The New Hope basketball team had one final chance to make its case for GEICO Nationals last Friday, and the team did not disappoint.

Coach Sam Caldwell’s team crushed Virginia Academy, 81-46, in the National Association of Christian Athletes Division I championship game and placed three players on the All-Tournament team: Jalyn Brown (Louisville commit), Kennedy Fauntleroy (Georgetown commit) and Alphonsia Eleko.

Whether or not New Hope’s season continues is out of its control, but there’s no doubt the team has made one final push, and that’s why it moved up one spot in this week’s high school basketball rankings. If New Hope does make it to Nationals, it might very well have to play No. 1 Sidwell Friends, which has led our rankings all five weeks.

1. Sidwell Friends (D.C.), 25-0

The Quakers thrashed Maret, 70-36, to claim their first ISL conference championship in more than 15 years.

2. Hopkins (Minn.), 19-1

The Royals crushed Buffalo, 74-31, in their regular season finale.

3. DeSoto (Tex.), 31-2

The Eagles beat Tomball Memorial and then Duncanville to advance to the 6A state semifinals.

4. Etiwanda (Calif.), 27-0

The Eagles overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to down Sierra Canyon, 69-57, in the CIF Southern Section title game.

5. La Jolla Country Day (Calif.), 24-2

The Torreys bested Mission Hills, 68-53, and won the CIF San Diego Section championship.

6. Classen SAS (Okla.), 19-1

The Comets kicked off the 4A Area 3 postseason bracket with a 63-18 win over Byng on Tuesday.

7. St. John Vianney (N.J.), 26-1

The Lancers enter the state playoffs with momentum after rolling through the Shore Conference tournament.

8. New Hope (Md.), 27-2

New Hope beat its three opponents in the National Association of Christian Athletes tournament by an average of 57.7 points.

9. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 26-2

The Trailblazers’ loss to Etiwanda was disheartening, but the team has the tools to make a run in the SoCal Open Open Division tournament.

10. Conway (Ark.). 28-1

The Wampus Cats received a first-round bye in the 6A playoffs.

11. Montverde (Fla.), 18-3

The Eagles are hanging tight in hopes of receiving a bid to GEICO Nationals.

12. Cedar Park (Tex.), 34-0

The Timberwolves rolled past Liberty Hill, 50-37, and into the 5A state semifinals.

13. Incarnate Word (Mo.), 25-0

The Red Knights put their undefeated record on the line Friday against Howell Central in the district finals game.

Huge THANK YOU to @PHEEsespieces for stopping by todays practice to talk to the squad. So grateful for such a great role model for our program and an ambassador for women’s basketball! @minnesotalynx #ALUM pic.twitter.com/TTDU4x2TtR

— Incarnate Basketball (@iwa_hoops) March 3, 2022

14. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), 23-4

The Highlanders won the 4A state championship with a 75-57 win over Calvary Christian.

15. Fremont (Utah), 23-2

A win over Westlake on Thursday would set the Timberwolves up for a state championship matchup against unbeaten Lone Peak.

16. Hazel Green (Ala.), 32-0

Fresh off a 74-54 win over Park Crossing on Wednesday, the Trojans will challenge Oxford in the 6A championship game this weekend.

17. Johnston (Iowa), 24-0

The unbeaten Dragons meet Pleasant Valley on Thursday in the 5A semifinals.

18. Woodward Academy (Ga.), 26-2

The War Dragons play Warner Robbins on Saturday in the AAAAA semifinals.

19. DME (Fla.), 21-3

DME is in practice mode, waiting for a potential bid to GEICO Nationals.

20. IMG (Fla.), 11-4

Like Montverde and DME, the Ascenders have shut things down in hopes of earning a spot at GEICO Nationals.

21. Noblesville (Ind.), 25-4

The Millers beat Franklin Community, 76-52, to claim the 4A state title, the program’s second state crown and first since 1987.

22. South Bend Washington (Ind.), 27-3

The Panthers annihilated Silver Creek, 93-35, in the 3A state championship game on Saturday.

23. Rock Bridge (Mo.), 23-1

The Bruins play Blue Springs South on Thursday in the district championship game.

24. St. John’s (D.C.), 19-4

The Cadets knocked off Bishop McNamara, 68-50, in the WCAC conference championship game.

25. Mount Notre Dame (Ohio), 27-0

The team is one win away from qualifying for the Division I semifinals.

Josh Needelman is the High School Sports Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JoshNeedelman.

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.

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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.

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.

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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."

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.

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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.

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.