Hindsight is 20/20: Three teams that have exceeded expectations already

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Hindsight is 20/20: Three Teams That Have Exceeded Expectations Already"

Podcast Information:

• Title: No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
• Host/Author: The Athletic
• Episode: Hindsight is 20/20: Three Teams that have exceeded expectations already
• Release Date: November 28, 2023

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Introduction

In this episode of No Offseason, hosts Zena Kaida and Chantelle Jennings delve into the early performances of women's basketball teams that have surpassed preseason expectations. The discussion centers around South Carolina, North Carolina State (NC State), and Stanford, with an honorable mention of Kansas State. Additionally, the hosts touch upon the evolving landscape of the PAC-12 conference and engage in an off-script conversation about media responsibilities in sensitive player situations.

South Carolina Exceeds Expectations

Timestamp: [05:14] – [16:03]

South Carolina was anticipated to remain a powerhouse in women's basketball, largely due to the leadership of Coach Dawn Staley and the team's defensive prowess. However, the team has not only maintained but also amplified their performance on both ends of the court.

• Defensive Strength:

  • Chantelle Jennings remarks, “South Carolina is a two-way team… best defense in the country” ([07:23]).
  • The team’s defense ensures they're rarely out of reach, maintaining margins within 25 points.

• Offensive Excellence:

  • The offensive flow feels seamless, showcasing the team's cohesion despite a largely new roster.
  • Raven Johnson, initially considered a backup, has emerged as a key player, demonstrating significant growth and earning deserved recognition ([08:28]).

• Team Versatility:

  • South Carolina boasts multiple offensive options, making them a challenging opponent. Chantelle highlights the versatility, stating, “They have options elsewhere and several options, which makes them even harder to defend” ([10:35]).

• Future Prospects:

  • The potential for further growth is immense, with players like Malaysia Folweily transitioning from high school to impactful roles quickly ([14:08]).

North Carolina State's Breakout Season

Timestamp: [16:03] – [27:45]

NC State has transformed from a team searching for its identity to a formidable contender, marked by strategic player development and dynamic gameplay.

• Preseason Projections vs. Reality:

  • Initially ranked modestly in preseason top 25 ([17:07]), NC State has delivered impressive upsets against top teams like UConn and Colorado.

• Key Players:

  • Saniya Rivers: Her leadership and perimeter play have been instrumental in NC State’s success.
  • Isaiah James: Demonstrated remarkable improvement, averaging 17 points a game from 7 points last season, mainly through enhanced three-point shooting ([21:25]).

• Team Dynamics:

  • The guards have had breakout performances, contributing significantly to both offense and defense. Chantelle notes, “They have this mentality of like, what do we have to lose?” ([20:40]).

• Rebounding and Defense:

  • With six players averaging at least four rebounds per game, NC State excels in team rebounding, reducing dependence on individual players ([23:25]).

Stanford's Unanticipated Success

Timestamp: [27:45] – [32:41]

Stanford has defied expectations by building a robust front court duo and enhancing overall team performance, positioning themselves as a potential Final Four contender.

• Front Court Dominance:

  • Cameron Brink: Continues to deliver as a consistent scorer and rebounder.
  • Kiki Uriafan: Has emerged as a standout player, significantly improving her game and becoming crucial to Stanford’s defense ([25:26]).

• Defensive Prowess:

  • The duo of Brink and Uriafan disrupt opponents’ offenses through shot-blocking and defensive versatility, making it difficult for teams to adapt ([26:37]).

• Free Throw Efficiency:

  • Stanford boasts exceptional free throw percentages, with four players shooting above 75%, enhancing their offensive efficiency without clock penalties ([30:41]).

• Team Depth and Balance:

  • Beyond the stars, players like Hannah Jump and Talana Lopolo have stepped up, contributing to both offense and defense, ensuring the team isn't reliant on a single player ([27:45]).

Honorable Mention: Kansas State

Timestamp: [32:41] – [37:04]

Kansas State has emerged as a dark horse, demonstrating resilience and depth despite early-season losses.

• Key Player Contributions:

  • Aoka Lee: From Minnesota, Lee has been a powerhouse, averaging 19 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks per game. Her recovery from a season-ending injury has been remarkable ([33:59]).
  • Serena Sundell and Zyanna Walker: Provide essential depth off the bench, supporting Kansas State’s competitive edge.

• Team Resilience:

  • Kansas State showcased their depth by maintaining competitiveness even when Lee was sidelined, indicating a well-rounded team structure ([36:19]).

PAC-12 Conference Overview

Timestamp: [37:04] – [38:59]

The hosts reflect on the PAC-12 conference’s impact on women’s basketball, acknowledging its historical significance and the growing star power within its teams.

• Star Power and Team Depth:

  • Players like Alisa Pele from Utah and standout performances from Stanford have elevated the conference's status ([38:21]).

• Conference Dynamics:

  • The imminent conclusion of the PAC-12 season brings a mix of excitement and nostalgia, as teams gear up for intense conference play and the upcoming tournament ([38:49]).

Off-Script: Media Responsibilities in Player Situations

Timestamp: [40:26] – [53:54]

In an extended off-script segment, Zena Kaida and Chantelle Jennings discuss the delicate balance media members must maintain when reporting on sensitive player situations, such as the ongoing LSU scenario.

• Ethical Journalism:

  • Chantelle emphasizes the importance of reporting facts without speculation, adhering to journalistic integrity even when audience demands more information ([44:20], [49:01]).

• Handling Ambiguity:

  • Acknowledging protections like FERPA and HIPAA, Chantelle highlights the challenges journalists face in balancing transparency with respect for privacy ([47:13]).

• Audience Expectations vs. Media Responsibilities:

  • Zena and Chantelle discuss managing public impatience for information while upholding truthfulness and avoiding rumors, reinforcing trust in responsible reporting ([49:01], [50:22]).

