Tag: Women’s college basketball

Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark inks NIL deal with Gatorade

Women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark added Gatorade to her NIL portfolio as she continues her quest to become the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader at Iowa.

As Iowa star Caitlin Clark ascends the college basketball record books, her NIL portfolio continues to grow.

Clark inked a new NIL deal with Gatorade on Tuesday, according to a news release from the company. Gatorade joins State Farm, Nike, Buick, Bose, H&R Block, and others in having deals with Clark – who recently became the 15th college basketball player ever to reach 3,000 career points.

Gatorade will donate $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation as part of the deal.

“This partnership is special because not only does Gatorade fuel the best athletes in the game, but they’re also committed to leading by example and giving back, which is what I strive to do every day,” Clark said in the news release. “I’m honored to join such an iconic brand that has some of the most elite athletes in sport on their roster and can’t wait for what’s ahead.”

Clark joins a star-studded group of college athletes with NIL deals at Gatorade, including fellow women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers at UConn, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and Penn State running back Nick Singleton.

No. 4 Iowa will take on Cleveland State on Saturday, December 16 at 8:00 PM ET as Clark continues her quest to break the all-time women’s college basketball scoring record of 3,527, set by Kelsey Plum at the University of Washington in 2017.

Caitlin Clark makes NCAA history in Iowa’s win over rival Iowa State

Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark became the 15th college women’s basketball player to score 3,000 career points in a win over rival Iowa State.

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark once again rewrote the college basketball history books on Wednesday, registering her 3,000th career point among the 35 she scored to lead her Hawkeyes to a victory over in-state rivals Iowa State.

Clark becomes the 15th college women’s basketball player to score 3,000 points, and she is now the only player – men’s or women’s – to total 3,000+ points, 750+ rebounds, and 750+ assists.

Additionally, Clark is now 514 points behind Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s record of 3,527, which she set during a prolific career at the University of Washington.

With 20 regular season games remaining, Clark will need to average around 26 points per game to break the record – which is below her current 29.6 points per game pace. And that doesn’t even include postseason contests, making this a very likely outcome barring injury.

Clark’s prolific college career has made her a household name and helped lead to a meteoric rise in popularity for women’s college basketball – and her upcoming arrival in the WNBA will further expand the reach of women’s athletics which has grown considerably in the last few years.

Clark and Iowa will hit the road to play Wisconsin next on December 10 at 2:30 PM ET, and the game will be on the Big Ten Network.

Caitlin Clark makes NCAA history in Iowa’s win over rival Iowa State

Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark became the 15th college women’s basketball player to score 3,000 career points in a win over rival Iowa State.

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark once again rewrote the college basketball history books on Wednesday, registering her 3,000th career point among the 35 she scored to lead her Hawkeyes to a victory over in-state rivals Iowa State.

Clark becomes the 15th college women’s basketball player to score 3,000 points, and she is now the only player – men’s or women’s – to total 3,000+ points, 750+ rebounds, and 750+ assists.

Additionally, Clark is now 514 points behind Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s record of 3,527, which she set during a prolific career at the University of Washington.

With 20 regular season games remaining, Clark will need to average around 26 points per game to break the record – which is below her current 29.6 points per game pace. And that doesn’t even include postseason contests, making this a very likely outcome barring injury.

Clark’s prolific college career has made her a household name and helped lead to a meteoric rise in popularity for women’s college basketball – and her upcoming arrival in the WNBA will further expand the reach of women’s athletics which has grown considerably in the last few years.

Clark and Iowa will hit the road to play Wisconsin next on December 10 at 2:30 PM ET, and the game will be on the Big Ten Network.

Connecticut’s Azzi Fudd will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season

The Huskies guard will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL and a medial meniscal tear in her right knee.

Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after she suffered an ACL tear and a medial meniscal tear in her right knee, the school announced on Wednesday.

The junior suffered the injury in a practice session on November 14. She will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the damage.

“We’re all just so upset for Azzi,” head coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement. “She worked so hard to be healthy for this season, and it’s unfortunate when you put in a lot of hard work and suffer a setback like this.”

This is Fudd’s third major injury in three years with the Huskies. She only played 25 games as a freshman after dealing with a foot injury, and she played 15 games as a sophomore after knee injuries again sidelined her.

“Azzi loves the game and works tirelessly,” Auriemma said. “I’m confident she’ll rehab with the same work ethic and come back better than ever.”

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson says this is ‘revenge season’ after dishing out a record 17 assists

Raven Johnson hasn’t forgot about the viral clip of Caitlin Clark waving her off at the Final Four.

It would be an understatement to say that Raven Johnson is motivated this season.

The sophomore point guard for the undefeated and top-ranked Gamecocks dished out 17 assists Thursday night in South Carolina’s dominant 109-40 win over in-state rival Clemson. Johnson stuffed the rest of the stat sheet too, tallying six points, eight rebounds and five steals in South Carolina’s third straight victory over a Power Five opponent.

