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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. 

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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.”

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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