Tag: Women’s college basketball

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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USC women’s basketball opens at No. 3 in preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

USC women’s basketball is No. 3 in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Trojans are also No. 3 in the AP Poll, so they’re a consensus top-three team.

The USC women’s basketball program is preparing for a season marked by sky-high expectations in the new world of the Big Ten Conference. The Trojans are expected to do big things. The preseason edition of the USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll reflects that reality. The poll has USC opening at No. 3 behind national champion South Carolina and 2024 Final Four semifinalist Connecticut, the team which denied USC a trip to the Women’s Final Four.

USC is No. 3 in both the USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll, which was released earlier in October. The Trojans are therefore the consensus No. 3 team in the sport. If they can live up to that ranking this season, they will head to Tampa for the 2025 Women’s Final Four on April 4. That’s the goal for this season: Play in April on the final weekend of the women’s college basketball season.

With JuJu Watkins getting Kiki Iriafen and Talia Von Oelhoffen as new teammates, along with veteran Rayah Marshall and a very talented incoming class of freshmen (a recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the country), USC should have the depth, balance, versatility, skill, and defensive quality needed to rise to the top of the sport.

Keep in mind that top seeds in the Women’s NCAA Tournament host opening-round games. USC should be a lock to make the Sweet 16 and a heavy favorite to reach the Elite Eight. Everything is in place for USC to become a true heavyweight in women’s college basketball this season. We will cover the journey, which starts in just over a week.

Rank School (Last Year’s Record) Points First Place Votes
1 South Carolina (38-0) 770 27
2 Connecticut (33-6) 734 3
3 Southern California (29-6) 716 1
4 Texas (33-5) 670 –
5 Notre Dame (28-7) 629 –
6 UCLA (27-7) 612 –
7 LSU (31-6) 567 –
8 North Carolina State (31-7) 533 –
9 Iowa State (21-12) 487 –
10 Oklahoma (23-10) 457 –
11 Duke (22-12) 449 –
12 Baylor (26-8) 434 –
13 Kansas State (26-8) 407 –
14 Ohio State (26-6) 405 –
15 West Virginia (25-8) 285 –
16 North Carolina (20-13) 263 –
17 Louisville (24-10) 261 –
18 Maryland (19-14) 254 –
19 Florida State (23-11) 177 –
20 Creighton (26-6) 150 –
21 Mississippi (24-9) 135 –
22 Kentucky (12-20) 106 –
23 Nebraska (23-12) 92 –
24 Indiana (26-6) 75 –
25 Alabama (24-10) 57 –

UConn among 12 teams ranked in top 25 of both the men’s and women’s coaches poll

12 college programs are ranked in the USA TODAY Sports top 25 coaches poll in both men’s and women’s basketball, including UConn in the top five for both.

The 2024-25 college basketball season is under two weeks away, with the UConn Huskies and South Carolina Gamecocks set to defend their national championships in men’s and women’s hoops, respectively.

UConn replaces four of five starters from Dan Hurley’s second straight national championship squad, and the Huskies ranked third in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball preseason coaches poll behind Kansas and Alabama.

Meanwhile, Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team was picked first in the women’s poll after an undefeated 38-0 season, just ahead of UConn and USC.

That means UConn had both its men’s and women’s programs inside the top five of the USA TODAY coaches polls, the only school to accomplish said feat and one of 12 to have both programs ranked inside the top 25.

Here is a look at each of those programs, including where they are ranked in each poll as well as conference affiliation:

Top 25 Programs in Men’s and Women’s Coaches Poll

School Rank (Men’s) Rank (Women’s) Conference
Alabama Crimson Tide 2 25 SEC
UConn Huskies 3 2 Big East
Duke Blue Devils 5 11 ACC
Iowa State Cyclones 6 9 Big 12
Baylor Bears 8 12 Big 12
North Carolina Tar Heels 10 16 ACC
Creighton Bluejays 14 20 Big East
Indiana Hoosiers 18 24 Big Ten
Texas Longhorns 19 4 SEC
UCLA Bruins 22 6 Big Ten
Kentucky Wildcats 23 22 SEC
Ole Miss Rebels 25 21 SEC

AP Top 25 women’s basketball ballot breakdown: What is Iowa without Caitlin Clark?

