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New York Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Our experts' takes from the opening WNBA weekend
We might be less than a week into the 2025 WNBA season, but opening weekend already delivered plenty of drama, excitement and storylines for our reporters to dive into. On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,',Zena Keita, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant dished out their 'half-baked takes' from the early games. Advertisement Watch the discussion below. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the 'No Offseason' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keita: The WNBA season is officially underway, and we have got some early takes and overreactions — we're calling it our 'half-baked' takes. Guys, I want to know your best half-baked take after opening weekend. Ben, you're going to go first, and Sabreena, we'll see if this one's worth eating. (laughs) Pickman: My take is a broad one, and it's that the WNBA's middle tier, which we were so high on in thinking many teams were going to be really competitive because there was so much stacked talent around the league, is actually just not as good as we thought. There are four really good teams in the WNBA, and then there's a huge gap between (them) and the rest. I have the first four being New York, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Indiana, in no particular order. And I'm just going to throw out some quick facts on some of the other teams. The Seattle Storm had a really underwhelming performance with Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor shooting 2-of-18 from the field. Atlanta took a franchise record 36 3-pointers in their opener against Washington, but didn't really execute down the stretch. Clearly, they have a lot to learn and figure out, especially on the defensive end of the floor in Karl Smesko's first year. Phoenix had a great win over the Storm, but Kahleah Copper is out with a knee injury, and she's going to miss four to six weeks to start the season, so that doesn't exactly inspire confidence in a team that already doesn't have a ton of depth. The Chicago Sky shot 29.1 percent from the field, 22 percent from 3, and had 17 turnovers. I get that they were playing the Fever, but it still wasn't a great performance. And with the Dallas Wings, I understand they have a lot of new players, and we're giving them time. But one of the things that stuck out to me is that there were eight times in that game, per Synergy, that they got scored off cuts. If you look at Minnesota, they were just slicing through back door, baseline cuts and slicing through the paint. So especially defensively, Dallas has a lot of room to grow. Advertisement Those were some of the teams people were really high on when they thought, 'Wow, every team is going to be so close and maybe someone can jump into that next tier.' But I came away thinking, 'Not so fast, maybe we still have a big gap between the legitimate finals contenders and everybody else.' Keita: If you're watching this on YouTube, you're seeing me wince. And if you're not watching this on YouTube, I hope you can feel me wince. Mainly because Ben just went through three teams that we all said were sleepers, and they showed up looking a little half asleep. It was a rough opening for some of these teams, and I was disappointed in Seattle because it still looks like they haven't really figured it out on defense. I was also a little disappointed in how Dominique Malonga looked because of all the expectations we had out of the No.2 overall pick. But we'll see what happens there as the season goes on. Merchant: In fairness to us, we did say that there was a big gap between tier one and tier two in the WNBA, and that gap was apparent. You're not going to pick a sleeper team from tier one, … shame on us for no one picking Washington (laughs). But when given the choice of those teams, you do what you've got to do. Half-baked is a good word for my take here. Which is I think it's low-key a good thing for Phoenix that Kahleah Copper is going to be missing the first month of the season, because they have so many new things to integrate and to do it all at once would be a little challenging. I like the way they looked where you got the Alyssa Thomas minutes, you got the Satou Sabally minutes, and each of them just got to cook. … We're really going in on those words. But I think it'll be better in the long term to get those superstars more time on the court where they get to be the lead actor versus bringing all three of them in together. Keita: OK, interesting, I was not expecting that. Ben, what do you think about Sabreena's half-baked take? Advertisement Pickman: The benefit is that it allows these role players who may not have a ton of WNBA experience to actually settle in, get more comfortable, get live game reps and adjust to the WNBA. We saw Kathryn Westbeld making her WNBA debut as a 29-year-old rookie, having never played in the WNBA before. And she scored nine points, made an early impact in the first quarter, and had five rebounds. And Lexi Held had 11 points in 22 minutes off the bench for