WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

While the team's culture is a big reason for their success, Trinity head coach Cameron Hill has leaned into a superstition for a little extra help, as he continues to wear an 11-year old Giants hat that was gifted to him when he arrived on campus.

Baylor standout NaLyssa Smith is the Big 12 women’s basketball player of the year for the second season in a row.

Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey’s introduction at LSU had an overriding theme that echoed constantly under the domed roof of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey has left Baylor to return home and take over the LSU women’s basketball team.

Wagner alumna and Stanford grad Kiana Williams is excited to start her professional basketball career with the Seattle Storm, where she can learn from WNBA legend Sue Bird and former San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes.

As she prepares for the upcoming WNBA Draft, Stanford senior and Wagner alumna Kiana Williams takes a moment to reflect on the moments immediately after she became a National Champion last weekend in the Alamodome.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)SAN ANTONIO – Missouri State had waited two years to get another crack at the Sweet 16 and Stanford, only to watch the Cardinal turn their rematch into a romp. 5 Lady Bears 89-62 to earn a spot in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament for the 21st time. Elle Ruffridge scored 18 points to lead Missouri State (23-3), a team with a history of punching above its status as a mid-major from the Missouri Valley Conference. And Missouri State was hungry to push for even bigger things after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament and abruptly ended a 26-4 season. “Every game we’ve been down, we’ve always come back,” Missouri State coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said.

SAN ANTONIO – Kiana Williams scored 20 points while becoming Stanford’s career leader in made 3-pointers, and six teammates also hit from long range as the top-seeded Cardinal overwhelmed women’s NCAA Tournament first-timer Utah Valley 87-44 in the opening round Sunday night. Williams' six were the most by a player since Bonnie Samuelson also hit six in the 2014 tourney against South Dakota. The former BYU associate head coach is a native of Round Rock, Texas, only about 100 miles from the Alamodome. THEY WERE THE FIRSTThere was never the threat of an upset to wrap up the first day of the women’s NCAA Tournament, but the Cardinal were the first No. 1 seed in the men’s or women’s tournament to against a No.

SAN ANTONIO – Moon Ursin scored a career-high 24 points, All-American NaLyssa Smith had a double-double and fifth-ranked Baylor had no problem in its women’s NCAA Tournament opener, cruising to a 101-52 win over Jackson State on Sunday. Smith scored 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Bears (26-2), who face seventh-seeded Virginia Tech on Tuesday in the River Walk Region. Baylor, the national leader in field-goal defense (31.8%) and rebounding margin (plus-19), limited Jackson State to 30.9% shooting, including 2 of 19 from 3-point range, and had a 59-35 rebounding advantage. Ursin, who was 3 of 3 behind the arc, had 16 points and Smith was 5 of 6 for 12 points, and the Bears led 51-24. The Bears shot 54.5% and held Jackson State to 27.8% for a 51-24 lead.

SAN ANTONIO – The NCAA has claimed full responsibility for the inequity issues brought to light during the Women’s Basketball Championship tournament in San Antonio, according to an interview with ESPN. Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president, says their organization is taking full responsibility and that the city of San Antonio is not to blame. They’re not the responsibility of the City of San Antonio. AdAs of Saturday, players at the NCAA women’s basketball tournament were given access to a fully-stocked weight room, according to a report by the Associated Press. The City of San Antonio is still set to host the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four tournament.

SAN ANTONIO – The entire NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held in the greater San Antonio area this year, and in order to properly staff the event, San Antonio Sports Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jenny Carnes says that they need nearly 1,500 volunteers, 3,000 volunteer shifts. If you would like to volunteer your services, please visit wffsantonio.com/volunteer.

SAN ANTONIO – Get ready for March Madness live and direct in San Antonio in a way like never before. On Friday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, along with NCAA representatives, announced that the entire NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Tournament would be hosted in San Antonio. “For the first time in tournament history, San Antonio and our surrounding communities will be the site for the 64-team NCAA women’s basketball championship,” Nirenberg said during a virtual news conference. Like, our city needs a breath of fresh air,” said Duane Cummings, a San Antonio resident. During the tournament, Nirenberg announced that he anticipates more than 35,000 room nights to downtown San Antonio.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell says shortstop Luis Urias and pitcher Angel Perdomo tested positive for COVID-19 before the intake process. This marks the second setback for Urias since the Brewers acquired him from San Diego in November. Major League Baseball and the players association announced Friday that 31 players and seven staff members tested positive for COVID-19 during intake for the resumption of training, a rate of 1.2%. Players and staff were tested Friday, and general manager Mike Rizzo says the team still hasnt received its results. The WNBA hopes to start training camp later this week, with the regular season set to begin around July 24.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird will preside over The ESPYS two-hour broadcast airing June 21 on ESPN. Rapinoe and Bird are partners who share a household, which conveniently eases some logistics. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)LOS ANGELES Its a way different kind of year, and so The ESPYs will be, too. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird will preside over the two-hour broadcast airing June 21 on ESPN. Comedy and music are always part of the show, and Wilson, Rapinoe and Bird will get a chance to show off a sense of humor.