• Encouraging Patience and Trust:

  • The hosts advocate for patience among audiences, urging listeners to rely on credible sources and resist the urge to spread unverified information ([52:48]).

Conclusion

In wrapping up the episode, Zena Kaida and Chantelle Jennings express gratitude to their listeners and encourage continued engagement. They reaffirm their commitment to delivering insightful and truthful coverage of the NCAA women's basketball season, highlighting the excitement and unpredictability that lie ahead.

Notable Quotes:

• Chantelle Jennings: “This offense and sort of not only how prolific they are, but also how efficient they've been and how fast they're playing. They're really fun to watch right now.” ([07:23])
• Zena Kaida: “What's beautiful about these teams is that the teams we're seeing now will look significantly different by March.” ([14:08])
• Chantelle Jennings: “If you have a team playing sort of in a three or a five game series, there's no team in the country that I think beats them in a three or five game series.” ([10:35])
• Chantelle Jennings: “My home state, North Carolina State… they've had two top five upsets.” ([17:07])
• Chantelle Jennings: “Being a reporter that people can trust is more important.” ([50:22])

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Final Thoughts

This episode provides an in-depth analysis of rising teams in women's basketball, showcasing how strategic player development and cohesive team dynamics can lead to unexpected success. Additionally, the candid discussion on media ethics offers valuable insights into responsible sports journalism.

For those eager to stay updated on the evolving NCAA women's basketball landscape, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

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[Zena Kaida]

For the Athletic I'm Zena Kaeda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball show presented by Michelob Ultra. Welcome back to the Athletic Women's Basketball show presented by Michelob Ultra. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Joining me today is Chantelle Jennings, especially right after feast week. Chantelle, I just want to say I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful for you. Thank you for the work that you do, for the coverage that you provide. You have written some really beautiful pieces as of late, particularly I love the one on Yale Ivy. I really just want to say thank you for the work that you're doing for the athletic.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm especially thankful for the podcast. I feel like this is such a great place to join together and talk women's hoops and I feel pretty lucky that we have this team.

[Zena Kaida]

I feel lucky as well. So also thank you to Michelob Ultra. Appreciate you guys supporting us to allow us this space. So one thing I'm really excited to talk to you about today, Shantelle, is kind of like a let's look back on where we were at before the season started around some of the teams that we had some ideas of who we thought they would be, and now a few games have played out and now we get to see who they actually are, at least for the start of the season. Right. You never know, these things could change. But we've chosen a few teams that, you know, we want to talk through. And I want to start with, obviously, number one, South Carolina. I think everyone going into this season knew they were still going to be good. Right. They had a solid backup, I guess, to the, to the core four that just graduated and you knew that Dawn Staley was still going to bring it and she recruits well and. But we really thought about their defense more than anything. And now you're looking at the numbers they're putting up. Oh, we forgot South Carolina is a two way team.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, we can call this The Hindsight is 2020 podcast, I think. Yeah, you said it like this is a Don Staley team. And you sort of just looked at the players that the Gamecocks have and you're like, this defense is going to be very, very good again. They're going to be well coached, they're going to be disciplined, they're going to be active, they're going to just clean up the glass and be able to get out and transition. I don't think we understood quite how fast they were going to be able to get out and transition just because again, you didn't return players who had played a ton of minutes and especially players who had played a ton of minutes together. And so there was sort of that question about offensive flow and fit. And now we're suddenly looking at the best offense in the country paired with the best defense in the country. And I have yet to see a team that I think will be able to keep it within 25 of South Carolina. And it's, you know, it's not just the defense that's going to keep them with that margin. It's this offense and sort of not only how prolific they are, but also how efficient they've been and how fast they're playing. They're really fun to watch right now.

[Zena Kaida]

They really are. And like you said, the offensive flow, it does feel like a team that's been together a very long time. And I said this recently about another team, but, like, if I'd never watched basketball before and I had heard, oh, yeah, the South Carolina Gamecocks had this ridiculous winning record, graduated class that only lost four games in their four years, right. @ a school, I'd look at the team right now and be like, oh, this class? Is this the group? Because the way that, you know, Raven Johnson has stepped in and stepped up on this team, you would have never known that she was a backup. Right.

[Chantelle Jennings]

And that she was never seasoned. Raven. And I'm loving it.

[Zena Kaida]

Like, it's so great. It's really beautiful. Like, just seeing her come into her game and get the recognition I think that her game deserves. Would you say, like, when you look at a Raven or even a Camila Cardoso, like, when you say revenge season, would you say that they came in with that chip on their shoulder?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Oh, I think so. I think this is definitely. I mean, beyond sort of the way that the season ended last year, I think, because so many people were talking about, you know, what is this team? What are they going to look like? And they get to be in practice and sort of see what they look like every day. And I'm sure in preseason camp, they were looking around like, oh, dang, really good. We're going to put up numbers. And everyone's calling this a reload. And Don Staley was saying, it's not a reload, even though, you know it was. You're bringing in a whole new starting group. You have this new core. You have this bench. Like, there are questions from last year, and I think that's kind of what they heard a lot in the off season, were sort of these questions, and they knew internally, like, well, we have the answers already, and we're going to show you guys. And I think just, you know, you were talking about the offensive flow. What makes them so unique is. And this is a team that I don't Want to look at pure numbers specifically when we're talking about stats, just because they're averaging 100 points a game. And so it's like, well, yes, their stats are going to be very high, but I think, you know, to really understand how good this offense is, as you look at percentages, and right now they're assisting on 64% of their makes, which is top 10% in the country.

[Zena Kaida]

Offensive, that's WNBA level production, like efficiency.