Phoenix. So there are players who are big question marks who are forced into bigger roles and will gain valuable experience, so there's truth there. I do think it felt comfortable to watch the Phoenix Mercury without Kahleah Copper, in that it felt like we were watching Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun. Satou Sabally was also playing a little point guard, bringing the ball up the court and orchestrating the offense, and Thomas was doing the same at times when Sabally wasn't on the floor. Those players know how to play those roles, and in that way, the comfort is good. But I don't know how much that will impact the reintegration of Copper when she comes back. And when she does come back, there's still going to be a lot they have to figure out because although she's a very good player, she's a very high usage player who will have to fit in next to them. The other thing — and this is why this is a half-baked exercise — is that they played the Seattle Storm, who put up a real stinker with just 59 points. So let's wait and see a little bit on the Phoenix Mercury. I'm not ready to give a stamp of approval on my take yet, so I'm not ready to say, let's take this out of the oven, it's ready to go, on Sabreena's take either. You can listen to full episodes of No Offseason for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Can't Miss' Women's 2025 March Madness games on Friday and Saturday
The women's NCAA Tournament 28-game feast across Friday and Saturday is one of the most highly anticipated TV stretches of the sports year. You should watch as many games as you can, but if you need to prioritize, here are the 'can't-miss' ones to watch, informed by predictions and projections from 's Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant, Ben Pickman and Mark Schindler. Games are listed chronologically within each section and all game times are listed in ET. Like offense? Then keep a close eye on this No. 5 versus No. 12 matchup in the Spokane 4 Region. The Wildcats score 113.4 points per 100 possessions, the sixth-best mark in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Fairfield is 10th in NET rating. The Stags are fourth nationally in 2-point field-goal percentage and shoot tons of 3-pointers. Fairfield has emerged as a power in the midmajor conferences but is hungry for its first NCAA Tournament victory in school history. Another offensive dream. Both teams rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive rating but do so in dramatically different ways. Richmond relies on layups and 3s, while Georgia Tech thrives in the midrange, and the Yellow Jackets make up for their low volume of free throws and triples by never turning over the ball. They neutralize each other's strengths. The Spiders allow a lot of 3s, but Georgia Tech doesn't take them. Richmond doesn't foul, but the Yellow Jackets don't usually get to the line anyway. It should come down to who makes more jump shots, which should be a blast. This will be a great first-round matchup if for nothing else than the contrasting styles. Does that make it the best? Not sure. But it certainly makes it interesting. The Lady Vols run a high-tempo, chaotic, heavy subbing system that thrives on its pace disrupting opponents (80 possessions per game). But USF loves to slow it down and has averaged just 66 points a game this season en route to the American Conference tournament title. This will be UT coach Kim Caldwell's second NCAA Tournament game, while USF coach Jose Fernandez will make his 13th appearance with the Bulls. Montana State isn't your typical mid-major. Only four players are listed shorter than 6 feet. Though the Bobcats' press is key, they're no slouch defending in the halfcourt either, using a lot of switching to contain the ball, which is not all that dissimilar from what you might see watching the WNBA. (This game is ranked the No. 2 most likely first-round upset by 's Bracket Breaker research analysts.) Florida Gulf Coast is a trendy upset pick every season thanks to its unique style of play, one that has been maintained even after coach Karl Smesko left for the Atlanta Dream. The Eagles take the most valuable shots and deny opponents free throws and 3s. They won their first-round games in 2022 and 2023 and lost in 2024 by three points. If a No. 14 seed was ever to win an NCAA Tournament game (with Oregon State also earning a No. 14 seed in its first season as a midmajor), this is the year. Boasting the nation's 10th-best offensive rating, per Basketball Reference, South Dakota State is lethal with a top-notch post player, Brooklyn Meyer. She excels as a scorer and facilitator on the block, and the team is creative in getting her touches. Almost every player in the rotation can shoot the ball at a high level, with three players in the top five of minutes played while shooting over 40 percent from deep during conference play. They move the ball, take care of it and don't often waste second-chance opportunities or extra possessions. Looking for a double-digit seed who could advance to the Sweet 16? The Crimson could be that team. Harvard has one of the best defenses in the country, allowing only 80.1 points per 100 possessions. They force nearly 11 steals per game and average 22.6 points off turnovers per contest, the 12th-most nationally. Add in the fact that the Crimson don't turn over the ball often and feature one of the most dynamic scorers in the country in senior guard Harmoni Turner, and Harvard looks like a potential second weekend participant. Ranked the No. 1 most likely first-round upset by 's Bracket Breaker research analysts. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Sports Business, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