After the game, Johnson had more to say. To borrow a phrase from Drake, she’s out here looking for revenge. And it all stems from last year’s Final Four, when South Carolina saw its undefeated season end with a loss to Iowa in Dallas, Texas.

“I got bashed from a viral video… People don’t know behind the scenes how I felt and what I went through. I think that put fuel to the fire.”

The clip that Johnson is referring to is one that shows Iowa’s Caitlin Clark leaving Johnson wide open at the 3-point line in the national semifinals, waving her off and daring her to shoot.

It’s worth noting that, while Johnson shot just 24.1% from behind the arc last season, she’s dramatically improved in that area this year, making 33.3% of her attempts from deep range through three games.

Johnson has also – as evidenced in the win over Clemson – become an incredible playmaking passer. Johnson is averaging 10.7 assists per game, which is tied for the national lead with Northwestern’s Caroline Lau.

Her 17 dimes against the Tigers were historic in several ways:

  • It was Johnson’s career-high in a single game.
  • It’s the second-most assists in a single game ever by a South Carolina player.
  • It’s the most assists in a game so far this season.
  • It’s the most assists in a game by any SEC player since 2005.
  • She’s the first Division I player since 2015 to have 17 assists, five steals and less than three turnovers in a game.
  • She’s the third Division I player in the past 25 seasons to have at least five points, five rebounds, five steals and 15 assists against a Power Six opponent. The other two are WNBA All-Stars Chelsea Gray (Duke) and Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga).
  • For South Carolina, the win marked the first time in program history that they’ve scored 100 points in three straight games.

A lot of folks thought that South Carolina might take a step back this season after replacing its entire starting lineup – including No. 1 WNBA Draft Pick Aliyah Boston – from a season ago. But with Johnson, Kamilla Cardoso and Milaysia Fulwiley leading the way, the Gamecocks haven’t missed a beat. They still look like the best team in women’s college basketball.

And Dawn Staley’s team isn’t slowing down anytime soon. They just landed Joyce Edwards, the No. 2 recruit in the 2024 class.

Dear, Iowa: Please get Caitlin Clark some help

Caitlin Clark needs to put in PTO because it’s time to prepare the others.

It’s time to say the quiet part out loud: Caitlin Clark needs some help.

Caitlin Clark is stellar. There’s no denying that. Her no-fear mentality is part of what makes her so dangerous on the basketball court. She’s not afraid to shoot the lights out of the gym. But that’s actually part of the problem.

Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball goes as Clark goes. The team is getting little else from the roster when she isn’t producing. The Hawkeyes could be in for a very long season if it’s not fixed soon.

The foundation of Iowa’s offensive production is already showing cracks with a narrow win against Virginia Tech on November 9 and a stunning upset loss to Kansas State on Thursday. In both games, Clark put up over 30 shots.

That’s not a sustainable model for success.

It’s not that Caitlin Clark can’t lead the Hawkeyes. It’s that she shouldn’t have to.

Last season, Iowa had production from other areas on the floor, such as Monika Czinano in the post. Czinano provided a much-needed burst of quick but effective points that helped to offset any team imbalances.

This season, the Hawkeyes are sorely missing Czinano’s production and opted not to bring in a possible portal transfer like LSU’s Aneesah Morrow or North Carolina’s Maria Gakdeng. Unfortunately, that’s proving to be a costly decision.

Paging, Iowa. Where is the Robin to Caitlin Clark’s Batman? Where are The Avengers? That’s probably enough superhero references. But you get the point.

Somebody help!

5 NCAA women’s basketball freshmen (including LSU’s Mikaylah Williams) who should be on your radar

Write these names down NOW.

The women’s NCAA basketball freshman class of the 2023-24 season has arrived, and it’s been seriously HOOPING.

It’s one thing to join the upper echelon of women’s basketball programs. (Hello, Dawn Staley!) It’s another to make your impact felt less than two weeks into the season. These first-year students missed the memo that they were, in fact, first-year athletes.

Despite an opening week of women’s college basketball that included highlight reel-worthy plays and two massive upsets, fan chatter has been building about the rather impressive freshmen class. (Thank goodness there’s at least three years to witness all this talent!)

Here are five women’s basketball freshmen, including LSU’s Mikaylah Williams, who should absolutely be on your radar:

Behind the AP Top 25 Poll: South Carolina, Iowa rise to the top after a wild week in women’s basketball

LSU and UConn took a tumble, while Florida State, N.C. State and Colorado are among the risers.

The opening week of women’s college basketball was a wild one that challenged our preseason expectations. It’s clear now that some teams have adjustments to make, while others have adapted quickly to offseason changes.

