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NBC News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
The Colorado Rockies are off to one of the worst starts in MLB history
The Colorado Rockies' view up the National League West Division is as steep as the mountain range in their name. With the month of May just days old, the Rockies are 6-28 and already a whopping 17.5 games out of first place — by far MLB's greatest deficit — and playing a brand of terrible baseball rarely seen in the past century. Colorado has already had separate eight-game losing streaks and a six-game slide. After taking back-to-back games last week for the team's first winning streak this season, Colorado returned to its losing ways with three consecutive setbacks in San Francisco. The Chicago White Sox, coming off a 2024 campaign that's regarded as the worst in modern baseball history, are off to another terrible start at 10-25. However, they're still considerably more competitive than Colorado at a mere 12 games back in the American League Central. Colorado's poor play stems from both sides of the 60 feet and 6 inches between home plate and the mound. Rockies pitchers are 28th in the MLB in ERA (5.38) and 29th in walks plus hits per inning (1.56), and they've struck out the fewest number of opposing batters (225). Colorado hitters are last in baseball in on-base plus slugging (.620), have struck out an MLB-high 344 times and have hit just 27 home runs, the fifth fewest in baseball. The lack of offense is particularly puzzling for a team that plays half its games at Coors Field, long considered the most hitter - friendly stadium in the MLB thanks to Denver's ball-carrying thin air. Just a few other dreadful teams in baseball history compare to Colorado this season. The Rockies, off to the worst start in baseball this year, are in contention for the worst start in 125 years, according to an NBC News analysis of Sports Reference standings data going back to 1901. At the team's current pace, they will win their 10th game around Memorial Day weekend. Only one of the eight series between now and then is against a team with a losing record.
Washington Post
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Transfers rule March Madness. See how your team's roster compares.
The Post analyzed the careers of 10,000 college basketball players to see how transfers are increasingly shaping the sport. If you've ignored college basketball since last March … well, you might be a little confused this week. That men's player who seemed perfect for his team — the jersey colors made sense, the coach and him seemed like real buddies? He plays for a bigger program now. And that women's player you took to? She also transferred, no matter how many times she called your alma mater her dream school. This is college basketball in 2025. Player movement is rampant. Players staying put can feel like a surprise. No program is spared from the chaos of The Portal. To understand the phenomenon and its impact, look no further than the men's and women's NCAA tournament fields. On the men's side, 53 percent of all rotation players previously logged minutes at another Division I school, according to a Washington Post analysis. Roughly one-third of these key contributors — the top eight players in total minutes on each roster — played for another D-I program just last season. On the women's side, nearly 40 percent of key players previously played for another D-I team — a big jump from before 2021, when the NCAA stopped requiring athletes to sit out a year after transferring. This increase has plateaued somewhat in the past three years, whereas the number of transfers in men's hoops continues to rise. That's mostly because there's more name, image and likeness (NIL) money being thrown around for male players. Still, transfers have also had a major influence on the women's game. Look up your favorite 2025 tournament team Men Auburn Auburn men's team Prev. D-I schools 0 1 2 3 Johni Broome Miles Kelly Denver Jones Chad Baker-Mazara Chaney Johnson Tahaad Pettiford Dylan Cardwell Chris Moore 6,789 minutes in previous seasons at other D-I schools 6,933 minutes in previous seasons at this school 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 5 10 15K The Post collected the rosters of every men's and women's NCAA tournament team since 2010, then analyzed the careers of roughly 10,000 players using statistics logged on the website Sports Reference. The Post found that key contributors for 2025 tournament teams previously played for another D-I school more than three times as often as their peers a decade ago, when just 15 percent of men's tournament rotation players and 9 percent of women's had recorded minutes at a different D-I program. