Caitlin Clark leads Iowa back to Final Four, scoring 41 points in 94-87 win over defending champ LSU
Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12 assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending national champion LSU out of the womenโs NCAA Tournament with a 94-87 victory, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final Four.
Women's NCAA Tournament games in Portland played on court with mismatched 3-point lines
The 3-point line for the womenโs NCAA Tournament at Moda Center had a discrepancy in distance at each end of the court that went unnoticed through four games over two days before Texas and North Carolina State were informed of the problem ahead of their Elite Eight matchup.
Newspaper edits its column about LSU-UCLA game after Tigers coach Kim Mulkey blasted it as sexist
The Los Angeles Times has edited a column it published last week about the LSU womenโs basketball team ahead of its game against UCLA following criticism from Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, who blasted it as sexist and hurtful.
Pac-12's final chapter is not over yet. Conference has 5 teams in women's Sweet 16
In a womenโs NCAA Tournament where Iowaโs Caitlin Clark, LSU coach Kim Mulkey and undefeated South Carolina have dominated the headlines, the Pac-12 Conference is making sure it doesnโt go away quietly in its final season.
Reese's double-double, Johnson's scoring, lifts LSU over MTSU 83-56 in NCAA Tournament's 2nd round
Angel Reese had 20 points and 11 rebounds and third-seeded LSU responded to a nine-point third-quarter deficit with a dominant finish to defeat upstart No. 11 seed Middle Tennessee 83-56 in the second round of the womenโs NCAA Tournament.
March Madness: Morris, LSU women top Utah, into Elite Eight
Alexis Morris hit two foul shots with 10 seconds to play as No. 3 seed LSU reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008, beating second-seeded Utah 66-63, Down 64-63, the Utes had a chance to back in front, but Jenna Johnson โ a near 75% foul shooter โ missed both attempts with 4.7 seconds to go.
Reagan junior Samantha Wagner discusses reopening college recruitment
After Kim Mulkey announced she was leaving the Baylor program to head to LSU, Reagan junior Samantha Wagner made the difficult decision to reopen her college recruitment. The Rattler star had been committed to play for the Bears since she was in 8th grade as a result of her friendship with Mulkey, and has not yet determined where she'll play in the future.
'It's an honor': The Hall of Fame's class of 2020 enshrined
Kobe Bryant is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame now, along with contemporaries Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, headliners of a group of nine who got their delayed and long-awaited enshrinement on Saturday night, more than a year after being announced as the Hallโs Class of 2020.
It's time: Duncan, Bryant, Garnett to enter Hall of Fame
Vanessa Bryant got a private tour to see some of the newly remodeled Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, viewing the exhibit that will honor the life and legacy of her late husband before the rest of the world gets their first look.
Maryland's Brenda Frese is the AP women's coach of the year
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)SAN ANTONIO โ Maryland coach Brenda Frese was honored as The Associated Press women's basketball coach of the year Wednesday for the second time in her career. Frese received eight votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the weekly AP Top 25. Obviously its going to be one I never forget,โ said Frese, who also was AP coach of the year 19 years ago when she was at Minnesota. When Maryland won the Big Ten Tournament, Frese's father and mother, Donna, were in the stands in Indianapolis. โIt's a memory Iโll cherish for a lifetime.โ___More AP womenโs college basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Baylor coach calls for end of COVID-19 testing for Final Four, implies players should participate if they test positive
As of Saturday, there had been two confirmed positive tests at the womenโs tournament with over 15,400 administered. The last positive result among the players, coaches and others working at the tournament was reported on March 22 from daily antigen testing. Six conference teams qualified for the womenโs tournament: Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, Washington State and UCLA. Night in and night out in the Pac-12, weโre playing teams like Stanford, UCLA, great teams, Oregon State, Oregon. FINAL FOUR MEMORIESTara VanDerveer remembers very well the feeling of finally coaching Stanford to the Cardinalโs first Final Four berth.
UConn reaches 13th straight Final Four, beating Baylor 69-67
Bueckers scored 28 points and top seed UConn used a huge run spanning the final two quarters to beat No. 2 Baylor 69-67 on Monday night and reach a 13th consecutive Final Four in the womenโs NCAA Tournament. After a timeout, Baylor fouled Christyn Williams, who missed both free throws to give the Lady Bears one last chance. The Lady Bears (28-3) had won the previous two, including a 74-58 win at Connecticut in January of 2020. The Lady Bears closed the action-packed first quarter with a 20-10 run and trailed 26-24 after one.