21-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘Can't Miss' Women's 2025 March Madness games on Friday and Saturday
The women's NCAA Tournament 28-game feast across Friday and Saturday is one of the most highly anticipated TV stretches of the sports year. You should watch as many games as you can, but if you need to prioritize, here are the 'can't-miss' ones to watch, informed by predictions and projections from The Athletic's Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant, Ben Pickman and Mark Schindler. Games are listed chronologically within each section and all game times are listed in ET. Advertisement Like offense? Then keep a close eye on this No. 5 versus No. 12 matchup in the Spokane 4 Region. The Wildcats score 113.4 points per 100 possessions, the sixth-best mark in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Fairfield is 10th in NET rating. The Stags are fourth nationally in 2-point field-goal percentage and shoot tons of 3-pointers. Fairfield has emerged as a power in the midmajor conferences but is hungry for its first NCAA Tournament victory in school history. – Ben Pickman Another offensive dream. Both teams rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive rating but do so in dramatically different ways. Richmond relies on layups and 3s, while Georgia Tech thrives in the midrange, and the Yellow Jackets make up for their low volume of free throws and triples by never turning over the ball. They neutralize each other's strengths. The Spiders allow a lot of 3s, but Georgia Tech doesn't take them. Richmond doesn't foul, but the Yellow Jackets don't usually get to the line anyway. It should come down to who makes more jump shots, which should be a blast. – Sabreena Merchant This will be a great first-round matchup if for nothing else than the contrasting styles. Does that make it the best? Not sure. But it certainly makes it interesting. The Lady Vols run a high-tempo, chaotic, heavy subbing system that thrives on its pace disrupting opponents (80 possessions per game). But USF loves to slow it down and has averaged just 66 points a game this season en route to the American Conference tournament title. This will be UT coach Kim Caldwell's second NCAA Tournament game, while USF coach Jose Fernandez will make his 13th appearance with the Bulls. – Chantel Jennings Montana State isn't your typical mid-major. Only four players are listed shorter than 6 feet. Though the Bobcats' press is key, they're no slouch defending in the halfcourt either, using a lot of switching to contain the ball, which is not all that dissimilar from what you might see watching the WNBA. – Mark Schindler Advertisement (This game is ranked the No. 2 most likely first-round upset by The Athletic's Bracket Breaker research analysts.) Florida Gulf Coast is a trendy upset pick every season thanks to its unique style of play, one that has been maintained even after coach Karl Smesko left for the Atlanta Dream. The Eagles take the most valuable shots and deny opponents free throws and 3s. They won their first-round games in 2022 and 2023 and lost in 2024 by three points. If a No. 14 seed was ever to win an NCAA Tournament game (with Oregon State also earning a No. 14 seed in its first season as a midmajor), this is the year. – Sabreena Merchant Boasting the nation's 10th-best offensive rating, per Basketball Reference, South Dakota State is lethal with a top-notch post player, Brooklyn Meyer. She excels as a scorer and facilitator on the block, and the team is creative in getting her touches. Almost every player in the rotation can shoot the ball at a high level, with three players in the top five of minutes played while shooting over 40 percent from deep during conference play. They move the ball, take care of it and don't often waste second-chance opportunities or extra possessions. – Mark Schindler Looking for a double-digit seed who could advance to the Sweet 16? The Crimson could be that team. Harvard has one of the best defenses in the country, allowing only 80.1 points per 100 possessions. They force nearly 11 steals per game and average 22.6 points off turnovers per contest, the 12th-most nationally. Add in the fact that the Crimson don't turn over the ball often and feature one of the most dynamic scorers in the country in senior guard Harmoni Turner, and Harvard looks like a potential second weekend participant. – Ben Pickman Ranked the No. 1 most likely first-round upset by The Athletic's Bracket Breaker research analysts.
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's college basketball debate: Which teams have a shot at winning the NCAA Tournament?
