USA Basketball is heading to France, with NCAA stars Sarah Strong (UConn), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), and Sahara Williams (Oklahoma) — plus 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Cierra Burdick — packing their bags for this weekend's 2025 FIBA 3×3 Women's Series.
Two-time FIBA 3×3 World Cup champ Burdick anchors the squad, with the 31-year-old returning to international competition just five months after undergoing hip surgery.
The college standouts also have key 3×3 experience, with all three earning gold for the U18 team at the 2022 and 2023 World Cups.
Reigning NCAA champion and Freshman of the Year Strong also took the 2024 World Cup title, while 2021 World Cup winner Mikaylah Williams owns two USA Basketball 3×3 Female Athlete of the Year awards.
This weekend's event will kick off Team USA's run in this year's 3×3 Series, a five-month, 16-stop global tour with more than $1 million in prize money on the line.
The 14-team Marseille competition begins with a three-team qualifying round followed by pool play on Friday, with Saturday's knockouts determining the champion.
How to watch Team USA in the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Women's Series
The US opens their 3×3 campaign against Ireland at 7:15 AM ET on Friday, with continuing live coverage on the All Women's Sports Network and YouTube.
The NCAA basketball transfer portal window officially closes on Wednesday, after an active period saw top players unafraid to jump ship — even if that means joining a rival team.
After the portal window shuts, athletes can no longer declare their intention to transfer, though there's no official deadline for accepting admission to a new school.
Former UCLA rising senior Londynn Jones is the latest to switch sides, taking her 35.1% three-point shooting to the Bruins’ fiercest Big Ten competition by committing to crosstown rival USC on Tuesday.
The SEC — arguably the sport's powerhouse conference — has also seen significant movement in recent weeks, with Ole Miss landing ex-Ohio State standout Cotie McMahon and ex-Mississippi State guard Denim DeShields — WNBA veteran Diamond DeShields’s little sister.
Maryland is also cleaning up, signing ex-Duke star guard Oluchi Okananwa and Indiana center Yarden Garzon to the Terps' 2025/26 roster.
Meanwhile, 2025 national championship runner-up South Carolina added former Mississippi State big Madina Okot on Monday, after securing ex-Florida State guard and Division I's 2024/25 scoring leader Ta’Niya Latson earlier this month.
Another transfer portal superstar considers a jump
As the stars begin to settle, all eyes are on South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley as she weighs her options ahead of her junior year.
Like UCLA-to-USC transfer Jones, the Columbia, South Carolina, product could opt to go the rival route, with rumors of Fulwiley seriously eyeing SEC foe LSU currently making the rounds.
All in all, while the player pool will be finalized on Wednesday, it could take days, weeks, or months to round out NCAA basketball rosters, as teams continue courting athletes in the portal before the 2025/26 season tips off.
Fifth-year UConn star Paige Bueckers confirmed to Huskies legend Rebecca Lobo on Friday that she will indeed be declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, opting to forgo her final year of college eligibility.
“Honestly, I thought I declared a long time ago,” Bueckers joked, making it clear that she has always considered this season to be her last in a UConn jersey.
Her decision follows UConn guard Azzi Fudd's announcement that she will forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft. Instead, the 22-year-old will will return to the Huskies for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season.
The 23-year-old's declaration came one day before she scored a career-high 40 points in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. The subsequent 82-59 blowout advanced UConn's March Madness run to the Elite Eight.
“Obviously, Paige was spectacular,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after Saturday's win. “That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. This is why you came here.”
“Honestly, we just wanted to keep our season going as long as possible,” added Bueckers. “We all love playing together, we love playing here. We just love this program.”
Other expected top WNBA draft picks remain uncertain
Bueckers is considered a lock for this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, currently held by Dallas. But uncertainty has loomed over other lottery slots, with the No. 2 and No. 3 picks recently exchanging hands.
Notre Dame senior Olivia Miles’s professional intentions remain unknown as of Saturday, with the projected No. 2 pick telling reporters she’s “leaning towards” declaring after crashing out of the NCAA tournament.
Eligible LSU junior Flau’jae Johnson is similarly undecided following Sunday’s loss to UCLA, with the soon-to-be 22-year-old also an expected top draft pick.
