Women's Basketball

The Power Four wrapped up their 2024/25 NCAA basketball seasons on Sunday, with newly minted conference tournament champions punching their tickets to the March Madness tournament.

While the Big 12’s weekend was all chalk as No. 8 TCU added their first tournament title since 2005 to their 2024/25 regular-season conference trophy on Sunday, the ACC capped their contest with chaos.

No. 11 Duke put the conference — and the NCAA selection committee — on notice, upsetting both No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 7 NC State en route to their first ACC tournament championship in 12 years.

In the SEC, No. 5 South Carolina had the last word against No. 1 Texas. After splitting their two 2024/25 meetings and sharing the regular-season title, the defending national champion Gamecocks turned the SEC tournament final into a defensive masterclass, defeating the Longhorns 64-45 to claim the conference trophy.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s Big Ten finale saw No. 4 UCLA enact revenge on their crosstown rivals, No. 2 USC. After dropping both their matchups and ceding the conference’s regular-season title to the Trojans, the Bruins held USC to just 34.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc to snag the tournament crown with a 72-67 win.

Conference winners eye NCAA tournament seeding

With their Sunday wins and their automatic entries into the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament, conference champions are now eyeing their shots at top national seedings.

While TCU and Duke each made strong cases for increasing their seeds, UCLA and South Carolina fully cemented themselves as frontrunners to top the 2024/25 bracket.

“When you win this [SEC] tournament and play the schedule that we play, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed,” remarked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. “There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we have played, that had share of the regular-season title, won this tournament and beat the No. 1 team in the country.”

The stats back up Staley’s claims. South Carolina played more Top 25 opponents this season than any other currently ranked squad, winning 12 of those games — seven against Top 10 teams. The only three losses they logged all season came against No. 1 Texas, No. 3 UConn, and No. 4 UCLA, with the Gamecocks handing the Longhorns two defeats in return.

UCLA head coach Cori Close took a more diplomatic approach when asked about top seeding after winning the Big Ten title.

“I think it would mean a lot for us [and USC] both to be No. 1 seeds,” Close told ESPN. “And I hope we do get the chance to do it [in the Final Four] in Tampa a fourth time.”

The final decisions rest with the selection committee, who will reveal their 2024/25 NCAA tournament bracket this Sunday.

Adam Bradford | Trojans Wire

It didn’t take very long for USC women’s basketball to rise to the top of the Big Ten. Nor did it take Juju Watkins very long to establish herself as the top player in the league. On Tuesday, Watkins was officially named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Obviously, she is the first Trojan to ever do so, since this is USC’s first year in the conference.

During the regular season, Watkins led the conference in points per game with 24.4—nearly five points ahead of the second place finisher. She also finished top five in the league and blocks and top 25 in rebounds, despite primarily playing as a guard.

In addition to being named the Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins was unanimously named to the All-Big Ten First Team and Defensive Team. Teammate Kiki Iriafen joined her on the First Team, while Rayah Marshall also made the Defensive Team. Both Marshall and Kennedy Smith—who was also named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team—earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors.

Overall, Tuesday was a loaded day for the Big Ten regular season champs, who continue to add more hardware to their collection. USC will now set its sights on the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, where they will open play on Friday.

