Swish Appeal
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How Sabrina Ionescu will still be involved in the 2026 Unrivaled season
After all of Unrivaled 2026’s participating players were announced and rosters were revealed, one name was noticeably missing: Sabrina Ionescu. The league and Ionescu now have provided an explanation for her absence. Although she will not be totally absent from Sephora Arena. While not playing because of an undisclosed injury she suffered during the 2025 […]
Oklahoma and Kentucky suffer upsets, Vandy stays perfect and LSU gets on track in SEC action
On Wednesday night, the Big 12 delivered the women’s college basketball drama. Thursday, it was the SEC’s turn. The second week of SEC action arrived with both expected and unexpected results that are certain to keep things interesting. Here are the four big takeaways from Thursday night’s results. Texas, South Carolina take care of business […]
Don’t expect a new WNBA CBA—or another negotiation extension—by the January 9th deadline
The WNBA and WNBPA will not agree to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by Friday, January 9, the expiration of the extended deadline. The league and players union also are not expected to agree to another, new extension. That’s the news that Breanna Stewart, a WNBPA vice president, shared with media members from Unrivaled. […]
With a combination of style and substance, can No. 5 Oklahoma make an SEC statement?
Is No. 5 Oklahoma women’s college basketball’s forgotten contender? The Sooners lost their second game of the season, unable to keep up with No. 4 UCLA in what became a 14-point loss. Since then, Oklahoma has reeled off 13-straight wins, including opening SEC play with a comfortable road win at Texas A&M before taking care […]
Texas Tech keeps rising, Iowa State falls again and TCU bounces back in Big 12 action
No. 17 Texas Tech won their 17th-straight game, remaining undefeated and running their record to 17-0. On the road at West Virginia, the Red Raiders found a way to win, boosted by a season-high 27 points from senior guard Bailey Maupin in their 71-66 victory. Trailing entering the fourth quarter, Texas Tech still was behind […]
Without Napheesa Collier, Lunar Owls’ Unrivaled revenge tour seems unlikely
One overarching story from the first season of Unrivaled basketball was the indomitable Lunar Owls. Head Coach DJ Sackmann, a New Jersey-based skills trainer who has long been at the forefront of professional player development, led his team to a 13-1 regular season record—five games ahead of the second place team. With all the momentum […]
The Illinois Fighting Illini look to prove themselves against the No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes
The Illinois Fighting Illini (13-2; 3-1 Big Ten) will be put to the test this Wednesday when they take on the No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2; 3-1 Big Ten). The game will be televised via the B1G+ streaming service, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. In defeating the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins (15-1; […]
How conference play revealed concerning weaknesses for LSU, Michigan, Maryland and Iowa State
The formal arrival of conference play across the Power Four delivered a rude awakening to several top-ranked programs that had cruised through their non-conference schedules. Formerly No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Maryland and No. 10 Iowa State all entered 2026 undefeated or with one loss, but by week’s end, each had suffered […]
Breeze BC’s thrilling win highlights three big takeaways from Unrivaled’s 2026 season openers
The opening day of the 2026 Unrivaled season was a success. With all eight teams playing, the action was jam-packed, and while most games were decided before the game-winning baskets found the bottom of the net, the energy was palpable for basketball aficionados, from those inside Sephora Arena to everyone outside Miami. So, with all […]
AP Top 25 poll discussion: Two-loss LSU headlines the undoing of women’s college basketball’s undefeateds
The last time we examined the AP Top 25 poll, we suggested women’s college basketball was experiencing the calm before the coming storm of conference play. That assessment proved more true than could have been imagined, as a week that began with 11 undefeated teams ended with four: No 1. UConn, No. 2 Texas, No. […]
Everything to watch during Unrivaled’s opening day double-headers
The 2026 Unrivaled season tips off with a double double-header. On Monday, Jan. 5, the second season of the 3×3 league begins with Mist BC taking on newcomer Hive BC at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Vinyl BC meeting Laces BC at 2:15 p.m. ET. The opening set of games will be broadcast on truTV. […]
Why No. 10 Iowa State is no longer undefeated, but No. 12 Vanderbilt still is
Beckett Harrison recently proclaimed that Audi Crooks is championship-ready. Baylor head coach Nicki Collen agreed, and because of that understanding, her No. 22-ranked Bears took down Crooks’ No. 10-ranked Cyclones, 72—70, sending Iowa State to their first lost of the season. After Crooks was cooking in her customary fashion in the first half, racking up […]
Can Kim Mulkey and No. 5 LSU finally beat a highly-ranked SEC opponent?
