Tag: NCAA Women’s Basketball

The daughters of Gilbert Arenas and Zach Randolph will play for Louisville next season and yes, we all feel old

Yes really: Mackenly Randolph and Izela Arenas will play for Jeff Walz in the 2024-25 season.

You remember Gilbert Arenas and Zach Randolph, don’t you? They were stars of the NBA from the mid-2000s and through the early 2010s.

Arenas was a dynamic guard for the Washington Wizards who could score in bunches – once dropping 60 points in a single game – who made three All-NBA teams and was made infamous by one wild locker room incident (he now sometimes says ridiculous things about the WNBA).

Randolph was a bit undersized, yet an incredibly imposing throwback power forward who was twice an All-Star and who was the heart and soul of those grit-and-grind Memphis Grizzlies teams. Arenas and Randolph briefly played together in the 2011-12 season for Memphis.

Well, they’re both in their 40s now and several years into retirement. But we’re about to see their surnames on the back of jerseys in Louisville, Kentucky.

That’s because the daughters of both former standout NBA players will suit up for Jeff Walz’s Louisville Cardinals’ women’s basketball team next year as the cornerstones of an impressive recruiting class.

Mackenly Randolph (a 6-foot forward) and Izela Arenas (a 5-foot-9 guard) have been high school teammates at Sierra Canyon in California. And now, they’re going to join forces at Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Feel old yet?

Both players are tabbed as top 100 recruits in the 2024 class, and they’ll be paired with a third top-ranked prospect in Tajianna Avant-Roberts of IMG Academy. All three will play in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Here’s what Walz – who has guided Louisville to four Final Fours since 2009 – said about them…

On Randolph:

“Mac displays a relentless pursuit of excellence. She is a tremendous leader on and off the court and brings with her a championship mindset. Her energy is contagious, and her versatility will be showcased in our system. If you need a rebound, she will pursue it. Need a bucket, she’ll manufacture points. She will win the hearts of the Cardinal faithful with her hustle, toughness and determination. She is a bonafide winner.”

And on Arenas:

“Izela is a bonafide scorer on an elite high school team. She hunts shots and is creative off the bounce. She also is an unselfish teammate and a great facilitator on the break. Izela is a consummate gym rat and has a love affair with the game. She is a proficient scorer from the 3-point line and can also attack off the bounce. Her toughness and grit are unmatched, and she will no doubt light up a room with her presence.”

Randolph chose Louisville over offers from Notre Dame and her father’s alma mater Michigan State, among others. Arenas also had offers from her dad’s school, Arizona, as well as Oregon and Iowa State.

Louisville was upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament this season by Middle Tennessee State. With Randolph and Arenas in the fold, expectations will be high for the Cardinals.

Hailey Van Lith’s transfer to TCU immediately makes the Horned Frogs a must-watch team in women’s hoops

Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner – all on the same team.

A lot of eyes were already going to be on TCU’s women’s basketball team next season.

The Horned Frogs’ first campaign under head coach Mark Campbell was an eventful one this past year as TCU went 13-0 and was ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for five weeks before the season was derailed by a three-game losing streak that also saw key players like Sedona Prince get injured. In fact, so many TCU players suffered ailments that the team had to forfeit two games – purely because the lack of able bodies – and then had to hold tryouts for walk-ons. Arizona transfer Madison Conner had a strong year, Prince eventually returned, and TCU won 20 games for the first time in four seasons.

So, a lot of folks were ready to see the encore with the roster as it was.

And now, joining Conner in that backcourt is Hailey Van Lith, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

The addition of Van Lith makes TCU a team that we absolutely have to pay attention to in the 2024-25 season.

While Van Lith’s struggles at LSU this past season were well-documented as she tried to turn herself into a pass-first player playing alongside Flau’Jae Johnson and talented posts in Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow, we shouldn’t forget all that she’s accomplished in her career. Consider that, in each of Van Lith’s four college seasons, she’s been to at least the Elite Eight in every one, and helped Louisville reach the Final Four as a sophomore in 2022. Van Lith has played in 17 NCAA Tournament games, averaging 15.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists across those contests.

