JuJu Watkins can’t stop breaking records.

In USC’s win over No. 11 Colorado, Watkins had 42 points. She broke multiple records in that game, which included notching her 11th 30-point game of the season. It secured the school record for the most 30-point games in a single season, previously held by Cheryl Miller, who sat courtside for the game.

“That’s insane, honestly,” Watkins said after the game. “But, of course, it’s Cheryl Miller. A long way to go until I’m in that conversation, but I’m just happy to be able to be a part of that Trojan legacy and just continuing to evolve and grow the game and grow the culture here at SC, and I’m just excited to be a part of this team.”

For head coach Lindsey Gottlieb, Watkins breaking the records holds a one-two punch.

“The attention that JuJu has gotten, to me and to the team, actually shines a light on Cheryl in a way that it should be, right?” Gottlieb said. “She’s breaking these records and we get to say, ‘Hey, by the way, Cheryl is the greatest of all time.’ … It’s not just Cheryl, but the women who are the ones who played here, they’re not just great USC players, they’re the greatest women’s basketball players of all time.”

Watkins’ 42 points was also the most scored in the Galen center by any USC basketball player – men’s or women’s – since the arena opened in 2006. The previous best was 35 points, held by Katin Reinhardt and Boogie Ellis.

She set another program record on Sunday in No. 7 USC’s loss to No. 18 Utah, dropping 30 points to break the single-season scoring record for a USC freshman.

Watkins needed just nine points to break the program record. She entered Sunday’s game averaging 28.1 points, which ranks second in the country behind Caitlin Clark. Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo sits third.

Picking up right where they left off, 2024 NCAA champions South Carolina claimed the No. 1 spot on yesterday's AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll. This marks the fourth time in five years the Gamecocks have topped the preseason rankings.

"We knew we'’'d have a target on our backs this season as the reigning champions and this preseason ranking just confirms that," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, who swept the 2024 Coach of the Year awards, told the AP.

"We appreciate the recognition, but I know our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day," she continued. "And that's every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team."

The 2024/25 Gamecock roster is nearly identical to last season's undefeated squad. With all but one starter — Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso — returning, fans can expect to see stars like MiLaysia Fulwiley, Ashlyn Watkins, and Te-Hina Paopao continuing to set the standard in Columbia.

The Gamecocks, who blasted Memphis 106-63 in an exhibition game Tuesday night, will officially tip off their hunt for a third national championship in four seasons when they take on Michigan on November 4th. Over the previous three seasons, South Carolina has lost only three games.

Bueckers, Watkins boost NCAA teams' preseason stock

The impact of big-name players is palpable on the AP's preseason Top 25 list.

Dynasty UConn is on South Carolina's heels at No. 2, thanks in large part to projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers. Though like many Huskies, Bueckers battled injuries over the last few seasons, hampering UConn's impact.

Her return last year fueled the Huskies all the way to the Final Four. This season — both Bueckers's final collegiate season and legendary head coach Geno Auriemma's 40th year at the helm — she'll take aim at bringing UConn's first NCAA trophy since 2016 back to Storrs.

On the other coast, USC clocks into the AP poll at No. 3 behind headliner JuJu Watkins, who put up arguably the most impactful freshman campaign in NCAA history last year.

Watkins aside, the Pac-12 implosion and resulting conference realignment has other aspects of USC looking decidedly different this season. Now representing the Big Ten alongside fellow former Pac-12 squad No. 5 UCLA, USC picked up top transfers Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) and Talia von Oelhoffen (Oregon State) in the offseason to build a title-contending 2024/25 roster.

Last season's Big 12 champion No. 4 Texas will now play in the SEC. With standout Rori Harmon back from ACL injury to duet with Madison Booker — who stepped up in a huge way last season in Harmon's stead — the Longhorns look a tough addition to the conference.

Former college basketball powerhouses omitted

With the departure of top players, a couple of last season's powerhouse teams failed to make the preseason Top-25 cut.

Without 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, plus the retirement of longtime head coach Lisa Bluder, 2024 NCAA runners-up Iowa fell from the rankings.

The biggest snub, however, belongs to new ACC addition Stanford, who went unranked for the first time since 1999. The Cardinal lost LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink alongside transfer Kiki Iriafen after Tara VanDerveer — the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history — retired last April.

The preseason AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll

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

Set to take the pitch as the NWSL's 15th franchise in 2026, Boston's expansion team unveiled their official branding and promotional materials to markedly mixed reviews on Tuesday.

The team name, BOS Nation FC, is an anagram ​of Bostonian, a nickname the team describes as "worn proudly by millions across 23 neighborhoods and 48.4 square miles." 

The city's previous pro women's soccer team, the Boston Breakers, played in the folded WUSA and WPS before competing in the NWSL from 2013 through 2017. Boston was officially awarded an NWSL expansion team in September 2023.

"Too Many Balls" campaign spurs backlash from NWSL players and fans

While enthusiasm for NWSL expansion continues, the team's "Too Many Balls" campaign drew wide criticism from fans and players alike. Many took to social media to post their concerns about the slogan's exclusionary gender-focused undertones, as well as the message's erasure of other Boston-based women's sports teams.