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed in the men's field, has four players in its top eight who've logged minutes at another D-I school. And that doesn't include another key contributor who began his career at a D-II program. (Sports Reference only maintains statistics for D-I teams, so transfers from lower levels, including junior colleges, are not included in The Post's analysis.) The trend extends up and down the men's bracket. Alabama, a No. 2 seed, has five transfers in its top eight. Bryant, a No. 15 seed, has seven. Not only are there more players in this year's tournament field who have transferred than have spent their entire careers at a single school, some are on their third or even fourth D-I team. In 2025, transfers rule the men's game Prev. D-I schools 0 1 2 3 Sort by Number of transfers Most minutes Fewer minutes Memphis 5 seed Kentucky 3 McNeese 12 Grand Canyon 13 Louisville 8 Texas 11 High Point 13 Bryant 15 Norfolk State 16 Texas Tech 3 Vanderbilt 10 Oklahoma 9 St. John's 2 Mississippi 6 Utah State 10 Xavier 11 Iowa State 3 Michigan 5 Missouri 6 VCU 11 Show more In the women's tournament, some of the biggest stars — such as Paige Bueckers at Connecticut and Flau'jae Johnson at LSU — have only played for one team. But D-I transfers contribute at nearly every school. Only five of the 68 tournament teams don't have one in their rotations. Most women's tournament teams have multiple transfers Prev. D-I schools 0 1 2 3 Sort by Number of transfers Most minutes Fewer minutes TCU 2 seed Arkansas State 15 Grand Canyon 13 Maryland 4 Mississippi 5 Oregon 10 Oklahoma State 7 Alabama 5 Florida Gulf Coast 14 West Virginia 6 Michigan State 7 San Diego State 14 North Carolina 3 Tennessee 5 Illinois 8 Baylor 4 Mississippi State 9 LSU 3 Kansas State 5 California 8 Show more For three straight years — Duke in 2015, Villanova in 2016 and North Carolina in 2017 — men's teams won national titles without a single transfer among their key players. The women's champions around that time had similar roster constructions, with development at a single school far more common than it is today. By contrast, many of this year's top contenders are powered by transfers, especially on the men's side. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The reasons for the transfer boom amount to a perfect storm. In the summer of 2021, the NCAA permitted athletes to profit off their NIL, which quickly led to boosters paying de facto salaries to football and men's basketball players. The NCAA eased transfer restrictions that year, too, allowing athletes to switch schools once without sitting for a year. Then last April, even those rules were eliminated, meaning players could transfer wherever, whenever, without the consequence of stalling their athletic careers. Not every transfer decision is about money, especially on a women's side that attracts far less interest from boosters. Players transfer for more minutes. They transfer because their coaches leave and they want to follow them or start fresh somewhere else. They transfer to escape a bad fit. They transfer, in some cases, simply because they can, because they need a reset and that itch is easier to scratch than ever. But money is a major factor in many cases. For players who won't play professionally, transferring — or the threat of transferring — is often the best way to cash in on their talents. And for players who will play professionally, there will always be coaches trying to poach them. The number of transfers on tournament teams has skyrocketed Men's teams 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Women's teams 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Not all transfers are new to their teams. Some joined their programs years ago. But when you include freshmen, about half of rotation players in the men's field hadn't logged any minutes at their school before this season. Of course, there are exceptions, including Purdue (a No. 4 seed) and Marquette (a No. 7 seed). Neither team has a single player in its eight-man rotation who has transferred at any point in his college career. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement And then there are the most extreme cases of the Portal Effect. At St. John's, six of Rick Pitino's top eight players in minutes are transfers. He recently said on the Pardon My Take podcast that he is not recruiting any high school players for next season, feeling he can't win big with them in the transfer era. At Kentucky, the entire rotation joined the team this past offseason, after coach John Calipari left for Arkansas. Together, the Wildcats' top eight players entered this season with plenty of experience: close to 18,000 combined minutes. It was just all at other D-I schools. Kentucky 2025 men's team Prev. D-I schools 0 1 2 3 Otega Oweh Koby Brea Andrew Carr Amari Williams Jaxson Robinson Lamont Butler Brandon Garrison Ansley Almonor 17,726 minutes in previous seasons at other D-I schools 0 minutes in previous seasons at this school 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 5 10 15K While constant player movement potentially has hurt the popularity of men's basketball, having at least some roster continuity has helped the women's game grow. Entering the season, the eight-man rotations of men's tournament teams had, on average, roughly 4,400 combined minutes on the court at their current schools. A decade ago, that number was 6,800. On the women's side, the decrease has been less stark — from 7,600 then to 6,400 now. Together, the Kentucky Wildcats' top eight players entered this season with plenty of experience: close to 18,000 combined minutes. It was just all at other D-I schools. (Steve Roberts/Imagn Images) The connection between familiarity and fandom is easy to see. Take Iowa's women's Final Four team from a year ago: Yes, the hype was mostly due to