 1997 launch, the WNBA is moving beyond just surviving toward sustainable growth, aided by NBA backing, increasing visibility, and a legacy of early pioneers like Rebecca Lobo guiding the league’s evolving identity.
Audi Crooks, Iowa State's standout center who has 99 appearances and 95 starts over three seasons and is a three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, commits to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal for her final season, after posting 25.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG (64.9% FG) this past year.
Maureen Magarity has been named the Mayer Women’s Basketball Head Coach.
UCLA made history by producing five players selected in the first round of the 2026 WNBA draft—the most ever from a single program—with Betts (No. 4), Jaquez (No. 5), Rice (No. 6), Dugalic (No. 9) and Kneepkens (No. 15) going in the opening round, and Leger‑Walker later going in the second round as UCLA totaled six Bruins drafted.
UCLA could set a school draft record by seeing up to six Bruins drafted in the WNBA draft—Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalic and Charlisse Leger-Walker—after being invited to attend, with Leger-Walker and Dugalic projected as fringe first-round picks who could push UCLA past the 2002 UConn mark of four players in the first round; the team celebrated with a New York draft-week party, underscoring the potential historic haul.
Brittney Griner signs a seven-figure contract with the Connecticut Sun, signaling a major payroll move as the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement raises salaries; the 6-foot-9, nine-time All-Star is in her 13th season after last year with the Atlanta Dream.
ESPN reporter Holly Rowe elaborated on her critique of Tennessee’s athletic department, arguing that the Lady Vols’ legacy under Pat Summitt has been diminished. She deleted a post that sparked NIL-debate backlash but stood by her points, saying she’d rather address the issues directly with the AD. Rowe also notes the program’s struggles, including a depleted roster (zero players after a 16-14 season) and a transfer-portal exodus, while highlighting Summitt’s historic endowments as a benchmark for what the program once valued.
Eight Tennessee women’s basketball players with remaining eligibility entered the transfer portal after a first-round NCAA tournament exit, with top recruit Oliviyah Edwards decommitting and only Gabby Minus remaining as the team begins a difficult rebuild under coach Kim Caldwell.
South Carolina dominated TCU 78-52 in the Elite Eight to reach a sixth consecutive Final Four. Joyce Edwards led with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while freshman Agot Makeer came off the bench for 18 points in 31 minutes, as the Gamecocks leveraged single coverage and strong defense to seal the win and set up a repeat Final Four field.
South Carolina defeated TCU 78-52 to reach a sixth straight Final Four, led by Joyce Edwards with 24 points, and will face UConn in Phoenix after last season’s title-game rematch. In the other Elite Eight, Texas routed Michigan 77-41 to reach back-to-back Final Fours, with Madison Booker scoring 19 and Rori Harmon dishing 13 assists as they prepare to meet UCLA in Phoenix.
South Carolina rolled past TCU 78-52 to reach their sixth straight Final Four, earning a Friday rematch with top seed UConn in Phoenix. Texas crushed Michigan 77-41 to advance to back-to-back Final Fours and will face UCLA. Joyce Edwards led SC with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Madison Booker paced Texas with 19 points and Rori Harmon flirted with a triple-double with 13 assists.
The piece argues that Michigan, a young but improving squad with a strong inside-out game and legitimate three-point shooting, could upset Texas and earn a Final Four berth, despite Texas’ size, depth, and status as the favorite.
Lauren Betts posted 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks to lift UCLA past Duke 70-58, overcoming a halftime deficit to reach the NCAA women's Final Four for the second straight year; the Bruins will face Texas or Michigan in Phoenix, with UConn on the other side of the bracket.
Freshman Blanca Quinonez scored 20 to power top-seeded UConn past Notre Dame 70-62 and clinch the Huskies’ 25th Final Four, with Sarah Strong netting 21 and Azzi Fudd 13 as UConn overcome slow starts. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo led all scorers with 22 and 11 rebounds but got little help elsewhere, while UConn’s depth and defense—including Kayleigh Heckel’s minutes—carried the win. UConn advances to Phoenix to face the South Carolina–TCU winner in the Final Four.
UCLA used a defensive lockdown to pull away from Minnesota 80-56 in the Sweet 16, advancing to the Elite Eight behind 21 points from Kiki Rice and a double-double from Angela Dugalic (13p, 10r) along with Lauren Betts’ 16 points and five blocks, setting up a showdown with Duke.