And she’s joining a TCU squad that looks stacked, on paper anyways.

Conner was on the Arizona team that went to the national title game in 2021 and was second in the nation in 3-pointers made this past season with 3.7 per game. Prince, while battling that injury, averaged 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while finishing fifth in the nation in blocked shots.

A lot of folks will also be watching this TCU team because of, well, the content!

The two star players here – Van Lith and Prince (with all due respect to Conner) – have massive followings on social media. Just look at these follower numbers:

  • Van Lith: 1.1 million on Instagram, 372,000 on TikTok
  • Prince: 172,000 on Instagram, 2.7 million on TikTok

Expect the posts to flow out of Forth Worth the same way that 3-pointers do this upcoming season.

Dawn Staley delivered a heartfelt message to Beyoncé for sending her flowers and swag

Dawn Staley is so lucky that Beyoncé is one of her biggest fans.

A Hall of Famer and perennial championship coach with South Carolina, Dawn Staley is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in basketball.

In fact, Staley is so influential that she’s now got one very appreciative super-fan: Beyoncé.

On Wednesday, Staley posted a video to her Twitter account revealing that the superstar singer sent her beautiful flowers, swag, and a message about how closely she followed Staley and South Carolina throughout this past entire season. It’s clear that Beyoncé put a lot of effort and thought into her appreciation of Staley.

Needless to say, Staley was jubilant to get her literal flowers from one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

Does it get any better than two respective legends in their fields coming together like this? What an awesome gesture from Beyoncé.

Celebrate South Carolina’s national championship with commemorative cover

Get your hands on the ultimate piece of gear to celebrate South Carolina’s 2024 National Championship

There is only one word to describe the 2023-24 South Carolina women’s basketball team: PERFECT.

The Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75, putting the finishing touches on an undefeated season with a national championship.

There are many ways to celebrate this monumental achievement, but USA TODAY and the Greenville News are offering a piece of history with the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship commemorative cover and a keepsake eight-page extended championship edition.

SHOP: South Carolina commemorative cover

Whether your a lifelong South Carolina fan, recently hopped on the bandwagon, or just want to celebrate this incredible level of women’s basketball, this cover can become the ultimate piece of wall art.

Fans can get the cover framed, or as a variety of prints including wooden, canvas, acrylic, and metal.

Never forget the moment the Gamecocks completed their undefeated season and won the 2024 National Championship, with this ultimate symbol of South Carolina fandom.

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Geno Auriemma shockingly didn’t even try to recruit UConn-obsessed Caitlin Clark out of high school

Caitlin Clark loved UConn but Geno Auriemma never gave her a chance.

Geno Auriemma has expressed he doesn’t want to give Caitlin Clark more motivation ahead of Iowa’s matchup with UConn in Friday’s Final Four battle. It seems he already failed at that mission long ago.

According to a story from ESPN’s Wright Thompson, as Clark dominated during her high school days with Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa, she understandably had aspirations of at least being evaluated, let alone recruited by Auriemma’s historically successful program. But for as much as Clark had hoped UConn would at least take a look at her game, it appears Auriemma never really gave her an earnest thought in those days.

More from ESPN:

“Honestly, it was more I wanted them to recruit me to say I got recruited,” Clark told ESPN. “I loved UConn. I think they’re the coolest place on earth, and I wanted to say I got recruited by them. They called my AAU coach a few times, but they never talked to my family and never talked to me.

“Clark’s coach at Dowling Catholic High School, Kristin Meyer, said that while some of the top schools in the country flooded into open gyms to see Clark play, there was one notable absence. “Geno never came,” Meyer told ESPN.

Phew. Now, that is a story I’m sure both Clark and Auriemma haven’t forgotten to this day. For as successful as Auriemma has been with his Huskies, he never even tried to recruit arguably the greatest college basketball player of all time. That’s kinda wild to consider, even in hindsight.