The Athletic's debate series features two writers breaking down a topic. In this edition, Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman debate which teams are capable of winning the national championship. Ben Pickman: We're less than two weeks away from Selection Sunday and the whole world caring about seed lines, bracket draws and Cinderellas. Before March Madness begins, let's undergo an exercise to predict the teams we think have a shot at winning this year's national title before seeing the matchups. We've been talking about the parity across the women's basketball landscape throughout the season. Four teams have been No. 1 in the AP poll, tying the record most recently set in 2021. Advertisement Champions often have commonalities. Over the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, only one winner (Notre Dame in 2017-18) has been outside the top-10 NET rating. Only two champions, that Fighting Irish team and 2016-17 South Carolina, have been outside the top-10 in defensive rating. So, Sabreena, how many teams do you think have a legitimate chance at cutting down the nets come the evening of April 7? Sabreena Merchant: There are five teams I can envision holding that trophy — as in, I don't have to stretch my imagination to see any of these teams winning six games in the NCAA Tournament. UConn is the betting favorite, and it's the team with the most additional upside in the tournament because the Huskies don't play their stars a ton during the regular season. Texas is the AP No. 1 team and elite on both ends of the floor. USC has the best player in the country, plus an outstanding defense. Notre Dame has a dominant backcourt and beat each of the previous three teams during the regular season. My shakiest inner-circle national title choice is probably South Carolina. Pickman: Oooh! Why do you say that? Merchant: The Gamecocks' frontcourt still concerns me. Without Ashlyn Watkins, they're a little thin in the post and a little small. Taller centers have given them difficulty, including the Taylor Jones/Kyla Oldacre duo from Texas, Kentucky's Clara Strack, and even UConn's Jana El Alfy in spurts. That's a more significant weakness than the other four title contenders have. Plus, Raven Johnson and Bree Hall haven't been as consistent as last season. Pickman: That may be true, but South Carolina is still No. 1 in defensive rating, according to Her Hoop Stats. The Gamecocks feature an experienced backcourt and coach, and they're efficient on offense. Though their frontcourt might not be as good as last year (or previous years), it's also notable that South Carolina is in the nation's top 15 in turnovers per game (averaging just 12), and is sixth, per HHS, in foul rate. Avoiding turnovers and fouls makes a recipe for success in March. 'No ma'am,' @supremenia (definitely) — South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 2, 2025 Merchant: All those elements push South Carolina into Tier 1, but if I had to pick a Final Four without looking at the bracket, the Gamecocks would be on the outside looking in. Do you think I'm being too restrictive? Does anyone else warrant title consideration for you? Pickman: I have another school on my title shortlist. UCLA spent the most weeks (12) at No. 1 this season. They're in the top five in offensive and defensive rating; they have arguably the most dominant post player in the country in Lauren Betts; and they boast experience in the backcourt. I picked the Bruins to win the title last year for similar reasons. On paper, yet again, they have the résumé of a national title contender. Advertisement Merchant: On paper, I agree with you about UCLA, but the Bruins don't come through in big games. Beating South Carolina earlier in the year suggested they had turned a corner, but they finished the season in less than inspiring fashion and were essentially noncompetitive in their regular-season finale against USC — which doubled as the Big Ten title game. GO DEEPER Familiar demons haunt UCLA in another loss to USC Pickman: All fair. Perhaps I'm holding on to their victory over South Carolina too much. Plus, after the loss to USC, coach Cori Close seemed to acknowledge the need for some kind of shakeup in critical games. Maybe I'm betting on them doing some soul-searching in the leadup to the NCAA Tournament. I could, yet again, look foolish in a month. LSU was on my short title contender list as of two weeks ago, but losses to Alabama and Ole Miss (albeit the latter without Flau'jae Johnson) have dampened my expectations. Johnson is out through the SEC tournament, which gives me pause. And though LSU is No. 2 nationally in free throw attempts, its backcourt — apart from Johnson — is inexperienced and has been inconsistent throughout the year. Merchant: I'd be surprised if the Tigers even made the Final Four because they rely so much on their top three players. Kim Mulkey's track record in the NCAA Tournament is impressive, but I don't think this is the year she adds another banner to her collection. Pickman: Even without LSU, there might be more than 10 teams that could make the Final Four. History says that unlike national champions, Final Four participants can be elite at either offense or defense and struggle on the other end of the floor. (Think Iowa of the past two seasons and Oregon in 2018-19.) TCU falls into that bucket for me, as the Horned Frogs are No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 35 in defensive rating. They're the oldest team in the country, top 10 in blocks and turnovers per game and No. 1 in 3-pointers made. It's hard to imagine the Horned Frogs going from winning their first Big 12 title to winning a national title — TCU has never even made a Sweet 16, let alone Final Four — but this has been a historic year for the program. Advertisement Merchant: As long as we're on the subject of long shots, another Big 12 team interests me by being elite on one end of the floor. That's West Virginia. 'Press' Virginia has the nation's best defense thanks to the Mountaineers' full-court pressure. With the short turnaround of the NCAA Tournament, this team could produce upsets. We saw West Virginia nearly take down Caitlin Clark's Hawkeyes in Iowa City during the 2024 second round, and the defense has only gotten stouter in the interim. Depending on the draw — because big centers generally wreck them — the Mountaineers could make some noise. 🌟 𝐀𝐋𝐋-𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝟏𝟐 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 🌟#HailWV — WVU Women's Basketball (@WVUWBB) March 4, 2025 Pickman: We agree that Mountaineers could pull off some upsets early in the bracket. However, of the teams that have made the last five Final Fours and had a significant offense-defense disparity, only Arizona in 2020-21 has made it as a defense-first team. Merchant: Maybe the teams we should keep an eye on are Florida State and Vanderbilt. We've already seen Ta'Niya Latson obliterate the defense of one of our top-tier teams (Notre Dame) within the last week, and Mikayla Blakes put up 50-plus points twice on SEC opponents. The Seminoles are more experienced in the NCAA Tournament, so this could be the year they break through and win a game or more. Pickman: For FSU, and almost everyone else, the draw is critical. Nobody is as dominant as South Carolina was a season ago. That's what will make this year's tournament so exciting.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's college basketball power rankings: Who's the new No. 1 after Notre Dame falls?
