After leading No. 9 Miami (Fla.) to a historic upset in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, head coach Katie Meier opened her press conference by recounting an apology to Villanova head coach Denise Dillon.

“I apologized to Denise in the hallway because I was so excited I forgot to shake their hands, and that’s just not my style. That’s the first thing I wanted to say,” said Meier.

Miami upset No. 4 Villanova, 70-65, to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history and continue its NCAA Tournament Cinderella run after toppling No. 1 Indiana in the Round of 32. Miami is just the second No. 9 seed to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. The first program to accomplish the feat was Arkansas, which made it all the way to the Final Four in 1998.

“It feels great because now we’re the only eight teams in the country playing right now. And we’re going to continue to stay humble and blessed and take advantage of this opportunity, stay together and just enjoy these moments,” said Destiny Harden, who had 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

The Hurricanes were led in scoring by Jasmyne Roberts, who recorded 26 points nine rebounds.

“Her efficiency numbers are incredible,” Meier said of Roberts’ performance. “She’s beasting, she’s bullying. The whole team was on the Jas train.”

Miami also had to contend with the nation’s leading scorer in Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist.

“Maddy is everything she’s been advertised. And we really pride ourselves on our defense, and only thing I can kind of brag about is it took 29 shots for her to get 31 points,” said Meier.

With those 31 points, Siegrist extended her NCAA record of 20-point games to 36 straight.

“You’ve got to kind of respect her game,” added Harden. “We always said if she scores and we win, then it don’t matter how much she scored. But you do have to respect a player like that.”

Next up for the Hurricanes in the 2023 NCAA Tournament is an Elite Eight matchup against No. 3 LSU on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark sits firmly at the front of the race for national Player of the Year awards, and for good reason.

Clark has had a year to remember for the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes en route to Friday’s Sweet 16 meeting with No. 6 seed Colorado. She is averaging 26.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 8.6 assists per game this season, which makes her the only player in the country average more than 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per game.

Yet the star junior agrees with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s assessment of the Player of the Year debate: She wants to see more of it, not less, even if that leaves room for other players to knock her from the top spot.

“I think Dawn Staley said it really well… We need these conversations for our game. That’s what grows it,” Clark said. “It shouldn’t just be one person, end all, be all. There should be conversations. Because that’s what makes the game grow.”

Staley shared a similar sentiment with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks earlier this week.

Just because Staley lobbies for her own player, Gamecocks senior Aliyah Boston, “people think I hate on Caitlin,” the coach told Rooks. “I don’t.”

Rather, the coach just wants to see other deserving players involved in the Player of the Year conversation as well.

“Caitlin Clark, does she deserve it? Absolutely. Does Aliyah Boston deserve it? Does Cameron Brink deserve it? Absolutely,” Staley said. “There are so many people who are deserving of it, so let’s tell all the stories. Let’s not just be one-sided.”

Clark concurred in speaking with reporters Thursday, noting that “the debate is really good for women’s basketball.”

“You see it on men’s side all the time,” she said. “You never know who is going to win Player of the Year. So more than anything I think it’s really good for our game.”

But while the Player of the Year debate might be fun, and might be good for the game, the Iowa guard wants to keep her focus on the court as her team prepares for the Sweet 16.

“I’m focused on winning games,” she said.

It was a battle, but No. 2 Iowa overcame a tough test from No. 10 Georgia to advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Despite being held scoreless for 13 minutes in the first half, Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark recorded 22 points and 12 assists in the 74-66 win. The 6-0 junior either scored or assisted on 30 of Iowa’s 33 second-half points.

“I really did not want to let this team lose again in this round,” Clark said post-game, referring to Iowa’s 2022 loss to Creighton in the round of 32. “I knew I needed to step up and make plays for this team.”

Even so, it was an “off” game for Clark, who has averaged 27 points per game this season. Her Iowa teammates helped closed the gap, with Monika Czinano recording 20 points, Gabbie Marshall adding 15 points and McKenna Warnock notching 14 points. Iowa will travel to the Seattle Regional Semifinal and face the winner of Colorado/Duke.

