Editor’s note: This is the first in a five-part series previewing the top five girls basketball players in the Class of 2023. The series counts down to No. 1 and aligns with the start of the 2022-23 high school season. Click here to see the latest rankings from the Class of 2023. Counting down: No. 5 Hannah Hidalgo | No. 4 Aalyah Del Rosario | No. 3 Jadyn Donovan | No. 2 Juju Watkins | No. 1 Mikaylah Williams.

Hannah Hidalgo is one of the most focused players in the nation.

At just 5-foot-7, the point guard has relied on her grit, tenacity and experience to develop into a unique leader for the Paul VI girls’ basketball team.

The senior from Merchantville, N.J. has averaged 21.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 5.4 steals per game over the course of her high school career, including three years as a varsity starter. Following her junior season, Hidalgo was named both the Courier Post South Jersey Player of the Year and the Olympic Conference Player of the Year.

After a loss in the 2022 South Jersey Non-Public A title game, Hidalgo and her teammates have high expectations for the season ahead.

“I’m locked in because of last season,” Hidalgo said. “We’re trying to win a state championship, so I’m locked in, my teammates are locked in. And I’m just excited for what’s to come.”

Coach’s analysis

At Paul VI, Hidalgo is coached by her father, Orlando, who’s seen a tremendous amount of growth in his daughter both on and off the court.

“Hannah brings so much to the game, so much to the team,” Orlando said. “Her freshman year, she wasn’t as vocal. But she knew that she had to be a team leader later on, and the past few years she’s been the team captain.”

The Paul VI star has transformed from a quiet freshman to a senior who can command the room. She’s the first person in the gym, leading everybody through stretches and starting running drills with her team before the coaching staff even steps foot in the gym.

“The team understands how competitive she is and that she’s not going to say something that she’s not going to do,” Orlando said. “Her leadership, her competitiveness brings the best out of all the players. And that’s pretty special for me, as a dad and a coach, to see her lead the team. She’s taken to leadership very well, and we’re proud of her.”

While Hidalgo’s character development has helped set her apart, she has also refined her skills on the court. Since her freshman season in 2019, Paul VI has gone 61-9.

“She’s a player that works out every time after practice,” Orlando said. “After practice, she stays for about a half hour or so and works on her shooting or her handling. Her first two years, that’s something she didn’t do. She wants to be great, so she spends extra time doing the little things.”

Hidalgo also sets an example in the classroom, taking pride in her schoolwork as an honor roll student.

Catching up

Hidalgo has had quite the summer, loading up on opportunities to face top competition around the world. One of those opportunities took her to Debrecen, Hungary, where she played with the United States U17 national team. Hidalgo and her U.S. teammates dominated the international competition, going on an undefeated run to win gold.

Hidalgo averaged 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals across seven games.

“It was a great experience playing with the best girls in the country,” she said. “I really built good connections. They pushed you, and everyone got better.”

She then took her skills to the Under Armour Next Elite 24 game and the SLAM Summer Classic.

Hannah Hidalgo was showtime in the UA Next Elite 24! @HannahHidalgo @UANextGHoops pic.twitter.com/DdclGlFdSE

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) August 13, 2022

Hidalgo also recently signed a one-year deal with sports agency Seven1 to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities. She has yet to make a college decision, but in early August, she announced on Instagram that she had narrowed her choices down to six: UCF, Duke, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford.

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

US golf star Nelly Korda will look to launch yet another historic run on Thursday, when the 2025 LPGA season kicks off at the Tournament of Champions in Florida.

Korda registered seven victories on the 2024 LPGA Tour, catapulting to No. 1 in the world rankings and taking home LPGA Tour Player of the Year.

Calling last season "very, very, very crazy," the 26-year-old tied an LPGA record with five of her wins coming in successive starts. The fifth victory came at the 2024 Chevron Championship, earning Korda the second major title of her career.

A fresh start for Korda as 2025 LPGA Tour begins

Despite aiming to continue her record run, Korda acknowledges that the 2025 LPGA season will present its own challenges.

"The field is different. There [are] different girls in the field. Weather is different. Golf course could be different. There are so many variabilities that just completely changes it," she told reporters on Tuesday.

Her first test takes place in Orlando. That's where Korda will enter her seventh Tournament of Champions — a competition she's yet to walk away from as a winner.

Following its 2019 launch, the annual four-day event is limited to players who've won major LPGA competitions in the last two years. Due in part to Korda's recent dominance, only 32 professional golfers fit this year's criteria, including defending title-holder and world No. 2 Lydia Ko and 2024 runner-up Alexa Pano.

Also in this weekend's field are US stars No. 5 Lilia Vu, No. 14 Rose Zhang, No. 15 Lauren Coughlin, No. 20 Angel Yin, and No. 21 Megan Khang.

The pro competition will also run concurrently with a 72-hole celebrity contest that includes USWNT icon Brandi Chastain, among others.

"It’s a different, relaxed vibe," Korda said about the tournament. "And no better way to start off the year than playing in this event."