TAMPA, Fla. (February 4, 2025) – The 2025 Women’s College All-Star Game will once again take place during national championship weekend, with the event set for April 5 in Tampa. The postseason all-star showcase, which returned after a nearly 20-year absence last season, will be televised on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET. The Women’s College All-Star Game Watch List presented by Herbalife was also revealed today. The watch list, compiled with the help of a nationally renowned panel of media experts, broadcasters and other stakeholders, while also taking into consideration national preseason, midseason and weekly award winners, features dozens of players poised to continue their careers on the professional level. While not an exhaustive list as players have the opportunity to play their way into consideration as the season progresses, the watch list includes top players such as: UConn’s Paige Bueckers Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron LSU’s Aneesah Morrow South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao USC’s Kiki iIriafen TCU’s Hailey Van Lith Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee The complete watch list can be found here. The final event roster will be announced the week of the event. Participants in the Women’s College All-Star Game will be players that have exhausted or will for forego their remaining eligibility. Last April, 20 of college basketball’s top senior standouts converged in Cleveland to rekindle the postseason event that Intersport helped originally launch in 1998. There, five All-Americans, more than a dozen All-Conference standouts and four future WNBA draft picks competed in front of nearly 5,000 fans on the eve of the sport’s national championship game. Tickets for the 2025 event, which will take place at Tampa Prep, located one mile from Amalie Arena, the site of the women’s college basketball national championship game, will go on sale starting March 6, with the presale taking place March 5. To stay up to date on the latest ticket info and register for the exclusive presale visit www.womenscollegeallstar.com/tickets. National brands have already signed on to be part of the 2025 event, including Herbalife and Skechers. Intersport launched the inaugural Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Challenge in 1998, which the WBCA operated through 2006. The Chicago-based agency was also a longstanding partner with the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and ESPN to stage the prestigious Women’s Tip-Off Classic that annually featured the sport’s top programs in high-profile matchups as part of ESPN’s early season programming. Today, Intersport continues to operate major men’s and women’s college basketball events throughout the season, including the CBS Sports Classic, the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, Arizona Tip-Off and other major showcase events. Final rosters, coaches and more details will be available online and www.womenscollegeallstar.com and by following @IntersportHoops on Instagram and X.

Friday’s Unrivaled debut was an unequivocal success for TV partner TNT Sports, as the opening lineup became the most-watched women’s basketball broadcast in network history. The doubleheader logged viewership averages of 313,000 and 311,000, respectively, with the first game peaking at 364,000. Big picture: In 2022, WNBA games averaged 372,000 viewers across Disney networks, with the league later surpassing 500,000 across ABC, ESPN, and CBS in 2023, before reaching 1.19 million on ESPN in 2024.As a new-look product in its first-ever season, Unrivaled’s initial numbers are promising, particularly for a league that’s prioritizing long-term wins over instant gratification.”It’s a marathon,”  league president Alex Bazzell told The Athletic. “We’re not running out there from Day 1 trying to get millions of viewers out of the gate.”

Kendra Andrews, ESPN

Women’s basketball has been growing at an exponential pace over the past several years. On Friday, it will expand even more when Unrivaled tips off in Miami.

A new 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled is a domestic opportunity for WNBA players to compete during the offseason. But to those who helped bring the league to fruition, it was about bringing competitive basketball back to its simplest, rawest form, like playing hoops on the playground.

“Everything was built for the players,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, told ESPN. “The business was built for the players, the facility was built for the players, and the actual game — the 3-on-3 full court is rooted in how you would play basketball as a kid.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the league ahead of its inaugural season.

What is Unrivaled?

Since the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997, many of the league’s players have headed overseas to continue playing in the offseason — both to supplement their income and find high-level competition.

Founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled provides an opportunity for 36 of the top WNBA players to remain in the United States for an eight-week season that runs Jan. 17 to March 17 in a custom-built facility in Miami. It’s not the first domestic alternative league. Athletes Unlimited, a 5-on-5 league that launched in 2022, will play its fourth season from Feb. 5 to March 2 in Nashville, with 29 of 40 participants having WNBA experience.

But Unrivaled, which will consist of six teams, looks to set itself apart with its salaries, amenities and style of play.

“It was built by basketball people for basketball players,” Cooper said. “That’s our north star. … We have an incredible pool of 36 players that will make each other better, so we’re unique in that sense in the marketplace.”

Unrivaled aims to be the first league to compete with the WNBA financially and with its resources.

How much are the players getting paid?

Unrivaled officials said the league has surpassed $35 million in funding, with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and USC star JuJu Watkins among the investors.

When the league was announced, one of Unrivaled’s selling points was that its average salaries would be higher than the WNBA’s — albeit with a fourth as many players.

The average salary in the WNBA in 2024 was about $119,500, with the high around $242,000.

Unrivaled has said it is offering “the highest average salary in professional women’s (team) sports.” League president Alex Bazzell told SB Nation in December that Unrivaled has a total salary pool of $8 million, which puts the league’s average salary around $222,222.

In addition to their salary, Unrivaled players get equity in the league. Unrivaled officials declined to discuss the league’s player compensation with ESPN.

Which players are involved?

Unrivaled set out to get as many top WNBA players as possible to commit to the league. When league officials pitched it to them, all they had was a concept: “This is what we hope it’s going to look like,” and “this is what we want it to feel like.”