While NCAA basketball conference champions celebrate their trophies and automatic entries into March Madness, top contenders on the losing side are facing more questions than answers — with limited time to regroup before Selection Sunday.
After No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 7 NC State both fell to tournament champion — and emerging dark horse — No. 11 Duke this weekend, projections shifted such that the ACC is not likely to field a No. 1 seed in the national bracket.
No. 9 LSU similarly struggled, losing 56-49 in the tournament semifinal to eventual SEC runner-up No. 1 Texas.
That said, the Tigers' woes, however, could be short-lived. LSU endured the entire conference tournament without leading scorer Flau'jae Johnson due to a shin injury, and then saw standout senior Aneesah Morrow — the team's second most prolific scorer — exit their SEC semifinal loss with a re-aggravated foot sprain.
Both are expected to be back in action when the NCAA tournament tips off.
Win-or-go-home NCAA tournament looms large
Other teams are confronting harder-to-identify issues.
"I feel like we played below our standard. So that's frustrating. We’ve got to get better, and that’s on me," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said after Saturday’s ACC semifinal defeat. "I need to make this team get better, and that’s something that, when we’re back on the court, we will be better for this loss."
Even squads that fell in conference tournament finals departed the arena knowing that next time, there will be no second chance.
"I certainly think we have established ourselves as one of the top two teams in the cup when it comes to seeding," said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer after Sunday’s championship loss to No. 5 South Carolina. "We’ll learn from that [loss].… We’ve earned our way, and we’ll trust the committee to make that [seeding] decision. Whatever they make, we’ll roll with it."
Not every talent-laden team will make it to April's Final Four, but with adjustments, a conference tournament stumble could become a mere footnote in a longer postseason journey.
How to watch the NCAA tournament Selection Sunday Show
The road to Tampa officially kicks off when the NCAA basketball committee reveals the 68-team Division I tournament bracket on Selection Sunday, March 16th.
The Selection Show will air live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
The weekend’s NCAA basketball action saw the field settle into their conference tournament seeds — and pick up some 2024/25 regular-season hardware along the way.
With Sunday wins over unranked Florida and No. 15 Kentucky, respectively, No. 1 Texas and No. 6 South Carolina finished regular-season play tied atop the SEC table, prompting a coin flip that saw the Gamecocks claim the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed.
No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 9 NC State similarly split regular-season honors in the ACC after Sunday victories over No. 25 Louisville and unranked SMU. With a head-to-head victory over the Irish last month, however, NC State exits the regular season as the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Upsets shake up projected 2024/25 NCAA tournament seeds
Buoyed by this season's surging parity, half of the teams featured in the NCAA’s most recent Top 16 seeding projections have lost at least one game since last week’s rankings update.
Following the trend this weekend were six AP Top 25 teams, as Big Ten standouts No. 2 UCLA and No. 12 Ohio State fell to lower-ranked conference foes, while No. 7 LSU, No. 8 UNC, No. 11 Tennessee, and No. 14 Kansas State all stumbled at the regular-season finish line with Sunday losses against unranked opponents.
Last week's setbacks could put top teams like UCLA and Notre Dame in jeopardy of losing their projected NCAA tournament No. 1 seeds.
As a result, elite squads must now bank on strong conference tournament performances to bolster their regular-season records.
Boosted by their first-ever Big 12 regular-season championship, No. 10 TCU could now push past the SEC's Flau’jae Johnson-less LSU in the NCAA tournament committee's rankings, thanks in part to the Tigers’ Sunday upset loss to unranked Ole Miss on Sunday.
Similarly, Big Ten No. 3-seed Ohio State will have to use the conference tournament to bolster their prospects after Sunday’s overtime loss to No. 19 Maryland.
With parity-fueled upsets raising this week's stakes, most major Division I tournaments will tip off on Wednesday, as both conference hardware and national tournament odds hang in the balance.
No. 7 LSU survived an offensive shootout with No. 13 Oklahoma on Thursday, toppling the Sooners 107-100 in a chippy SEC battle that saw 53 personal fouls, five technical fouls, and two players ejected.
