← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
Is it Paige or Juju's Year? - NCAA Women's Hoops Preview
00:48:07
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- [00:00]
Zena Kada
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- [01:39]
Chantelle Jennings
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- [03:41]
E
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- [04:01]
D
There to watch them.
- [04:02]
E
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- [05:14]
D
For the Athletic I'm Zena Kada and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Thanks for listening to the Athletic Women's Basketball show where we are here to talk all things women's hoops and yeah, it's Time to turn the page, folks. I know we've been talking about the wnba, but that talent has to come from somewhere. So whether you're a die hard fan that eats, sleeps and breathes basketball or or you're a casual fan looking to learn more about the college game, make sure to subscribe to this pod wherever you get your pods to stay up to date with us and subscribe to the Athletic. We're already churning out amazing NCAA women's college basketball content on the site, so you do not want to miss out, particularly as we enter into this season. Now I am joined today by Chantelle Jennings and Chantel, I cannot tell you how much you are a godsend for me because I feel like I've just been in the buzz of the WNBA and last year's NCAA season going into the WNBA season and I need a refresher of just the pool of talent that is still within the NCAA system that's, you know, raring to put on a show this upcoming year. So for today's scout, it's going to be a full kind of little background breakdown of what to expect. We're going to talk a little bit about what the offseason was like, especially with all of those big talent, big star names going into the W. What happened with some teams in the off season while they were kind of brewing under the lights. We're going to talk about the top 20 players and teams in the in the NCAA. Top freshmen. Yes. Some new names that you guys need to get acclimated to. And then things we're going to know after day one of the season and then after I'm going to play a little game with with with Chantelle because I got some thoughts and I don't know if they're good or bad, but we're going to introduce a new little game with Chantelle. All right, Chantel, let's kick this off, girl, because I got a lot to learn. First and foremost, I'm going to ask you first thinking about the transition, very quick transition of last year's senior class going into the wnba. I mean, Caitlyn Clark, Angel, Reese Cambrake, Rakia Jackson, you keep it. I mean the list goes on and on and on. It was just star power on star power and star power. Unbelievable tournament again. And then the focus was on the wnba. There wasn't much buzz around what's going on on the college level other than Paige Beckers and Flaw J. Johnson being literally everywhere. What was the off season like for you as a writer and the conversations you were having.
- [08:00]
E
You know, it's weird for me because I don't feel like the buzz left women's college basketball at all. We have one of those jobs that when people find out that you write about or talk about sports for a living, that's what they want to talk about. Obviously.
- [08:12]
D
Yeah, sure.
- [08:13]
E
But I've done this for a while and in years past, it's like, oh, you're a women's college basket. Do you like that? Is that fun? Do you go to a lot of the games? I kid you not. Like the names that were dropped to me this off season, I was like, that is like, people are watching. Yeah, I was on a flight. I was on a flight from Minneapolis to Connecticut earlier this week. I'm sitting next to a guy from South Dakota and he goes, hey, he finds out I write about women's college basketball. He's like, you think Audi Crooks is going to be just as good this year?
- [08:41]
D
I'm like, yes.
- [08:43]
E
I was like, first of all, too bad Sabrina is not on the pod today to celebrate this moment. But I was just like, yeah, she's going to be great. Like, Emily Ryan is back. Addie Brown's going to be really good. They got, you know, Kenzie Hair from Marquette. Like, I think Iowa State has a shot to make the Final Four this year. But like, you know, there are sort of those upper echelon talents that have permeated you've mentioned already. Paige Flaje, juju, like Hannah Hidalgo, Malaysia Full Wiley. These players who've like, had big seasons, big moments, big careers, that. Those are the players you expect to hear.
- [09:17]
D
Absolutely.
- [09:18]
E
I don't expect to hear from some dude from South Dakota sitting next to me on a flight. Like, give me your breakdown of Audi Crooks's. And he wanted to know, like, what do you think she got better at this offseason? I'm like, let me tell you, it was just. But that kind of happened all season. It was, you know, people would be like, hey, I feel like people are kind of forgetting, like, about Mikayla Williams and like all this stuff. We're like, what do you think about, you know, my friends who are not basketball People are texting me like, okay, so who's the next Caitlin? Like, who's coming up? Who are we going to be talking to? So I honestly, like, the WNBA really, you know, had such an amazing season this year, but I just feel like the wave keeps going, right? Like all of, all of the record audiences that tuned into the WNBA finals that are like, when is the next time I can watch women play basketball. Like, good news for you. In a week, there's some good games. Just wait, wait a few days, give yourself a break, and then we'll be back at it.