Given how much I respect my colleague Sabreena Merchant's knowledge of women's basketball, even I had to take a step back this weekend and wonder if it were truly happenstance that she handed off the power rankings to me (a person who has acknowledged that my respect for the ACC was potentially not strong enough early on this season, mea culpa, mea culpa). The ACC sent a pretty resonant reminder this week to the nation: Hello, we're still here and some of our teams are peaking in time for a dominant March. NC State's impressive win on Sunday over top-ranked Notre Dame (which followed a great Wolfpack road win over George Tech), wasn't the only eye-opening victory. Louisville capped one heck of a week with road wins over ranked Florida State and Duke before returning home to take (an Alyssa Ustby-less) UNC down to the wire. The Tar Heels won their seventh straight game, including two over ranked opponents (add a third if Louisville is ranked come Monday — which it should be). A Ta'Niya Latson-less Florida State had won two straight games against lesser opponents, but behind a huge third-quarter outpouring and a massive showing from Sydney Bowles (32 points, six assists), the Seminoles upset No. 20 Georgia Tech on the road. With that, there's some good movement for certain ACC teams in this week's power rankings as we enter this final stretch. Since we're entering the final week of the regular season, it seems like a good time to check in on conference races and player of the year honors. Team race: With NC State's win over Notre Dame this weekend, the Wolfpack are officially a game back and now hold the tiebreaker over the Irish. That puts the pressure on Notre Dame, especially considering its final week — at home against Florida State and surging Louisville — is no walk in the park. Meanwhile, NC State gets the two worst ACC teams (SMU and Wake Forest) to close out its season. Notre Dame's margin for error is nada if it wants to claim its second regular-season conference title in three seasons. Player race: Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo didn't come out on top Sunday, but you can't ignore the 5-foot-6 star who is the engine of the Irish's offense and defense. She's averaging 25 points, four assists and four steals a game, and she's shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. … From that same game on Sunday, NC State's Aziaha James showed why she has been the definition of steady for the Wolfpack as they've climbed into the top 10. She's putting up career bests in nearly every statistical category and the senior guard has created some can't-miss James, wow 🔄 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 23, 2025 Though the Seminoles haven't been consistently ranked, Latson has kept FSU relevant and on the fringe of being ranked (if not inside the Top 25) all season. Latson leads the nation with 26 points per game in a highly efficient nature, averaging 1.13 points per scoring attempt. Those numbers put her among the nation's top 15 percent of players while also averaging the second-most shots per game among Division I players). Team race: With a significant win over West Virginia on Sunday, TCU remained equal with Baylor at 14-2 in the conference race. This sets up a potential conference title game preview in the regular-season finale between the Horned Frogs and Bears when they meet Sunday in Waco. A few scenarios are possible, but for the sake of space (and the hope of consequential hoops on the last day of the regular season), let's say that TCU and Baylor enter Sunday's game at 15-2 (meaning the Bears take care of business at Kansas State on Monday), then the winner of next Sunday's TCU-Baylor game would be crowned regular-season champ. Player race: Kansas State has two players who should be mentioned in this conversation: Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell. Lee has missed 10 games for the Wildcats this season and played fewer minutes in games than most others in POY conversations. That could hurt her chances, but you must discuss the 6-6 center's efficiency as she averages nearly a point a minute and a rebound every three minutes she's on the floor. Sundell leads all power conference players with 7.3 assists per game and set Kansas State's record for assists in a single game (15) on Sunday. In Lee's absence, she has been Kansas State's steadying force, a hallmark of her career. She has started each of the 132 games she has played for the Sundell reflecting on her four years at #KStateSenior guard leads the nation in assists and is as durable as it gets — starting all 132 games she's played'I've had an absolute blast my four years here. I wouldn't change it for the