How to watch the LPGA Tournament of Champions this weekend

The 2025 Tournament of Champions starts at 11:30 AM ET on Thursday. Live coverage of the competition will air across NBC networks.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is at it again, revealing details about its inaugural 1v1 tournament on Tuesday.

Fueled by a $350,000 prize pool, the high-stakes competition will tip off with 30 players on February 10th. Athletes are currently in four equal pods, and fans will determine the tournament's seeding via ballot.

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The three-day tournament will feature a series of single-elimination games, culminating in a best-of-three final. 

Contests will be played to either a winning score of 11 points or a 10-minute game clock, whichever comes first. Each matchup will follow the traditional two- and three-point scoring format, but with a shortened seven-second shot clock.

The biggest difference from both traditional 5x5 play and Unrivaled's 3x3 format is in the 1v1 contest's make-it, take-it rule, which rewards scoring with both points on the board as well as continued ball possession.

Tournament rewards both 1v1 winner and Unrivaled team

Unrivaled's 1v1 tournament champion will ultimately take home $200,000 — more than what some WNBA players' salaries. The runner-up will claim $50,000, with each semifinalist earning $25,000.

Interestingly, individual players aren't just competing for themselves. Each of the champion's Unrivaled 3×3 teammates will also snag a check for $10,000.

"There’s still a team camaraderie perspective," noted Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell earlier this month. "You may be eliminated, but your teammate keeps advancing. Inevitably, you want to root them on — not just for personal reasons, but also there’s an incentive for you if your teammate wins the ultimate cash prize."

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Unrivaled reveals participating 1v1 roster

Of the 3×3 league's 36 players, only Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, Stefanie Dolson, and Courtney Vandersloot will sit out the 1v1 tournament alongside relief contract players Natisha Hiedeman and NaLyssa Smith.

Consequently, one potential matchup could pit Unrivaled co-founders and 2024 WNBA Finals foes Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier against each other. Dozens of other potential pairings involving All-Stars like Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, Arike Ogunbowale, and Satou Sabally are also on the table.

Fan voting for the player seedings that will determine those matchups will start on Thursday, with the tournament's full bracket dropping in early February.

After just one season on the roster, USWNT star Crystal Dunn has mutually parted ways​ with Gotham FC, the NWSL team announced on Tuesday.

Gotham originally added the 32-year-old free agent on a multi-year contract in December 2023. Dunn was a part of a wave of high-profile signings that included fellow USWNT standouts Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.

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The decorated utility player eventually made a total 23 appearances across all competitions for NJ/NY. However, Dunn hasn't suited up for Gotham since late September.

"I can't even find the words to express how incredibly sad I am," Dunn, who grew up on Long Island, posted to Instagram​ on Tuesday. "Though my journey continues elsewhere, I am at least grateful to have played at home in front of my friends and family for even a short while. I’ll carry those memories with me always.... The city of New York will forever be my home, and it will always hold a special place in my heart."

"As I turn the page and prepare for a new chapter, I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead," she added.

Dunn joins flood of Gotham departures

Dunn is just the latest player to exit Gotham this offseason, joining a growing list that includes attackers Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) and Yazmeen Ryan as well as midfielders Delanie Sheehan and Maitane López.

On Monday, USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger added her name to Gotham's impending departures. The 24-year-old outside back expected to officially sign with WSL side Arsenal.

According to The Athletic, the NJ/NY team attempted to orchestrate a trade within the NWSL for Dunn, but struggled to reach any agreements due to a reportedly high asking price. 

After winning the 2023 NWSL Championship and contending in the 2024 league semifinals, Gotham's depleted roster faces an uphill battle entering the 2025 season.

Some of the brightest WNBA stars are packing their bags, as the league's free agency window revs up at breakneck speed, with Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner joining others on the move this week.

After 11 seasons with the Mercury — the team that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013 — Griner officially jumped ship on Tuesday. The 10-time All-Star will ink a one-year deal with the Atlanta Dream when the official signing period opens on February 1st.

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Griner explained her free agency enthusiasm in a social media post. "I was able to find where I wanted to go," she said.

"It was a hard decision," Griner continued. "You're leaving what you know, what I've known for my whole career. But there's also the exciting factor... I get to show them something different."

Meanwhile, Phoenix is reportedly closing a deal to receive Connecticut Sun superstar Alyssa Thomas. The four-player trade will send Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, and the 12th pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to Connecticut. In exchange, Phoenix receives five-time All-Star Thomas and veteran guard Ty Harris.

League changes spark WNBA stars to explore new teams

A new CBA is entering negotiations and the WNBA's first expansion team since 2008 — the Golden State Valkyries — tips off this season. Subsequently, players across the league are advocating for their futures with increased sway.

Griner, Thomas, Jewell Loyd, and Kelsey Plum​ are all reportedly leaving the teams that originally drafted them. Most players are signing one-year deals due to the 2026 CBA's anticipated changes — and the deep free agency pool it will create.
 
While Griner and others are exploring first-ever moves, players like Thomas have been outspoken about seeking improved resources. The conversation is fueled in party by Unrivaled's top-of-the-line facilities.

"They have everything you possibly need here," Thomas said from the3×3 league's Miami campus. "They don’t really have a lot of those things in Connecticut. I've been trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can."