"As a Massachusetts native, I really want @NWSLBoston to succeed. I also want to shout out @PWHL_Boston, @BeantownRFC, and @GoRenegades as existing women's pro sports teams here to support!" posted former USWNT star Sam Mewis in response.

"The town and the players who will represent them deserve so much more," NWSL Players Association director Meghann Burke told The Athletic. "With the work that has gone into laying a strong foundation for Boston’s 2026 launch, I honestly did not perceive this team to be so unserious."

The overwhelming criticism was apparently unanticipated by the new franchise, as the team's branding release included a statement from Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of BOS Nation FC and a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics.

"This is an important moment for women's sports in Boston — and for Bostonians to see that they are fully represented in the team name, brand identity, and even in the tongue-in-cheek tone of the unveil campaign," Epstein said in the release.

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Boston team acknowledges campaign missteps

The swift critiques prompted the incoming franchise to release a statement of apology on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that the campaign "missed the mark," the team apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and, more specifically, the trans community "for the hurt we caused."

"Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better," the statement continued. "We hear you and we will, together."

In addition to the apology, the club removed their "Too Many Balls" campaign and merchandise from their website, as well as deleted it from most social media channels.

Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!

In today's episode, our hosts chat through the all-tied-up WNBA Finals, including the Liberty's Game 1 collapse, Game 2's response, and what the Lynx can do to snag a win at home.

Calling Game 1 "silk slipping through the fingers," Leslie said much of New York's implosion came because "the Liberty have some really silly turnovers."

Then, Kelley and Lisa talk all things NWSL, from the Portland Thorns getting back on track to Temwa Chawinga's record-setting goal to Bay FC's playoff chances and much more!

Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) released its expanded 90-game 2024/25 schedule on Tuesday, with the puck dropping on the league's second season on November 30th.

The PWHL's six teams — all featuring fresh branding including new names and logos — will play 30 games each, up from 24 last hockey season.

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"Our teams and players are so eager to bring their new identities to life, and the schedule announcement elevates that sense of anticipation," stated Senior VP of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford in an official league release.

"We have more games, new uniforms, a talented rookie class, and so much more for the PWHL community to look forward to. For our players and our fans, the season ahead will be intense, competitive, and fun."

PWHL teams to face each other six times

PWHL teams will play each other six times across the season, with three home and three road matchups on the schedule.

Opening day will see the Boston Fleet visit the Toronto Sceptres at 2 PM ET, with the Montréal Victoire hosting the Ottawa Charge at 5 PM ET. Last year's champions, the Minnesota Frost, will open their 2024/25 title defense at home against the New York Sirens at 6 PM ET on December 1st.

Speaking of the defending Walter Cup Champions, the Frost's second game will be a rematch of last season's deciding Game 5, as Minnesota visits 2023/24 runners-up Boston on December 4th.

PWHL regular season play will run through May 3rd, 2025, with three international breaks on the docket. They start with one-week gaps in December and February for the Women's Euro Hockey Tour and the Canada-USA Rivalry Series, followed by a 22-day pause in April for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Record-breaking inaugural season shifts some PWHL venues

With the first-year league seemingly breaking attendance records every few days last season, some PWHL teams moved into larger venues during the offseason to accommodate demand.

The Sceptres home ice is now Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum, which seats 8,140 fans — more than double the 3,850 capacity of their previous home, the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Toronto already sold out their new arena during last season's playoffs, packing 8,500 into the Coliseum.

Similarly, Quebec's Place Bell will now permanently house the Victoire, increasing Montreal's fan capacity from Verdun Auditorium's 3,795-seats to more than 10,000.

After two successful games at New Jersey's Prudential Center last season, the New York Sirens will call the NHL venue home throughout their 2024/25 campaign.

The newly released schedule also includes 14 games without a listed venue, as the PWHL solidifies plans to stage those tilts at either neutral sites or larger arenas in home markets.

It's a tactic that paid off last season, which saw Toronto and Montreal draw the sport's largest crowd on record when 21,105 packed Montreal's Bell Centre. The league also saw success in drawing hockey fans from non-PWHL cities, including Detroit and Pittsburgh.

Camps and contract negotiations impact PWHL rosters

While all six teams released their training camps rosters on October 11th, final lists aren't due to the league until November 27th, after training camps and scrimmages.

Each franchise can roster a maximum of 23 players, plus an additional three reserves.

Contract negotiations can continue through the training camp period, with fans most anxiously awaiting news of Princeton University alum Sarah Fillier. The PWHL's 2024 overall No. 1 draft pick remains the league's only first-round selectee still without a signed contract.

While she features on the Sirens's training-camp list, Fillier is reportedly seeking a shorter two-year deal in order to enter negotiations in 2026 — one season earlier than the three-year contract on the table.

2024/25 PWHL season ticket packages now on sale

While the league is still finalizing broadcast details for the upcoming season, fans will be able to buy season ticket packages starting as early as Thursday, October 17th, depending on their local team's roll-out schedule.

Canadian teams are set to release single-game tickets on October 30th, with US franchises dropping theirs on November 1st.