Tag: Women’s college 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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Iowa State’s Audi Crooks broke a remarkable record and drew praise from Aliyah Boston in her March Madness debut

A player from the state of Iowa scored 40 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, and it wasn’t Caitlin Clark.

The opening night of the women’s NCAA tournament belonged to Audi Crooks, a freshman post player for Iowa State.

Her No. 7 Cyclones trailed No. 10 Maryland by as much as 20 points on Friday night in Palo Alto, California. And then, Crooks put the team on her back. The 6-foot-3 Iowa native – the first player in program history to earn an AP All-America honorable mention as a freshman – scored a career-high 40 points on 18-of-20 shooting to lead the Cyclones to a 93-86 win.

Crooks scored 22 of those points in the second half on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting. Iowa State kept giving her the ball and she kept scoring.

The 40 points scored by Crooks are the most by any player in their first NCAA tournament game in at least 25 years, according to ESPN. Crooks’ performance, which also included 12 rebounds, helped Iowa State complete the second-largest comeback victory in the history of the tournament – topped only by Texas A&M’s 21-point comeback win over Penn in 2017.

Crooks is also, according to ESPN, the first player in NCAA tournament history with at least 40 points on 90% shooting.

“She dropped 40 on 20 shots. That’s pretty eye-popping right there. It was a special night for her,” said Iowa State point guard Emily Ryan, who had 14 assists. “I think that’s just a credit to the attention that Audi draws inside. When we throw it in there, she gets it every time and she finishes it so well.”

And Crooks’ big game garnered her praise from fans, media and some of the sport’s brightest stars.

Crooks’ performance also called for a wild celebration:

And it made Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly reminisce about the Mexican restaurant he ate at while he visited with Crooks on a recruiting trip:

This writer would also like to point out that Crooks made one of his bold predictions come true.

What is a ‘road runner’ in women’s basketball? Fairfield explains its unique position group

They are not forwards or centers or posts. They are simply road runners and they’re important to the Stags’ success. Meep meep.

The Fairfield Stags are one of the best women’s college basketball teams in the country this year, and that’s not hyperbole. The team coached by Carly Thibault-DuDonis is ranked 25th in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and they have won 29 straight games – a winning streak this season that is second only to the undefeated 33-0 South Carolina Gamecocks.

And a big part of Fairfield’s success this season has been because of their road runners.

Now, you might be wondering: What’s a road runner?

If you take a look at Fairfield’s roster, you’ll notice that there are guards and road runners. There are no forwards, no centers, no posts.

The road runners range in size from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-2. And they do the things you would want a forward, center or post to do – like score efficiently inside, block shots and grab rebounds – but, hence the name, they also run the floor too. And they pass. And they get steals. And they do it all extremely well.

It’s best to let the Stags explain, which they did on Friday in Bloomington, Indiana, ahead of their NCAA tournament opener against the Hoosiers:

“Our road runners are just stupid athletic,” said Janelle Brown, who is not a road runner, but a guard. “Like, just they can defend, they can play offense. It don’t matter. They’re just everywhere. Meep-meep.”

Emina Selimovic: “So, we’re not your typical forwards or posts. Yeah, you know, we have length and, you know, inside we can – we have our game, but we can also run the floor and stretch the floor. And I think that’s what a road runner is, as Coach Blake likes to call us. We aren’t, like I said, your typical post that just stays in from block to block and just, you know — we can stretch the floor, and we’re almost like a mixture of a guard and a forward.”

Thibault-DuDonis later explained that a program like Fairfield is typically not going to be able to land the same type of post players that a major conference school like Indiana can, like the Hoosiers’ 6-foot-4 forward Mackenzie Holmes.

But the Stags could get players like Selimovic who are, while undersized, very versatile and probably a bit faster than your typical Power Five post.

“So, we knew that, A, we wanted that group to buy in to that identity; and, B, when we go recruiting, nobody wants to be a post player anymore. Some do. Very few,” Thibault-DuDonis said. “And knowing that we would be able to go recruit the type of player that we wanted and knowing that they could come in not be limited on what their role would be and what they can do.”

The term “road runners” for Fairfield’s special position group was actually coined by Blake DuDonis, assistant coach and husband to the Stags’ head coach. For short, they are “the Meeps.”

The best of the Meeps is arguably freshman Meghan Andersen, just one of four players in the country this season averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal per game. She does it all, which exactly what Fairfield wants out of its road runners.