“I give a lot of credit to these players,” Cooper said. “They took a risk.”

The 36 players competing in Unrivaled this season includes seven No. 1 WNBA draft picks (Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Jackie Young, Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Brittney Griner), one WNBA MVP (Stewart) and 17 former Olympians.

Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, has committed to playing in Unrivaled but will sit out this season as she recovers from a June 2024 ACL injury.

A’ja Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, and Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark opted not to participate in Unrivaled this season.

UConn senior Paige Bueckers, the projected No. 1 pick in April’s WNBA draft, and LSU junior Flau’Jae Johnson have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled. Bueckers is expected to join the league in 2026.

How were the rosters built?

On Nov. 20, all six Unrivaled head coaches met in Miami to select the teams. Thirty-four of the league’s 36 players (the two wild-card spots were still being decided) were separated into six pods based on positions and style of play. From there, the six coaches worked collaboratively to create each team, picking at least one player from each pod with the goal of building balanced rosters.

But the coaches had no idea which teams they’d be leading until after the selection process was complete.

“It was putting the onus back on the coaches,” Cooper said.

Jump to Unrivaled’s rosters

Where will Unrivaled be played, and how long is the season?

The Unrivaled season will last eight weeks, including playoffs, and will be played entirely at the MediaPro Center in Miami. Games will be played each week on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

The regular season will consist of a round-robin format, with the six teams facing each opponent at least once and each team playing 14 games. The top four teams based on record will advance to the playoffs. Head-to-head records and point differential will serve as tiebreakers.

The playoffs start March 16 — which is also Selection Sunday for men’s and women’s college basketball — with two single-elimination semifinal games. The championship game is March 17.

Unrivaled also recently announced it will hold a 1-on-1 tournament from Feb. 10 to 14 that pits players against one another in a single-elimination, winner-take-all competition with a $250,000 reward for the winner and an additional $10,000 for their 3-on-3 teammates.

How are Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 rules different from the Olympic 3×3 event?

Unrivaled will be played on a 49.2-by-72-foot condensed full court rather than the half court (36 feet by 49 feet) used at the Olympics. For reference, the WNBA is played on a 94-by-50-foot court.

“It feels like you are watching a basketball game and there just happens to be four less players on the court,” Cooper said. “It’s not a gimmick. It’s basketball with more space to operate with and a little shorter of a court, so the players have the stamina to play.”

Each Unrivaled game will feature three seven-minute quarters and a fourth quarter that the league is calling “winning score.” The winning score will be determined by adding 11 points to the leading team’s score through three quarters. For example, if the score is 50-48 heading into the final quarter, the first team to reach 61 points wins. There will never be overtime.

“This game is rooted in how you would play basketball as a kid on a black top,” Cooper said. “There’s flow. There’s pace.”

Unrivaled organizers hope playing to a target score eliminates late fouls and speeds up the game overall. To that end, the free throw process also will be different. When a player is fouled — whether on a layup or a 3-pointer — only one free throw will be awarded. The single shot is worth two points for a foul on a 2-point field goal or three points if the foul occurred on a 3-point attempt. A free throw attempt after a foul on a made basket is worth one point.

Players will foul out after their sixth foul, but if the team has only three players available and one of them picks up a sixth foul, the player will remain in the game but incur technical fouls for each additional foul they commit.

The games will use an 18-second shot clock, compared to the WNBA’s 24 seconds, and the clock will be stopped on made baskets only in the last 30 seconds of periods rather than in the last minute.

Except for tip-off at the start of the game, all jump ball situations are replaced by alternating possessions.

Who are the coaches?

The six head coaches have different levels of experience in the NBA and WNBA, headlined by former Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon and former NBA assistant coach Phil Handy, who most recently spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Weatherspoon will lead the Vinyl, while Handy will coach the Mist.

Former Washington Mystics assistant Andrew Wade will lead the Laces, and Nola Henry, who recently spent time with the Los Angeles Sparks, will coach the Rose. Adam Harrington, a former assistant and director for player development for the Brooklyn Nets, will coach the Phantom. And WNBA and NBA skills coach DJ Sackmann will coach the Lunar Owls.

How to watch Unrivaled

Monday and Friday night games will be on TNT, the league’s broadcast rights holder. Saturday games will be shown on TruTV. All games will also be available for streaming on Max.