LSU forward Sa'Myah Smith and Oklahoma forward Liz Scott were both tossed in the first quarter following a shoving match in the paint. Just over four minutes into the game, Smith pushed Sooner center Beatrice Culliton to the ground, then Scott retaliated by shoving Smith.
"Pushing, I guess, is considered fighting," said LSU head coach Kim Mulkey after the game. "[Smith's reaction] was shocking. It hurt our team with her not being a part of tonight, because we're trying to develop her."
"My old mentor Leon Barmore always said you've got to keep a cool head in a hot game," commented Mulkey, who also booked herself a technical later in the matchup alongside Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
LSU, Oklahoma make SEC basketball history
Last night's attacking firepower made SEC women's basketball history, marking the first-ever game where each team scored at least 100 points in regulation.
Sophomore Mikaylah Williams scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Tigers over the finish line after nearly giving up a double-digit lead.
LSU stars Flau'jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow added a respective 25 and 21 points to the Tigers' tally, while Payton Verhulst led the Sooners' scoring with 26 points.
With the loss, Oklahoma falls to 4-4 in SEC play, a record that more accurately showcases the conference's strength rather than the Sooners' weakness.
NCAA teams to honor WNBA stars this weekend
The top-ranked NCAA action continues this weekend, with two WNBA superstars seeing their jerseys retired in ceremonies on Sunday afternoon.
First, No. 2 South Carolina will honor three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson alongside the Gamecocks' game against unranked Auburn, before unranked Iowa will commemorate all-time NCAA leading-scorer Caitlin Clark during a high-profile matchup with No. 4 USC.
Not long after, the Sooners will be back in the weekend's only Top 15 meeting, hosting No. 12 Kentucky late Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats improved to 7-1 in SEC play on Thursday, thanks to a 65-56 win over No. 22 Alabama.
How to watch this weekend's top NCAA basketball games
No. 2 South Carolina and Auburn will tip off Sunday's slate at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN, with Iowa's game against No. 4 USC following at 1:30 PM ET on Fox Sports.
No. 12 Kentucky's visit to No. 13 Oklahoma then begins at 4 PM ET Sunday, with live coverage on SECN.
The NCAA's hottest conference shows no signs of letting up, with the SEC serving college basketball fans two of Thursday's most anticipated top-ranked clashes.
After last week's loss to No. 2 South Carolina and Sunday's low-scoring victory over unranked Texas A&M, No. 7 LSU ready to reclaim their previous firepower by gearing up for an offense-heavy battle with SEC newcomer No. 13 Oklahoma.
The Tigers have only met the Sooners once before, falling in to Oklahoma in a December 2019 matchup. However, head coach Kim Mulkey, who joined LSU in 2021, brings her own experience, tallying a 27-20 record against Oklahoma during her time at Baylor.
Both teams enter Thursday's matchup ranked in the nation's Top 3 for rebounding and Top 6 for scoring, with each having a particular penchant for points in transition.
Between LSU scoring leaders Flau'jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow — the nation's top rebounder who also leads the country with 19 double-doubles on the season — Oklahoma will need to lean on both defense and Sooner center Reagan Beers to tame the Tigers.
Don't sleep on Kentucky
Joining the Wildcats one year after leading Virginia Tech to their first-ever Final Four in 2023, No. 12 Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks has taken the once-struggling team to the upper echelons of the SEC table. The Cats are currently in second place alongside LSU and No. 5 Texas, all trailing defending national champs South Carolina.
Much of Kentucky's success rests on star guard — and Virginia Tech transfer — Georgia Amoore, who leads the Wildcats in points, assists, and steals.
The Australian standout will look to defend the Wildcats' undefeated 2024/25 home record — and clinch the program's 500th win at Historic Memorial Coliseum — when No. 22 Alabama visits on Thursday.
How to watch Thursday's Top 25 SEC basketball games
Both of Thursday's ranked SEC matchups tip off at 7 PM ET, when No. 13 Oklahoma takes on No. 7 LSU on ESPN2 while No. 22 Alabama faces No. 12 Kentucky on SECN.
