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.

The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.

Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it. 

Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.

US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance

Team Europe​ has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.

While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.

Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.

Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"

All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.

"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."

How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament

The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a moment to talk about the final few days of Alex Morgan’s professional career, how the soccer world has changed since Morgan’s debut, and how the star herself spoke about what’s next.

Then, she discusses what Angel Reese’s season-ending injury means for the WNBA playoff race, salutes the US Open, reflects on the 2024 Paralympic Games, and more.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

The USYNT cruised to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup knockout round in historic fashion on Saturday, routing Paraguay 7-0 in Bogotá, Colombia, thanks to stellar showings from young NCAA and NWSL standouts.

Armed with the most pros to ever feature on a US U-20 World Cup roster with eight NWSL rookies, the USYNT pulled off the largest U-20 WWC win in team history.

The US hasn't won a U-20 WWC in 12 years​, with 2024 marking the first time they've made it out of the tournament's group stage since 2016.

Young NWSL and NCAA players level up the U-20 game

Though long viewed as inferior to Europe and its club-based academy system, US players opting to turn pro at younger ages are making the USYNT increasingly competitive — a trend that's also pushing college programs to new heights.

In Saturday's win, Angel City defender Gisele Thompson​ and Utah Royals rookie Ally Sentnor both found the back of the net, while the youngest goal-scorer in Seattle Reign history, winger Emeri Adames, tied Heather O'Reilly's 2002 national record for most assists in a single U-20 World Cup game with three in the first half. 

Representing the NCAA, Princeton junior Pietra Tordin made her U-20 World Cup scoring debut count with a hat trick — the first US player to do so since Savannah DeMelo in 2018.

USYNT to face Mexico in U-20 knockout clash

Unlike previous editions, this year's expanded U-20 World Cup​ includes a Round of 16 for the first time. 

The USYNT will face regional rival Mexico tomorrow, a team they lost to in the 2023 Concacaf Championship​ final before settling two July friendlies with a draw and a win.

How to watch the US vs. Mexico at the U-20 World Cup

Catch the US women's youth national team take on Mexico in U-20 World Cup action at 9 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage on FS2.

Already one of the most popular women’s spectator sports in the US, the 2024 NCAA volleyball season is off to the races this month as the shifting lines of modern college sports plays out in real time​.

Thanks to major conference realignments, regional rivalries turned national storylines will drive the narrative all the way to December's NCAA tournament.

The Big Ten's big changes

At the forefront of these shifts is longtime volleyball powerhouse the Big Ten, which welcomed USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington from the Pac-12 this summer to bring the conference total to 18 teams​.

Added travel, raucous home crowds, and even fiercer competition will play into the conference's season storyline as Midwest heavyweights Wisconsin and Nebraska meet West Coast specialists in a quest to bring the Big Ten its first NCAA title since 2021.

"We knew the venues, everything was comfortable," Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer, speaking with JWS at last month's Big Ten Media Day​ in Chicago, said of his team’s former Pac-12 home. "I think we're going to [see] a lot of uncomfortableness this year, just with new change."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Surprises and upsets already define the 2024 season

Mirroring that uncertainty, several 2023 heavy-hitters​ have already produced surprising results this season. Two-time defending champion Texas fell to Minnesota in early non-conference play and again to unranked Miami last weekend, while Wisconsin went 0-3 before picking up a pair of weekend wins.

Then last week, 2023 runners-up Nebraska suffered a historic upset loss to unranked SMU, though they also bounced back with weekend victories.

With Power 10 rankings already a rollercoaster, expect even more impressive performances, greater parity, and larger crowds as college volleyball rides its meteoric rise through 2024.