[Chantelle Jennings]

It's low. It's production, it's unselfishness, it's great passing. It's a low turnover rate. Like, in order to have that kind of assist to turnover ratio, 2.21 assists for every turnover. Like, you have to have elite guard play and unselfish players, and that's really what they have on this team. You don't have a single player that you look at. You know, it kind of felt like in years past, like Aaliyah, Boston, you know, in the last few years was sort of that, like, security net for them, that if they needed a bucket, they were going to go to Aliyah in the paint. They now have options elsewhere and several options, which makes them even harder to defend. But that versatility where you know you're going to have different games where it's Raven, it's Tahina, it's Camilla, it's Chloe Kitz, like, it's Ashlynn, you know, on both ends of the floor. Again, I. I haven't seen any team in the country that I think is going to be within 25 of them. Obviously, you know, crazy stuff happens. March will come when it comes, and we'll see what happens then. But if you have them playing sort of in a three or a five game series, there's no team in the country right now that I think beats them in a three or five game series.

[Zena Kaida]

Right. And I agree with that. And I'm happy you actually brought up, you know, March is a while away from now, but it's what they're building up towards. And I was looking at their schedule and I think some people will make the argument like, okay, well, they haven't played anybody huge yet. And I'm like, okay, you know, we can probably take that. Sure. I'm particularly excited to see them go up against Utah. That won't be until December 10th. But is there anyone that, like, as you think about their schedule, that makes you go, hmm, I think this might be the closest that you might get to actually, you know, seeing competition for South Carolina?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Well, I'll say the Maryland win In hindsight now, sort of what's happened with Maryland since then, I agree they've, you know, sort of gone down. I think the Notre Dame win is still compelling. Obviously there's some health issues with Notre Dame and available player availability issues, I should say. But like, that's a lot legit team. Not the best performance from some of them in that game. But yeah, I think, yeah, Utah's the game that I have circled right now. Alyssa Pele is such a dynamic player. South Carolina hasn't seen a player like her yet this season. And so how they're going to defend her will be interesting. You know, I think through the SEC schedule, Tennessee is going to give them a tough fight. Mississippi State will be an interesting game. Mississippi State is going to want to play fast. You know, ole Ms. Coach yo is going to come in with a game plan for sure. The UConn game obviously should be circled. That's February 11th. Right now, UConn is one of those teams that is, as they have been for the last two seasons, transitioning and cycling through lineups because of injury issues. But there's so much familiarity also between these teams that, you know, the Huskies and the Gamecocks are going to come in with a really good game plan. So it's going to be a lot about player execution. At the end of the day though, it's tough with South Carolina because they sort of have that Watkins Cardoso combo in the middle that a lot of teams just physically can't match up with 1 to 1 or 2 to 2 on that. So it'll be interesting to see what teams throw at South Carolina through the year to just figure it out and then hope, you know, you get to March and there's little magic somewhere.

[Zena Kaida]

What's beautiful about these teams is that the teams we're seeing now will look significantly different by March. Like they'll, they'll gel even better. They'll learn more than, you know, they'll be able, I would say, to adjust to their scout. Right. There's a lot of times where teams realize how they're being scouted and how they're being game planned for and they're like, okay, we got to change our whole scheme. I love that South Carolina added the three point shot. I would say. I'm not sure if that was a focus for Dawn Staley in terms of like the recruitment or what they work on in practice or what their off season conditioning, you know, protocols were around getting their three point shot percentage up. But it's always like cool to see the phases through which teams go through throughout the season as they prepare to get towards March and become a better competitive team.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Wait, I have one more thought on South Carolina, though. Before, since we're talking about March, I think a piece that really makes them even more dangerous is that you have a lot of players who are sort of coming in with these larger roles for the team. And I think that's what makes it so exciting to watch this group evolve over the season because you have a player like Malaysia Folweily who went from playing high school basketball to March. That's a big amount of time for a player. And so sort of being impressed with what she's done so far. But let's project forward four months from now with that under her belt. How much better is she going to be with a player like Chloe Kitz, who came in early, left high school early. Came in early. Similarly, with the more experience she gets through SEC play, how much better will she be in March? And there's other players again, because the freshie class took up such a large percentage of the minutes. A lot of these players are really, we're watching them get their sea legs as we go and they're already this good. Sort of the amount of growth this team can have from November to March, it's going to be really fun to watch.

[Zena Kaida]

1,000%. That's exactly. You know, when I was thinking about the scout, I was thinking about the freshman, right? You learn how other teams scout you. You learn what things they're saying about you or, you know, that she can't dribble with this hand or she turns over her right shoulder. And you work on those things throughout the season. And so it is. It's going to be really cool to see how they adjust and get better. And I like the way you put it, get their sea legs over the course of the year. Another team I want to talk about of, like what we thought they would be versus what they are, is my home state, North Carolina. North Carolina State. I am very, very excited about what they are right now. And I think we first saw that when they took down UConn earlier this season. And, you know, the world was reminded, if not if they hadn't already been introduced. But they were definitely reminded of Saniya Rivers and her impact on this team. But talk to me a little bit about what you thought NC State would be versus now, what we've seen them to be.

[Chantelle Jennings]

So I've got to give a lot of props here to Sabrina Merchant. She and I put together our preseason top 25. And you know, I think when you're putting those lists together and again, it's all projection and it's all like making assumptions about things that you are educated on, but, you know, it's based in assumptions. Those last five to eight teams can be really, really tough because a lot of times you're looking at those top 10, 12, 13 teams and you're like, okay, we know because of the players coming back or because of XYZ that they're going to be sort of at the top of the top of the top in terms of teams. And those last five teams are tough. And she was really riding hard for NC State. She was like, I think they're going to be really good. And I was kind of in the camp of like last year, it just felt like they were searching for this post. Alisa Kinane, like, who are we? What is our identity? And last year they got bumped out of the first round of the NCAA tournament. It never felt like they were in this sort of flow. But I trusted Sabrina. I'm glad I did because we had them in our top 25 at number 23. And now they've had two top five upsets. As you said, they upset UConn when UConn had AZ, which is in notable, and they upset Colorado this weekend. And so you have this team that behind Sinai Rivers and behind Isaiah James is just sort of really like perimeter guard driven, playing faster than Westmore's teams have played before. I like how they're getting to the free throw line, you know, picking up 18 points a game without taking time off the clock, like that makes a big difference. But also it's, you know, a lot of the players who are picking up those fouls are the guards. It's Azaya and Saniyah. And so they're getting opposing guards into foul trouble. And if those two are already so good on sort of the opponent's A team, defensive players, like, then the backups come in, they have even a little bit more fun and they're rebounding so well, like they're, they're just, again, it was a team that lots of new players felt like they didn't find their identity last year 100%. So those same questions just sort of lingered for me. And then they came out and were able to answer those questions pretty quickly.