Caitlin Clark. The rotation, though, entered the season with 13,000 combined minutes at the school; no men's rotation in the past three NCAA tournaments has had that much combined experience at a program. Unlike with many men's rosters, fans had watched the whole Iowa team grow over time. In this year's tournament, most of the top women's teams have just one or two rotation players who previously played elsewhere, including title contenders South Carolina and Connecticut (one each). UCLA, however, has four, including standout center Lauren Betts, who began her career at Stanford. South Carolina 2025 women's team Prev. D-I schools 0 1 2 3 Te-Hina Paopao Raven Johnson Bree Hall Joyce Edwards Chloe Kitts Tessa Johnson MiLaysia Fulwiley Sania Feagin 2,431 minutes in previous seasons at other D-I schools 7,578 minutes in previous seasons at this school 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 5 10 15K Coaches and programs spend a ton of time fundraising, both to retain players and win the bidding war for transfers. That process, the endless loop of pleading and negotiating, contributed to why Tony Bennett, Mike Krzyzewski and other prominent coaches have retired in recent years, saying they couldn't juggle these demands with the already grueling job of running a program. As soon as this summer, schools could be permitted to pay athletes directly for the first time. In anticipation of that rule change, schools are already trying to slow the roster churn by inking athletes to multiyear contracts, according to multiple agents and coaches who have negotiated deals for the next academic year. It's just unclear if any effort to roll back player movement will be successful. For now, though, no matter the seeds, no matter the matchup, transfers will have a massive influence on March Madness. And with the transfer portal opening again next week, the lucky schools will spend the month juggling game prep with roster management, their seasons and future success all on the line. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's college basketball midseason All-America team: Lauren Betts, JuJu Watkins and more
Preseason predictions can often be a trying exercise, as surprises are bound to arise. But now that the halfway mark of the 2024-25 college basketball regular season has passed, four of our five first-team preseason All-America predictions are still projected as first-team honorees, with the fifth on our second team. Of course, change is possible over the final month-plus of the regular season. And don't fret, the award madness seems more poised to occur down-ballot, where numerous players deserve second-team nods. Ben Pickman, Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings cast their votes this week to assemble 's midseason All-America team: Key stats: 21.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.0 blk, 64.2 FG% Betts is blossoming with the Bruins two years after transferring from Stanford following an underwhelming freshman campaign. She says she's playing more confidently than ever, and production has followed. Betts is taking 14.1 shots per game, up from 9.9 attempts last year, and she's averaging career highs in points, rebounds and blocks. She remains one of the country's most efficient forces around the rim, but she also looks increasingly comfortable in other areas of the paint. Already through 18 games, she has taken more shots in the paint except outside of the basket area (88 attempts) than all of last season (86 attempts). Betts is an elite rim protector, and she blocks over 10 percent of opponents' 2-point shot attempts, per CBB Analytics. The Bruins are one of only four teams in the top 10 in offensive and defensive ratings and are the country's lone undefeated program. The 6-foot-7 center's ascent to being the nation's best player so far this season is a key to UCLA's national title hunt. Key stats: 24.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 45.8 FG% We knew it was going to be hard for Watkins to replicate her statistical production from her historic freshman season, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that her per-game scoring and rebounding are slightly down. Still, Watkins remains as effective as ever. Her usage rate is down more than 10 percent, and yet she remains a 25-point per-game scorer because of her efficiency. Yet again, she leads her conference in points per game, according to Sports Reference. Her versatility also impresses on defense, where she averages 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game, and is ranked fourth nationally in defensive win shares. Watkins might not win Big Ten Player of the Year this season — potentially falling short after winning Pac-12 Player of the Year last season — but she is undoubtedly one of America's five best players. Surely, she would also trade personal accolades for USC's first Final Four berth since Watkins today 🔥• 27 points• 10 rebounds• 5 blocks• 4 assists Women's Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) November 4, 2024 Key stats: 25.