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JWS’ NCAA basketball rankings: UConn makes early top-two case

Azzi Fudd is the latest UConn player to go down with an injury. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With an upset- and overtime-filled week of basketball behind us, it’s officially time to unveil our first NCAA rankings of the 2022-23 season.

From South Carolina retaining its top spot with a comeback win over Stanford to UCLA breaking into the top 25, here’s where things stand heading into the end of November.

1. South Carolina (4-0)

2. Stanford (5-1)

The Cardinal’s 76-71 loss to South Carolina exposed a few weaknesses, but Stanford still went to overtime with the No. 1 team and nearly won. That’s enough to keep the No. 2 ranking in my book. I went into the weekend expecting the winner of the Stanford-South Carolina matchup to slide into the No. 1 spot and the loser to sit at No. 2. And despite a game that was sloppy and chaotic at times, Stanford and South Carolina remain the top two teams in the country — though the next squad on this list is breathing down their necks, somewhat surprisingly.

3. UConn (3-0)

Three games into the season, the Huskies have already faced more than their fair share of adversity. First, Paige Bueckers tore her ACL in August and was declared out for the season. Then Ice Brady went down with a season-ending injury, Aaliyah Edwards broke her nose, Caroline Ducharme was limited with neck stiffness and Dorka Juhász broke her thumb.

The latest in their string of misfortunes came on Sunday, when associate head coach Chris Dailey collapsed before tipoff of their game against NC State and was taken off the court on a stretcher. Dailey was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon, the school announced, but the incident visibly shook the team at the time. Despite the scare, the Huskies stormed past NC State 91-69. Azzi Fudd continues to emerge as a bonafide star — she had 32 points on Sunday, tying Maya Moore for the most points in back-to-back games against top-10 opponents in UConn history — and UConn has two statement wins to start the season.

4. Iowa State (4-0)

5. Ohio State (4-0)

6. Notre Dame (4-0)

7. Indiana (5-0)

After losing Ali Patberg, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary and Aleksa Gulbe to graduation, the Hoosiers had a lot to replace going into the 2022-23 season. So far, despite the hurdles, they look like an offensive juggernaut. Between Grace Berger, Mackenzie Holmes and newcomer Yarden Garzon, the Hoosiers have started the season 5-0, topping opponents by an average of 35 points, including a 79-67 win over then-No. 11 Tennessee on Nov. 14.

8. Louisville (4-1)

9. Texas (1-3)

It’s hard to keep a 1-3 team in the top 10, but I can’t judge Texas too harshly on its losses. The Longhorns are a completely different team without Rori Harmon running the show, and so far they haven’t had their sophomore point guard due to a foot injury. The loss to unranked Marquette on Saturday is harder to justify, but falling to Louisville and UConn in close games would have been possible even with Harmon on the floor. When she’s back, I expect the Longhorns to start winning big. In the meantime, they have to beat Rutgers and Princeton this week, or they’ll get bumped further down the rankings.

10. North Carolina (4-0)

11. Virginia Tech (3-0)

12. Iowa (4-1)

Keeping Texas in the top 10 with three losses and putting Iowa at No. 12 with just one probably doesn’t make sense at first glance, but I have my reasons. Texas, as I mentioned, will be an entirely new team once Harmon returns. Iowa on the other hand, seems to be the same team as last season — the kind that gets upset early in the NCAA Tournament. Caitlin Clark is a Player of the Year frontrunner, and Monika Czinano is an elite college post player, but Iowa needs to find more offensive weapons if it wants to have more success this season.

Drake took the Hawkeyes to the brink on Nov. 13, and Kansas State pulled off the upset days later because of Iowa’s lack of balance. I need to see something from the Hawkeyes’ supporting cast before I feel comfortable putting them in the top 10.

13. Maryland (4-1)

14. NC State (4-1)

15. Arizona (4-0)

16. Creighton (4-0)

It’s a rare feat for a tournament darling to come out the next season and prove it has staying power, but that’s exactly what Creighton is doing. The Bluejays have two convincing top-25 wins over South Dakota State and Nebraska, and they are 4-0 to start the season. December will be telling for the Bluejays, as they have matchups with Villanova, Stanford and UConn.

17. Baylor (3-1)

18. LSU (5-0)

The Tigers could very well be a top-10 team, but with the level of competition they’ve played to start the season, it’s hard to rank them among squads that have multiple top-25 games to their names. Maryland transfer Angel Reese has been a star for LSU, averaging 23.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game, and the Tigers have a solid supporting cast around her. But here’s the hang up: LSU has played Bellarmine, Mississippi Valley State, Western Carolina, Houston Baptist and Northwestern State in the first few weeks of the season. The Tigers don’t play a top-25 team until Jan. 30, when they take on Tennessee.