[Zena Kaida]

When I think about NC State and I do remember them coming out in the first round last year, I always try to cheer for the North Carolina teams, like just pay attention a little bit. But I feel like their Guards are having a breakout year. Right. And making a statement about their level of play. And I still vividly remember Saniya Rivers telling Holly Rowe, like, when they beat UConn, like, we had nothing to lose. Right? We came out here, we had nothing to lose. It's interesting. I feel like that theme has continued because even their game against Colorado felt like that too, where they were just like, let's just do what we do, rebound well, run quickly and play quickly but efficiently. There's a difference between playing quickly but not being in a rush. And I feel like they do that really, really well. And there's something to be said about teams that if no one really has expectations for you, how you can come out and still, you know, make a statement. And I feel like NC State is playing like that right now. When you think about a team that matches up well against them, they're not a high shooting team, like, in terms of like three point shot, from what I've seen them in the two games that I've seen them play. But they do seem like. They seem like they're a running team more. So is there a team that comes to mind where you're like, ooh, on their schedule. This is a matchup I'm looking forward to.

[Chantelle Jennings]

You know, I think the games that jump out at me right away are probably Like Florida State, January 4, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, depending on what happens there with their guards, specifically, you know, who's able to go, who's not. I think the tough thing again, and this is another, we were just talking about this with South Carolina, where you have players who are taking on larger roles at this point in the year. There's a few players kind of in the top for me in terms of most improved, and I think Isaiah James falls into that. This is a player who, you know, last season was averaging seven points a game. She's averaging 17 points a game. A lot of that has come from, you know, becoming a much better three point shooter. She went from shooting under 30% to shooting 43%. And it's one of the better ones.

[Zena Kaida]

On the team too, right?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah. I mean, and this is six attempts a game. Like, it's not like she's shooting that with one or two attempts at games. Like, she's pretty high volume perimeter shooter. And so I think that's. That's tough. And then the players, again, they're getting to the free throw line. And so you kind of have to think about which teams have enough guard depth to keep up with them. It's tough because I just, I think those players on the outside for NC State, Westmore has them really well coached. They're playing together in a flow. And you're right, they have this mentality of like, what do we have to lose? People didn't even pay attention to us at the beginning of the season. We're just going to come out and show people. And I think every coach motivates their team in different ways. Whether it's Dawn Staley who might be telling her team, like, everyone thinks we're reloading. No one knows anything about us. You know, Wes Moore might be saying the exact same thing, but in a different way where it's like, you know, people think we didn't have an identity last season. They don't know who we are. Let's go show them who we are. And so I think it's these early season games where teams can come out and say no, like, you know, they're going to draw the line in the sand and say, this is who we are. And there are teams that have done a better job of establishing that identity early. And I think NC State has done that really, really well with some really tremendous and fast guard play and getting into the paint and getting opponents into foul trouble.

[Zena Kaida]

Yeah, no. Aziah Jaynes is a really great example of that. Most improved. Like you look at her three point percentage, 43% team is at a 33. And she's really the main person that's helping that number even stay to that level. But also like considering as a sophomore only averaged about 7 points, now averaging 17 in this starting position, in this starting role. So she's unlocked another level, I think, to her offensive game. But again, their offense is generated by good defense as well. And so their run game is based on the fact that they play really great defense too. So I'm excited.

[Chantelle Jennings]

And they're another, they're another really good rebounding team. And it's not necessarily just close possession.

[Zena Kaida]

Yes, they close possessions well.

[Chantelle Jennings]

They have sort of guards who are not afraid to attack the glass and go after those longer rebounds. They have six players who are averaging at least four rebounds a game. I don't know how many teams in the country have that, but it's not like they're leaving River Baldwin in the middle to sort of clean up everything. They are rebounding as a team, which I think a lot of coaches will say, like, this is what we want to do. And then you look at the numbers and you're like, but there's two players who are getting all of your rebounds for you, Westmore really does have a team where everyone is crashing the glass and everyone, because they're doing that, they're able to get out and run in a lot of different ways.

[Zena Kaida]

Yeah, it's so important to be able to have a shot go up and again. Closing out. I was watching Wake Forest against Villanova yesterday, and Wake forest was down 15 points and literally was just able to get back in from their post players. Offensive rebounding, offensive rebounding, even if they weren't finishing and closing. It's a team's ability to say, all right, you had your chance at offense. We're closing it out. And we're going six players averaging four rebounds. That is perfect. As a coach, that's what you want. That's what you want to be able to say no more of, you know, the offensive or the second chance points. So that's amazing. Great job, North Carolina State. All right, I got another team I want to talk about, and this is an interesting one because it's funny. I don't think anyone ever discounted this team, but I definitely don't think that anyone thought that they'd be undefeated at this point and. And also playing the way that they're playing. And I've had a lot of fun watching several of their games recently. But this is Stanford, and this is a Stanford that in the minds of most people, we're like, all right, who's left? And it's only Cameron Brink, but Cameron Brink is a powerhouse in herself, but she can't do it all. So who is around her and who's left? And man, there's a woman named Kiki that wanted to raise her hand and make sure, yes, I am here. And so I wanted to know your thoughts on Stanford preseason, you know, who you thought they were going to be versus this front court duo that we've been seeing on display.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I think, you know, we just got done talking about Isaiah James as one of the most improved players in the country. I think you have to put Kiki Uriafan in that group as well. Obviously, part of Kiki, you know, looking at her all around game, part of this is just she's getting more time on the floor, but what she's doing with that time on the floor, you know, she has become someone that teams have to account for, that teams have to stop. You're not going to stop Stanford unless you stop Kiki Iriafan. And I don't think that was something that was said last year, even though she started most of the season for the Cardinal. But Again, sort of with Kiki and Cam together, they're a team that's just dominating on the glass with their length in the paint. You know, it's not just sort of blocking shots. It's how they change passing lanes, it's how they change opponents shot choices. That's like a stat that I wish existed. You know, sort of how many times a player might like go start driving into the paint and then they're like, oh, just kidding, turn around and go out. Like, I wish there were a stat that sort of accounted for that. Because it's so much of a defensive mentality that there's just not, you know, sort of like on 30% of plays, Stanford has the. Oh, like whatever it is.

