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Why Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have an extra year of eligibility

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark signs autographs for fans after her team’s opening game of the 2023-24 season. (Joseph Cress/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Top prospects for the 2024 WNBA Draft could choose to stay in college rather than go pro.

While Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are all in their fourth years, all have an extra year of eligibility available due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAA basketball players who participated in the 2019-20 season were granted an extra year of eligibility as a result of the pandemic, which affected the 2020-21 season. That coincided with the freshman year of current fourth-year players. So Iowa’s Clark and LSU’s Reese could return for a fifth year — and Bueckers, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury, could even stay for a sixth year.

But just because they can, doesn’t mean they will.

“I really have no clue what I’m going to do, stay for an extra year or leave after next year,” Clark said in February. The Iowa senior remains undecided, she confirmed in October, saying she plans to “treat this year like this is my last year” but has not made up her mind.

“It’s been hard for a lot of college athletes to decide what to do, just because there are pros to staying in college but also your dream of reaching the next level is right there,” she said.

Likewise, Bueckers has not made up her mind about her future with UConn beyond the 2023-24 season.

“I guess we’ll see,” the redshirt junior said when asked about her plans in early October.

Clark and Bueckers both have spoken at length about their love for their schools and for the college experience, which complicates their decisions.

“There’s always a chance,” Bueckers said in March. “I have three more years of eligibility. I’m not declining, not saying for sure I will or for sure I won’t. But there’s definitely an opportunity for me to return for a fifth year, even maybe a sixth year.”

Add Reese’s name to the list as well. After leading LSU to the 2023 national title, she has hinted at a possible fifth year on social media — but she also has been open about her WNBA aspirations.

“While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams,” she said in September.

In 2023, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson was projected as a WNBA lottery pick but chose to use her extra year of eligibility. Other big names to do so include Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore, UCLA’s Charisma Osborne, TCU’s Sedona Prince and Penn State’s Ashley Owusu.

The College Cup Once Again Runs Through the ACC as the 2025 Semifinals Kick Off

Stanford defender Lizzie Boamah and midfielder Jasmine Aikey pose for a photo after a 2025 NCAA soccer tournament win.
Overall No. 1-seed Stanford has outscored 2025 NCAA soccer tournament opponents 21-5. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Despite a few shocking upsets in the early rounds of the 2025 NCAA soccer tournament, the ACC has retained its status as the conference to beat, with the powerhouse sending three teams to this season's College Cup semifinals on Friday.

With two tickets to Monday's national championship match on the line, four-time title-winners and No. 3-seed Florida State will take on College Cup debutants TCU in Friday's first semi, with the No. 2 Horned Frogs booking their semifinals spot by ousting fellow SEC standout No. 1 Vanderbilt 2-1 last Saturday.

The nightcap, on the other hand, will be an all-ACC affair, as No. 2 Duke continues their hunt for a first-ever national title against the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, Stanford.

The three-time NCAA champ Cardinal has been unstoppable, outscoring their opponents 21-5 across the tournament's first four rounds to set up a season-first matchup with the Blue Devils.

The 2025 College Cup will take place for the first time at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, home of the NWSL's Kansas City Current.

How to watch the 2025 College Cup semifinals

Friday's 2025 College Cup semifinals will begin with No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Florida State at 6 PM ET, with No. 1 Stanford's clash against No. 2 Duke kicking off at 8:45 PM ET.

Both semifinals — plus Monday's 7PM ET championship match — will air live on ESPNU.

Playa Society Honors 25th Anniversary of “Love & Basketball” with Capsule Collection

New York Liberty forward Izzy Harrison models a T-shirt that says "Ball Better Than You" from the new Playa Society "Love & Basketball" collection.
The First Quarter drop from the Playa Society "Love & Basketball" collection lands on Friday. (Playa Society)

Playa Society is honoring the 25th anniversary of the classic sports film "Love & Basketball" this week, with the popular women's basketball outfitter dropping a capsule collection entitled "First Quarter: Ball Better Than You" — an homage to one of the film's iconic quotes.