In the preseason poll, LSU was nearly the unanimous No. 1, garnering 35 of 36 first-place votes. A lot of us thought that the Tigers would start the season off strong and keep rolling. But the reigning national champs are grappling with the losses of Alexis Morris and LaDazhia Williams, while also trying to build chemistry with star-studded additions like Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams. LSU was exposed in a season-opening loss to Colorado, which reminded us all how good the Buffs were a year ago.

UConn, it seems, is still finding its footing too as it welcomes injured stars back into the lineup. Defense and rebounding – and an inability to stop Saniya Rivers – were a concern as the Huskies fell at previously unranked N.C. State on Sunday.

Iowa looks the most equipped to make it back to the Final Four after topping Virginia Tech in an incredible atmosphere in Charlotte. And it’s fair to say that many of us underestimated South Carolina, who looked like a juggernaut in wins over Notre Dame and Maryland despite replacing its entire starting lineup from last season.

Below is a breakdown of how – and why – I voted in the AP Top 25 Poll ahead of Week 2…

Haley Cavinder is transferring to TCU after her brief retirement from women’s basketball

One of the Cavinders will be suiting up for the Horned Frogs next season.

Haley Cavinder is coming back to women’s college basketball.

After helping Miami make the Elite Eight for the first time ever last spring, she and her twin sister Hanna announced they were retiring from the sport to pursue full-time careers as influencers and media personalities. They got involved with the WWE and started hosting a podcast for Jake Paul’s Betr.

But both players still had a year of NCAA eligibility left, and Haley – who was an All-ACC selection last season – felt something pulling her back to basketball. In October, she entered the transfer portal out of Miami.

And on Tuesday, Cavinder announced that she’ll play her final season of college hoops at TCU.

@cavindertwins

commited 💜🐸 #foryou #basketball

♬ original sound – 🅿️eak

It should be noted that it is highly unlikely that Cavinder will play this season for the Horned Frogs. She would need an NCAA waiver to do so, and the NCAA has yet to rule on waivers for players who transferred last spring – like Diamond Johnson, who went from N.C. State to Norfolk State.

So, Cavinder will likely suit up for TCU next season, and she should be a big help to the Horned Frogs when she does. In addition to her standout campaign at Miami, Cavinder is a former Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. Over four combined seasons at Fresno State and Miami, she averaged 16.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.6% from the floor and 35.9% from 3-point land.

Landing Cavinder is a big win for first-year TCU coach Mark Campbell, who also brought in former Oregon star Sedona Prince this season.

UConn’s shocking loss to NC State is the latest stunning upset in women’s college basketball

Just like No. 1 LSU, No. 2 UConn was the victim of an upset in the opening week of women’s basketball.

It happened to Ohio State. It happened to LSU. It happened to Ole Miss. And now, it has happened to UConn.

The Huskies were the latest victims of an upset, the kind of loss that has been rampant in the first week of this women’s college basketball season. Second-ranked UConn went into a sold-out Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Sunday and lost to an unranked N.C. State team, 92-81.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma did not mince words about the defeat:

“We got our asses beat. Plain and simple.”

For N.C. State, the win was a historic one on multiple levels. It’s the first time the Wolfpack had beaten the Huskies since 1998, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series for N.C. State. It’s also the first time an unranked N.C. State team has beaten a team in the top-five of the AP Top 25 Poll since 2016.

And it was the first time since 2001 that a UConn team allowed an opponent to score 92 points in regulation, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Saniya Rivers led the way for N.C. State with a career-high 33 points to go along with a career-best-tying 13 rebounds for her first-ever double-double. Rivers also had five assists, three blocks and three steals in a stat-stuffing effort. She’s just the third player since the 2009-10 season to tally that stat line, according to HerHoopStats.

Rivers said after the win:

“I just knew I had to show up for my teammates… The fans were amazing. It felt good. Their energy was a big reason we came out swinging tonight.”

Aziaha James added 18 points for the Wolfpack, while freshman Zoe Brooks – the latest in a long line of rookies to shine in opening week – chipped in 12 points and four boards.

Perhaps most surprising was that the Wolfpack outrebounded a UConn team armed with All-American Aaliyah Edwards patrolling the paint, 41-29. N.C. State also outscored the Huskies 12-6 in second chance points and 28-14 in fast break points.

Edwards had 21 points and six rebounds. Paige Bueckers, in her second game back from the injury that kept her out all of last season, had 27 points and three assists.

Not even appearances by Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner – who played an exhibition at nearby Duke on Sunday morning with Team USA – could boost the morale of UConn and will the Huskies to a win.

The win marks a bit of revenge that was a long time coming for Wes Moore and his program. In the 2022 Elite Eight, the Wolfpack lost to UConn in double-overtime in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Wolfpack players who played in that defeat have moved on, but Bueckers, Edwards and Fudd were on that team for the Huskies.

With multiple ranked teams losing this week to teams unranked or ranked lower than them, expect a shakeup in Monday’s AP Top 25 Poll.