“Any time you are one of 16 teams that get to keep playing basketball, it’s pretty special,” Clark said. “It wasn’t a huge party or celebration in the locker room. This wasn’t our goal. It’s one of the steps to reaching our goal.but it’s not the be-all end-all to us. This is the first weekend and it’s done with. And now we have the second weekend. And we hope there’s a third weekend too.”

South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley used Sunday afternoon’s second round NCAA tournament game against South Florida to provide a history lesson. Staley appeared on the Gamecocks sidelines wearing a vintage Cheyney State jersey, a tribute to the nation’s oldest HBCU and the only HBCU program to reach the Final Four of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

In 1982, the Cheyney State women’s basketball team, coached by the legendary C. Vivian Stringer, finished the inaugural NCAA women’s basketball tournament as runner-up, losing to Louisiana Tech, 76-62, in the championship game. (You can read more on that inaugural NCAA Final Four — and the drama surrounding it — here.)

“Cheyney State was the only HBCU to make it to a Final Four, and for them to be led by Coach Stringer who opened doors that now I walk through, I mean, it was truly an honor to wear this jersey and to represent them,” Staley said after the game, which South Carolina won 76-45 to move on to the Sweet 16.

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Louisiana Tech and Cheyney State competed in the inaugural NCAA women's basketball championship game in 1982. (George Tiedemann /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Staley’s wore jersey No. 44, which belonged to Yolanda Laney, who also happens to be the mother of New York Liberty player Betnijah Laney. Staley, who hails from North Philly, grew up playing in the Sonny Hill League, where she was coached by Yolanda Laney.

“She was serious about making sure that we had opportunities. She didn’t just coach us, she taught us how to play,” Staley told the Philadelphia Inquirer about the influence Yolanda Laney had on her.

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A photo of Yolanda Laney (top row, second from right) who played for the Cheyney State women's basketball team in the 1980s. (Photo by Kyle Grantham for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

According to the NCAA, a total of 19 HBCUs have competed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament since it began, including three HBCUs that competed in that inaugural 1982 tournament (Cheyney, Howard, and Jackson State). Two HBCUs competed in this year’s NCAA tournament: Southern (lost to Sacred Heart in the First Four) and Norfolk State (lost to South Carolina in round one).

After coaching No. 1 South Carolina to a 72-40 win over Norfolk State in the first round of the 2023 NCAA basketball tournament on Friday, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley visited the losing team’s locker room to provide some encouragement. Staley specifically called out Norfolk State sophomore Kierra “Meme” Wheeler, who recorded 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals in the loss.

Staley also used her post-game press conference to praise Norfolk State, an HBCU that earned its second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament this year.

“I’m going to say it today so we can prep for next year: Norfolk State is not a 16 seed. Just want you to know that. They’re not. Very well-coached. Very disciplined,” Staley said.

Ahead of Friday’s NCAA first round game, Norfolk State graduate student Camille Downs provided some insight on what playing South Carolina, the defending national champion and March Madness favorite, meant.

“Not a lot of teams get the opportunity to play against the No. 1 team in the country. Dawn Staley, too. Getting scouted by her. I’m just thankful to be here,” Downs told reporters.

Next up for No. 1 South Carolina in the 2023 NCAA tournament is a second round game against No. 8 South Florida (Sunday at 1pm ET, ABC).

As for Norfolk State?

“For the program moving forward, we’re nothing but excited for next year,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to take some time to recover from this, but we’re right back at it for preseason, and I’m just looking forward to next year and what we have to bring.”

“Hopefully we get here again, and hopefully we don’t have a 1 and a 6 next to our name,” added Norfolk State head coach Larry Vickers.

June is in the WNBA rearview mirror, and with it came highlights aplenty. From triple-double records to 35-point games to overtime battles, the stars of the league showed out.

Each month through the end of the regular season, Just Women’s Sports will select five starters and five reserves making up the team of the month.

