All Scores

How South Dakota, South Dakota State used in-state talent to become basketball powers

South Dakota’s Chloe Lamb is guarded by Oregon’s Taylor Mikesell in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

South Dakota State and South Dakota have met in the championship game of the Summit League tournament three times since Myah Selland and Chloe Lamb arrived on their respective campuses in 2017. Of the three championship meetings, Selland’s Jackrabbits have claimed two tournament titles, Lamb’s Coyotes one. The only year that the two seniors did not meet in the finals was 2021, when South Dakota State, playing without an injured Selling, bowed out in the first round and Lamb and South Dakota claimed the title to even the four-year score at two apiece.

Yet for the two in-state seniors, it goes even deeper. They faced off twice in high school, and in the final game of their prep careers, Lamb’s Sully Buttes High School team topped Selland and Sanborn Central, 63-48, in the South Dakota Class B state championship game.

“We lost in that game, but it was one of those really cool environments, and Chloe has gone on to have a really good career at USD,” says Selland. “She had the opportunity to stay home and represent South Dakota, too. For the two of us to play in the smallest class and in the Class B South Dakota state tournament together, I think it’s really cool for small town kids and South Dakota kids.”

Selland’s graduated in a class of 12 students, Lamb in a “really big” class of 25.

“Her [Selland] and I kind of had similar stories,” Lamb adds. “We were both going off to play college basketball in-state, staying home and repping our home states, but she was a handful for sure. That was our main focus defensively. We knew we were doing to have to limit her, and I say limit because there was no way we were going to stop her.”

That championship game was a preview of what was to come over the next four years. 

img
South Dakota State forward Myah Selland (44) grabs a rebound against Syracuse in 2019. (Gregory Fisher/Getty Images)

Selland has scored over 1,000 points in a Jackrabbit uniform and was named the 2020-2021 Summit League Player of the Year. Lamb enters the 2021-2022 season with over 1,300 points and was named to the All Summit League first team a season ago while also collecting the league’s tournament MVP award. The two are only the latest in a long line of in-state stars who vaulted both programs into the national conversation and turned the mid-major Summit League into a consistent two-bid representative in the NCAA Tournament. 

In just their fifth season as a Division I program, with a roster that included six South Dakota natives, Coach Aaron Johnston guided the 2008-2009 Jackrabbits to a 32-3 record and a first round NCAA tournament victory. Johnston’s 2018-2019 Sweet Sixteen roster also carried six in-state players, including future WNBA draftee Macy Miller, who hails from Mitchell. 

Down in Vermillion, Dawn Plitzuweit coached the Coyotes to a 30-2 record and top-25 finish during the pandemic-shortened 2019-2020 season with three homegrown kids, including Lamb and Summit League Player of the Year Ciara Duffy, a Rapid City native. Both teams have four South Dakota players on their 2021-2022 rosters — an impressive Division I track record for a state of less than a million people.

“I think people are always surprised about how talented these young women from the state of South Dakota are, because I think when they see us have success, they always think that ‘Well, they are probably doing it with overachieving players and just kind of found a little lightning in a bottle,’” says Johnston, who is entering his 22nd season as head coach of the Jackrabbits. “In reality, some of the players that come from the state of South Dakota could play at most of the Division I schools out there.”

Both Johnston and Plitzuweit cite versatility as a byproduct of the small town upbringing of many of their players. A 6’0 collegiate guard might be the tallest girl in her hometown, and thus be expected to play in the post — or at the net. Both Selland and Lamb also played volleyball and ran track for their high schools.

“A lot of the schools here are limited in how many girls are in the school, so the girls are competing in volleyball or cross country or soccer, and then basketball and then track, so they’re well-rounded athletes,” says Plitzuweit, who took over at USD in 2016. “They are exposed to a lot of different types of coaching and experiences. I think one of the things is that they are very competitive young ladies.”

The state of South Dakota has a deep appreciation for girls’ basketball, says Selland. You can see it in the well-supported youth leagues, in the packed high school gyms on Friday nights, and in Frost Arena and Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Saturday afternoons each winter. 

