Tag: NCAAW

Kim Mulkey wore a wild exotic pink tiger sweater during 100th win with LSU

Tigers for the Tigers.

Nobody wears an outfit quite like LSU coach Kim Mulkey, and her creation for her 100th win since landing in the bayou did not disappoint.

So, we need to apologize. We’ve been slacking our Kim Mulkey fit tracking for the last few weeks. (We know. We know. Sorry to disappoint.) Nevertheless, we’re up to speed now, and it’s just in time.

On Sunday, as LSU marched to a resounding victory, Kim Mulkey was wearing tigers — neon pink tigers striped like candy canes. We’re not kidding. As Kim earned her 100th win with the program, she was fittingly wearing a wild exotic tiger sweater, and it’s so on-brand (and so awful) that it’s glorious.

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Why JuJu Watkins’ mom still makes her signature bun for every game

Juju Watkins’ mom needs to drop the secret. The bun is always IMMACULATE.

Anytime USC sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins takes the floor, it’s hard to miss her signature high ponytail shaped into a bun. You might wonder how it ALWAYS looks so crisp without a hair out of place.

Here’s the answer: Her mom still does it for her every game.

This is what JuJu recently said when asked why her mom does her hair:

“The fact that everybody’s gonna know my mom does my hair after this…like, I’m getting so much backlash. Listen, this is all I’m gonna say: I’m working on it. I’m trying to get it like that. This woman has 18 years of experience. So, please. Relax. Chill on me for a second.”

It’s hard to replicate something that has CLEARLY been perfected with an ironclad process. So, her (not so) secret is safe with us. But we can’t wait for JuJu to try it on her own. We know the results would be tremendous.

@uninterrupted

JuJu Watkins shares her pregame routine with her mom ❤️ #StateFarmPartner #JuJuWatkins #basketball #USC #SierraCanyon

♬ original sound – uninterrupted

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Why Dawn Staley and South Carolina’s stunning loss to UCLA isn’t concerning … yet

R-E-L-A-X.

On Sunday, South Carolina’s 43-game win streak came tumbling down, and the murmurs will start about whether this is the “end of an era” for head coach Dawn Staley and her squad. However, let’s not do that.

Watching UCLA steamroll South Carolina, it’s pretty easy to have a knee-jerk reaction and say, “Pack it up, Gamecocks. You’re done.” But, if you’ve been paying attention, this was inevitable. From the team’s season opener against Michigan until now, South Carolina has been skating along.

The Gamecocks escaped multiple matchups despite substandard shooting and being bullied by buckets from all over the court. Most teams didn’t have enough to compete with the Gamecocks down the stretch of games, and South Carolina’s signature pesky defense usually saved them. However, UCLA was different. As Dawn Staley said after Sunday’s shellacking, “We ran into a buzz saw today.”

However, I would be more concerned if this was March. It’s November, and the team has played just six games with a tweaked roster.

It must be considered that South Carolina is still working through the loss of former center Kamilla Cardoso and how to replace her defensive presence, ability to rebound, and paint production. You can’t readily recreate 6-foot-seven with 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. Sania Feagin and Chloe Kitts are stellar, but they aren’t Cardoso.

Also, while South Carolina’s shooting woes have also extended across the team, plaguing standouts like Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao (and fans are starting to question what’s also happening with MiLaysia Fulwiley), this is Dawn Staley we’re talking about. She’s one of the best coaches in college basketball and the queen of adjustments. Staley will figure it out.

If she doesn’t, I’ll happily be wrong. Feel free to yell and scream at me for my horrid analysis. But this isn’t concerning…yet.

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UCLA’s Lauren Betts sends direct warning to college basketball after Bruins upset South Carolina

Lauren Betts wants all the smoke.

UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.

Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.

Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said.  “You need to stop right now.”

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Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles cooked USC and looked like women’s college basketball’s best duo

The partnership between Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles has raised the ceiling for Notre Dame.

All offseason long, a lot of folks around women’s college basketball offered the same concern when it came to Notre Dame’s outlook this season. The common question was that, while the Irish seemed to be incredibly talented on-paper, could Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles coexist?

Miles, you might remember, led the way for Notre Dame at point guard in the 2022-23 season as it won the regular season ACC title. In the final game of that regular season, at Louisville, she suffered a right knee injury that required surgery to repair and sidelined her for all of last season. In her absence, Hidalgo, then a freshman, emerged and grabbed the reins for the Irish with both hands, earning an All-American nod, leading Notre Dame to an ACC Tournament crown and a Sweet 16 appearance, and established herself as one of the game’s rising stars.