After No. 5 LSU lost their SEC opener to No. 11 Kentucky on Thursday, Reed Darcey, the women’s basketball reporter for The Advocate, shared on social media that, under head coach Kim Mulkey, the Tigers have not beaten an SEC opponent ranked in the top 12 in the AP poll. Mulkey and the LSU faithful, […]
Injury-plagued Maryland must make these adjustments in order to survive Big Ten battles to come
It goes without saying that No. 7 (and soon to be ranked lower) Maryland is no longer considered a national championship contender. They were never a frontrunner, and now with two stars in Kaylene Smikle and Bri McDaniel officially out for the season, the consensus is that this Terrapin team can’t go all the way. […]
Audi Crooks may have her flaws, but she still looks more than championship-ready for No. 10 Iowa State
Iowa State junior center Audi Crooks, who was only ranked the 57th best prospect in her high school class of 2023 by espnW, is transcending expectations yet again. As a freshman at Iowa State, she quickly invited the attention of diehard hoops fans through interior dominance. Unfortunately, a flatlined performance against Stanford in the NCAA […]
Rivalry? Nope, No. 4 UCLA routs No. 17 USC in LA showdown
The resumption of the USC-UCLA rivalry was as vibrant as ever on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Pauley Pavilion was packed, with fans of both sides cheering for their school. However, only those supporting the Bruins had much to celebrate. No. 4 UCLA blew out No. 17 USC, having essentially wrapped up the win by […]
What’s at stake as No. 4 UCLA and No. 17 USC meet in the first battle of LA in 2026
Given the proximity of the schools and the quality of the programs, each recent USC-UCLA game has been a marquee matchup. Saturday’s contest will be no exception. The first battle between the Trojans and Bruins tips off in Pauley Pavilion tips off at 8 p.m. ET (Peacock). UCLA, at 13-1 and ranked No. 4 in […]
2026 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0: Dallas Wings go with upside at No. 1 in this first-round scenario
The 2026 WNBA Draft is shaping up to be a difficult one to project—not just because of the talent of the draft class, but also because most teams currently only have a few players under contract. WNBA players, of course, continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, and in anticipation […]
Why the dawn of a new day for Team USA couldn’t come at a better time
2025 was a year defined by pivotal periods in women’s basketball. The most obvious of which is the ongoing struggle for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), where WNBA players are advocating for their fair share of league revenue at time of tremendous growth and popularity for the sport. Whatever happens on that front remains […]
A new year is here, but the WNBA and WNBPA still haven’t resolved their differences in CBA negotiations
Even as January 9, the second, extended deadline for collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations fast approaches, the WNBA and WNBPA seem nowhere close to reaching a deal. As reported by ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the two sides remain at odds over not just a revenue sharing model, but also “what should be considered revenue and how […]
No. 7 Maryland, No. 5 LSU are no longer undefeated thanks to the clutch play of Illinois, No. 11 Kentucky
The first day of 2026 gave us a pair of upsets in women’s college basketball. First, unranked Illinois beat previously undefeated No. 7 Maryland, 73-70. Then, No. 11 Kentucky handed No. 5 LSU their first loss of the season, beating them 80-78. Illinois beats Maryland—once again Last year, Illinois beat Maryland in a 66-65 nail-biter […]
Reigning Unrivaled MVP Napheesa Collier is sidelined for Season 2 due to double ankle surgery
Napheesa Collier will miss the second season of the 3×3 league she co-founded, as surgery on both of her ankles will sideline Unrivaled’s reigning MVP and 1-on-1 Tournament champion for four to six months. At Unrivaled’s mid-December media day, Collier, again the captain of Lunar Owls, had indicated that she expected to be on the […]
Why Kentucky-LSU is the must-watch matchup of the opening day of SEC play
Finally, conference play arrives for the best conference in women’s college basketball: the SEC. All eight of the conference ranked teams—No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 LSU, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 11 Kentucky, No. 12 Vanderbilt, No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 23 Tennessee—are in action, with two, the Tigers and Wildcats, […]
Can these five women’s college basketball teams survive 2025 still undefeated?
On Monday afternoon, No. 20 Nebraska fell from the ranks of the undefeated, losing their Big Ten home opener to No. 17 USC, 74-66. It was the lowest-scoring output of the season for the previously high-scoring Huskers. No. 7 Maryland, however, maintained their perfection by pounding visiting Wisconsin 97-59, propelled by junior guard Oluchi Okananwa’s […]
A WNBA season, please! And four more women’s basketball wishes for 2026
2025 was another banner year for women’s basketball. It began with an again active WNBA free agency period that reshuffled rosters and created new contenders, resulting in a season that, both unexpectedly and expectedly, ended with another M’VP for A’ja Wilson and another championship for the Las Vegas Aces. Unrivaled enjoyed a successful debut season, […]