[Zena Kaida]

Yeah, like the deferral like or deferred stat.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, I like the deferral stat where they decide like, just kidding, we're going to plan B or C or whatever it is. And I just think, you know, several of the teams, you know, South Carolina is another one of those teams that I'd love to see that stat for. But specifically with those two players in the paint for Stanford, they've been really, really good there. I think they also have players who I don't want to call them role players because they've expanded so much. But like Hannah Jump is primarily a three point shooter, but she's also really, really good at distributing the ball. She stepped up in that way for them this year, getting them into their offense and their flow. Talana Lopolo has looked improved. This is a team that, you know, because of departures from the roster, we knew they weren't going to go super deep into their bench. And so staying healthy is going to be key for Stanford this season. But the top seven that they have and sort of how those players have grown into larger roles this year, you know, this is a potential final four team. Just because opponents are going to have a hard time dealing with Cam and Kiki because they're that good together.

[Zena Kaida]

Last week During Feast Week, 30.17 rebounds like insane against a solid team in Florida State. Like, I mean, I just talked about unlocking, but she is getting to. She's gotten to another level this year. I would want to ask you, do you think, is it just more time on the court or do you think that there's been some sort of like a tandem between Cam and Keke and the way that they work off of each other allows her for her game to blossom this way?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'd say yes. And probably, obviously, you know, when, you know that you're going to get 25 minutes a game versus last year, where Stanford's lineups last year were still a conundrum to a lot of us out there, like what was going on, who was going to play when I think this year again, when they're only running seven deep, you sort of know like you're going to get your 25 minutes game or so. I think maybe that takes, I don't want to say it takes the pressure off, but maybe you can play a little bit looser, you're less worried about making mistakes and therefore you play a little stronger, a little bit more confidently. I just think in general, this version of Kiki that we've seen has just been a much more complete player in terms of what she's been able to do. And I think part of that probably is that, you know, like I said, like when you have two players where you kind of have to account for both of them, it's really challenging for a defense. And also then on the other end of the floor, like they're just going to get into player space, they're going to get into opponent space and it's going to be hard. You look at her percentages, they're up a little bit. She's shooting 61% from the floor. Her three point shooting percentage, she's actually attempting a few more than she did last year. But I think it's just sort of, you see her and Cam together, they look really comfortable playing together. And maybe that's a product of a shorter and a smaller rotation. Not smaller physically, but just sort of only seven players. Maybe there was just more time to grow that comfort level. I'll be getting out to Stanford soon and I'm excited to be able to sort of see them practice and get more time with that team. But you know, I think Kiki 100% belongs in the conversation of most improved players nationally this year.

[Zena Kaida]

Yeah, she. She's gone from 12 minutes on average last year, still started 27 games, but only played 12 minutes to now this year doubling that to 24 minutes. She averaged 3.8 rebounds last year, now averaging 10 in the seven games that they've had this year. Her free throw percentage has gone up. She just continues in just these seven games to blow out her percentages from last year. And you can imagine that that's just gonna continue as she continues to evolve. So that's really exciting, I think, for the Stanford Cardinal to be able to have Cameron Brink, who has been phenomenal like she has been everything as advertised. But Also having Keke being a counterpart, I mean, I put them right beside each other in their impact on the game.

[Chantelle Jennings]

So I think Stanford is also a team that historically we haven't thought of them as like this incredible free throw shooting team. And this season, early on they've been excellent. Like, Cambrink has always been a very good free throw shooter. She's 47 of 49 on the year so far, which is crazy. But Kiki's right there with her at 80%. Nunu Agara is shooting 95%, so. And even Elena Boscana is shooting 74%. And I think when you have the four players who get to the free throw line the most knocking down those shots without taking time off the clock, that accounts for, you know, an added efficiency. Like if you can score without taking time off the clock, that's pretty darn efficient offense. And so this is a Stanford team that, you know, I don't think teams in the past from the PAC 12 necessarily felt super comfortable sending them to the free throw line, but I think if it weren't Cam, you felt okay. And now it's sort of like, oh, geez, there's four players on the floor who are shooting 75% or better from the free throw line, which for a college team is pretty rare. And so that makes this group, especially in late game situations, when you think about fouling and being up or down, that makes them a lot more dangerous.

[Zena Kaida]

And what's even more dangerous is that it's their front court, right? People, when you think about sending guards or sending people to a line that you're a little bit scared about, it's usually the guards, right? Having post players shooting free throws and making them. Yeah, that's tough because when you think about late game situations and presses and you know, getting the ball inbound and immediately having to foul or having to, you know, do something, you want the ball usually in the post players hands to be able to foul because they'll, you know, well, if Cambrink is the person you're fouling, or Nunu or Kiki, you're just like, yeah, you're like, ah.