Is North Carolina better off without Deja Kelly? What does South Carolina do at center?

The WNBA Finals are nearing the finish line, which means the women’s college basketball season is just around the corner.

While stars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have graduated to the pros, this remains a sport filled with big names and interesting storylines. ACC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo returns to Notre Dame, joined in the backcourt by former All-American Olivia Miles who is now healthy. National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins is primed for an encore at USC, where she’s joined by talented transfers Kiki Iriafen and Talia Von Oelhoffen. At UConn, Paige Bueckers is back and the Huskies bolstered their roster with the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Sarah Strong.

And then, down at South Carolina, the reigning national champs bring back Te-Hina Paopao, Tessa Johnson, Milaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts and other exceptional players as Dawn Staley’s side attempts to repeat.

A week ago, I turned in my preseason ballot for the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, which was announced in full on Tuesday.

Here are the 25 best teams in the country, according to me, as we enter the season:

Will Fairfield be good again?

Fairfield freshman Meghan Andersen is a road runner, not a forward or a post. The Stags face Indiana in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. (Photo: Olivia Frzop via Fairfield Athletics)

25. Fairfield
24. Gonzaga
23. Stanford
22. Miami
21. Louisville

I wrote about the Stags a handful of times last season, how they have a unique position group name, how they made a clever resume in an attempt to crack the AP Top 25 Poll, and how they won 29 straight games.

Fairfield had its best season in program history last year, going 31-2. The Stags only lost two games, falling on the road at Vanderbilt, and then in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Indiana. After declining interest from some other major programs in the offseason and signing a three-year contract extension, head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis is back and so are four starters and 91% of the Stags’ scoring from last season, including Janelle Brown and Meghan Andersen.

We’ll found out pretty earlier how legit Fairfield is when it comes to competing on the national level, with non-conference games against Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Villanova.

What is Iowa without Caitlin Clark?

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 26: Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen of the Iowa Hawkeyes looks on after defeating the Louisville Cardinals 97-83 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

20. Iowa
19. Baylor
18. West Virginia
17. Creighton
16. Kansas State

It feels like a lot of folks are overlooking and dismissing the Hawkeyes simply because Caitlin Clark is no long draining logo 3s for them. And indeed, that’s a major loss, obviously. And maybe Iowa isn’t a Final Four contender this season, but they should still be a solid team in the Big Ten capable of playing in and winning meaningful games in March.

The Hawkeyes return two significant contributors in Sydney Affolter and Hannah Stuelke – the latter of whom, if you remember, scored 47 points on 17-of-20 shooting in a win last season over Penn State. And then Iowa went and got one of the best scorers out of the portal in Villanova’s Lucy Olsen, who was fourth in the nation in scoring with 23.3 points per game last season.

In this new era of Iowa basketball under Jan Jensen, Iowa will be just fine.

How fast will Kentucky bounce back under Kenny Brooks?

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Kenny Brooks hypes up the crowd during Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 at Rupp Arena.

15. Ohio State
14. Kentucky
13. LSU
12. Maryland
11. Duke

After spending nearly all of his life along the I-81 corridor in southwest Virginia, Kenny Brooks left Virginia Tech for Kentucky and the riches of the SEC.

Yes, the money that the SEC gets from its college football television contracts trickles into other sports, evidenced by Kentucky handing Brooks a contract with an annual average salary of $1.5 million, making him the third highest-paid coach in the SEC and the seventh highest-paid coach in the country. Even if Brooks had won a national championship with the Hokies, he was never going to garner that kind of dough in Blacksburg.

When Brooks left the ACC for Kentucky, he brought the player he calls his “mini-me” – firecracker Australian point guard Georgia Amoore – with him. She was an All-American last season, left the Hokies as their all-time leader in assists, and has already been named to the SEC’s Preseason First Team. Toss in other transfers, like Charlotte’s Dazia Lawrence, Oregon State’s Dominika Paurova, Teonni Key of North Carolina, and another Virginia Tech standout in Clara Strack, and Big Blue is looking pretty good on-paper.

