Latest news with #Pac-12Tournament
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Former Pac-12 Assistant Joins HBCU Hoops Contender
Alabama A&M just made a power move. Head coach Dawn Thornton announced the addition of veteran coach Paul Reed as the program's new associate head coach. The hire brings high-major experience, a reputation for developing talent, and a Pac-12 résumé packed with postseason success to HBCU women's basketball on The Hill. Reed, whose coaching stops include Cal, Washington, and Long Beach State, steps into the Bulldogs' program with a clear mandate. To elevate the team's culture and competitiveness in the SWAC. "We are thrilled to welcome Paul Reed as our Associate Head Coach," said Thornton. "Paul brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of developing talent and building winning programs. His dedication to fostering strong relationships with players and his commitment to excellence on and off the court make him an invaluable addition to our team." This is more than a résumé hire-it's a statement of intent. A&M is aiming higher. Reed spent last season in a support role at St. Mary's. Still, his most impactful recent work came at the University of Washington. He helped steer the Huskies to a Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal appearance. That run included a decisive 68–54 upset of No. 6-seed Colorado. At UW, Reed didn't just collect wins-he developed stars. Three Huskies earned All-Pac-12 honors under his watch, and an impressive 11 players landed spots on the Pac-12 All-Academic Team. Before Washington, Reed was part of a resurgent Long Beach State program that tallied 69 wins in three seasons, racked up three straight 20-win campaigns, and earned a Big West Tournament title in 2017 to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The years prior brought back-to-back WNIT berths, showcasing his consistency in keeping programs competitive deep into March. Before his collegiate coaching climb, Reed dominated the Arizona high school basketball scene. At Cienega High School, he went 45–13 in two seasons and was named Southern Arizona Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to a regional title and state runner-up finish in 2014. Go further back, and the trail continues at Tucson High, where Reed stacked four state tournament appearances, three regional championships, and a 129–63 record across six seasons. He's been building programs from the grassroots up for decades, mentoring McDonald's All-American nominees and directing offseason player development for top high school and college athletes in the Tucson area. And while most know him for his basketball mind, Reed is also a former USA Today Small College All-American defensive back at Langston University, an HBCU in Oklahoma, where he earned his degree in psychology before adding a master's in education from the University of Phoenix. This is a high-level chess move for Alabama A&M women's basketball. Reed isn't just a sideline veteran-he's a culture shifter. He's walked the halls of Power 4 programs, coached in packed March Madness arenas, and still has the recruiting chops to bring top-tier talent into the fold. For an HBCU program looking to make noise in the SWAC and beyond, Paul Reed might be the X-factor. The post Former Pac-12 Assistant Joins HBCU Hoops Contender appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rayah Marshall prepares for Connecticut Sun WNBA regular-season debut
Rayah Marshall prepares for Connecticut Sun WNBA regular-season debut Rayah Marshall gears up for the Washington Mystics in her Connecticut Sun WNBA regular-season debut This weekend marks the start of the 2025 WNBA season. On Sunday morning, Rayah Marshall and the Connecticut Sun will host Kiki Iriafen and the Washington Mystics in a USC-flavored home opener for Connecticut. Mystics-Sun will start just after 10 a.m. Pacific time on WNBA League Pass, the league's live streaming service. You might have noticed that on Thursday, the Connecticut Sun officially released their roster for the upcoming campaign. Included on the roster was USC alum Rayah Marshall, whom the team selected in the second round of last month's draft. 'It's hard to put into words," Marshall said following the news. "I'm here and my entire family lives in Los Angeles. I'm going to embrace this as long as possible." Marshall had a decorated USC career. Arriving on campus at the same time as Lindsay Gottlieb, she helped revitalize the Trojans' program, taking USC to a Big Ten regular season title, a Pac-12 Tournament title, three NCAA Tournaments, two No. 1 seeds, and two Elite Eights. In two of her four seasons as a Trojan, Marshall averaged a double-double. Now, she heads across the country to Connecticut to begin her professional career. Marshall and the Sun will try to slow down Iriafen's Mystics, who scored 94 points in their season-opening win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.
NBC Sports
13-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu plays at Oregon for the first time as a pro in preseason game
EUGENE, Ore. — Playing at Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena for the first time in five years, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu drew a roar from the capacity crowd by proclaiming, 'Go Ducks!' Ionescu, a three-time WNBA All-Star, made the return trip to Eugene along with Liberty teammate and fellow former Oregon standout Nyara Sabally for a preseason game against the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. It was the fourth time this preseason the WNBA has reunited college fans with their former stars. Caitlin Clark returned to Iowa, Angel Reese went back to LSU and a trio of former Notre Dame stars visited South Bend, Indiana. Ionescu scored 25 points, including six 3-pointers, in the 84-61 victory over the Antelopes. Sabally had 7. 'This was just a thank you,' Ionescu said. 'This wasn't any kind of celebration for me. I think it was just me wanting to celebrate the University of Oregon and what they've done for me in my career.' The crowd gave Ionescu a standing ovation after she hit a 3-pointer from the midcourt logo with 6:03 left. She waved to the crowd and put her hand on her heart before going to the bench. 'It's great to be back home,' Ionescu told the sellout crowd before the game. Ionescu was a senior in 2020 for then-No. 2 Oregon when the season ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon defeated No. 7 Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament championship that year and the Ducks were expected to be among the top-seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Sabally was a redshirt freshman that year, but did not play because of an ACL injury. Ionescu ended her college career as the NCAA's all-time triple-doubles leader, among both men and women, with 26. She was drafted No. 1 by the Liberty in the 2020 WNBA draft. Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson declared it 'Sabrina Ionescu Day' in honor of Ionescu, who won a WNBA title with the Liberty last year as well as a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. 'I'm glad they're getting their love,' teammate Natasha Cloud said of Ionescu and Sabally. 'They deserve it. Both of them have grown so much from being here, and obviously being able to win the (WNBA) championship last year, to come back here and celebrate with the fans.' The Liberty announced it exercised Sabally's fourth-year option, which will keep her with the team through the 2026 season. Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai and Oregon coach Kelly Graves were among those at the game. 'It is a really cool idea. The preseason has been going to a lot of the college campuses of their star players and Sabrina is a franchise player for us and has done wonderful things,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'So it's great to come back where it all started.' Graves noted that if the opening rounds of NCAA Tournament had been played in 2020, Ionescu would have had at least one more game in Eugene to thank the fans. 'There would have been a bit of closure. She would have known, 'This is my last game at Matthew Knight Arena,' and she just never got that opportunity,' Graves said. 'So that's why I thought this was really cool to do.' The WNBA returns to Oregon next year, when an as-yet unnamed expansion team kicks off in Portland.