[Chantelle Jennings]

We can't if you do, darned if you don't. Exactly who are you going to pick to foul in this situation? And Tara VanDever can put four players, you know, into receiving positions that can knock them down with great efficiency.

[Zena Kaida]

That's an understated benefit to have is in a late game situation, even end of quarter situation where you're just trying to get the ball in and you know, they're going to immediately foul. You can pass it to anyone on the court and we're going to get free points or, you know, projected to most likely get those free points. That's a really great benefit for Vandiver to have on her squad. I want to get one honorable mention in before we go off the script and I want to talk K State real quick, like real quickly because Kansas State, you know, they did just recently lose to Iowa by seven over feast week, but they were also a team that beat Iowa when they were number two earlier this month at November 16th. And they've been able to play against some solid competition. I think the first few games of the season for them has actually been quite competitive and they've performed pretty well. There's something that you had mentioned about Kansas that I thought was really interesting about, you know, who's on their roster and where these players come from. And I'm very curious, like what is fueling Kansas State's success but also some of the players that are on their team finding success out of the state that they're from.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, before we all started recording, I was telling Xena about, you know, you look at players like Aoka Lee, who's from Minnesota, and the Gophers couldn't keep her in state, which that must have been hard for them watching her dominate over the last few years. But in terms of this team this year, Aokalee is where it starts on both ends of the floor for this team. She's averaging 19 points, eight rebounds a game, two blocks per game. She's six'six she's coming off, she missed all of last season with an injury. And so I think maybe there were questions about for any player who misses a season with a season ending injury, sort of how they come in both physically and mentally. I think she has more than answered those questions thus far with her numbers and her play so far. Serena Sundell has been really, really good for them this season so far. And I think they also have Zyanna Walker transfer coming in off the bench. So you sort of have that depth for the Wildcats. And this was another team that, you know, the Big 12 feels a little more open at times this year minus Texas. Baylor looks really good too. But you know, neither one of those teams necessarily have the 6, 6 player in the middle that's going to be able to match up one on one with Aoka. And so it'll be interesting to see how this team fares through the rest of the season. They obviously got a lot of confidence in beating Iowa the first time, played well a second time, obviously during the Thanksgiving tournaments. It's hard when you play a team sort of. It's not back to back, but when you play a team that close and you knew Caitlin wasn't going to come in and have the same kind of game that she had the first time around. And so. Yeah, but you know, overall, this is a team that I think you can't completely count out from being able to put together a run because again, they have players, specifically Ayoka, where it's like it's a matchup problem and there aren't a lot of teams out there who are going to be able to match that length in the paint.

[Zena Kaida]

I mean six, six that. It's interesting. She actually ties the record for the second tallest player at Kansas State. You know, we've seen the whole. You can't teach height. It's real. Right. But you can't also teach height and also agility at her size and her ability to just be dexterous around the basket and have good touch in the basket as well. And she's also a good passer.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, she. And, and it's not. Kansas State is not all her like we, we should. Yeah, I know I give them a ton of props, but I think that first, you know, that first time that Iowa and Kansas State matched up, she picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and she went to the bench. It was like three minutes in and I was like, oh boy, here Iowa comes, like, game over. And Kansas State was fine. Like they aren't sort of this one player team. Despite the fact that IOKA is the centerpiece and is unique in her skill set. You know, they, they weathered the storm and were able to sort of keep things even with Iowa while Ioka's on the bench. And if they can do that with Iowa, they're going to be able to do that with a lot of other teams. And so, yeah, all around, you know, one of the best teams that we've seen out of Kansas State in a.

[Zena Kaida]

Long time for sure. I'm very excited for where they're going to go for the rest of the season. They, they had a crazy start to the year as far as like playing some big time ranked teams. Playing Iowa twice already. It's going to simmer down a little bit in these next few games. So I think they'll be able to use those games to kind of figure out more long term rotations and also just like get themselves a little bit more solid. I think every single team that we've talked about today and everyone else in the ncaa, there's been a lot of buzz to start these first two weeks. And now that everyone's gotten a little taste of everyone, gotten to see what's going on, I think that these next few games are going to simmer down for the majority of teams in terms of as they prepare for in conference play, which is that that's going to be very, very exciting to see what people do. I can't believe that PAC12 is about to end. Like, the football season right now is ending. And I'm seeing, you know, that kind of the people and the teams kind of close the curtain on that. And I'm really excited that Women's basketball and Pac12 is just heating up. We've been able to see just a few of them. I don't want to get too deep into them. That's a whole nother conversation for another day. But conference play, that's my point, folks. Conference play is about to get really, really fun and get really big.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Pac12 is going to be real fun. Like for this to be the last year for that league as we know it. I should say it's going to be really fun. It's going to be really sad and bittersweet, especially as someone that lived on the west coast for a decade, called it home. Still love that place. It's going to be really weird to see Tara Vandiver in the acc. Like, that's. How is that real life? She's going to be in Miami playing a conference game. What? But that's the future of college sports.

[Zena Kaida]

Well, you know what? We'll do one last what you thought versus what they are. PAC 12 conference. What did you think about the PAC 12 versus what you've seen?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I knew they were going to be good. I think they're living up to it for sure. You know, I was high on ucla, obviously, high on Utah. They brought back so much. Stanford was a question mark. USC was a question mark. Colorado knew they were going to be a good Sweet 16 team that returned four starters. Like, there was so much returning talent in the league that we knew it was going to be good. The teams that had question marks, like a Stanford, like a usc, have already answered those in a way and so already to sort of have. I think those five teams are five of the top 10 in Sabrina's AP poll this week. I don't know if I would have guessed that necessarily, but you look at the leagues and the conferences, the PAC12 historically is a league that has valued women's basketball. And the coaches have always tried to schedule. Not always, but the last decade or so really tried to schedule aggressively in order to prepare themselves for conference play and tournament play and get higher seatings as a conference as a whole. And so, you know, I think if this, it's not an. If this is the swan song for this conference, and it's. It's a pretty beautiful one so far. I can't wait to get into conference play. And I'm sure someone from our staff is going to be at the Pac12 tournament for that sad but joyous occasion. I don't know. It'll be like a funeral that's also a celebration. So that's a really depressing note to end this podcast on.