Folks were asking the question about Miles and Hidalgo last March. Miles provided an answer back then. We should have listened to her.

“… No one is really ready for what’s about to happen. So, we’re kind of letting everyone talk, but it’s going to be really incredible when it actually happens.”

Against their toughest opponent so far of this season, Miles and Hidalgo gave fans the full experience of what their partnership can be and have quickly staked their claim as the best duo in women’s college basketball.

On Saturday, on the road against No. 3 USC in Los Angeles, Hidalgo and Miles were the best two players on the court as the Irish won 74-61. Hidalgo piled up 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Miles stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Their performance was historic. And that’s not hyperbole.

 


Miles swished 4-of-5 3-pointers, Hidalgo drew wild reactions, and Irish coach Niele Ivey danced in the locker room afterwards.

What Notre Dame proved on Saturday in its impressive win over a formidable opponent like USC is that Miles and Hidalgo have no problem playing together. Against the Trojans, they looked like the best backcourt in the country. Five games into the season, Miles is 10th nationally in assists (6.8) and is shooting a career-best 54.2 percent from 3-point land. Hidalgo meanwhile is sixth nationally in points per game (24.8) and second in steals (5.2).

The question for Notre Dame now is, can it get healthy and will it have enough depth to make a deeper run in March? Can the Irish get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2019, when it lost in Tampa in the final moments of the championship bout against Baylor?

Because what was wild about Saturday’s result is that Notre Dame beat USC by double-digits without All-ACC forward Maddy Westbeld and All-Big East transfer Liza Karlen. The Irish beat USC in their house comfortably without even being at full strength.

Getting Westbeld and Karlen back in the fold would raise the Irish’s ceiling. But even without them, it’s pretty high when the Miles-Hidalgo tandem is playing like this.

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Paige Bueckers and UConn wore perfect blonde wigs to honor coach Chris Dailey

“She said we ate.”

On Wednesday night, plenty of shenanigans were happening to honor Uconn coach Geno Auriemma for his new all-time wins record, including a literal goat. But Paige Bueckers and the team wearing blonde wigs to celebrate Geno’s long-time coaching partner, Chris Dailey, might be the best of the night.

Geno doesn’t reach the top of college basketball’s wins list without receiving help along the way. Someone was there to support him and help UConn become the powerhouse it is. That person is coach Chris Dailey, who has been by Geno’s side for 40 years. YES. FORTY YEARS.

That kind of tenure is invaluable. So, to make sure that Dailey also felt love on such a massive night for the program, Paige Bueckers and UConn wore blonde wigs to a postgame press conference and in the locker room. Of course, as you might suspect, it was Paige’s idea. BRILLIANT.

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UConn honored Geno Auriemma becoming NCAA basketball’s all-time winningest coach with a literal goat

Goat meets goat.

With a UConn women’s basketball home win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night, Geno Auriemma became the NCAA’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

It’s a remarkable achievement for the basketball coaching great who now has a startling 1,217 wins on his record that eclipses any other NCAA basketball coach.

After the game, UConn honored its “goat” by bringing out an actual goat to commemorate such a special moment for Auriemma and the school.

Auriemma seemed delighted to see the goat on his historic night, as this is a pretty cool gesture from UConn to enshrine its “goat” after so many years of excellence.

As for the actual goat, we hope he gots lots of love and some lettuce to eat.

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Hailey Van Lith cried after her breakout performance in TCU’s upset win

Grab the tissues for this one.

Hailey Van Lith’s transfer to TCU is already paying early dividends. The former LSU guard helped the Horned Frogs upset NC State on Sunday, and afterward, she cried happy tears.

Let’s just say the thing: HVL’s time at LSU was really rough to watch. She seemingly spent much of her season playing in a system that didn’t suit her, and it wasn’t surprising that she transferred earlier this year. The question remained if Van Lith would also fit with TCU. However, it seems that she’s catching her stride now.

Hailey and teammate Sedona Prince went to work against The Pack. Prince had 31 points and 16 rebounds, and Van Lith had an excellent 12-point second half that pushed her to 18 points and 10 assists for the day. Afterward, HVL cried when she realized she had her first-ever double-double. In a tender moment, she was immediately embraced by head coach Mark Campbell, who said, “The playmaker. She’s been unleashed. Good job. You’re just getting started, kiddo.”

@bleacherreport

HVL felt the emotions after recording her first double-double in assists 🥲 (via tcuwbb/X) #basketball #collegebasketball #tcu #wnba

♬ original sound – bleacherreport

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HVL’s fantastic day on the court even got an endorsement from her former LSU teammate, Angel Reese. You love to see it.