The post-Deja Kelly era begins for North Carolina

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 24: Head coach Courtney Banghart of the North Carolina Tar Heels coaches against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the fourth quarter during the second round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

10. N.C. State
9. North Carolina
8. Iowa State
7. UCLA
6. Oklahoma

Six players transferred out of Chapel Hill in the offseason, and none generated more headlines than Deja Kelly’s decision to spend her fifth season of eligibility at Oregon. But Kelly leaving UNC might’ve truly been the best thing for both sides.

Kelly continues to be the focal point of an offense for a team that probably needs to make the NCAA Tournament to save Kelly Graves’ job. Oregon is also a place deeply connected to Nike, likely a plus for the business-minded Kelly, and Graves has a history of developing WNBA talent, which is also a stage she wants to play on.

For North Carolina, consider this: In games last season in which Kelly had at least three assists and attempted 14 shots or less, UNC was 9-1 – a record that includes impressive wins over N.C. State, Duke and Louisville. When Kelly had two assists or less and took 15 shots or more, the Tar Heels were 1-7. Simply put, when the ball moved, UNC won. When it didn’t and Kelly took the majority of the shots, the Tar Heels lost.

On paper, this looks like a team that will have a by-committee point guard as they brought in fifth-year guard Grace Townsend from Richmond to pair with Kayla McPherson and Reniya Kelly, and freshman Lanie Grant. Additionally, now healthy for the Tar Heels is former five-star recruit Ciera Toomey, a long and versatile forward who can score inside and out and should complement returning All-ACC Swiss-Army Knife Alyssa Ustby, sharpshooter Lexi Donarski, and an imposing center in Maria Gakdeng.

What does South Carolina do at center?

Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bree Hall (center) reacts during the trophy presentation after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the finals of the Final Four of the womens 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

5. Texas
4. Notre Dame
3. UConn
2. USC
1. South Carolina

The Gamecocks deserve the benefit of the doubt here. They steamrolled their way to an undefeated season and national title last year and return a significant number of contributors, from defensive ace Bree Hall to floor general Raven Johnson.

But last season, that team revolved around Kamilla Cardoso, who led the Gamecocks in scoring, rebounding and blocks. She was the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. In the national semifinals against N.C. State, Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins combining for 30 points and 31 rebounds were a big reason why the Gamecocks won.

With Cardoso in the WNBA and Watkins’ situation unclear, questions remain in the front court for the Gamecocks. Dawn Staley’s best teams – from A’ja Wilson to Aliyah Boston to Cardoso – have had dominant and skilled centers. Who fills that void? Is it 6-foot-5 freshman Adhel Tac? Is it Sania Feagin, Sakima Walker or Maryam Dauda? Is it highly touted freshman Joyce Edwards? Or is it a combination of a few or all of them?

A rematch against N.C. State in Charlotte on Nov. 10 should give us a good indication of the answer.

South Carolina women’s basketball player Ashlyn Watkins arrested: Everything we know

Watkins was charged with assault and battery in the first degree and kidnapping.

South Carolina women’s basketball player Ashlyn Watkins was arrested and charged with assault and battery in the first degree and kidnapping on Saturday morning, according to Richland County court records reviewed by For The Win.

Watkins posted a $30,000 bond and was instructed by the court to have “no direct or indirect contact with the victim,” and to stay at least 1,000 yards away from the alleged victim’s home, work, school and place of worship. The court did grant Watkins – a 6-foot-3 junior who played a key role on the Gamecocks’ undefeated national championship-winning team this past winter – permission to travel out of state for games and practice.

According to The State and the Post & Courier newspapers, South Carolina has a policy in which an automatic suspension is triggered whenever an athlete is arrested.

Court records show that Watkins is set to appear in court again on Oct. 25, 2024, just days before the Gamecocks open their title defense in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Michigan on Nov. 4.

Here’s what we know and what we don’t know.

What is South Carolina saying?