[Zena Kaida]

But no, no, no, I say, why.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Did we end on the PAC 12? Why are we talking about this?

[Zena Kaida]

Well, I will say for me, I know it's because I'm on the west coast, so I do get to see them a little bit more and think about them. But I think for me, what I thought about them, I thought they were gonna be solid teams, and I say that and I emphasize the word teams. I just thought that they. At programs, they would be solid programs. Like you said, a lot of people were returning and there's gonna be solid play. What I've realized what they are is they have a lot more star power than I thought. Right. So, like, when you think about last year, let's take last season, and you think about the stars of the ncaa, they were in other conferences for the most part, right? There were a few once in a. Like, you think about Utah, a great example there. Utah as a team was a solid team. And I'm seeing now Alisa Pele kind of show off and show out as a solid star. That's going to be a great draft prospect. Right? You think about Cameron Brink at Stanford and now also Kiki, you know, kind of coming out as a star as well, juju at USC. Like, there's a lot of star power in the Pac 12 as well, and I think that's really awesome. That's not to discount the teams overall. Don't get me wrong, they're amazing teams around all these stars. But it's not all about the sec, Right. And it's not all about, you know, the Big east and some of the big stars that you've seen on the East Coast. And so I think the PAC 12 is, you know, making a claim for that, too. So shout out to them. And they are shining bright. So that's the positive note. We'll end on that. But now it's time to go off the script. So today's off the script. I am asking Chantel to join me because I want to get her perspective as a member of the media around a topic that we know has been going on in the. In the midst of this NCAA season, the LSU situation. We are not here to get into the LSU situation because, you know, Chantelle, you have a column actually going to run today that you're hearing this, folks, but you're going to lay out what you know, what you don't know, what we don't know about, you know, this whole situation. So we're not going to be here to break it down right now. Definitely go read that column. But what I do want to ask you is a more generic and general question around these sorts of situations, because this isn't going to be the first time that we've seen a player sit. Be separated from a team, potentially be in some sort of disciplinary action, whatever it is that ultimately puts into question their status with the team. And it's not gonna be the first time, and it's definitely not gonna be the last time. And every single time, whether it's in the NCAA women's side or the men's side, we've seen this on the men's side as well. There's always a question about, you know, what should a coach do in these situations or what should an organization do in speaking about these situations? And again, we're not here to discuss that either. But I'm here to ask you from a media perspective, because you guys have the responsibility of telling this story. I want to ask you, how do you tell this story when there are so many unknowns and there are so many opinions about how it should be handled and whether you play it or not, whether you've ever coached or not, whether you're the member of the media or not. As a lover of women's basketball, people have opinions on how this should be handled by the media or how this should be seen or what the media, I don't know, deserving of. Right. In terms of information. So, okay, that was. I mean, this is quite the setup. So let me go ahead and ask you. Like, my first question to you is when situations like this arise, when a player's status with a team is unknown and there's ambiguity around it as a media member, what is your instinct? What are you looking for? What do you want to know from a team?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, I think, you know, I Start from a place of knowing that there's not like a playbook for this. Every situation is different. There is no one size fits all from a coach's perspective in terms of what they're going to do. Every player, every situation, every program, every athletic department, every. Everything is different, right? And so just because something works at one school doesn't mean it's going to work at another school in terms of how you handle things, right? So I think, you know, keeping in mind that, you know, there isn't that one size fits all, I think that's important to remember. I think I also come at it from a point of not being ashamed to say that, you know, I don't know, something like, I'm not going to go out there and just sort of make things up and, you know, project things or make assumptions. That's not my role as a journalist. My role is to report the truth. And when I don't know the truth, I personally myself have no problem admitting that. You know, this situation with LSU is one where there's a lot that we don't know. I think people who are, you know, making assumptions and sort of broadcasting those assumptions, it can be, you know, irresponsible and dangerous. I don't think they should do that. But, you know, I don't do that. And so I think that's kind of where I started. It is knowing there's a lot that we don't know. There's not a playbook or a one size fits all. And ultimately, the role of the journalist is to seek out the truth, to find the truth in any situation, whether that means asking the coach, texting or calling people's teams, their family members, whatever it is, looking for the truth, whatever it might be. And so in this situation, after games, Kim Mulkey has been asked about Angel's absence, Kateri's absence. That's just reporters doing their jobs. They're asking about something they don't know, which, at the core of journalism, that's what you're doing. You're asking questions about things that you don't know.

[Zena Kaida]

Now, from a perspective of the fact that this is an NCAA team and these athletes are technically amateurs, they're not professionals. Does that change anything in terms of what information, as a media member, you expect? And the reason why I'm asking this question is, in professional leagues, if a team member is missing or gone or whatever, disciplined, whatever, there is an announcement made by the PR team, and there's an expectation, I guess, around that, for various reasons, but mostly because of the investments that people have in their teams, be it sports betting, be it whatever, you don't necessarily have that same. I would imagine you don't have that same responsibility on an amateur level. But I don't know. Is that as a media member that has covered both, does that change the expectation from a media on those type of situations?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, so that's a good question. And I want to be really clear that right now I'm not speaking about the LSU situation in particular, because I don't want to sort of conflate what is happening in Baton Rouge and your question in terms of protections that exist for college athletes. There are things like FERPA and HIPAA which protect private information for student athletes, that occasionally, whether you're writing a story or doing an investigation or whatever it might be, you might ask for information and they'll come back and they say, we can't tell you that because it falls under one of these statutes. And so there are those protections that exist writ large for college athletes. And then there's obviously also sort of athletic department standards of conduct and protocol and all of that. And so the pros, I wouldn't know exactly how you know, they're similar or different, but as someone that's completely covered college sports and amateur sports, that's something that you do come up against often, and it's about protecting players, private data and private information.