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WNBA fans made Paige Bueckers jokes after the Wings won the draft lottery

Paige Bueckers might land with the Dallas Wings, and the jokes are flying.

The Dallas Wings won the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery, and the Paige Bueckers jokes are splendid.

Sunday’s selection process to determine the first four picks of next year’s draft was a doozy. Let’s start with the unexciting stuff. As expected, Washington’s failed tank job seemingly kept the team out of the Bueckers sweepstakes at pick No. 4 (sorry, Mystics fans), and Chicago managed to avoid the awkwardness of potentially swapping picks with Dallas by landing at No. 3. Then, it got a little spicy.

The Sparks, who many thought would walk away with the first pick, landed at No. 2. That cleared a path for the Dallas Wings to land at the top of the draft. In a wild twist of events, former Sparks coach Curt Miller, now the Wings’ general manager, will be part of the team potentially selecting Paige Bueckers next spring. WILD TIMES.

As you can see, Miller and Wings star Arike Ogunbowale were thrilled. But, of course, the jokes started flying after that.

Honestly, these are truly tremendous.

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Geno Auriemma, Courtney Banghart explain what makes UConn’s Paige Bueckers great

“I think she’s the most difficult player to guard in America,” Geno Auriemma said.

Paige Bueckers caught the inbounds pass and began sprinting up the left side of the court, with North Carolina’s Grace Townsend draped all over her like a blanket. The clock was winding down in the first quarter and Bueckers, UConn’s star guard, wanted to see if she could get one more shot up.

She stopped right in front of Tar Heels’ coach Courtney Banghart, pumped, jumped and fired over Townsend. It was an awkward-looking attempt, as the senior was leaning to her left, but there was nothing ugly about how the ball sailed through the air.

Buzzer. Swish.

Bueckers watched the ball fall through the hoop, then turned towards the North Carolina bench as her confident walk morphed into a jubilant skip.

It was one of the many highlight-worthy plays Bueckers had on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 10,467 fans at the historic Greensboro Coliseum, where the No. 2 Huskies beat the No. 14 Tar Heels 69-58.

Bueckers led all scorers with a season-high 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals – and zero turnovers – in 37 minutes of action. It was the first road game of the season for UConn and a memorable performance by the two-time consensus All-American in what is presumed to be by many her final year in college basketball.

“Paige is really special,” Banghart said after the game. “We’ve got an opportunity to watch a generational player for a couple more games before she goes on to the pros. She’s an exceptional player. She’s unselfish. We focus our defense on her. I think she doesn’t push, she doesn’t force, she has teammates she trusts and utilizes them well.”

When asked about Banghart’s “generational” label regarding Bueckers, UConn coach Geno Auriemma responded in a way that only he could.

“Well, I’ve been around a lot of generations, so I’ve had a lot of generational players, that people described as generational,” Auriemma said with a smile on the night that one of his former stars, Sue Bird, would be announced to the Basketball Hall of Fame. In the victory over UNC, Auriemma also tied Tara VanDerveer for college basketball’s all-time wins record.

“I guess this is true,” the 70-year-old Auriemma continued. “So, what makes them that? The ability to perform at an incredibly high level, and an even higher level than you expect. And you already expect the most, and yet, (Bueckers) gives you even more than that. And I think that’s probably the best description I can give you, is that she never fails to live up to your expectations of her, and then even goes above that. Some people are just born with that gift, and she has the gift. Some people squander those gifts. Every day, she works really hard to polish those gifts.”

By using freshman Sarah Strong as a moving human shield at times to knock down 3-pointers off her screens, driving towards the rim with precision and certainty, and dishing neck-breaking assists to Huskies’ shooters like Kaitlyn Chen, this outing from Bueckers was one where she reminded everyone that she is still one of the best players – if not the best – in college basketball.

While Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese got all the attention last season, and many pointing to USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo as the sport’s rising stars, it’s worth remembering that Bueckers was the National Player of the Year as a freshman, before a knee injury forced her to miss a season-and-a-half of action. Last season, over 38 games, Bueckers ranked fifth nationally in PER (40.1), second in win shares (8.9) and 10th in scoring (22.2) as she powered the Huskies to a Big East title and a Final Four berth.

“I really do believe that, unless you foul her every time, that’s the only way you’re going to stop her from doing what she wants to do. That’s it,” Auriemma said of Bueckers. “I think she’s the most difficult player to guard in America. There may be nights like tonight where she’s going to have to be.”

This season for the Huskies feels like championship-or-bust. With Bueckers leading the way and a stellar supporting cast around her, it feels incredibly likely that we’ll see UConn playing at the Final Four in Tampa in April.

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