- [10:12]
D
This is wonderful. And I think it has to do with the way that it's been set up, literally from last NCAA season. Right. Think about that very first game, South Carolina, Notre Dame in Paris. What a way to, you know, platform the game. And that buzz has just continued through the season, through wnba. And you're right, I don't think that wave is stopping anytime soon. I do think that now that you do have more eyes on the game and people really are respecting the parody. Right. Because for so many years, UConn, Tennessee, Stanford, and in these recent years, you're seeing, oh, okay, I was popping up. You've got usc, that's, that's creeping up going into the Elite Eight, trying to find their way to a championship game. You've got other teams around the country that are trying to break into the national conversation, LSU in that mix as well. Like, this is what's going to be really exciting for the vibe going into this season. So let's talk about the top 20 players or teams, etc, overall. Number one question that comes to mind, best player in the country. And there's two players we got to talk about and they were box office last year during the tournament. I remember being on the west coast and hearing east coast are staying up to watch these two battle against each other. It's got to be Juju watkins out of USC and Paige Beckers out of UConn. Now, is this something where this year, in terms of their steps forward, is there more we can expect out of them? Chantelle. Because it feels like they put it all out on the line.
- [12:01]
E
Absolutely. I mean, they're both a year older, a year better. And I think what makes both of them so interesting is like we talk about the freshman to sophomore jump all the time. Like, it's just such a different, like the game came slow, like, like slowly, in a good way. You know, like the game slowed down for Juju really quick last year. And so she wasn't a typical freshman that sort of needed to get her sea legs for, you know, 20 games of the season, but there's still going to be a jump. Like, it's still different. And I think what makes her sophomore season so interesting is that she's surrounded by more talent this year, like Kiki Iriafin from Stanford and Talia Von Olhofen. Like, you put those Three together, and it's like, oh, shit. Like, she. She is going to be better because she doesn't have to do as much. Like, her impact is going to be greater. You know, she took the second most shots of anyone in college basketball last year except Caitlin Clark. Like, she doesn't need to do that this year to have an even greater impact on the game. And so I think that's really, really exciting. And then sort of on the opposite side, Paige Beckers is going to have to take more shots this year. She is surrounded by a younger team. Nica Mule and Aaliyah Edwards are gone. They brought in Caitlin Chen from Princeton, which I think was a great move, and is someone who's going to be able to benefit her there. Her former freshmen are now sophomores also going to take that leap, but she is someone who's going to have to have the ball in her hands even more maybe than last season in order for UConn to do well. And so I think there's this sort of tension of, like, players who are going to be better because they have to do more because they don't have to do as much. And. And they're both just so, so good. I saw Paige in practice this week. I'll hopefully be able to see juju quite soon. But, like, Paige looks really good. Like, and you just are sort of reminded when you see them hit these shots, like, these aren't just two great players. They are two players that just sort of have a knack for the moment and a feel for the moment and to hit that. That shot. You know, even if juju doesn't have to do as much as she did last year, like, she will be the player with the ball in her hands that when the game is on the line, right? And that is what people want to see. Like, they want to see that balance beam act of, like, here are two players at these two programs, both national title contenders. Both of them have to play really, really well for their teams to get there. And it's just like, the tension is there. Like, we don't even have to hype it up. Like, it just exists and people know it. And that's sort of the difference now is, like, people, they know Juju and Paige from last year, they aren't surprises. There are people that. Their stories have built up over time now, and people just want to watch them play. And I think the other great part of this is Both USC and UConn have scheduled so aggressively that we get to see them play in December. It's not like it's a one on one game or anything, but it's like we don't have to wait till March for that rematch of the Elite Eight. Like we don't have to wait until March to see these teams play high level, high quality opponents like South Carolina, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, UConn. Like all of these teams that are national title contenders scheduled really, really well. And that's really good for the game and good for fans and good for writers.