So far, as of Saturday afternoon, not much. A spokesperson for the university told the State newspaper they are “aware of the situation and continuing to gather information.” The university gave a similar statement to ESPN.

Gamecocks’ coach Dawn Staley, known to be active on social media, has yet to make a comment through her own channels or the university.

What other details are in police documents?

According to warrants filed by the University of South Carolina Police Department that were obtained by the State newspaper and TV station WLTX, Watkins is accused of “forcefully grabbing (the victim’s) face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her” and grabbing “the victim’s head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.”

The alleged victim, according to the warrant, got away from Watkins and pulled a fire alarm, prompting police to arrive. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the Post & Courier, the incident occurred at 650 Lincoln Street which is a student housing residence where all Gamecocks basketball players live.

What don’t we know?

We don’t yet know if Watkins will be suspended, kicked off the team or face any punishment at all from her arrest and the allegations that prompted it. We also don’t know what sort of relationship Watkins had with the victim or who the victim is.

Who is Ashlyn Watkins?

A forward for the South Carolina women’s basketball team, Watkins played an integral role in helping the Gamecocks go undefeated in the 2023-24 season, which concluded with them winning their third national championship, beating Caitlin Clark and Iowa in Cleveland, Ohio. Watkins’ play was incredibly crucial in the Final Four, where she grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds and scored eight points in a win over N.C. State.

Watkins averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game as a sophomore and was due for an even bigger role this year with former frontcourt mate Kamilla Cardoso leaving South Carolina for the WNBA.

She played her high school basketball at Columbia, South Carolina’s Cardinal Newman School where she became the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 and rose to No. 12 on ESPN’s recruiting rankings.

NCAA committees propose new first contest dates for D-I basketball seasons

NCAA committees propose new first contest dates for D-I basketball seasons

The NCAA’s Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees proposed new first contest dates starting in 2025-26 on Thursday.

As of July 18, the 2025-26 season will commence on Tuesday, Nov. 11 for both men and women. The proposed alteration would move the first game of the season to Nov. 5 for the D-I men and Nov. 3 for the D-I women.

Not only would this blueprint standardize the college basketball campaign to 22 weeks each year, but it would also stagger first contest dates for the men and women to overcome television roadblocks and venue issues.

The Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee also believes switching first game days will provide D-I women’s basketball extra marketing exposure, per NCAA Associate Director of Communications Greg Johnson.

As of the 2024-25 season, both the men’s and women’s campaigns range between 21 and 22 weeks. This proposal would ultimately eliminate fluctuating timetables and provide stability regardless of championship schedules.

The committees have manufactured an outline for what the ensuing six seasons of NCAA Division I basketball could look like in their proposal. In each year, the women would begin their seasons two days earlier than the men.

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team kick-started its 2023-24 season on Nov. 6 last year while Marisa Moseley’s crew began their slate on Nov. 7. Both games were held at the Kohl Center.

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.

Texas women’s basketball ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team has great expectations heading into its first season of SEC competition in 2024-25.

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team has great expectations heading into its first season of SEC competition in 2024-25. Continue reading “Texas women’s basketball ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25”

Longhorns women’s basketball to play NC State in Elite Eight

With a 69-47 victory over Gonzaga Friday in Sweet 16 action the Texas Longhorns earned the right to play North Carolina State on Sunday.

With a 69-47 victory over the No. 4 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs in women’s basketball Sweet 16 action at the Moda Center on Friday, the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns earned the right to play No. 3 seed North Carolina State Sunday in Portland.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT with ABC broadcasting the game.

The Longhorns are 5-2 all-time against the Wolfpack, but it was NC State that won 84-73 the last time the teams played on Nov. 29, 2019.

It is Texas’ 11th all-time appearance in the Elite Eight as the program looks for its fourth Final Four appearance in its history and its first since 2003. The Longhorns also made the Final Four in 1986-87. It is Texas’ third Elite Eight appearance in four seasons.

The Wolfpack fought past Stanford 77-67 in the Sweet 16 behind a 29-point effort from Aziaha James. Madison Hayes dished out 10 assists while Saniya Rivers registered a 13-point, seven-rebound effort.