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Swish Appeal

https://www.swishappeal.com/ | 312 entries published

Basketball is basketball.

Latest Entries

Three reasons why No. 5 Vanderbilt will stay undefeated against No. 2 South Carolina—and one reason why they won’t

They’re 20-0. They’re one of two undefeated teams in Division I women’s college basketball. They’ve got a top-10 win. But until they take down one of the SEC’s traditional titans, skepticism will surround No. 5 Vanderbilt. Are the Commodores are “good story” or are they a great team? Sunday afternoon, they can certify their status […]

16 days ago | 1 read

What does Rose need to do to snap their three-game Unrivaled skid against Phantom?

After opening the season with three-straight wins, Rose, Unrivaled’s defending champions, have dropped three-straight games. What’s the deal? Was their opening stretch of wins, earned in evermore improbable fashion, the real Rose? Or, has their current skid exposed the team’s true vulnerabilities? There was reason to be skeptical about Rose as they reeled off three-straight […]

16 days ago | 1 read

Dominique Malonga dunked! And Paige Bueckers leads Breeze to a clutch Unrivaled win

Yep, Dominique Malonga dunked! The 20-year-old French phenom’s first Unrivaled slam, and the second in league history behind one from Brittney Griner last season, is the headliner from Saturday night’s action. About halfway through the first quarter, Rickea Jackon recovered a defensive rebound, saw Malonga behind the defense and Dom then did the deed, electrifying […]

NBA

16 days ago | 2 reads

An improved Aliyah Boston makes Phantom a club to fear in Unrivaled

If there was an early-season favorite for a fictional Unrivaled Most Improved Player Award, it would be Aliyah Boston. And in large part due to Boston, Phantom is Unrivaled’s most improved team. Last year, Phantom finished a league-worst 4-10, outscored by 138 points, or almost 10 points per game, for the season. Through five games, […]

18 days ago | 0 reads

No. 16 Oklahoma comes back alive in an overtime upset of No. 2 South Carolina

Write off No. 16 Oklahoma at your own risk. The Sooners snapped their three-game skid in statement-making fashion on Thursday night, upsetting No. 2 South Carolina, 94-82, in overtime. After the game, head coach Jennie Baranczyk exclaimed to her team, “We’re f***ing back!,” a well-earned expression of relief and resiliency after the Sooners righted their […]

18 days ago | 1 read

Go ahead and (lightly) mark your calendars for these six must-watch early-season WNBA games

The WNBA’s decision to release the 2026 schedule is puzzling. Yes, knowing the schedule does allow teams to begin to take care of logistics, namely arena availability and travel plans. It also will give broadcast partners similar clarity. Yet, the move can also be interpreted as one full of presumption and pressure. The league is […]

18 days ago | 2 reads

Op-Ed: If the WNBA players want everything they’re asking for, and everything they deserve, they need to strike

It is now mid-January, and the WNBA offseason is well underway. Teams have released hype videos for their regular-season schedules, and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement celebrating the unofficial start of the league’s 30th season: As we prepare to tip off the WNBA’s historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has […]

19 days ago | 1 read

Even though there’s not a new WNBA CBA, there is a 2026 WNBA schedule

No, the WNBA and WNBPA have not agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). But, the league does have a 2026 schedule. The 30th WNBA season will tip off on Friday, May 8, with all of the league’s 15 teams, including newcomers Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, playing 44 games. (A longer schedule would […]

19 days ago | 1 read

Why Lunar Owls’ Aaliyah Edwards and Marina Mabrey are better in Unrivaled than the WNBA

There are many well-documented ways in which Unrivaled serves as an extension of the WNBA, from rosters and coaching staffs to player rivalries and friendships. But, there’s still a significant difference between the basketball itself. Within the small-sided constraints of Unrivaled basketball, individual skill is given a taller podium. Fewer help defenders within the same […]

19 days ago | 0 reads

Unrivaled power rankings 1.0: Veteran-led Laces and Rose are a step above the rest

We’re five games into the 2026 Unrivaled season, and the expanded eight-team league has produced some fascinating storylines. After a full two weeks of action, here’s how all eight clubs stack up. 8. Hive (1-4) The expansion Hive have had the roughest start of any team in the league, sitting at 1-4 with a -59 […]

20 days ago | 1 read

EuroLeague Women group play is heating up as the play-in push intensifies

Just a few weeks of group play remain in EuroLeague Women, and two clubs have already clinched their spots in the postseason: Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring (Group E) and Fenerbahçe Opet (Group F). That means there are six play-in berths remaining, and with eight teams still in the hunt (four in each group), this week’s slate […]

20 days ago | 1 read

A perfect 13-for-13, Paige Bueckers wins Unrivaled’s first-ever Free Throw Challenge—and $50K

A banner debut Unrivaled season got even better for Paige Bueckers on Monday night. Bueckers established her new Unrivaled career high, scoring 37 points on 14-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-8 from 3. She also sunk the game-winning jumper, securing an 83-64 win for Breeze that snapped the club’s two-game losing streak. Her masterful performance also included […]

21 days ago | 0 reads

Can Breeze bounce back and avoid a third-straight Unrivaled loss?

While Unrivaled’s youngest club opened the season with two wins, Breeze since has suffered from their inexperience, dropping two-straight games. Is Breeze’s two-game slide just a stumble, with the squad soon stabilizing? Or, will the club’s youth present challenges as they try to return to the win column? Those questions will begin to be answered […]

22 days ago | 0 reads

Undefeateds UConn and Vanderbilt aim to stay perfect in must-watch Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchups

Women’s college basketball could not ask for a better triple-header of national television matchups on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The last-standing undefeateds in Division I—No. 1 UConn and No. 5 Vanderbilt—will both put their perfection to test against ranked opponents, with Commodores facing No. 8 Michigan and the Huskies hosting No. 23 Notre Dame. […]

22 days ago | 1 read

These four underrated women’s college basketball stars led their squads to crucial wins over the weekend

Another Sunday slammed full of women’s college basketball action. Another weekend of upsets, near-upsets, big wins and blow outs. While expected stars did their thing—with Flau’Jae Johnson turning in a 23-point and 10-rebound double-double to guarantee No. 6 LSU a win at No. 13 Oklahoma, Joyce Edwards scoring 26 points in another 40-point win for […]

22 days ago | 0 reads