Iowa basketball just missed out on its first No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 since 1988. But that “doesn’t matter,” head coach Lisa Bluder said.

The Hawkeyes moved up one spot to No. 2 following losses by the previous top two teams, LSU and UConn, in the opening week of the season. South Carolina jumped five spots to become the new No. 1.

UCLA, Utah and Colorado round out the top five in the new poll, released Monday, followed by No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 LSU and No. 8 UConn.

“We’ll see,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said about the No. 1 ranking after Sunday’s 94-53 win against Northern Iowa. “It really doesn’t matter if we are or not. It’s a long year. What are we this week? Three? That’s darn good too.”

Star senior Caitlin Clark agreed, saying: “I think it was a good (week), it gets you off on the right note. But our group is mature enough to know this is just the starting block.”

The Hawkeyes were buoyed, of course, by Clark. After putting up 44 points in an 80-76 win against No. 8 Virginia Tech on Thursday, she put up the 12th triple-double of her career against UNI.

Her 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds made history: She is now Iowa’s all-time leading scorer. And she joins Oregon-turned-WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu as the only NCAA Division I players to record triple-doubles in four separate seasons. Ionescu finished her career with 26, and Clark is second on the all-time list.

Following Iowa’s win over UNI, Panthers head coach Tanya Warren called Clark “the best player in the country.”

“Caitlin Clark is the best player in the country,” Warren said. “No ifs, ands or buts about it. You’re not going to stop her, you’re not going to contain her. You just want to make things tough for her.”

Ahead of the game, Clark knew she was close to Iowa’s all-time scoring record, which was held by former national player of the year and current Phoenix Mercury center Megan Gustafson.

“Megan’s been our biggest fan on this whole journey,” Clark said. “Megan reached out to me last night and said, ‘You’re very, very deserving of this. Go out there and do it.’ It’s not the first time she’s reached out and texted me. She’s always there. And that’s not fake — Megan is one of the best people of all time.”

And Gustafson gave Clark praise following the record-breaking performance.

“Congrats on breaking my record,” she said. “As soon as I watched you play as a freshman I really did know that, my record [was] not gonna last very long. But that’s a huge tribute to the program that Iowa has built, that you have built. You’ve inspired so many kids, boys and girls, all over the world, all over the state of Iowa.”

But Clark doesn’t want to hold onto the record.

“Records are meant to be broken,” she said. “So I hope Iowa has a really great player one day who can break mine, too.”

The officiating in the 2023 NCAA basketball championship game between LSU and Iowa fell below expectations, per an NCAA review as well as an independent review commissioned by the Associated Press.

With two rising stars in Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark pitted against one another, LSU’s 102-85 win over Iowa averaged a record 9.9 million viewers on ABC. And the calls from the referees stood out as an issue — including the four personal fouls called on Clark.

While the NCAA had planned a review of officiating after the 2024 tournament, it sped up the process after the criticism surrounding the 2023 title game. Per Lynn Holzman, the NCAA vice president for women’s basketball, officials were graded on accuracy — and that number was below average for national championship games.

“In the championship game itself, for example, we typically have a performance that I think is 91% historically,” she told the Associated Press. “In that game, the percentage of correct calls was below that, around 88%. That’s factually the case.”

An independent review, conducted for the Associated Press by an official who did not participate in the LSU-Iowa game, found that the percentage of correct calls was lower than the 88% mark given by Holzman.

The independent review cited mistakes made during the game, including a foul on Reese at the end of the first quarter and two offensive fouls missed (one for each team) in the third quarter.

“Officiating across the board is a concern for people,” said North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart, president of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. “Doing that assessment was a good step showing that they are trying to address it.”

The NCAA review was done by the Pictor Group, which offered up six observations and recommendations. Among them was better education and training for the NCAA women’s basketball committees on officiating as well as selecting and assigning crews.

“They felt that the national officiating program is run with integrity and there’s no question around any of that,” Holzman said. “They identified areas we can be better.”

Changes already have been made to the NCAA rulebook following the 2022-23 season. One update: Players can no longer be charged with a technical foul for certain delay-of-game violations. One example? Iowa star Caitlin Clark was given a foul in the third quarter of the championship game for not giving the ball to an official after a foul was called. Clark was charged with a technical due to it being the second delay-of-game violation for the Hawkeyes.

“Our committee is going to get a specific education about how we evaluate officials and this is what we’re looking at,” Holzman said. “The committee is going to be trained up.”

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.

Kim Mulkey didn’t hold back after top-ranked LSU basketball lost its season opener to No. 20 Colorado, citing players’ lack of leadership in the 92-78 loss.