One of the NCAA's fiercest rivalries hits the hardwood on Friday, when undefeated No. 5 LSU travels to No. 2 South Carolina for yet another high-stakes SEC basketball battle.
Anticipation for the matchup has been building since Wednesday, when the NCAA postponed the game. Originally set for Thursday, winter weather disruptions in Louisiana delayed LSU's ability to safely travel to Columbia.
"It's a rivalry, it really is," newly re-signed South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said earlier this week. "It's not only a rivalry between the programs on the floor, but it's a rivalry with the fanbases."
A championship-fueled SEC basketball clash
With the last three national championships under their belts, LSU (2023) and South Carolina (2022, 2024) have seen WNBA superstars like Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston pass through their ranks.
This season's lot is just as talented, with LSU's Aneesah Morrow and Flau'jae Johnson preparing to lead the Tigers against the a dominant Gamecock defense anchored by team rebounds leader Chloe Kitts.
Coach Kim Mulkey's roster will have their work cut out for them in Columbia, where South Carolina is on a 68-game home winning streak. Even more, the Gamecocks haven't lost to the Tigers since January 2012, winning 16 consecutive meetings between the pair.
That said, while last year's South Carolina team ran the table on their way to a national title, LSU is one of just two Division I teams to still hold a perfect season. The Tigers' 20-0 record is the second-best start in program history, just below their 2022/23 team who strung together 23 wins before South Carolina handed them a first season loss.
If Staley's squad can do it again on Friday, they'll earn an eighth victory over currently ranked teams — and third over a Top 10 roster — so far this season. Their lone loss came at the hands of No. 1 UCLA, the only other program still holding an undefeated record.
On the other hand, LSU has just two victories over ranked teams so far, with Friday's matchup marking their first Top 10 test of the season.
How to watch LSU vs. South Carolina college basketball
LSU tips off against South Carolina at 5 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN.
The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season continues to impress, as stunning upsets took over college courts this week.
Kicking off the drama was Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins, who set a new USC three-point record in Tuesday's 94-52 win over Cal Baptist, going 9-11 from behind the arc en route to a 40-point performance that led the Big Ten newcomer to a 7-1 season record.
"The goal is to have fun always," Watkins said after the game. "I shoot my best when I'm not really thinking."
Chaos reigns on Thursday's NCAA basketball courts
Watkins's big night set the stage for a stellar week of college hoops, with Thursday's slate serving up Top-10 matchups, upsets, and overtime thrillers.
While No. 3 South Carolina dispatched No. 8 Duke 81-70 behind Chloe Kitts' career-high tying 21 points, No. 10 Notre Dame snapped their two-game losing streak by handing No. 4 Texas their season's first defeat.
Even more impressive about the 80-70 overtime victory is that the Fighting Irish clinched it with an injury-hampered roster. Only six Notre Dame players took the court, battling 11 total Longhorns.
Sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo, who competed all 45 minutes, led the Irish with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron also contributed 18 points apiece. That said, defense clinched the upset win by holding Texas to just two overtime points while Notre Dame drained 12.
"They played with their hearts," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey noted after the win. "They played with passion and fire. I'm just really proud of this group."
Also shaking up higher ranked teams on Thursday was NC State and No. 16 UNC, who downed No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 14 Kentucky, respectively. On the West Coast, Cal humbled No. 19 Alabama 69-65, sending the Tide home with their first season loss to end Bama's first 9-0 start in 24 years.
Narrowly escaping Thursday's upset party was No. 5 LSU, who needed overtime to take down unranked Stanford 94-88. Cardinal sophomore Nunu Agara impressed with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double, but the Tigers bit back with Mikaylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert, and Flau'jae Johnson combining for an astounding 78 points to keep LSU undefeated on the season.
Top NCAA teams take over Barclays in new Champions Classic
The madness continues on Saturday with the first-ever Women’s Champions Classic. Four college basketball powerhouses will hit the court at Brooklyn's Barclays Center — home to the 2024 WNBA champion NY Liberty.
Saturday's doubleheader sees eight-time NCAA champs Tennessee take on No. 17 Iowa in their first clash since 1993, when the Hawkeyes registered their only win over three matchups with the Vols.