"This is a love story, about our love for 'Love & Basketball,'" notes Playa Society about the collection. "Our love for [lead character] Monica, who served as the first representation of an unapologetic female athlete in film. Our love for [writer and director] Gina Prince-Bythewood for her persistence in delivering culture and truth. And our love for the energy of it all that inspired Playa Society to fill in the gaps for women in sports."

"I am so humbled by the enduring impact of the film on both ballers and non-athletes, who are inspired by characters who believe in themselves enough to fight for an impossible dream," Prince-Bythewood said of the project.

With New York Liberty teammates and girlfriends Natasha Cloud and Izzy Harrison serving as models, the "First Quarter" collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, and more.

This week's drop is just the first in the works between Prince-Bythewood and Playa Society founder Esther Wallace, with the LA Sentinel describing their collaboration as "blending nostalgia, culture, and women's sports in a way that honors the film while pushing the narrative forward."

How to purchase from Playa Society's "Love & Basketball" collection

All items from the "First Quarter" collection are now available in limited quantities at PlayaSociety.com.

W7F Kicks Off 1st-Ever North American Tournament in Florida

The World Sevens Football trophy is displayed next to the pitch before the inaugural W7F tournament final in May 2025.
The second iteration of W7F will kick off in Florida on Friday. (Gualter Fatia/World Sevens Football via Getty Images)

The inaugural North American iteration of World Sevens Football (W7F) kicks off in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, when eight standout clubs will battle for three days for the the largest share of the 7v7 competition's $5 million prize pool.

All eight clubs boast championship backgrounds, including the reigning NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current, 2023 NWSL Shield-winners San Diego Wave, Liga MX Femenil Apertura winner Tigres UANL, current Northern Super League Shield-winner AFC Toronto, and more.

This weekend's edition is the second-ever W7F tournament, after the new venture launched with a Europe-centric competition in Portugal last May, crowning Bayern Munich as its debut champions.

In W7F, the 11v11 clubs instead field seven players per side on a pitch half the size of a regulation field, with matches comprised of two 15-minute halves along with smaller goals, no offside rule, and rolling substitutions throughout the games.

All eight clubs will compete in the group stage on Friday and Saturday, with the top four teams advancing to Sunday's knockout rounds.

How to watch this weekend's W7F tournament

The North American debut of W7F kicks off when the NWSL's Kansas City Current faces Brazilian powerhouse Clube de Regatas do Flamengo at 5 PM ET on Friday.

All games, including Sunday's 4:30 PM ET championship match, will air live on HBO Max as well we either TNT or truTV.

The South Runs the Top-25 Table in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge

LSU stars MiLaysia Fulwiley and Flau'jae Johnson celebrate a play during a 2025/26 NCAA basketball game.
The SEC swept all Thursday games that featured ranked teams to close out the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge. (Lance King/Getty Images)

The SEC displayed its basketball dominance on Thursday's courts, as the conference won all four of the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Day 2 matchups to feature at least one Top-25 team.

No. 2 Texas handled No. 11 North Carolina 79-64 while No. 3 South Carolina and No. 13 Ole Miss survived nail-biters against No. 22 Louisville and No. 18 Notre Dame, respectively.

"I thought [our players] got out and made big plays for themselves in the fourth and building the five-point lead," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. "It was a turning point for us, whether we were going to succumb to losing the game or fight to get back in it."

No one had a better night than No. 5 LSU, however, as the Tigers faced their season's first Power Four opponent to a 93-77 result over unranked Duke, erasing a 14-point deficit behind six double-digit LSU scorers — led by 18 points from star guard Flau'jae Johnson.

"We scored 93 tonight, and look how poor we played in the first quarter. We were behind. Scoring the ball is not going to be a problem," said Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. "Our problem is we have to just continue to get better on the defensive end and take care of the ball."

Across the 16 total 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge games, the SEC took 13 victories, with only unranked Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and SMU earning ACC wins — over Auburn, Florida, and Arkansas, respectively — this week.

How to watch Top-25 NCAA basketball this weekend

This weekend's NCAA docket sees the nonconference schedule cool down, with No. 16 USC hosting No. 21 Washington in the only ranked battle.

The Trojans and Huskies will tip off in LA at 8 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on the Big Ten Network.