[Zena Kaida]

Got it. And when you think about the fact that the audience is clamoring for information and they desperately want it, and you are only reporting the truth and what you know and you know, you don't want to make projections and assumptions in these situations, not only to protect the player and anyone involved on that side, but also to protect your credibility. How does a media member handle something like that? Do you. You just report what you know and that's it like, or, you know, how much do you try to find out more for the audience's sake versus accepting what it is? And this is, you know, this is all we know.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah. Obviously, I'm only ever going to report what I know to be fact. A lot of times journalism is sort of like an iceberg. Like, there's what you report and then there's sort of everything else that's under the water. And so, you know, you're as an ethical journalist, going to report what's above the water, what you know to be fact. And little by little, you can, you know, as you talk with sources, as you learn more information, you know, you're getting more of that above the water. To keep this extended metaphor going. But, you know, it's. It's not right to report on hearsay. It's not right to put those rumors out and, you know, and that speculation out into the world. It's not something, you know, I don't. I don't mess with that. I don't play in that gray area. And so whether or not that's sort of unsatisfying for readers, you know, that's unfortunate for them. But I think being a reporter that people can trust is more important. Knowing that where you're getting your information is from someone who's not playing fast and loose with facts and truth that really matters and making sure that people know that when they hear something from you as a reporter, that it is. It is rooted in fact and that it's not sort of, you know, I heard this from one person or this was through the grapevine from this person, from this, you know, like, that's not reporting. That's just rumors.

[Zena Kaida]

I think my opinion on this whole LSU situation and the non. Clarity, I guess, that we currently do not have, there's a lot of speculation around it. When I saw Angel Reese tweet Don't Believe Everything youg Read, it was very much a reminder, which I already knew, but I think it was very much a reminder of like, yeah, people just make stuff up. Like, you know, people just say things just to be the first to say it. Some people make things up to just have some sort of like a semblance of normalcy or I know something and there's like, you know, and this is what I know. And so I'm just gonna go with that. And so I do really respect our approach, I think, at the athletic, of reporting what we know and not speculating or not projecting anything out. We don't know what's going on, obviously, but I am grateful that your column is going to lay it all out as far as, like, what we don't know, what we still don't know, what we want to know and what we do know. For now, I would say to anyone listening as a person that's a former player that has seen some interesting things go down on a team in terms of reasons that players were excused or players weren't playing or, you know, players had to miss practice or miss games or whatever. I mean, things that you. You think you would know and be absolutely shocked to find out, health issues, family issues, you know, academic issues, runs the gamut. And because of that experience, I very much, very much encourage all of you to Be incredibly patient with this information and whatever the situation is going on at lsu. I know we all have our own opinions on coaches throughout this entire league and players throughout this entire league, but it's not right to project that into this situation and just make assumptions and come up with whatever. Just be patient. I know we don't like that sometimes, but just be patient. I really encourage you to do that and keep reading the Athletic, because we're going to do the responsible thing in the way that we tell the story and give out, you know, the information that we're finding to be true. So, Chantel, I appreciate you giving that perspective from a media mind, because I know sometimes there's people that are like, the media's not doing enough or media's doing too much or, you know, there's a lot of judgment on the way that a situation's being approached. But it is helpful to get your perspective on how you're approaching a situation like this in general and the situation in particular.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Well, and I thank you for giving me the chance to talk about it, because I feel like, you know, as someone who used to play college basketball, basketball, like, there is a smaller media presence in this market. And so I think a lot of times there's just less understanding about how journalists do journalism. Like, why, you know, are they being pushy if they're asking questions? Are they doing their job if they're asking questions? And so it's sort of understanding how good journalism happens. And I think that can be super helpful for everyone involved. For, obviously, journalists should know how good journalism happens, but also players and coaches and fans and people on Twitter and, you know, everyone can kind of take that into account when they're reading something from two Twitter accounts that are side by side. And maybe they're saying different things. And so who are you going to believe? Who are you going to trust? It's a very topical thing, obviously, as we look at reporting in America right now or across the world, really. But I think, you know, sort of in our. In our corner of that, in sports media, it's also really important to be ethical and to be honest and to be truthful and to pursue that truth in what you're doing. And so thanks for letting me speak on that.

[Zena Kaida]

Of course. Well, thank you for this episode. We are thankful for you, Chantelle. We're thankful for you, our audience. Just thank you guys for being committed to the show and also commenting and sending notes about what you guys want to cover. Continue to do that. That's our goal. We want to make sure that we're talking about stuff that you guys care about and also helping you you learn some new things. I just learned a lot today about teams, about the process of covering this league, and I'm just always grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this. So please go subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We're back to two shows a week, don't you worry folks, and we're going to continue to cover this amazing NCAA season that is just brewing. Only a few games in and already just so exciting. All right, I hope you guys have a great week. We'll be back on Friday, so make sure to tune in. Until then, I'm Zena Caida for the Athletic, encouraging you to keep listening, keep learning and keep loving the game. That's the only way we're gonna continue to grow it until next time.

[Chantelle Jennings]

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[Zena Kaida]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Hey guys. Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where.

[Chantelle Jennings]

We make fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves.

[Zena Kaida]

I'm Paige Desorbo.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'm Hannah Berner.

[Zena Kaida]

Welcome to the squad. Giggly Squad started on Summerhouse when we.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Were giggling during an inappropriate time, but.

[Zena Kaida]

Of course, we can't be managed, so we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling. We will make fun of pop culture news.

[Chantelle Jennings]

We're watching fashion trends pep talks where we give advice, mental health moments and games.

[Zena Kaida]

And guests listen to Giggly Squad on.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Zena Kaida]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Acast.com.