“I’m disappointed and surprised in some individual players that I thought would just be tougher and have a little fight and leadership about them,” Mulkey said. “But I knew what we faced. When you have that many kids that played that many minutes together [as Colorado], we had our hands full. Colorado did exactly what I thought they would do.”

Some of the Tigers issues are ones Mulkey can “live with,” such as poor shooting, which led to a “tough night offensively,” the head coach said.

“What I don’t live with is just guts and fight and physical play [not being there],” she continued. “You got that dog in you. I just didn’t think we had that tonight.”

LSU freshman Mikaylah Williams (17 points) and sophomore Sa’Myah Smith (16) led the team in scoring. The pair “did all they could,” according to Mulkey.

“You’re talking about a true freshman and a true sophomore. We need more than just them to have a little bit of fight,” she continued, noting that the team’s second line of defense was “nonexistent.” Still, she notes that these things are “fixable,” though she doesn’t know how long it will take.

“We’re not the same team today we were when we won it all,” she said. “I don’t know if anything that went on this summer [with new players transferring in] has anything whatsoever to do with [our] locker room. I think [our] locker room is affected by Colorado being a very good team.”

Angel Reese set an NCAA single-season record with 34 double-doubles last season, and she picked up where she left off, with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Star transfer Hailey Van Lith added 14 points and 7 assists, while fellow transfer Aneesah Morrow had 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese headline the watchlists for end-of-season Player of the Year awards.

The Iowa guard and LSU forward are coming off career seasons, as Clark swept the national awards but Reese and the Tigers beat the Hawkeyes in the national championship game. Both are among the front-runners for the Naismith Trophy and the Wade Trophy, two of the most prestigious individual honors in women’s college basketball.

The watchlist for the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year award includes 50 names. While Clark is the lone representative for Iowa, LSU leads all schools with four players: Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith.

UConn has three players on the list in Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Azzi Fudd. Other notable names include Stanford’s Cameron Brink, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.

The watchlist for the Wade Trophy, presented by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, includes just 16 players, listed below. LSU leads with three, and UConn and Virginia Tech have two each.

Wade Trophy: 2023-24 preseason watchlist

  • Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
  • Cameron Brink, Stanford
  • Paige Bueckers, UConn
  • Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
  • Caitlin Clark, Iowa
  • Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
  • Rori Harmon, Texas
  • Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
  • Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
  • Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
  • Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
  • Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
  • Aneesah Morrow, LSU
  • Alissa Pili, Utah
  • Angel Reese, LSU
  • Hailey Van Lith, LSU

Angel Reese is taking her coach in her all-time starting five.

LSU basketball is tipping off its title defense against Colorado on Nov. 6 as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame Series. The four-game showcase, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is being held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ahead of the season opener, several Tigers stars shared their dream starting lineups, pulled from the illustrious list of Hall of Fame members.

“I’m starting strong with Lisa Leslie,” Reese said, before also naming Cheryl Miller, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to her roster. She pondered her fifth choice before opting for her head coach: “I need a shooter. I’m going with Kim Mulkey.”

Mulkey, 61, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. She won three national titles as the head coach of the Baylor Bears, in 2005, 2012 and 2019, and she won her fourth career title with the LSU Tigers in April.

Flau’jae Johnson joined Reese in naming Mulkey to her lineup, and she added O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson.

Hailey Van Lith, meanwhile, put Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon in her starting five, while also naming Leslie, Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Michael Jordan.

“That’s a tough starting five, right there,” Van Lith said. “Mad tough.”

NCAA basketball champion Flau’jae Johnson and WNBA champions Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance all share a passion for their sport and a flair for entertainment.

But they definitely don’t share musical talent, as seen on the latest episode of Colson and Plaisance’s unscripted comedy series “The Syd + TP Show.”

In one segment of the show, the Las Vegas Aces players crash Johnson’s studio time, much to the LSU guard’s chagrin. Colson’s attempt at rapping includes a Chuck E. Cheese reference.

“Look Flau, you want these bars or not?” Colson asks Johnson. “Because we’re trying to be the realest and the illest in the league, you know? They say you’re the best, so show us the best.”

Luckily for Colson and Plaisance, Johnson provides a demonstration of her own skills at the microphone. The LSU sophomore balances her burgeoning basketball and music careers, with the Tigers preparing to start their title defense months after Johnson dropped a 13-song mixtape with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation under its Equity Distribution platform.

“I love making records. Like, I can spit and enjoy freestyling, but I love making songs because I can show my versatility,” Flau’jae told Revolt in August. “I cannot wait for the fans to start hearing my new music.”

While Colson and Plaisance might not have rap careers in their futures, they’re showing off their own talents through their comedy show, which is produced by TOGETHXR, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and Fubo.

“I feel like our sense of humor and our personalities are what could attract people to basketball, if they don’t already watch it,” Colson told Forbes.

