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Covid Effect: How super seniors will impact women’s college basketball

Stanford’s defensive stopper, Anna Wilson (Elsa/Getty Images)

Last fall, just before official practices began for college basketball, the NCAA announced that all winter sport student-athletes who competed during 2020-2021 would get an extra season of eligibility due to COVID-19. 

The same benefit that had already been extended to fall and spring sport student-athletes was now being offered to winter sports as they endeavored to conduct a season of competition amidst the ongoing pandemic, where positive Covid tests, quarantine periods, and game cancelations would have otherwise wreaked havoc on a school’s ability to maximize and protect their student-athletes’ eligibility. In essence, no one was a senior last season, unless they wanted to be. While many women’s college hoops players chose not to take advantage of the NCAA’s offering and moved on to their careers or playing in the WNBA or overseas, a number of athletes decided to stay. 

Now a number of Top 25 programs are set to benefit from an extra year of super senior talent, including last year’s national champion. 

Anna Wilson – Stanford

Anna Wilson is one of the top perimeter defenders in the country. In 2020-2021, she started all 33 games and earned Pac-12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors for the eventual national champions, who enter 2021 ranked No. 3 in the country.

Known as a gritty and selfless teammate, the 24-year-old graduate student turned her focus to defense after a concussion and stress fractures in her freshman year left her feeling out of rhythm on the offensive end. Now head coach Tara VanDerveer can’t fathom doing a scout without her. 

“Anna has basically forced my hand,” VanDerveer told USA TODAY. “I don’t have any choice: If there’s someone that we need to lock down, she has to be out there.” 

A few of Wilson’s biggest potential defensive assignments are already on the calendar, including Maryland’s Ashley Owusu on November 27th and a Final Four re-match vs. South Carolina’s Zia Cooke on December 21st.  Luckily for the winningest women’s basketball coach of all-time, she’ll have Wilson in her line-up for another year, not to mention a third senior day, as the Cardinal look to defend their national title. 

Raina Perez, Kayla Jones, and Kai Crutchfield – NC State

NC State has three starters returning to the court via the NCAA bonus year. Raina Perez came to the Pack last year as a grad transfer from Cal State Fullerton, where she earned Big West Player of the Year honors in 2020. She started at point guard for NC State in all but two games last season and averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 assists per game for a program that ranked in the top five throughout much of the season. 

Forward Kayla Jones is also back for what will be her fifth straight season on the court for NC State. As a starter for the past two full seasons, Jones has averaged 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game for the Pack.

The third returning super senior, Kai Crutchfield, led the team in steals, 3-point shooting percentage, and free throw percentage last season. 

These three starters will be joined on the court by ESPN All-American Elissa Cunane and junior Jakia Brown-Turner, who averaged 13.5 points last year. Together, they have NC State ranked No. 5 in the AP’s preseason poll

Que Morrison and Jenna Staiti – Georgia

A valuable weapon on both ends of the court, Que Morrison received 2021 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and SEC All-Defensive Team honors while being the Bulldogs’ second leading scorer with 11.6 points per game. Morrison also led the team in assists, with 3.5 per game. 

Now, she’s back for more alongside fellow super senior Jenna Staiti, who led the team in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (8.1) last season.

Georgia went 21-7 last year, rounding out the top ten in the AP end-of-year rankings. They enter this season ranked No. 26. Expect Morrision and Staiti to lead them back into the Top 25. 

Elsewhere:

At Texas A&M, guard Kayla Wells, who owns the school’s all-time career 3-point field goal percentage record (36.9%) is returning for her extra year. 

Ohio State’s Braxtin Miller will continue to bring veteran leadership to the court coming off a year where she averaged 11.5 points per game and was second on the team in steals and assists. 

Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Brice Chalip is returning to Missouri State after averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season. 

Kim Mulkey’s inaugural year at LSU will be boosted by the return of Khayla Pointer, who led the team last year in scoring, steals, and assists. 

And Bethy Mununga, who hails from Belgium and came up through the junior college ranks, will use her bonus year by returning to South Florida, where she earned ACC All-Conference honors and averaged 9.6 points and 12.9 (!) rebounds last season.

Looking ahead: 

Though Covid-19 has been a “gift that keeps on giving” in the sardonic sense of the phrase, one positive for college sports fans is the extended collegiate careers its provided to many deserving athletes. The effect will continue to ripple into seasons ahead as all student-athletes, not just seniors, who played during the designated season were granted the extra year. 

While their track record of supporting and promoting the women’s basketball tournament continues to receive scrutiny, it’s nice to see an example of the NCAA doing the right thing for its players. 

NCAA breakout star Kiki Iriafen confirms transfer to USC

Kiki Iriafen #44 of the Stanford Cardinal shoots n the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament
Kiki Iriafen led Stanford to the Sweet 16 in last year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Former Stanford leading-scorer Kiki Iriafen is set to join star rising sophomore JuJu Watkins at USC next year, reported ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. 

The 6-foot-3 forward is coming off a breakout season with the Cardinal, where the then-junior led Stanford to the Sweet 16 with an average of 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Walking away with the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Pac-12 team, Iriafen entered the portal at the close of last season and was subsequently ranked second on ESPN’s 2024-2025 transfer ranking list.

At USC, Iriafen will play out her senior year alongside the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s 2024 National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins, forming what could be an explosive partnership for the Trojans as they look to build momentum going into next season. The Southern California side advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 this year, ultimately falling to UConn in a heated 80-73 battle.

Iriafen wasn’t the only one making choices this past week. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith officially announced her own transfer to TCU on Friday, while Princeton standout Kaitlyn Chen committed to UConn for her final year of college eligibility. Other big names still weighing their options are Oregon State's Talia Von Oelhoffen and Raegan Beers, as well as UNC's Deja Kelly.

With conference realignment on the horizon and team fit a contending factor, the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal has been busier than ever. And while transfers can bolster many types of college programs, this particular offseason has seen talent-rich programs growing even richer.

WNBA icon Candace Parker retires

Candace Parker #3 of the Las Vegas Aces looks on during a WNBA game with the Indiana Fever
The WNBA great retires a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Legendary WNBA superstar Candace Parker announced her retirement from professional basketball on Sunday, effective immediately.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," she wrote in an Instagram post. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it."

The Las Vegas Aces forward was in the midst of rehabbing a right ankle injury and a left foot fracture after missing part of the 2023 season.

One of women's basketball's most prominent trailblazers, Parker popularized the play of a "big guard." A back-to-back NCAA National Championship winner with Tennessee, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She was named both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in her debut season with the league. 

Parker exits the pros a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion, in addition to many more individual accolades. Throughout her 16-year career, she averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. She remains the only player in WNBA history to earn three WNBA titles with three different teams: LA in 2016, Chicago in 2021, and Las Vegas in 2023. 

In her announcement, the 38-year-old implied the physical toll of league play was a driving factor in her ultimate decision to walk away from the game, despite recently signing a one-year deal with Las Vegas.

"This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating," she wrote. "It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing 'she isn’t the same' when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.

"I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped," she continued. "I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special."

Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by Parker’s surprise retirement. In a reaction captured on video, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart responded to the news with a jaw-dropped, eyebrow-raised "What? Wow." 

Yet while the Naperville, Illinois native’s time on the court might be over, Parker says she isn't leaving the world of basketball anytime soon.

"This is the beginning," she wrote. "I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball."

Alex Morgan “week-to-week” with ankle injury

Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

Brazil legend Marta to retire from international play after Olympics

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 16: Marta of Brazil during the 2023 SheBelieves Cup match between Japan and Brazil at Exploria Stadium on February 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

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