Sunday was a good day for basketball fans. It started with No. 3 UConn defeating No. 9 Iowa in a highly anticipated Phil Knight Legacy championship game, and it ended with No. 8 North Carolina overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat No. 5 Iowa State in the Phil Knight Invitational championship contest.

Throughout the day, top players like Azzi Fudd and Caitlin Clark put their talents on display. And though it’s early in the season, the Player of the Year race is on, with several stars adding to their already impressive resumes.

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

The reigning National Player of the Year will be the one to beat in this year’s race, especially as South Carolina continues to make its case as the national title favorite. All other players will be compared against her, and rightly so. Boston plays on the best team in the country and propels her squad on both ends of the floor. She’s just as important defensively as she is offensively, which gives her an edge over more offensive-minded players.

Boston’s numbers are down so far this season, from 16.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and two assists per game to 11.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.5 assists, but the Gamecocks are just six games into the season. I expect those averages to increase to double-double territory, with similar assist and block rates to last season. Her point average might stay slightly lower because of increased production from other players — the Gamecocks have six players averaging eight points or more per game, in contrast with last season, when they relied on three main scorers.

That level of internal parity could hurt Boston when it comes to POY voting, but it shouldn’t. It’s a mark of a good player to understand personnel and not push to score more points when it isn’t necessary. The senior also went down in her team’s win over Hampton on Sunday and returned to the bench in a boot. An injury could hurt her chances, but Staley told reporters after the game that team doctors didn’t think it was serious.

Caitlin Clark, Iowa

It was a two-player race for the award last season between Boston and Clark. So far this year, there are more candidates, but these two will remain the favorites unless someone else comes and blows them away.

Last year’s points and assist leader, Clark is once again stuffing the stat sheet. She’s averaging 27 points, 6.8 rebounds and seven assists per contest for Iowa. Unlike Boston, Clark is tasked with doing the bulk of her team’s scoring, with Monika Czinano complementing her down low. The junior continues to impress, even as Iowa searches for its identity.

Having a Nash Bash 😏@CaitlinClark22 sparks an 8-0 run with a 3, steal, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 3, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 steal, and a layup. pic.twitter.com/QuKytwKzHm

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 20, 2022

The Hawkeyes were upset by Kansas State and lost to UConn on Sunday, but in that defeat, they played one of their best games of the season. Win or lose, Clark is going to show up. She finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the 86-79 loss to the No. 3 Huskies, helping her case in the POY race.

The biggest criticism of Clark’s game last season, and one of the reason’s Boston was picked over her for POY, was defense. She’s never been asked to defend at a high level, but on Sunday Clark had two steals for layups that showed off strong defensive instincts. Defense is never going to be the focal point of her game, but more displays like that will provide another talking point in the Boston vs. Clark debate.

Azzi Fudd, UConn

Fudd’s sophomore campaign is off to a terrific start that includes two 32-point games in wins over top-10 teams. She’s averaging 26 points per game (sixth in the country), 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Fudd struggled with injuries in 2021-22, but now that she’s healthy, the sophomore has a good case building for POY. With Paige Bueckers out, she’s taken on the main scoring role for UConn and delivered in every contest so far, leading UConn to a 5-0 record and a No. 3 ranking.

Bueckers isn’t the only injury the Huskies have weathered this season. No. 5 freshman recruit Ice Brady is out for the season, Dorka Juhász is recovering from a broken thumb, Caroline Ducharme is dealing with neck stiffness, and UConn even had a scare before they beat NC State when assistant coach Chris Dailey fainted and was taken to the hospital. Through all the adversity, Fudd has remained poised and a constant on a team dealing with significant setbacks.

In the win over Iowa, Fudd showed a resilience that also gave her POY resume a boost. After scoring just two points in the first half, Fudd regrouped and dropped 22 points in the second. As she got hot, so did the Huskies, storming back from an 11-point deficit to secure the victory.

Cameron Brink, Stanford

At this point in the season, Boston, Clark and Fudd are the frontrunners for POY, but Brink isn’t far behind. The 6-foot-5 junior has the potential to be the best player in the country. Brink possesses both guard and post skills, which makes her a walking mismatch. She is averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game, while shooting an extremely efficient 63.5 percent from the field. She’s also putting up those numbers in just 17 minutes per game, which is simultaneously impressive and her biggest issue.

💥 CAMERON BRINK 💥

📺 » https://t.co/nQiKhVvQHn #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/GDIbMG77Wc

— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) November 20, 2022

Part of the reason her minutes are low is because it’s early in the season and Stanford hasn’t played competition that warrants extended time for their starters. The other reason is that Brink is foul prone. She was the best player on the floor in Stanford’s 76-71 overtime loss to South Carolina on Nov. 20, with 25 points, five rebounds and four blocks. But she sat on the bench for much of the first half and fouled out in the extra frame.

Brink brings a unique level of energy and passion to the court, which benefits the Cardinal most of the time. But she needs to learn to rein it in and stay out of foul trouble. If she does, Brink’s numbers will go up, Stanford will have a better shot at a national title, and she’ll also have a stronger case for POY.

Other notable candidates

DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow is putting up some of the best numbers in the country right now, with 28.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Morrow averaged a double-double last season and is building on that in her sophomore campaign. There’s no denying her talent, but when it comes to a legitimate chance at the POY award, Morrow likely won’t be considered among the finalists because of the team she plays for. The Player of the Year is generally a top player (which Morrow is) on a top team (which DePaul is not, despite a win over No. 14 Maryland on Friday.) The Blue Demons are getting votes, but POY candidates typically come from teams in the top half of the top 25.

Iowa State’s Ashley Joens is another player who could make a case for herself this season. She’s averaging 22 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, but the fifth-year senior is both helped and hurt by the addition of Stephanie Soares. The 6-6 Soares gives the Cyclones a better chance to win more games and put themselves in contention for a title. For Joens, if there is debate as to whether she is the top player on her own team, winning POY becomes much more challenging.

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

With recent transfers Talia von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen joining first-team All-American JuJu Watkins and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at USC next season, the Trojans look to transition from an up-and-coming squad to a legitimate title contender. 

Former Oregon State graduate student von Oelhoffen is the latest collegiate talent to commit to the program, announcing her transfer Monday via ESPN. She follows ex-Stanford leading-scorer Iriafen in the jump to the pair’s one-time Pac-12 rival.

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The 5-foot-11 Washington native was a two-time All-Pac-12 guard during her time at Oregon State. But after the recent dissolution of the Pac-12, the Corvallis side found themselves without a permanent home conference going forward. Many big name players opted to take their skill elsewhere as a result, with von Oelhoffen’s fellow ex-Beaver Raegan Beers announcing her own departure to Oklahoma on Monday.

According to DraftKings, USC is now tied with UConn for the second-best betting odds to win the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament. Dawn Staley’s tested South Carolina side, poised for a repeat performance, holds down the number one spot.

Last year, LSU loaded up in the transfer portal after beating Iowa to win the 2023 national championship. The Tigers were clear favorites coming into the 2023-24 season, but were bounced in the Elite Eight by Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. Shortly thereafter, star transfer Hailey Van Lith opted to transfer a second time, this time signing with TCU. 

Yet while history proves that an excess of star power doesn’t always translate to on-court chemistry, on paper, USC sure looks ready to hold their own — in 2025 and beyond.

The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."

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"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."

The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture. 

Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.

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."