19. Oklahoma (4-1)

20. Tennessee (2-3)

What is going on with this team? The Vols’ talent level is sky high with Tamari Key, Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell and depth down the bench. And yet, Tennessee is 2-3. The Vols have lost to good teams — Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA — but they look completely out of sync and, at times, apathetic on the court. Talent only goes so far when the players can’t figure out how to blend their skills together. Something has to change, or this is going to be a long season for the Vols.

21. Oregon (3-0)

22. UCLA (5-0)

The Bruins had a case when they topped a solid South Dakota State team on Saturday, but with their dominant 80-63 win over Tennessee on Sunday, they officially earned a top-25 ranking. With Charisma Osborne leading the way and young stars Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez continuing to get comfortable, UCLA should get better with every game.

23. Gonzaga (4-1)

I’ve had my eye on the Bulldogs since the preseason, and with their win over No. 6 Louisville on Saturday, they deserve a spot in the rankings. In a lot of ways, Gonzaga didn’t even play that well against the Cardinals. They had 29 turnovers in the contest but pulled it together in overtime, outscoring Louisville 18-6. If the Bulldogs can solve their turnover problem, they could be a very dangerous team as the season progresses.

24. Utah (4-0)

25. Drake (2-1)

After nearly knocking off Iowa in overtime, the Bulldogs got a top-25 win, defeating No. 22 Nebraska on Saturday in impressive fashion, 80-62. Katie Dinnebier is leading the way with 16 points per game, but Drake plays great team basketball. Four of their starters average over 12 points per game, and the fifth is just behind them at 9.3. It’s hard to stop a team with that many weapons.

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

Tour de France Femmes Sets 2026 Course as Record Viewership Fuels New Dates

The 2026 iteration of the cycling race will be the longest in Tour de France Femmes history. (Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift)

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year's event as the longest iteration of the race in the women's tour history.

The 2026 course will run in nine stages starting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 1st and continuing through the finish line in Nice, France, on August 9th.

Cyclists will cover a total of 1,175 kilometers, with 18,795 meters of climbing.

The course will feature three flat stages and three hilly stages as well as two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men's event — for the first time.

Though 2026 will only by the fifth edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, the race will make its debut in a standalone time slot one full week after the men’s race ends, with recent record viewership fueling the move to separate the races rather than continue the previous tactic of scheduling the two events back-to-back.

"We no longer need men for the Tour de France Femmes to exist,"  said race director Marion Rousse at Thursday's course unveiling. "There's no need to have the men's race as a platform to launch the women's race. Now people are waiting to see us."

"People have embraced us," Rousse continued. "The new dates, separate to the men, prove it."

England Takes On Brazil in Blockbuster Weekend for International Soccer

England players celebrate an extra-time goal from Chloe Kelly during their 2025 Euro semifinal.
England will host Brazil for a friendly in Manchester on Saturday. (Harriet Lander - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.

The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.

Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.

The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.

How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend

England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.

Report: Dallas Wings hire USF coach Jose Fernandez

USF women's basketball head coach Jose Fernandez poses for a photo at the 2024 AAC Media Day.
Jose Fernandez served as the women's basketball head coach at USF for 25 years. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.

Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.

"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."

Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).

Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.

WNBA, Players Association Spar Over Revenue Sharing Amid CBA Talks

A close-up of the WNBA logo on the court before a 2025 game.
The WNBA office and WNBPA have released differing statements about revenue sharing as CBA talks continue. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA league office and the Players Association (WNBPA) exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key issue in the ongoing CBA negotiations: revenue sharing.

"When the players opted out [of their CBA] a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the vast disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

Jackson continued by claiming that the WNBA intends to "run out the clock" and double down on a model that "intentionally undervalues the players."

Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that "[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it," pushing instead for salary increases in "absolute numbers."

WNBA leadership, however, denied that their current offer to players omits all revenue sharing, with the league calling the WNBPA's claim "incorrect and surprising," while indicating that an uncapped revenue sharing model "directly tied to the league's performance" is on the table.

"It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay," the WNBA's statement continued. "That is simply not true."

With both parties not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the October 31st CBA deadline appears unlikely, though a formal request for an extension on negotiations is not currently in the cards.