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 4.2 spg Hidalgo was an All-American as a freshman, but the 5-6 guard has become even more prolific as a sophomore. She is an improved shooter on catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble opportunities. Her midrange jumper is more consistent, and her 3-point average is up to 43 percent — up from 34 percent last season. All of that explains why Hidalgo averages 25.4 points per game, second most in the country. Hidalgo continues to thrive defensively, too. She leads the nation in steals for the second consecutive season, and the Fighting Irish are nearly 10 points better on defense per 100 possessions with Hidalgo on the court. Maintaining her production while playing alongside fellow star guard Olivia Miles for the first time has been equally impressive. Hidalgo's usage rate is slightly lower this season, but she hasn't missed a beat on either end while playing next to another future WNBA pick. Key stats: 19.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 56 FG% The Huskies are storming through the regular season with an average margin of victory of 28.7 points per game, fourth highest in the nation. A deep NCAA Tournament run feels almost inevitable because of the group's elite defense and of course, star power. Bueckers is central to all their success, and she's on track to make her third All-American first-team appearance in four seasons. Although many of Bueckers' per-game averages align with her freshman season in which she won National Player of the Year, she continues to produce while averaging only 29.2 minutes per game, her lowest in a fully healthy season. With each passing year, Bueckers cuts down on her turnovers — she's now only averaging 1.7 per game — and appears more in control of the action in front of her. Key stats: 18.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.5 spg, 53 FG% Despite her 6-1 stature, Morrow is as forceful around the rim as any player in the country. Baked into her 18.5 points per game average is the fact she shoots 69 percent around the basket and averages a nation-leading 6.7 second-chance points per game. She continues to be a relentless rebounder, ranked first nationally with 14 boards per game. (If that mark holds it would be her second time in four years leading the country in rebounding by season's end.) Her 115 offensive rebounds this season are only 10 fewer than last season's total. Morrow began her college career at DePaul, making the second-team All-America team as a freshman and third-team All-America as a sophomore largely because of her gaudy statistics. After transferring to LSU before her junior season, she's routinely producing while also helping the Tigers be one of the country's best. LSU has lost only once this season — falling by 10 points Friday to South Carolina. Thursday's matchup against No. 13 Oklahoma provides Morrow another opportunity to star against standout Sooners center Reagan Beers. Key stats: 17.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 58.8 FG% It hasn't taken long for Strong to make an impact on college basketball. The 6-2 forward is not only the top freshman around the halfway point of the season, but she also is as effective as any player. She leads the nation in PER, total win shares and win shares per 40 minutes, and she stat-stuffs (and makes winning plays) on both ends of the floor. Strong leads the Big East in 2-point field goal percentage, shooting an impressive 71.9 percent. She is a force in transition — averaging 4.5 fastbreak points per game — and is in the 95th percentile, or higher, in assist percentage, turnover percentage and steal percentage. Strong, along with Bueckers, has become one of UConn's key late-game options. Keep a close eye on her as March approaches. Key stats: 26.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 36.9 3-pt% If you watch only one of Latson's plays from this season, it should be her game winner from earlier this week against North Carolina. The 5-8 guard knifed through almost the entire UNC defense in only 3.5 seconds to lift the Seminoles past the Tar Heels. The basket, though undoubtedly impressive, came as no surprise as Latson leads the nation in scoring with an offensive repertoire that is as varied as it is prolific. Florida State finds itself just inside the top half of the ACC standings, and Latson seems poised to ensure the Seminoles find their way into the field of 68. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlantic Coast Conference (@accsports) Key stats: 16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 48.9 FG% As is often the case for Texas this season, Booker played a central role in the Longhorns' latest victory Sunday, hitting a clutch jump shot with 26 seconds left to help them complete a 3-point comeback road victory over Ole Miss. It was the kind of basket Texas fans have come to expect from Booker in her first two years in Austin. The 6-1 forward continues to be a do-everything presence. A master of the midrange, she's shooting 46.9 percent on midrange 2-pointers, nearly 14 percent above the national average. Key stats: 19.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.4 bpg As a 24-year-old, Prince has saved her best college season for last. She is a force on both ends and leads the NCAA in blocks. Prince stars alongside guard Hailey Van Lith and helped TCU to a 20-2 start. TCU already set a program record for most ranked wins in a season (four), and for the first time, it's earned three victories over ranked Big 12 teams. Key stats: 18.