Fox Sports
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu plays at Oregon for the first time as a pro in preseason game
Associated Press EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Playing at Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena for the first time in five years, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu drew a roar from the capacity crowd by proclaiming, 'Go Ducks!' Ionescu, a three-time WNBA All-Star, made the return trip to Eugene along with Liberty teammate and fellow former Oregon standout Nyara Sabally for a preseason game against the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. It was the fourth time this preseason the WNBA has reunited college fans with their former stars. Caitlin Clark returned to Iowa, Angel Reese went back to LSU and a trio of former Notre Dame stars visited South Bend, Indiana. Ionescu scored 25 points in the 84-61 victory over the Antelopes. Sabally had 7. The crowd gave Ionescu a standing ovation after she hit a 3-pointer from the midcourt logo with 6:03 left. She waved to the crowd and put her hand on her heart before going to the bench. 'It's great to be back home,' Ionescu told the crowd before the game. Ionescu was a senior in 2020 for then-No. 2 Oregon when the season ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon defeated No. 7 Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament championship that year and the Ducks were expected to be among the top-seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Sabally was a redshirt freshman on that team. Ionescu ended her college career as the NCAA's all-time triple-doubles leader, among both men and women, with 26. She was drafted No. 1 by the Liberty in the 2020 WNBA draft. Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson declared Monday 'Sabrina Ionescu Day" in honor of Ionescu, who won a WNBA title with the Liberty last year as well as a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. 'I'm glad they're getting their love,' teammate Natasha Cloud said of Ionescu and Sabally. 'They deserve it. Both of them have grown so much from being here, and obviously being able to win the (WNBA) championship last year, to come back here and celebrate with the fans.' The Liberty announced earlier Monday it exercised Sabally's fourth-year option, which will keep her with the team through the 2026 season. Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai and Oregon coach Kelly Graves were among those at the game. 'It is a really cool idea. The preseason has been going to a lot of the college campuses of their star players and Sabrina is a franchise player for us and has done wonderful things,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'So it's great to come back where it all started.' The WNBA returns to Oregon next year, when an as-yet unnamed expansion team kicks off in Portland. ___ AP WNBA:
Hamilton Spectator
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu plays at Oregon for the first time as a pro in preseason game
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Playing at Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena for the first time in five years, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu drew a roar from the capacity crowd by proclaiming, 'Go Ducks!' Ionescu, a three-time WNBA All-Star, made the return trip to Eugene along with Liberty teammate and fellow former Oregon standout Nyara Sabally for a preseason game against the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. It was the fourth time this preseason the WNBA has reunited college fans with their former stars. Caitlin Clark returned to Iowa, Angel Reese went back to LSU and a trio of former Notre Dame stars visited South Bend, Indiana. Ionescu scored 25 points in the 84-61 victory over the Antelopes. Sabally had 7. The crowd gave Ionescu a standing ovation after she hit a 3-pointer from the midcourt logo with 6:03 left. She waved to the crowd and put her hand on her heart before going to the bench. 'It's great to be back home,' Ionescu told the crowd before the game. Ionescu was a senior in 2020 for then-No. 2 Oregon when the season ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon defeated No. 7 Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament championship that year and the Ducks were expected to be among the top-seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Sabally was a redshirt freshman on that team. Ionescu ended her college career as the NCAA's all-time triple-doubles leader, among both men and women, with 26. She was drafted No. 1 by the Liberty in the 2020 WNBA draft. Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson declared Monday 'Sabrina Ionescu Day' in honor of Ionescu, who won a WNBA title with the Liberty last year as well as a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. 'I'm glad they're getting their love,' teammate Natasha Cloud said of Ionescu and Sabally. 'They deserve it. Both of them have grown so much from being here, and obviously being able to win the (WNBA) championship last year, to come back here and celebrate with the fans.' The Liberty announced earlier Monday it exercised Sabally's fourth-year option, which will keep her with the team through the 2026 season. Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai and Oregon coach Kelly Graves were among those at the game. 'It is a really cool idea. The preseason has been going to a lot of the college campuses of their star players and Sabrina is a franchise player for us and has done wonderful things,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'So it's great to come back where it all started.' The WNBA returns to Oregon next year, when an as-yet unnamed expansion team kicks off in Portland. ___ AP WNBA:
