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NCAA Freshman of the Year: FSU star headlines top 6 candidates

Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson is the frontrunner for Freshman of the Year as the regular season nears the end. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The postseason is less than one month away, and with it comes a slew of awards, including Freshman of the Year.

DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow won the award last year after a breakout season. In 2020-21, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark of Iowa and UConn’s Paige Bueckers were co-recipients. This year’s recipient will join some elite recent company.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top six candidates for 2023 Freshman of the Year.

Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

There have been some great freshman performances so far this season, but it’s hard for many of them to truly compare with Florida State’s 5-foot-8 guard. Not only is Latson leading the freshman class in scoring, she’s also No. 8 among all players in the country with 21.9 points per game. She also contributes 4.5 rebounds and three assists per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field. She’s led Florida State to a No. 19 ranking and wins over ranked ACC teams Duke, NC State and North Carolina.

Latson is a prolific scorer, but her best attribute this season has been consistency. The guard has scored fewer than 10 points just once this season, while also hitting the 30-point mark six times in 27 games. Highlights include 31 points in an overtime victory over NC State and 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in Florida State’s upset of UNC.

Several players have cases for Freshman of the Year, but none mean as much to their team as Latson does to Florida State. With less than a month left in the regular season, she is the frontrunner for the award.

Kiki Rice, UCLA

The No. 2 recruit in the country came to UCLA with a lot of hype and has handled it with poise. Rice knows she isn’t the main option for the Bruins (that mantle belongs to senior guard Charisma Osborne), but she plays her secondary role in a positive way, doing a bit of everything for her team. Rice is averaging 11.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a team-high 1.3 steals.

Rice has been a starter for UCLA since Game 1 this season, and she adjusted to the college game seamlessly. On Nov. 20, against a long, athletic Tennessee squad, Rice responded with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals to help her team secure an upset win. The guard also held her own in a close contest with South Carolina, recording 16 points and five rebounds.

Cotie McMahon, Ohio State

Despite coming in as a highly-touted recruit, McMahon likely wasn’t expecting to play such a big role this season on a stacked Ohio State team. But injuries to Jacy Sheldon and Madison Greene meant the Buckeyes didn’t have time to ease McMahon into a bigger role. She had to take it right away, and the forward has delivered. In 26.4 minutes per game, McMahon is averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The forward has done everything Ohio State has asked of her while adding a new element to their offense. She brings physicality to the court and is able to drive and create, serving as a good complement to shooters like Taylor Mikesell and post players like Rebeka Mikulasikova. Even in games where Ohio State has struggled, McMahon has often been a bright spot. She held her own in losses to top opponents, Iowa and Indiana, recording 21 points in each contest.

Grace VanSlooten, Oregon

Oregon has had a steep decline in recent weeks, dropping 10 of their last 14 games after starting the season 10-1 and climbing into the Top 25. But while the Ducks have had trouble in a difficult Pac-12 conference, Vanslooten has not. She’s second on the team in scoring with 14.5 points and second in rebounds with 6.2 per contest. The 6-3 forward has produced those numbers in a league with experienced post players defending her.

VanSlooten doesn’t shy away from top competition, recording a career-high 29 points on Dec. 21 in a loss to then-No. 3 Ohio State, while also grabbing nine rebounds for a near-double-double. Other highlights include 17 points and 11 boards against UNC, and 17 points and eight rebounds against UCLA.

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Flau'jae Johnson has been key to LSU's 23-1 run this season. (Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports)

Flau’jae Johnson, LSU

When LSU plays, eyes are on the duo of Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, but Johnson has developed into a reliable third option for the Tigers. She’s averaging 12.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with 6.3 per game, despite being just 5-10. She’s also blocking one shot per game, which speaks to the energy, effort and athleticism she brings to the court. Johnson even has three double-doubles this season on points and rebounds.

Johnson showed her variety of skills in a win over UAB on Nov. 26, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The guard was then crucial in a close 79-76 victory over Arkansas on Jan. 19, when she contributed 19 points and six rebounds. (Unrelated to the award debate: Johnson also has world-class talent off the court.)

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor

Like VanSlooten of Oregon, Littlepage-Buggs will have a tough time winning this award because of her team’s struggles. But also like Vanslooten, Littlepage-Buggs has been a consistent bright spot for her team. The 6-1 forward is averaging a near-double-double with 9.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. She’s also efficient in her attempts, shooting 51.3 percent from the field.

Littlepage-Buggs has clearly impressed coach Nicki Collen, who has called on the talented freshman to start in 19 of her team’s 24 games. Even when she doesn’t start, Littlepage-Buggs is a fixture on the court for the Bears, playing 24.8 minutes per contest. In a recent win over a tough Kansas squad, she played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Tennessee Ends NCAA Basketball AP Poll Rankings Drought

Tennessee's Tess Darby sinks a three-pointed in the Vols' Saturday win over then-No. 17 Iowa.
Tennessee is back in the AP basketball poll for the first time this year. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

With Saturday's 78-68 upset win over then-No. 17 Iowa, Tennessee earned their first NCAA basketball AP Top 25 nod since November 2023, slotting in at No. 19 and putting an end to the historic powerhouse's longest-ever unranked streak.

The still-undefeated Vols have featured in nearly 90% of the 870 total AP polls since the list's 1976 beginnings, but this week's Top 25 return is a triumphant one.

"The beauty of it is we earned it," head coach Kim Caldwell told reporters after the rankings dropped on Monday. "Not because the name is Tennessee. We didn’t start (ranked)."

Notre Dame's Olivia Miles lays up a shot against Texas last Thursday.
Two big wins lifted Notre Dame to No. 8 in this week's AP poll. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Minor shifts pervade updated AP basketball rankings

While No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 UConn, and No. 3 South Carolina held steady atop Monday's poll, last week's elite NCAA basketball schedule caused minor shifts throughout much of the Top 25. Behind losses to the defending champion Gamecocks, Duke dropped one spot to No. 9 and TCU slid three to No. 12.

After suffering their season's first loss on Thursday, an 80-70 overtime thriller against Notre Dame, the Texas Longhorns fell two poll positions to No. 6.

The Irish used their momentum to tack on a second victory on Sunday, routing Syracuse 93-62 behind a trio of 20+ point double-doubles from Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron. Those big wins lifted Notre Dame two spots to No. 8 this week.

Behind respective losses to aforementioned Tennessee and then-unranked NC State, Iowa and Ole Miss fell the farthest, tumbling four spots each to Nos. 21 and 22.

On the other hand, undefeated Michigan State's best start in program history saw the Spartans leap seven spots to No. 17 in the poll's biggest bump.

Louisville's Taijanna Roberts tried to dribble past UConn's Morgan Cheli on Saturday.
UConn routed Louisville in Saturday's Champions Classic, sending the Cardinals out of the poll. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

AP basketball poll exits and newcomers

Joining Tennessee in making their 2024 AP poll debut this week is No. 25 Georgia Tech, whose 9-0 record marks the Yellow Jackets' best season start since 1977. NC State is also back, tying Ole Miss at No. 22 after a week out of the rankings.

Meanwhile, Louisville's fourth season loss by way of UConn's 85-52 Champions Classic smackdown on Saturday sent the now-unranked Cardinals packing. Joining them in leaving this week's poll are Illinois, who logged their third season loss against No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday, and Alabama, who succumbed to unranked Cal last week.

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball up the court.
Paige Bueckers's No. 2 UConn will take on Hannah Hidalgo and No. 8 Notre Dame on Thursday. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

How to watch midweek Top 25 NCAA basketball

Under the new rankings, NCAA basketball has two ranked matchups on deck this week. First, No. 18 Iowa State will battle state rivals No. 21 Iowa at 9 PM ET on Wednesday, airing live on FS1.

The marquee midweek matchup, however, hits the court at 7 PM ET on Thursday, when preseason All-Americans Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo will meet when No. 8 Notre Dame hosts No. 2 UConn.

The battle between two of the nation's best guards will be broadcast on ESPN.

Week 6 AP college basketball rankings

  1. 1. UCLA (9-0, Big Ten)
  2. 2. UConn (8-0, Big East)
  3. 3. South Carolina (9-1, SEC)
  4. 4. LSU (11-0, SEC)
  5. 5. USC (8-1, Big Ten)
  6. 6. Texas (8-1, SEC)
  7. 7. Maryland (10-0, Big Ten)
  8. 8. Notre Dame (7-2, ACC)
  9. 9. Duke (9-2, ACC)
  10. 10. Oklahoma (8-1, SEC)
  11. 11. Ohio State (8-0, Big Ten)
  12. 12. TCU (9-1, Big 12)
  13. 13. Kansas State (10-1, Big 12)
  14. 14. UNC (9-1, ACC)
  15. 15. West Virginia (9-1, Big 12)
  16. 16. Kentucky (8-1, SEC)
  17. 17. Michigan State (9-0, Big Ten)
  18. 18. Iowa State (8-2, Big 12)
  19. 19. Tennessee (7-0, SEC)
  20. 20. Michigan (8-1, Big Ten)
  21. 21. Iowa (8-1, Big Ten)
  22. 22. Ole Miss (6-3, SEC)
  23. 22. NC State (6-3, ACC)
  24. 24. Nebraska (8-1, Big Ten)
  25. 25. Georgia Tech (9-0, ACC)

UNC Lifts 2024 College Cup with 22nd NCAA Championship Win

UNC attacker Olivia Thomas celebrates her championship-winning goal with her teammates in the 2024 College Cup final.
With the 2024 College Cup trophy, UNC again has more national titles than all other DI programs combined. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

UNC won their 22nd NCAA soccer title last night, beating Wake Forest 1-0 to lift the 2024 College Cup and end the Tar Heels' 12-year championship drought.

After a first half spent largely chasing the Demon Deacons, who outshot UNC 5-1 in that time frame, North Carolina broke through in the 62nd minute after a curling free kick from sophomore Olivia Thomas banged into the side netting.

Thomas, who only scored five regular-season goals after spending a large portion of 2024 nursing a hamstring injury, hit the gas in the postseason, ultimately tallying four goals in the NCAA tournament.

Her championship-winning strike earned Thomas the 2024 College Cup’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player award, while UNC goalkeeper Clare Gagne's trio of saves in last night's match snagged her Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors.

A dynasty revived and a new UNC coach welcomed

With last night's victory, the UNC women's soccer dynasty once again owns more NCAA soccer hardware than all other Division I programs combined, an accomplishment made even more impressive by the hurdles the Tar Heels faced in their 2024 campaign.

After 45 years as head coach,​ UNC's program founder Anson Dorrance​ retired four days before this season's kick-off. Longtime associate coach Damon Nahas was handed the interim reins, stepping in to helm the now-champion squad.

On top of the late coaching swap, the Tar Heels were still reeling from a 2023 mass exodus in which 11 players turned pro and nine transferred out of Chapel Hill.

"We call it the great migration," remarked Thomas after the win. "Transfers came in, club players came up, and we all just meshed together so well… It could've gone any direction [but] here we are and we won it all."

Last night's trophy was ultimately both a retirement gift to Dorrance and a welcome present to Nahas, who received the official nod for the permanent head coaching position just hours before the championship match.

Nahas, who now just needs approval from the UNC Board of Trustees before signing his contract, remains steadfast that the job is merely icing on this season's cake.

"This is a unique season of an extraordinary accomplishment from a group of 27 girls that most people would never have gambled on," Nahas said about his team. "I just love coaching them."

"This national championship is... a greater gift than the head coaching position here at North Carolina. I get to share this with them for the rest of our lives."

USWNT Sets Olympic Rematch With Brazil

Brazil's Yazmim battles against USWNT forward Trinity Rodman for the ball.
The USWNT hasn't lost to Brazil since 2014. (Harriet Lander - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The USWNT is challenging Brazil to an Olympic rematch in the form of two April 2025 friendlies, with the 2024 gold medalists kicking off against their silver counterparts on April 5th in Los Angeles before closing out the two-match series in San Jose on April 8th.

The rivals' opening LA clash will be SoFi Stadium's first-ever women's professional sporting event. The state-of-the-art NFL venue, which opened in 2020, is gearing up to host the 2026 Men's World Cup and will test its first natural grass installation in March, prior to the USWNT's visit.

"These are matches against a top team in fantastic stadiums that will be as fun for the players as they are for the fans," US boss Emma Hayes said in a statement. "To play the first ever women’s professional match at Sofi Stadium is a great honor and one worthy of this team."

USWNT writes next chapter in a deep history

The USWNT has a long history with the 2027 World Cup hosts, and April's matches will mark their 42nd and 43rd meetings with the world No. 8 team.

That said, the No. 1 US hasn't lost to Brazil since 2014, and holds a 33-3-5 all-time record against the South American powerhouse.

Their two 2024 bouts both ended in 1-0 US victories, each in a title-clinching final. First, the USWNT claimed the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup off a game-winning Lindsey Horan header in March, before Mal Swanson's lone goal snagged August's Olympic final win.

How to buy tickets to see the USWNT vs. Brazil

Tickets for both of April's matches are available now via presale, with general sales opening at 1 PM ET on Friday.

The April 5th LA match will kick off at 5 PM ET, with live coverage on TNT. San Jose's game is set for 10:30 PM ET on April 8th, and will air on TBS.

NWSL Free Agency Shakes Up Gotham Roster

Gotham's Delanie Sheehan dribbles the ball up the pitch during a 2024 NWSL match.
Standout midfielder Delanie Sheehan left Gotham FC for the Houston Dash last week. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Three players exited Gotham FC in NWSL free agency last week, putting the NJ/NY club's superteam status in question as the early offseason brings a slew of roster shakeups.

Headlining the Gotham defectors is starting midfielder Delanie Sheehan, who notched two goals and logged the third-most minutes for the NWSL semifinalists last season. Sheehan will join the Houston Dash, inking a two-year contract with an addition option for the 2027 season last Wednesday.

Joining Sheehan in signing contracts with new clubs are defenders Maitane López, who joined the newly rebranded Chicago Stars FC on a two-year deal last Thursday, and Sam Hiatt, who inked a two-season contract with a 2027 option with the Portland Thorns on Friday.

Though Gotham has seen the biggest exodus since the end of the 2024 NWSL season, they're not the only club suffering losses. Last Wednesday, defender Madison Curry, who led Angel City in tackles by a mile with 45 in her 2024 rookie season, signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Reign.

Angel City rookie Madison Curry looks to dispossess Bay FC's Savy King during a 2024 NWSL game.
ACFC tackle specialist and new free agent Madison Curry signed a three-year contract with Seattle. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

NWSL salary cap, new CBA fuel player movement

Under the NWSL's new CBA, all players out of contract automatically become unrestricted free agents, giving athletes greater control over their professional and geographical futures as their careers progress.

Pay hikes, more playing time, and other personal and professional considerations influence player movement, encouraging league parity in light of the college draft's dissolution.

Along with individual athlete preferences and an exploding pool of free agents, NWSL front offices must still contend with the league's current salary cap. Illustrated by Sheehan's choice to join 2024 last-place Houston rather than stay with a Gotham side that won the 2023 championship and finished third last season, it can be difficult to maintain such hyper-talented rosters under the current salary cap.

This lineup reshuffling will only accelerate under the NWSL's planned two-team 2026 expansion, further burgeoning this new era of league-wide change.

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