- [15:01]
D
Absolutely. I think what's so exciting about both Juju and Paige Beckers is that their basketball is kind of a mystery in terms of how they train. They don't hype themselves up in terms of, you know, putting up a lot of footage of them shooting and being in practice and doing all this stuff. You see them publicly often, right. Whether it's in commercials, whether it's at events, et cetera. But you don't see them in the lab visually. But you know, they're there because the product shows up. And so it's so exciting to kind of be like, what have they been working on in the offseason? What new moves are they going to pop out with? Because both players are just so dynamic. And I think both players are players that you can say they get to their spot, they want to get to a spot, they're going to get there. It's very hard to stop them from that. So very excited to see those two. I'm really happy you brought up Kiki Yiriathan because she's a new addition to usc. And you also mentioned, I love the way you said it, UConn got Caitlin Chen. This is the, the change, folks. When you talk about the transfer portal, this is a complete wave change of this is how parody is happening within the NCAA where teams can, quote, get players through the transfer portal that actually fits what they need. If you need a point guard, you need a floor setter, you go get a Caitlin Chen. You need a shooter or you need a big post like a Kiki, you go get them, you can, you can recru recruit them. And so there's been a lot of new faces at new schools this off season and Kiki is definitely one of the big ones. Georgia Amore leaving Virginia Tech going with her coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky. Reagan Beers leaving Oregon State, unbelievable sophomore campaign going to Oklahoma in her junior year. Lucy Olson, you asked that question earlier. Who's going to be the new Caitlyn? Iowa. You ain't got to look too far. Lucy Olson is a big time shooter coming from Villanova over To Iowa probably going to fit right into that. I want to talk about all these new fits in these new schools. Some of the things that stand out to you and some of the names that I threw out and maybe some I didn't.
- [17:04]
E
Well, I love that when you brought up Caitlin Chen, I assumed that where you were going with was an Ivy League shout out. And I'm shocked that we didn't get there.
- [17:11]
D
Listen, I'm trying not to be a homer. Okay. I'm trying not to be a homer. But yes, shout out to the Ivy League. And Princeton being in your top 25, that's another topic for another day. But yes, go ahead.
- [17:20]
E
Of course Carla Perubi's team is in the top 25. No, I think you know, Caitlin Chen, the fit at UConn makes a lot of sense. They needed someone to sort of fill the shoes in a way of Nica mule as that primary ball handler, distributor. It'll be interesting with her and KK Arnold. Kind of how Gina or balances that. One of them is going to have to come off the bench probably. Do you go with the sophomore or the fifth year senior who can handle that role better? Who do you want starting? So I think that'll be interesting to watch as the season wears on. But I think she's quicker than you think. I think her first step is. Is quicker than you think. And a lot of people that maybe didn't see her as much during the regular season last year because they were playing in the Ivy League might have only seen her in the NCAA tournament. They played West Virginia. That's a matchup that's going to make a lot of ball handlers and players not look that great because of the pressing defense that they run at West Virginia.
- [18:11]
D
Yes.
- [18:12]
E
And so the only time you saw Caitlin Chen play last year was against West Virginia. Guys, I've got a surprise for you. It's going to be a lot of fun in UConn.
- [18:19]
D
Yes. Love it.
- [18:21]
E
She and Paige together are going to be really, really exciting. I think Kiki at USC and Taliyah at usc that sort of, you know, last year it was juju and the nerds. This year it's like juju and oh my God, look at all this talent.
- [18:35]
D
Yes.
- [18:36]
E
And let's not again, more Ivy League shout outs today. Like, let's not downplay the talent of those players last year. But. But Talia Von Olhofen is sort of that sturdy lead guard that can distribute, shoot, make the right decisions and make very few wrong decisions is just sort of the key that unlocks what that group can do. Rhea Marshall is a part of that as well. And then you kind of get past that group and it's a lot of freshmen. So I think the learning curve in Los Angeles will be significant. But when you look at the transfers there, it's really, really exciting. Lucy Olson at Iowa is, is an interesting fit. She fits the system well in that she's a slasher, she has a good mid range game, she can get to the basket when she has in her hands. She has this, this mentality to get a bucket. She's not the kind of three point shooter that is going to stretch out the defense in the way that Caitlin Clark did. And so if people are expecting her to pull up for some logo threes like that is not her game. I think for her to get her feet set and to get her, get her in position to be a pretty good three point shooter, they're going to need to run her off some screens a little bit more. But obviously there you've got other talent as well that can shoot the three. That's how that system works. And whether it's Jan Jensen running it or Lisa Bluder running it, that's what they're going to go to. Reagan beers at Oklahoma is honestly one of the big question marks for me. I think that was just one of the more surprising transfers of the offseason. Not that she left Oregon State necessarily, but that she landed at Oklahoma. Oklahoma is a team that is pace, pace, pace. Oregon State is a let's bleed the shot clock as long as possible and.