Baylor coach calls for end of COVID-19 testing at NCAAs
As of Saturday, there had been two confirmed positive tests at the women's tournament with over 15,400 administered. The last positive result among the players, coaches and others working at the tournament was reported on March 22 from daily antigen testing. Six conference teams qualified for the womenโs tournament: Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, Washington State and UCLA. And itโs led to some mutual support: Stanfordโs Tara VanDerveer has been texting Oregon State menโs coach Wayne Tinkle, among others. Night in and night out in the Pac-12, weโre playing teams like Stanford, UCLA, great teams, Oregon State, Oregon.
What To Watch: menโs, womenโs regional finals start Monday
... Oregon State opponents are shooting just 31.3% overall and 23.1% from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. That Missouri squad lost a regional final to an Oklahoma team coached by Kelvin Sampson, whoโs now at Houston. โฆ Arkansas is in a regional final for the first time since 1995, when it lost to UCLA in the championship game. โฆ Arkansasโ Justin Smith is averaging 20.3 points and 11 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games. Arizona and Indiana are both in an NCAA regional final for the first time.
Smithโs perfect day lifts Baylor past Michigan in OT 78-75
She gave Baylor a 76-73 lead with a foul shot with 19 seconds left, and then fired a quick pass to Moon Ursin for a wide-open layup. Leigha Brown scored 23 points, helping Michigan push Baylor into the first overtime game in the Sweet 16 since Tennesseeโs victory over Gonzaga in 2015. Brown's layup got Michigan within one with 17 seconds left. Hillmon tied it at 63 with 15 seconds left, converting a lob pass from Hailey Brown that barely floated over the arms of a Baylor defender. Ursin then missed short on a shot to win with 3 seconds left, sending the game into overtime.
UConn frosh Paige Bueckers leads women's AP All-America team
The freshman guard has lived up to it so far, delivering record-breaking performances and earning a spot on The Associated Press women's basketball All-American team Wednesday. She's only the third freshman to make the AP team, joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and UConn's Maya Moore. โName one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. She became the school's first women's basketball All-American last season. She was joined by Naz Hillmon, who is the first women's player at Michigan to earn All-America honors.
Baylor beats West Virginia 76-50 for Big 12 crown
6 Baylor beat West Virginia 76-50 to win the Big 12 Tournament on Sunday. It is the ninth Big 12 Championship in the last 10 tournaments for top-seeded Baylor (25-2). Dijonai Carrington added 14 and Moon Ursin had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Lady Bears won their 17th straight game. โWe didnโt shoot the ball well and took a lot of bad shots,โ West Virginia coach Mike Carey said. AdThe Lady Bears dominated in the paint outrebounding West Virginia 46-33 and scoring 54 points in the paint.
South Carolina returns to top of women's basketball poll
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley confers with forward Aliyah Boston on the sideline during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. 1 in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll. South Carolina, which originally fell from the top spot after losing to North Carolina State, beat the Huskies last season for the first time in eight tries. Here are other tidbits from the poll:MILESTONEMonday marked the 800th women's college basketball poll in the AP's history. Ad___More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
UConn's Auriemma: Schools need NCAA Tournament this season
โAnd those players that donโt want to play, donโt have to play,โ he said. โAnd those coaches that donโt want to coach, donโt have to coach. โThe NCAA has to have the almighty dollar from the menโs tournament," she said. โMaybe itโs easy if youโre at a Power Five football school and youโre making millions and millions and millions of dollars,โ Auriemma said. ___More AP womenโs basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Lack of marquee games to make NCAA tourney selection harder
UConn has two more chances to play nonconference ranked teams, with Tennessee and South Carolina on the schedule. Conversely on the men's side, a majority of the current Top 25 have played at least one ranked nonconference opponent. The lack of marquee nonconference matchups could cause the NCAA womenโs basketball selection committee some agita when trying to figure out who deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament and where teams should be seeded. Weโll have lively discussions.โLongtime ESPN and CBS analyst Deb Antonelli was sad that so many women's basketball games have been canceled or postponed. โCOVID is COVID and we donโt want to penalize a team for the uncontrollable.โ___More AP womenโs basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
The Latest: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski expected back soon
3 UConn after Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Browns coach Kevin Stefanski expects to be back with his team this week after missing Sunday nightโs playoff win over Pittsburgh with COVID-19. Stefanski tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week and had to watch Clevelandโs 48-37 victory over the Steelers from his homeโs basement. ___The Baylor womenโs basketball team has had another game postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Coach Kim Mulkey missed that game after being exposed at Christmas to a family member who tested positive for the virus.