But nowhere is the fervor more evident than the annual Summit League Tournament, held annually in Sioux Falls. While the regular season matchups between USD and SDSU are usually the highest-drawing home games for both teams, the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Summit Tournament championship game matchups pulled 8,704, 7,871, and 7,833 fans, respectively.  It is not uncommon for the arena to be full 30 minutes before tipoff. Back when the two teams squared off in the obscurity of the Division II hinterlands, Johnston saw everything from carrots to a dead coyote head to dead jackrabbits thrown on the floor.

“Some of these things sound over the top, and they are, and for the betterment of the game those things have kind of gone away, but that speaks towards that intensity,” says Johnston.

Now that the rivalry has moved out of the shadows and onto the Division I mainstage, the rest of the country has taken note. South Dakota State hosted top-25 programs Iowa State and Gonzaga in Brookings last season, and Kansas State will make the trip this year. Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks and Jennie Baranczyk’s Oklahoma Sooners will both make the trek to the Mount Rushmore State this month to play USD.

“It certainly is a great opportunity for basketball in our region to continue to grow,” says Plitzuweit of bringing top programs to South Dakota. “When we are fortunate enough to bring in teams like Oklahoma and South Carolina the first week of the season, to be playing teams at that caliber… to have those type of teams coming here gives young girls in this region an opportunity to continue to learn about our sport and continue to build that excitement around women’s basketball.”

Lamb says that the increased visibility of the two programs will only strengthen the in-state recruiting pipeline.

“We don’t have a professional sports team here, so it’s kind of like Division I basketball is the closest you’re going to get,” she says. “The success that we’ve had, the national recognition that each team has had, people follow that. As a young girl, seeing that on TV, or seeing a poster or something and seeing girls who are just like you get that kind of recognition and those experiences, that’s something you seek after, too.”

The state’s symbiotic system of allegiance keeps the oft frozen plains a fertile ground for hoops talent: the small communities support their young athletes, who in turn want to stay home to play in front of those who helped them along.

“There are players who are on our roster or who have played here in the past that could have gone anywhere to play, they really could have, they’re that talented, but what keeps them here is that sense of connection to people: family, community, people that they grew up with, aunts and uncles, and wanting to represent all of them on a national stage,” says Johnston. 

“I really feel like that connection and relationship piece is really important and certainly something we’ve tried to build with our program and also helps us attract the next group of really good South Dakota players.”

2025 Women’s Euro Set to Break Tournament Attendance Record

An official 2025 UEFA Women's Euro soccer ball rests on the ground in front of a lake in Switzerland.
Over 570,000 tickets have been sold for Euro 2025. (Chris Ricco - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

UEFA's 2025 Euro tournament is already knocking on the door of history, as the European Championship is on track to shatter the competition's overall attendance record — despite not kicking off until next week.

This year's Switzerland-hosted edition has sold more than 570,000 of the 673,000 tickets available as of Thursday.

Given that tally, England's 2022 Euro record of 574,875 is likely to fall in the coming days.

In addition to the tickets already on sale, stadiums will release another 32,000 to accommodate the knockout stages in the coming weeks.

While Switzerland is poised to claim the Euro's total attendance title by the competition's July 27th finale, England's single-game record crowd of 87,192 — set at the 2022 championship match — will be safe, as no Swiss venue matches the capacity of London's iconic Wembley Stadium.

The 2025 Euro final will be a much more elite affair, as only 34,250 seats are available at Basel's St. Jakob-Park — the largest of the tournament's eight venues.

That said, this summer's European Championship will have more eyes on it than ever before, and not just from the stands.

The 2022 edition shattered viewership records worldwide, but the 2025 Euro has a chance to level up even more, as the tournament has seen its global broadcast footprint expand — particularly in the US.

UEFA inked a media deal with Fox Sports in late May, ensuring that audiences Stateside will have live access to at least 20 of the Euro's 31 matches next month.

While the overall tournament chases new attendance and viewership records, the 16 teams bound for Switzerland will be battling toward the 2025 Euro trophy when the competition kicks off next Wednesday.

NCAA Stars Represent Team USA at FIBA AmeriCup in Chile

TCU basketball star Olivia Miles celebrates a play during a 2025 USA Basketball training session.
Current NCAA stars — including TCU's Olivia Miles — will feature for Team USA at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup competition. (USA Basketball)

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup 5×5 basketball tournament tips off Saturday in Santiago, Chile, where a youthful Team USA will battle nine other countries from North and South America for both this summer's trophy and a ticket to the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

After falling to reigning champions Brazil in 2023, Team USA will aim to avenge the loss by winning a fifth all-time gold medal at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup final on July 6th.