The nightcap between 11-time title-winners No. 2 UConn and No. 22 Louisville has an even deeper history, with legendary coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies holding a 19-3 all-time record over the Cardinals.
Unlike the 13-year-old men's Champions Classic, which features the same four teams (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State) each year, the new annual women's edition will always include UConn alongside three other rotating teams.
"There's never been a higher level of interest in women's basketball," Auriemma said ahead of the games. "The Champions Classic will give fans exciting, marquee matchups early in the season."
How to watch UConn college basketball at the Women's Champions Classic college basketball event
Saturday's action starts with No. 17 Iowa vs. Tennessee at 7 PM ET. No. 22 Louisville vs. No. 2 UConn follows at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live on Fox.
As the new year approaches, the college basketball season is heating up, and so is the player of the year race.
The Naismith Player of the Year award recognizes the best players in NCAA men’s and women’s basketball. Several players on the 50-player watchlist have lived up to their billing. One in particular has done even more.
Here are Just Women’s Sports’ contenders in the player of the year race heading into 2024, in no particular order.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Not much more needs to be said here. Last year’s Naismith Award winner is putting on an even better show this season. At the time of publication, Clark averages a league-leading 30.5 points per game and is seventh in NCAA Division I in assists (7.4 per game). At her current pace, Clark could overtake Kelsey Plum’s college scoring record by February. And while she’s a high scorer, she also spreads the wealth around to her team.
In what could be her final year in the NCAA, Clark has also stepped up her defensive play. She’s gathered 91 defensive rebounds through 13 games played, and her turnover rate is at a career low.
For the second year in a row, Clark may well be the best all-around choice for player of the year.
Alissa Pili, Utah
Few players on this list have taken their team on their backs the way Pili has. When she shoots, she rarely misses. When she defends, she gives her all.
Pili averages just under 25 points per game, good for fourth in D-I. She also has a 69.7 shooting percentage, the fifth-highest in the NCAA. And she is making 56.5% of her 3-pointers, which ranks first in the NCAA.
Pili’s WNBA potential has been debated. But after the show she’s been putting on this season, there’s no question that she could thrive in the pros. Her size, scoring ability and athleticism make her an ideal draft candidate in 2024 — and perhaps a player of the year candidate as well.
JuJu Watkins, USC
The freshman guard is already making a huge impact for the Trojans. In the seven-week old college basketball season, Watkins has taken home six Pac-12 freshman of the week honors. And for good reason.
Watkins is averaging a staggering 26.8 points per game, placing her at second in D-I as a first-year player. She shoots over 46% from behind the arc, and she’s snagged 62 rebounds in her nine games played.
Before finishing her first semester of college, Watkins has cemented herself as a regular in USC’s starting lineup and as a favorite for national freshman of the year honors. And if she keeps it up, she could set her sights even higher.
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Bueckers started the 2023-24 season with something to prove. The redshirt junior guard had less than 50 college games under her belt due to injuries — a good amount lower than many other players in her year. But she hit the court without missing a beat.
The 21-year-old averages almost 19 points per game, shoots 48% from the three-point line and leads her team in points this season. Bueckers also averages more than three assists per game, and she’s snagged 23 steals in 12 games. She is stepping up her defensive game as well. So far, she’s batted a team-leading 16 blocks as a guard and she’s collected 50 defensive rebounds.
If she continues to heat up despite the pressure of leading a depleted UConn squad, she could play her way into the national award conversation.
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Morrow is another player whose all-around skillset is serving her well early in the 2023-24 slate. Her versatility is allowing her to shine at LSU after her transfer from DePaul in the offseason.
The 20-year-old forward makes her presence known on the scoresheet, averaging 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. But her excellence continues on the other side of the ball. Morrow leads the Tigers with 34 steals and 17 blocks in 13 games played.
Through many challenges LSU has faced this season, including a prolonged absence for star Angel Reese and the removal of former starter Kateri Poole from the team, Morrow has taken everything in stride and remained a consistent and reliable player for the Tigers.
Honorable mentions:
- Cameron Brink, Stanford
- Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
- Deja Kelly, UNC
- Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
- Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State