As teams fight for playoff position, records become extra important. When making my selections for June’s lineup, team success was a key component in the evaluation process. There will always be outliers who can’t be ignored, but overall if a player is putting up big numbers but not necessarily propelling their team to victory, they have a lower chance of making the team of the month.

Here’s who made the cut for June.

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Courtney Vandersloot led the Sky to a 9-2 record in June. (Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images)

Courtney Vandersloot, G, Chicago Sky

Though she’s a four-time All-Star, the Chicago Sky guard often performs in the background for her team. Vandersloot is elite at running the show and setting up her teammates, which is always her focus as a traditional point guard. Her numbers reflect that, with Vandersloot averaging 11 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds a game this season.

But the veteran player is also a skilled scorer when she wants to be. In June, Vandersloot led the Sky in scoring in three straight games, with 25, 15 and then 18 points. She also recorded a 20-point, 10-assist double-double to help the Sky close out an 88-86 win over the Liberty on June 12. The Sky were 9-2 in June, with Vandersloot leading the team in assists in six of those contests.

Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty

May was a month to forget for the Liberty, as the team went 1-7 to open the season. The New York squad greatly improved in June, going 7-4 and inching closer to a winning record. A big part of the successful month was Ionescu, who averaged 20.3 points per game in June and led the Liberty in scoring in six of their 11 contests.

Ionescu’s triple-double on June 12 was a highlight, but it was also indicative of the well-rounded play she brought all month. She led the Liberty in at least one category in all 11 games, led in two categories in four games and led in three categories twice.

Emma Meesseman, F, Chicago Sky

The Sky were the best team in the WNBA in June, recording just two losses, so it makes sense to have two players on this list. Joining Vandersloot is fellow All-Star Meesseman, who has been a key contributor to the reigning champions in her first season in Chicago. Meesseman averaged 14.4 points per game in June and had her biggest performances in close contests.

After leading the Sky with 20 points and 11 boards in an 88-86 win over the Liberty on June 12, she added 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 106-100 overtime victory over the Dream five days later. Meesseman was also efficient with her opportunities, shooting 57 percent from the field over the nine games.

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Connecticut's Jonquel Jones recorded five double-doubles in June. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jonquel Jones, F, Connecticut Sun

The reigning WNBA MVP is having another stellar season, averaging 14.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for Connecticut. Jones was particularly strong in June, recording five double-doubles in 11 contests. She led the Sun in points seven times and in rebounding seven times, and there were four games in which she led in both categories.

Jones got her team off to a hot start in June, recording 20, 24, 25 and 16 points in the Sun’s first four games (all wins). Her efforts have helped Connecticut stay in fourth place in the league standings, just two games behind the first-place Sky.

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Nneka Ogwumike averaged 18.6 points for the Sparks in June. (Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Nneka Ogwumike, F, Los Angeles Sparks

I promised the occasional outlier in choosing the WNBA Team of the Month, and here it is. The Sparks went 2-5 in June, but Ogwumike was a noticeable bright spot. She led her team in scoring in every contest, averaging 18.6 points, while also recording two double-doubles. Ogwumike has been the most consistent piece on a rocky Sparks squad, and her play in June was particularly indicative of the seven-time All-Star’s individual dominance this season.

Reserves

Skylar Diggins-Smith, G, Phoenix Mercury

The 10-15 Mercury are struggling, but Diggins-Smith is not. The guard leads the league in minutes played and is third in points. She had 25 points or more in four games in June.

Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces

Plum could easily be a part of this month’s starting five. The All-Star Game MVP is in the midst of a breakout season and averaged 23 points per game in the month of June.

A’ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson, averaging 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season, had five double-doubles in June alone. Her month included a 35-point performance in an 89-72 win over the Sparks, tying her career-high.

Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm

Stewart averaged 22 points a game in June, leading the Storm in scoring six times. Stewart was also efficient with the ball, turning it over just nine times all month as she helped the 16-8 Storm hold onto third place in the standings.

Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun

While Jones continues to put up huge numbers for the Sun, Thomas has had a hand in every victory, contributing in multiple ways. She led her team in rebounding four times and in assists 10 times. The highlight of her month was a double-double in a win over the Storm, with 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted new members this weekend, among them the late Kobe Bryant, who was inducted in 2020. 