The Latest: No. 7 Arizona women's basketball game postponed
(Stu Forster/Pool via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The seventh-ranked Arizona womenโs basketball game at Washington scheduled for Friday has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Huskies program. ___The Patriot League menโs basketball games between American and Lehigh scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test within the American menโs basketball programโs Tier 1 personnel. 3 UConn women's basketball team has had another game postponed because of coronavirus-related issues. The switch gives St. Pete promoters hope that more spectators will be permitted to attend the popular street festival as pandemic restrictions loosen. That move opened room on the schedule for St. Pete to request a later race date.
Mulkey positive for COVID-19, UConn-Baylor women's game off
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey is shown during the second half of an NCAA women's college basketball game against South Florida Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. No. 3 UConn after Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19. 3 UConn after Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19. Baylor said it began restricting team activities after Mulkey tested positive on Monday, the same day she had been planning to rejoin the team. Auriemma said he and Louisville coach Jeff Walz have talked the last couple of weeks about finding a time to play each other.
Oregon State out of women's Top 25; Stanford still No. 1
Oregon State lost its lone game last week, falling to Washington State and dropping out of the poll from No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Louisville, UConn, North Carolina State and South Carolina followed the Cardinal again in the poll. Michigan State replaced Oregon State in the poll, coming in at No. South Carolina (157), Mississippi State (120) and Louisville (93) are the only other teams that had longer active streaks than Oregon State's.
NCAA to play womenโs basketball tournament at 1 site, eyes San Antonio
UConn coach Geno Auriemma wasn't surprised that the NCAA women's basketball tournament will be played in one geographical area. The NCAA announced Monday that San Antonio is the likely host site for the 64-team tournament next March. โWe donโt have an answer for that today.โThis wonโt be the first time a womenโs tournament will be played at one site. From 1972-1977, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women played a 16-team postseason tournament at one site. The NCAA Tournament was first played in 1982.
Women's NCAA Tournament to played at one site, eyes on Texas
The NCAA announced Monday that San Antonio is the likely host site for the 64-team tournament next March. The NCAA expects the tournament to be played in late March and early April as usual, though there is a chance it could be shorter. โWe donโt have an answer for that today.โThis wonโt be the first time a womenโs tournament will be played at one site. From 1972-1977, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women played a 16-team postseason tournament at one site. The NCAA Tournament was first played in 1982.
NCAA approves plan for basketball players to access coaches
The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, approved a plan to allow college basketball players to start working with their coaches for the first time since the pandemic wiped out March Madness. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The NCAA basketball tournaments were cancelled days before the fields were scheduled to be selected because of the coronavirus outbreak. It will also consider adding more activities for basketball players during the July 1-19 period.
Hoops Hall mulls date for Bryant, Class of 2020 induction
FILE - In this April 13, 2016, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant smiles during the first half of his last NBA basketball game, against the Utah Jazz in Los Angeles. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, the reopening has been pushed back two months to July 1 and the induction ceremony is being postponed, either to October or the spring. Complicating the potential possibility of a spring 2021 induction: The Hall doesnt know what the NBA and college basketball seasons will look like then. Doleva said the Hall decided against inducting Bryant alone and gave no thought to having a separate ceremony for him. Theyre all Hall of Famers, and all Hall of Famers are equal in the eyes of the museum.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Spurs great Tim Duncan will Soon add Basketball Hall of Fame to resume
CHICAGO โ Considered by many as the best power forward of all time, Spurs great Tim Duncan is now one step closer to induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The eight finalists for the Class of 2020 election were announced today at NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. โHeโs the greatest Spur of all time,โ said George โIcemanโ Gervin, a 1996 Hall of Fame inductee. โHeโs one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Gervin, an NBA legend and one of the Spursโ all-time greats himself, is thrilled Duncan will soon join the Hall of Fame.