Led by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, this 12-player US squad follows the federation playbook by tapping top college talent, with the NCAA's finest looking to gain international experience and hone their skills against pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, who leads Brazil's AmeriCup roster.

Full of familiar faces, the USA AmeriCup lineups includes March Madness stars Olivia Miles (TCU), Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina).

Also taking the FIBA court for Team USA are NCAA standouts Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA), Kennedy Smith (USC), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa), and Grace Vanslooten (Michigan State).

"[W]e haven't seen the level of physicality and experience we're going to see down there," Lawson said this week. "So that remains to be seen if we're going to be able to impose that athletic, physical play. But there's no doubt we're going to try."

Hannah Stuelke and Flau'Jae Johnson high-five during a Team USA training session at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile.
Team USA will tip off their 2025 FIBA AmeriCup campaign on Saturday. (USA Basketball)

How to watch Team USA at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup group stage runs from Saturday through Wednesday, with the knockouts tipping off on July 4th in a run-up to the July 6th championship game.

Team USA will open their AmeriCup campaign against hosts Chile at 8:25 PM ET on Saturday, then face Colombia at 8:10 PM ET on Sunday.

Arguably the toughest Group B contest for the US will be their Monday matchup against Puerto Rico at 8:10 PM ET, before the collegiate stars finish up the tournament's group play against Mexico at 2:10 PM ET on Wednesday.

All 2025 FIBA AmeriCup games will stream live on Courtside 1891.

Runner Faith Kipyegon Beats Her Own World Record, Falls Short of 4-Minute Mile

Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon races in a bid to run a sub four-minute mile on Thursday.
Faith Kipyegon fell just short of the four-minute mile record on Thursday. (EMMA DA SILVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Three-time 1,500-meter Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon fell just short of making running history on Thursday, as the middle-distance star clocked a time of 4:06.42 in her attempt to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile.

"It was the first trial. I have proven that it's possible and it's only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way," said Kipyegon following Thursday's race. "If it's not me, it will be somebody else."

Still the fastest mile-runner of any woman in history, the Kenyan icon did beat her own previous world record of 4:07.64 by 1.22 seconds, though the time won't count as a new record as the race came during Nike's unofficial Breaking4 event.

With full support from the sportswear giant — the 31-year-old's partner for 16 years — Kipyegon had the benefit of multiple pace-setters, as well as an aerodynamic suit, 3D-printed Nike FlyWeb sports bra, and spiked shoes made specifically for the much-hyped four-minute mile attempt at Paris's Stade Charléty.

"Faith didn't just make history, she proved the future of sport is faster, stronger, and more inclusive than ever," noted Nike president Amy Montagne after Kipyegon's race.

"It was tough, but I am so proud of what I've done, and I'm going to keep on trying, dreaming and pursing big goals," said Kipyegon. "I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try."

USWNT Tops Republic of Ireland 4-0, Readies for Sunday Rematch

USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson celebrates a goal during a 2025 friendly against Ireland.
USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson scored the team's fourth goal on Thursday. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT topped the No. 25 Republic of Ireland 4-0 on Thursday, dominating the first of two friendly matchups against the Girls in Green this week.

Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle notched a goal and an assist in her first appearance for the US in 2025, with defender Avery Patterson, midfielder Sam Coffey, and forward Alyssa Thompson also finding the back of the net to round out the scoresheet.

Despite relative inexperience, this USWNT lineup claimed control of the match from the very first whistle, holding 68% of possession while keeping Ireland from registering a single shot on goal.

The US also saw new faces step up, as defenders Lilly Reale and Jordyn Bugg as well as goalkeeper Claudia Dickey all earned their first caps without a hitch.

While USWNT boss Emma Hayes is still figuring out her player pool, her team has been busy racking up the results.

"Being able to trust my teammates around me, trusting Emma — she's helped me a lot," Thompson said after the game. "Just the coaching staff in general, I feel like I've learned so much."

"My natural instincts are to go into the attack more," Patterson told media after tallying her first-ever senior team goal. "I think it's a little bit of that, and also the backing of my coaches."

How to watch the USWNT vs. Ireland this weekend

The USWNT and Ireland will clash again in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 PM ET on Sunday.

Coverage of the friendly will air live on TNT.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.