In addition, some all-star women were announced as members of the class of 2021, including Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson.

Griffith was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in 2000 and 2004. In 1999, she won WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. In 2005, she helped the Sacramento Monarchs to their only WNBA Championship, winning Finals MVP in the process. That year she was also named to the All-WNBA First Team and WNBA All-Defensive First Team. 

Jackson, a seven-time WNBA All-Star (2001-2003, 2005-2007, 2009) and three-time WNBA MVP (2003, 2007, 2010), was a long-time staple for the Seattle Storm. She helped lead the Storm to WNBA Championships in 2004 and 2010, collecting Finals MVP honors in 2010. In 2007, while leading the league in rebounding and points per game, Jackson was named Defensive Player of the Year. She is also a three-time Olympic silver medalist (2000, 2004, 2008) with the Australian national team.

Also among the inductees was Val Ackerman, widely regarded as a trailblazer in the basketball world and a significant contributor to women’s basketball. Ackerman has been involved at every level of the sport, first as the WNBA’s founding president (1996-2005), then the first female president of USA Basketball (2005-2008). She is currently the Big East Conference Commissioner, a role she has held since 2013. 

Pearl Moore was also inducted as a direct elect as the women’s college basketball all-time leader in points scored with 4,061. A four-time AIAW Small College All-American from 1975-1979 at Francis Marion College, Moore averaged 30 points per game and scored in double figures. 

Other weekend inductees from the class of 2020 include Tamika Catchings, new-LSU coach Kim Mulkey and Barbara Stevens.

Twenty of the nation’s top collegiate basketball players will be getting together in South Carolina to determine who will be part of the 2021 USA Basketball Women’s AmeriCup Team.

USA Basketball announced the 20-person roster Wednesday. The team will be led by USA National Team head coach Dawn Staley and assistants Adia Barnes (University of Arizona) and Jennifer Rizzotti (2021 USA National Team assistant coach). 

Those who were announced to have accepted invites are:

  • Grace Berger (Indiana)
  • Aliyah Boston (South Carolina)
  • Jakia Brown-Turner (NC State)
  • Rae Burrell (Tennessee)
  • Veronica Burton (Northwestern)
  • Zia Cooke (South Carolina)
  • Elissa Cunane (NC State)
  • Destanni Henderson (South Carolina)
  • Naz Hillmon (Michigan)
  • Rhyne Howard (Kentucky)
  • Ashley Joens (Iowa State)
  • Haley Jones (Stanford)
  • Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech)
  • Diamond Miller (Maryland)
  • Ashley Ousu (Maryland)
  • Khayla Pointer (Louisiana State)
  • Sedona Prince (Oregon)
  • NaLyssa Smith (Baylor)
  • Jenne Staiti (Georgia)
  • Hailey Van Lith (Louisville)

 

The list includes 10 players who have won gold medals playing for USA Basketball. Boston and Van Lith have each earned four gold medals; Cooke, Hillmon, Howard, Joens and Miller have each won two; and Jones, Prince and Smith have each earned one gold medal. 

Trials will take place April 18-21 to get the final roster down to 12 players.

The 2021 AmeriCup will be held June 11-19 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The top four finishing teams will advance to compete in one of four 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments in hopes of earning one of the 12 spots in the World Cup field. 

Only eight teams are left in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Five of the top eight teams are still standing, while Texas, Arizona and Indiana all look to continue their upset runs.

The Elite Eight starts tonight. Here’s who’s playing and when and how to watch:

Monday:

  • No. 2 Baylor vs No. 1 UConn: 7:00pm ET on ESPN.
  • No. 4 Indiana vs No. 3 Arizona: 9:00pm ET on ESPN.

Tuesday:

  • No. 6 Texas vs No. 1 South Carolina: 7:00pm ET on ESPN.
  • No. 2 Louisville vs No. 1 Stanford: 9:00pm ET on ESPN.