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Unrivaled rosters

Laces BC

Stefanie Dolson, F/C, Washington Mystics
Tiffany Hayes, G, Las Vegas Aces
Kate Martin, G, Golden State Valkyries
Kayla McBride, G, Minnesota Lynx
Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun
Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces

Lunar Owls BC

Shakira Austin, F/C, Washington Mystics
Cameron Brink, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Napheesa Collier, G, Minnesota Lynx
Skylar Diggins-Smith, G, Seattle Storm
Allisha Gray, G, Atlanta Dream
Courtney Williams, G, Minnesota Lynx

Mist BC

DiJonai Carrington, G, Connecticut Sun
Aaliyah Edwards, F, Washington Mystics
Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm
Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty
Courtney Vandersloot, G, New York Liberty

Phantom BC

Natasha Cloud, G, Phoenix Mercury
Brittney Griner, C, Phoenix Mercury
Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty
Marina Mabrey, G, Connecticut Sun
Satou Sabally, F, Dallas Wings
Katie Lou Samuelson, F, Indiana Fever

Rose BC

Kahleah Copper, G, Phoenix Mercury
Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces
Lexie Hull, G, Indiana Fever
Angel Reese, G, Chicago Sky
Azura Stevens, F/C, Los Angeles Sparks
Brittney Sykes, G, Washington Mystics

Vinyl BC

Aliyah Boston, F/C, Indiana Fever
Rae Burrell, G, Los Angeles Sparks
Jordin Canada, G, Atlanta Dream
Dearica Hamby, G, Los Angeles Sparks
Rhyne Howard, G, Atlanta Dream
Arike Ogunbowale, G, Dallas Wings

Dee Lab | Just Women’s Sports

One week into the 2024/25 season and the Big Ten is already leading the college basketball charge, with multiple teams tallying upsets to boost their spots in Monday’s AP Top 25 update.

The biggest leap belonged to Maryland, who climbed seven spots to No. 11 after defeating now-No. 16 Duke 85-80 on Sunday. With four double-digit scorers, the Terrapins’ team effort was led by junior guard Kaylene Smikle’s 23 points.

Maryland’s Big Ten compatriots, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon, broke into Monday’s standings after respective wins against then-No. 19 Florida State on Thursday and then-No. 12 Baylor on Sunday.

Led by former UNC standout Deja Kelly’s 20 points, the Ducks staved off a late Baylor surge to secure the 76-74 win, snapping a 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents in the process.

Outside the Big Ten, Stanford also made their 2024/25 poll debut, coming in at No. 24. The Cardinal took their omission from the preseason poll — the first in 25 years with Stanford — as a challenge, defeating their first three season opponents last week by an average of 41 points.

South Carolina maintains stranglehold on No. 1

The preseason top eight teams held their ground this week behind defending champs No. 1 South Carolina, who extended their division-record active unbeaten streak to 40 games with Sunday’s 71-57 win over now-No. 13 NC State.

With junior forward Chloe Kitts, who led the Gamecocks with a double-double in their season opener, ruled out due to an academic issue, South Carolina guards Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley stepped up in a big way, sinking 23 and 18 points, respectively.

SEC is still NCAA’s top basketball conference

While still early days, it does appear that conference realignment and a robust transfer portal has once again emboldened the NCAA’s biggest players. 

New Big Ten members No. 3 USC, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 24 Oregon join veterans No. 11 Maryland, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 21 Nebraska, and No. 23 Illinois in this week’s rankings, tying the SEC with the most teams in the poll at seven.

Even so, the SEC remains the conference to beat, with not just No. 1 South Carolina setting the sport’s standard, but three other Top-10 teams. Conference veteran No. 7 LSU and last season’s Big 12 stalwarts No. 4 Texas and No. 9 Oklahoma round out the SEC’s grip on the top of the rankings, with No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Kentucky, and No. 22 Alabama also featuring in the poll.

AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. Southern California
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Kansas State
11. Maryland
12. Ohio State
13. North Carolina State
14. North Carolina
15. West Virginia
16. Duke
17. Baylor
18. Louisville
19. Ole Miss
20. Kentucky
21. Nebraska
22. Alabama
23. Illinois
24. Stanford
25. Oregon