And now, with a trip to the 2024 national championship game on the line, he has to face down Clark, hoping (praying?) she doesn’t light up his team.

Gulp.

Geno Auriemma jokingly tried to stay on Caitlin Clark’s good side to stop her from lighting up UConn

Geno Auriemma is treading VERY lightly with Caitlin Clark.

To reach the Final Four yet again, Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies have an almost impossibly difficult task in front of them: Beating Iowa’s Caitlin Clark at the peak of her college powers.

And after watching what Clark did to LSU in an instant classic Elite Eight battle, Auriemma isn’t taking any chances. In fact, he’s seemingly pulling out all the stops to ensure she doesn’t have any extra motivation for Friday’s semifinal heavyweight fight.

After UConn beat USC to advance to the Final Four on Monday, Auriemma started joking about everything he overtly appreciates about Clark as a player. Why? This was his earnest effort to keep her hopefully grounded so she doesn’t light the Huskies up:

Talk about some elite gamesmanship. Auriemma knows that if Clark comes locked in ready for a historic performance, then UConn probably doesn’t have much of a chance to win. This is how you keep expectations low — by staying on a superstar’s good side.

Baltimore native Angel Reese sends prayers to those impacted by Key Bridge collapse

When Baltimore hurts, Angel Reese does too. The superstar LSU forward says her aunt drove over the Key Bridge every day.

It’s not hard to tell that Angel Reese is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. The superstar forward for LSU’s women’s basketball team carries the pride she has in her hometown in everything she does – her gritty play on the court, her swagger, and her affinity for trash-talking.

Reese has thrown out a pitch at an Orioles game, she prefers Old Bay over whatever seasoning they use on seafood in Louisiana, she’s a big fan of Lamar Jackson, and she loved watching highlights of fellow Baltimorean hooper Muggsy Bogues on YouTube.

So, when Baltimore hurts, Reese does too.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday morning, a cargo ship leaving the Port of Baltimore crashed into the Fracis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River. Two bodies were recovered from the wreckage, and four people remain missing as of Friday.

In Albany, New York on Friday, LSU players spoke with reporters ahead of the Tigers’ Sweet 16 clash with UCLA. Reese was asked about the Key Bridge collapse by For The Win and shared her thoughts:

“My prayers are to everyone that hasn’t been found yet, and the ones that are found and are still suffering from injuries. I’m praying for Baltimore right now, and I hope everything gets resolved.”

Reese added that her aunt used to drive over the Key Bridge every day to get to work.

“And we drive over it to get to her house,” Reese said. “So, I’m not sure the route she’s taking right now or if she’s been able to go to work since then.”

LSU forward Angel Reese talks to reporters in Albany, N.Y. ahead of the Tigers' Sweet 16 matchup with UCLA on Friday, March 29, 2024.
LSU forward Angel Reese talks to reporters in Albany, N.Y. ahead of the Tigers’ Sweet 16 matchup with UCLA on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Mitchell Northam / For The Win)

The Tigers have had a lot of attention on them in recent weeks, and not just because they’re the reigning national champions. A scuffle with South Carolina in the South Carolina in the SEC tournament championship garnered headlines, and LSU coach Kim Mulkey has gone on the offensive regarding a still to-be-published Washington Post story about her. Mulkey declined to answer questions about the story on Friday.

Reese doesn’t seem to be bothered.

“We’re not distracted,” Reese said. “We’re still focused on the main goal.”

And she’s happy to be playing UCLA in Albany, which is just five hours from Baltimore.

“I’m happy to be closer to home,” Reese said. “My family is going to come to the game. It’s cold here – and I forgot my coat, but it’s coming tomorrow.”

Who is Reigan Richardson? Meet the March Madness star who took Duke to its first Sweet 16 since 2018

Meet Reigan Richardson, the Duke star who propelled an upset over Ohio State.

Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, turned out to be a coming-out party for Duke junior guard Reigan Richardson.