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.5 rpg Van Lith is in the midst of a bounce-back season. Her scoring (18.3 points per game) on 16.8 shots is far more reminiscent of her usage during her final season at Louisville in 2022-23 than her stopover at LSU last season. Although she is only a 32 percent 3-point shooter, Van Lith still finds immense success attacking the basket, averaging 6.7 paint points per game. Her 4.6 free-throw attempts are also in the 96th percentile nationally, as she draws more than four fouls per game. — 's Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings contributed to this report. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Florida State Seminoles, UCLA Bruins, TCU Horned Frogs, Connecticut Huskies, LSU Lady Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Women's College Basketball 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
30-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's college basketball midseason All-America team: Lauren Betts, JuJu Watkins and more
Preseason predictions can often be a trying exercise, as surprises are bound to arise. But now that the halfway mark of the 2024-25 college basketball regular season has passed, four of our five first-team preseason All-America predictions are still projected as first-team honorees, with the fifth on our second team. Advertisement Of course, change is possible over the final month-plus of the regular season. And don't fret, the award madness seems more poised to occur down-ballot, where numerous players deserve second-team nods. Ben Pickman, Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings cast their votes this week to assemble The Athletic's midseason All-America team: Also receiving votes: Joyce Edwards, South Carolina; Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt (Stats are through Jan. 29. Players are listed according to the number of votes received.) Key stats: 21.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.0 blk, 64.2 FG% Betts is blossoming with the Bruins two years after transferring from Stanford following an underwhelming freshman campaign. She says she's playing more confidently than ever, and production has followed. Betts is taking 14.1 shots per game, up from 9.9 attempts last year, and she's averaging career highs in points, rebounds and blocks. She remains one of the country's most efficient forces around the rim, but she also looks increasingly comfortable in other areas of the paint. Already through 18 games, she has taken more shots in the paint except outside of the basket area (88 attempts) than all of last season (86 attempts). Betts is an elite rim protector, and she blocks over 10 percent of opponents' 2-point shot attempts, per CBB Analytics. The Bruins are one of only four teams in the top 10 in offensive and defensive ratings and are the country's lone undefeated program. The 6-foot-7 center's ascent to being the nation's best player so far this season is a key to UCLA's national title hunt. Key stats: 24.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 45.8 FG% We knew it was going to be hard for Watkins to replicate her statistical production from her historic freshman season, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that her per-game scoring and rebounding are slightly down. Still, Watkins remains as effective as ever. Her usage rate is down more than 10 percent, and yet she remains a 25-point per-game scorer because of her efficiency. Yet again, she leads her conference in points per game, according to Sports Reference. Her versatility also impresses on defense, where she averages 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game, and is ranked fourth nationally in defensive win shares. Watkins might not win Big Ten Player of the Year this season — potentially falling short after winning Pac-12 Player of the Year last season — but she is undoubtedly one of America's five best players. Surely, she would also trade personal accolades for USC's first Final Four berth since 1986. Juju Watkins today 🔥 • 27 points • 10 rebounds • 5 blocks • 4 assists — Women's Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) November 4, 2024 Key stats: 25.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 4.2 spg Hidalgo was an All-American as a freshman, but the 5-6 guard has become even more prolific as a sophomore. She is an improved shooter on catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble opportunities. Her midrange jumper is more consistent, and her 3-point average is up to 43 percent — up from 34 percent last season. All of that explains why Hidalgo averages 25.4 points per game, second most in the country. Advertisement Hidalgo continues to thrive defensively, too. She leads the nation in steals for the second consecutive season, and the Fighting Irish are nearly 10 points better on defense per 100 possessions with Hidalgo on the court. Maintaining her production while playing alongside fellow star guard Olivia Miles for the first time has been equally impressive. Hidalgo's usage rate is slightly lower this season, but she hasn't missed a beat on either end while playing next to another future WNBA pick. Key stats: 19.