Defending champion LSU basketball is the odds-on favorite to win another NCAA title this upcoming season.

The Tigers lead the pack both on FanDuel Sportsbook (+230) and DraftKings Sportsbook (+300). UConn comes in just behind them, at +600 on FanDuel and +500 on DraftKings, even after the Huskies snapped their Final Four streak in 2023.

LSU and UConn also hold No. 1 seeds in ESPN’s preseason bracketology. In the 2023 edition of March Madness, LSU entered with a No. 3 seed, and UConn with a No. 2 seed.

While 2023 runner-up Iowa sits immediately behind LSU and UConn in the betting odds, at +800 on FanDuel and +900 on DraftKings, ESPN projects Iowa as a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State and UCLA are the other two top seeds in the preseason prediction.

South Carolina entered the 2023 postseason as the No. 1 overall seed and as a huge favorite for the title. But after losing their entire starting lineup, the Gamecocks are fifth in championship odds on DraftKings (+1100), sixth on FanDuel (+1300) and a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s bracketology.

NCAA women’s basketball: 2024 national championship odds

These are the top 16 teams in betting odds for the 2024 national championship, as listed by FanDuel Sportsbook on Oct. 31.

  • LSU (+230)
  • UConn (+600)
  • Iowa (+800)
  • Utah (+1100)
  • Indiana (+1100)
  • South Carolina (+1300)
  • Stanford (+1300)
  • UCLA (+1700)
  • Ohio State (+1700)
  • Notre Dame (+1700)
  • Maryland (+2700)
  • Tennessee (+2700)
  • Texas (+2700)
  • Ole Miss (+5000)
  • Duke (+5000)
  • Baylor (+5000)

Angel Reese enters the 2023-24 NCAA basketball season as the clear star for defending champion LSU. But she’s more than happy to share the spotlight.

After the Tigers’ run to the NCAA Tournament title in April, they added two star transfers in Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith and DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow. They enter the upcoming season at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and as odds-on favorites to win another championship.

While Van Lith and Morrow could pull some attention (and some points and rebounds) from Reese, Reese is willing to take that trade-off.

“I wanted a superteam,” Reese told The Athletic. “They want greatness and I want greatness. They want a national championship and so do I. So why not do it all together?”

Reese joined LSU as a transfer from Maryland last offseason, and her first season with the Tigers outpaced every expectation. Reese set a single-season record with 34 double-doubles, including in all six NCAA Tournament games, en route to the program’s first national title.

Two questions hang over her senior season: Can LSU do it again with their reloaded roster? And is this Reese’s final hurrah, or will she stick around for an extra year?

She toyed with the possibility in a recent social media post, though she later added: “I love stirring the pot.” And she has talked about her WNBA ambitions, so while she has an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what she will do next is anyone’s guess.

“Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA,” Reese said in September. “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. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond.”

Star transfer Hailey Van Lith is going to be tasked with a number of jobs for LSU basketball this season.

The 22-year-old senior will be playing both guard positions, according to Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. While Van Lith traditionally has been a shooting guard, she’s also learning to be a point guard, Mulkey told Baton Rouge’s WBRZ.

“I’ve got returning players that played point last year with Alexis Morris,” Mulkey said, noting that it was actually Van Lith who wanted to learn to play the point.

“What Hailey wanted when she came here was for me to teach her the point guard position and for her to be able to do both,” Mulkey said. “Now as the season progresses, if she ends up being the true point guard and that’s where she stays then so be it. But right now I need Hailey to do both. I need her to play the point but I also need her to go back to what she’s been doing on the wing a lot because she’s a natural at that position.”

Of course, the No. 1-ranked Tigers are stacked in both guard slots. Flau’jae Johnson leads the contingent, alongside Last-Tear Poa and Kateri Poole, who are versatile guards in their own right. They also added Aneesah Morrow in the offseason, and are bringing on top prospects in Mikaylah Williams and Angelica Velez.

Still, the flexibility will be beneficial for Van Lith as she moves on to her professional career, which both she and Mulkey know. And at LSU, Van Lith is learning to not take as many shots.

“She’s a kid that shot a lot [at Louisville] because she needed to,” Mulkey said. “I think she’s quickly learning ‘I don’t have to take as many shots when I’m surrounded with these many kids that are around me that can score the ball as well.’”

To Mulkey, there are two types of point guards: those that are game managers and those that score. Van Lith, she says, is one of those that will likely be a scoring point guard.

“I think Hailey, when she is at the point, will be a scoring point guard because you don’t want to take that away from her,” she said. “But teaching her the little things, transition defense being one of them, she’s got to now change her mindset that, ‘I don’t pick up the ball in the back court. I’ve got to be the one back directing traffic like a center fielder.’ Those are the little things with playing point that the average person doesn’t understand.”