The former Georgia transfer lit up the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in a decisive 75-63 upset for the Duke Blue Devils. They did it on the strength of Richardson, who got whatever she wanted as a scorer at all three levels — at the rim, from the midrange, and from 3-point land.

All told Richardson recorded 28 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and an assist. She is the first Duke women’s player to record at least 25 points in back-to-back tournament games since Alana Beard in 2003.

It is perhaps no coincidence then that Richardson’s sterling performance also helped Duke to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2018:

In her second full season as a starter for the Blue Devils, Richardson has been a steadying presence. Her season-long stat line of 11.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists has been a boon for Duke on both ends of the court.

And now, with March Madness in full swing, the experienced player has taken her game to another level. What perfect timing:

Kim Mulkey salary: How much is LSU paying coach Kim Mulkey?

Here’s how much LSU is paying women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey.

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has been making as many headlines as her team as March Madness began earlier this week, and there’s potentially trouble on the horizon for the four-time national champion head coach.

Mulkey led the LSU Tigers to the 2023 national title in her third season with the team. Mulkey previously won three championships at Baylor, in 2005, 2012 and 2019.

On Friday, veteran college basketball journalist Pat Forde tweeted that the Washington Post was on the verge of releasing a “big story” on Mulkey. On Saturday, Mulkey delivered a scathing address to the media and threatened a lawsuit against Washington Post.

Mulkey said that Washington Post reporter Kent Babb contacted and tried to “trick” former coaches who had worked under Mulkey as well as former players, into saying “negative things” about her.

With the story hanging over the LSU program, will the school take action? The university has made a major investment in Mulkey since her arrival, making her the highest paid women’s basketball head coach in the country

Kim Mulkey’s salary at LSU

According to reporting from USA TODAY’s Lindsay Schnell and Steve Berkowitz, Mulkey’s salary for the 2023-24 season is $3.26 million.

Mulkey has a buyout of $2,000,000 as of April 1st, 2024.

UConn legend Geno Auriemma and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley both trail Mulkey with compensation of $3.1 million. The trio are the only women’s college basketball coaches with pay over $3 million.

You can see the entire USA TODAY Sports list of women’s basketball head coach salaries here.

Kim Mulkey threatens lawsuit against Washington Post in scathing remarks ahead of rumored report

The LSU coach, predictably, is unhappy about a rumored forthcoming report about her

With a tone of fire, bluster and outrage, LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey took aim at The Washington Post during an unprompted interruption in her press conference on Saturday ahead of the reigning national champs’ second-round NCAA tournament matchup with No. 11 MTSU.

Mulkey, who has been the coach at LSU since 2021 and won three national titles with Baylor before then, is no stranger to controversy.

On Friday afternoon, Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde hinted that a substantial story about Mulkey was coming from one of his competitors. This is the first that the general public had heard of such a report coming from The Washington Post.

That tweet from Forde came after LSU had beaten Rice, 70-60, in the Tigers’ NCAA tournament opener. So, the first time reporters had seen Mulkey since was Saturday afternoon, during her scheduled press conference.

Before a reporter got the chance to pose a question to Mulkey about this rumored report, she addressed it while reading from statement in front of her.

Mulkey painted the rumored story as a “hit piece” and said the unnamed reporter had been working on it for two years. She added that it was an attempt by the reporter “to distract us from this tournament.”

The 61-year-old coach with more than 700 wins and an affinity for outlandish outfits then threatened the newspaper with a lawsuit:

“I’m fed up, and I’m not going to let The Washington Post attack this university, this awesome team of young women I have, or me without a fight. I’ve hired the best defamation law firm in the country, and I will sue The Washington Post if they publish a false story about me. Not many people are in a position to hold these kinds of journalists accountable, but I am, and I’ll do it.”

Mulkey did not address the story any further and wasn’t directly asked any more about it by the reporters in the room, according to the transcript provided by the NCAA.

It’s hard to say what Mulkey accomplished with her statement, but it certainly increased the anticipation and desire to read the alleged story, which has yet to be published.