world' @serena_sundell Noah Sacco (@NoahSaccoTV) February 23, 2025 In West Virginia's system, JJ Quinerly is a perfect fit. The senior averages 19 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals a game (and that's not counting the number of plays she blows up for opponents with her defensive activity). Her defensive rating puts her among the top one percent nationally, and she does it without fouling (averaging just 2.5 per game). At her third school, Hailey Van Lith also found a perfect fit in TCU's offense, returning to being a pick-and-roll guard and enjoying the most efficient shooting of her career (averaging 44 percent from the floor). Her six assists a game rank among the nation's top 25 players. Team race: With the Bruins eking out a win Sunday in Iowa City (not an easy task for L.A. teams — just ask USC — we're also looking at a potential Big Ten regular-season title game preview being UCLA and USC if things shake out just right. If the Bruins close out their Midwest trip by beating Wisconsin and the Trojans take care of business at home against Illinois, then UCLA and USC would enter the last day of the season at 15-1 with the winner of the cross-city challenge named the Big Ten champions in its first year in the league. Player race: This race is also dominated by two L.A. players: UCLA's Lauren Betts and USC's JuJu Watkins. Betts has been what the Bruins have needed this season — an efficient scorer, an excellent passing big, an elite rim protector and a glass cleaner. Just by being on the court, she makes every UCLA player better and more dangerous because of her unique skills. Need an example? She's the only player in the country averaging three blocks and three assists a game. The beauty of Watkins' game is that USC hasn't needed her to do as much this season, but the Trojans can flex their JuJu muscle when needed (like in the recent UCLA matchup) and the sophomore can go off for a 38-point night. She's a smooth three-level scorer with energy who makes her one of the country's most productive defenders (2.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per game). Team race: If Texas (at Georgia, at Mississippi State, against Florida) and South Carolina (at Ole Miss, against Kentucky) win out, they'll share the SEC title. … My two cents: I don't care if you must have 12 different subsections for clarifying, get rid of shared titles. Incentivize scoring margins and performances against other top-conference teams or whatever else you need to do for champs to be champs. Things could get a bit messier if Texas and South Carolina stumble (the Gamecocks certainly have the tougher final stretch), and in that case, LSU certainly has an outside chance. If the Longhorns and Gamecocks both lost two apiece while the Tigers won out, LSU would be crowned SEC champs, but even if the Longhorns and Gamecocks lose one apiece, LSU still lags because of the head-to-head Booker with the and-1, fake out, and the hook em horns 😭😭😭😭 Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) February 9, 2025 Player race: This conference will be the toughest to decide as it boasts several quality options with valid arguments to win. LSU can put forth Aneesah Morrow and Flau'jae Johnson. Morrow has been a double-double machine, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds a game. Only twice this season has she been held to single-digit rebounds, and because of how hard she attacks the glass, Morrow gets to the free-throw line (and opponents into foul trouble) better than almost anyone else in the country. Johnson is a Swiss Army knife for the Tigers — she's a scorer, distributor, defender and playmaker. She's also one of just nine power conference players averaging 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds and two-plus assists per game this season. But this isn't a Tigers-only race. Texas sophomore Madison Booker has thrived in her move back into her natural position for the Longhorns (after taking over the point guard role as a freshman), and her 3-point shooting percentage has improved to 44 percent this season, making her that much more impossible to stop. Kentucky's Georgia Amoore's move to the SEC from the ACC (at Virginia Tech) alongside coach Kenny Brooks has proved beneficial. Amoore averages seven assists a game and has helped the Wildcats make one of the biggest jumps among power conference teams year-over-year. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Kansas State Wildcats, North Carolina State Wolfpack, UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, West Virginia Mountaineers, LSU Lady Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Women's College Basketball 2025 The Athletic Media Company