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 56 FG% The Huskies are storming through the regular season with an average margin of victory of 28.7 points per game, fourth highest in the nation. A deep NCAA Tournament run feels almost inevitable because of the group's elite defense and of course, star power. Bueckers is central to all their success, and she's on track to make her third All-American first-team appearance in four seasons. Although many of Bueckers' per-game averages align with her freshman season in which she won National Player of the Year, she continues to produce while averaging only 29.2 minutes per game, her lowest in a fully healthy season. With each passing year, Bueckers cuts down on her turnovers — she's now only averaging 1.7 per game — and appears more in control of the action in front of her. Key stats: 18.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.5 spg, 53 FG% Despite her 6-1 stature, Morrow is as forceful around the rim as any player in the country. Baked into her 18.5 points per game average is the fact she shoots 69 percent around the basket and averages a nation-leading 6.7 second-chance points per game. She continues to be a relentless rebounder, ranked first nationally with 14 boards per game. (If that mark holds it would be her second time in four years leading the country in rebounding by season's end.) Her 115 offensive rebounds this season are only 10 fewer than last season's total. Advertisement Morrow began her college career at DePaul, making the second-team All-America team as a freshman and third-team All-America as a sophomore largely because of her gaudy statistics. After transferring to LSU before her junior season, she's routinely producing while also helping the Tigers be one of the country's best. LSU has lost only once this season — falling by 10 points Friday to South Carolina. Thursday's matchup against No. 13 Oklahoma provides Morrow another opportunity to star against standout Sooners center Reagan Beers. Key stats: 17.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 58.8 FG% It hasn't taken long for Strong to make an impact on college basketball. The 6-2 forward is not only the top freshman around the halfway point of the season, but she also is as effective as any player. She leads the nation in PER, total win shares and win shares per 40 minutes, and she stat-stuffs (and makes winning plays) on both ends of the floor. Strong leads the Big East in 2-point field goal percentage, shooting an impressive 71.9 percent. She is a force in transition — averaging 4.5 fastbreak points per game — and is in the 95th percentile, or higher, in assist percentage, turnover percentage and steal percentage. Strong, along with Bueckers, has become one of UConn's key late-game options. Keep a close eye on her as March approaches. Key stats: 26.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 36.9 3-pt% If you watch only one of Latson's plays from this season, it should be her game winner from earlier this week against North Carolina. The 5-8 guard knifed through almost the entire UNC defense in only 3.5 seconds to lift the Seminoles past the Tar Heels. The basket, though undoubtedly impressive, came as no surprise as Latson leads the nation in scoring with an offensive repertoire that is as varied as it is prolific. Florida State finds itself just inside the top half of the ACC standings, and Latson seems poised to ensure the Seminoles find their way into the field of 68. A post shared by Atlantic Coast Conference (@accsports) Key stats: 16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 48.9 FG% As is often the case for Texas this season, Booker played a central role in the Longhorns' latest victory Sunday, hitting a clutch jump shot with 26 seconds left to help them complete a 3-point comeback road victory over Ole Miss. It was the kind of basket Texas fans have come to expect from Booker in her first two years in Austin. The 6-1 forward continues to be a do-everything presence. A master of the midrange, she's shooting 46.9 percent on midrange 2-pointers, nearly 14 percent above the national average. Advertisement Key stats: 19.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.4 bpg As a 24-year-old, Prince has saved her best college season for last. She is a force on both ends and leads the NCAA in blocks. Prince stars alongside guard Hailey Van Lith and helped TCU to a 20-2 start. TCU already set a program record for most ranked wins in a season (four), and for the first time, it's earned three victories over ranked Big 12 teams. Key stats: 18.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.5 rpg Van Lith is in the midst of a bounce-back season. Her scoring (18.3 points per game) on 16.8 shots is far more reminiscent of her usage during her final season at Louisville in 2022-23 than her stopover at LSU last season. Although she is only a 32 percent 3-point shooter, Van Lith still finds immense success attacking the basket, averaging 6.7 paint points per game. Her 4.6 free-throw attempts are also in the 96th percentile nationally, as she draws more than four fouls per game. — The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings contributed to this report. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of Paige Bueckers, Lauren Betts and Hannah Hidalgo: G Fiume / Getty Images, M. Anthony Nesmith / Getty Images, Michael Miller / Getty Images)