- [20:07]
D
They were in the half court forever. They ran their stuff at Oregon State. Yeah.
- [20:13]
E
And that's what Scott Rook does and he's so, so good at it. But that is the system where Reagan excelled for the last two years and we've seen her in that system where it's like, let's slow it down, let's muck it up. Like, let's, let's try to get as many possessions with shots in the last like four seconds of the shot clock as possible. That rule doesn't really exist at Oklahoma. That's their run and gun. Like, let's have a track meet here. So I think it'll just be interesting to see how she adapts to that, how Oklahoma adapts to her. But I think it was really, really smart for Jenny Barancik to go into the portal and get someone like Reagan because with their transition into the sec they were undersized last year. Their leading rebounder, I believe was six foot like, you're not going to be able to compete in the SEC if you don't have that size and physicality to sort of body up against the other, you know, physical interior presences that exist on other SEC teams. And so, you know, we got to see Reagan beers against South Carolina in the NCAA tournament last year, going up against Camila Cardoso. Like, she can defend really well in those situations. So I think Reagan's addition makes Oklahoma, you know, a player in the race for the SEC title this year just by her. Her positioning there. And so it's just the transfer portal has changed everything in college basketball.
- [21:33]
D
Absolutely. It's just fun, though, to see already how can these players adjust. That's one of the things about when you play college basketball. You play within a system for four years, and you're not really tested on your ability to adapt, to adjust to new schemes until you get to the pro level. And that's why you see players that can be top five draft picks not do well on the pro level because they haven't really been tested in. In multiple or on different levels necessarily, whether it's within their system, but in a tougher environment like the NCAA tournament or within multiple systems under different head coaches. So this is interesting how the transfer portal also provides players the opportunity to. To learn under someone new, to see how their game comes and develops under something new within a different scheme. This is going to be very, very interesting in terms of seeing some new. Some of the new faces in new systems, but also new schools in new systems. I do want to touch on that, too, because there's been some changes. We've seen it already. If you're watching college football, you're already seeing some of this stuff. It was so strange. Chantelle. I go to a Cal Bears football game. I live in the Bay, folks. So going out there to see a cow Bears football game. And they did a drone show. And they always do a drone show. They've always done a drone show all the time that I've been here, went to those games, and then they put an ACC in the sky. And I was like, oh, what is going on? This is weird. As a girl from North Carolina that was right in the middle of Duke, UNC, NC State, and of course my Demon Deacons, Wake Forest, I'm like, what in the hell is that? That is weird. Why are you part of the acc? But of course, Cal not being the only school that changed. There's tons of new schools and new systems. What do you make of this? The Pac 12 schools finding their homes in the Big 12, Big 10, ACC, etc. Like, what's that going to look like, Zena?
- [23:32]
E
I just feel like you can take a girl out of the acc, but apparently you can't take a girl out of the acc. Like, it's just following you. This is. This is your lot. Like, you just have to live in ACC country forever.
- [23:44]
D
Absolutely. Exactly.
- [23:45]
E
You can't run it. Run away from it. You know, as someone that lived on the west coast and called the west coast home for almost a decade, like, I hate that college football ruined. It ruined women's PAC 12 basketball. Like, yeah, I just want to, like, curse the sky or Larry Scott or whoever. DirecTV. Like, whatever it was. Like, I just. I'm really mad about this still, and I'll. I'll hold that anger forever. I have the same feeling. I'm in Minneapolis, and the Gopher's home schedule this year isn't. Isn't huge. But I'm like, it's so weird that, you know, my husband went to UCLA and I was like, oh, like, now we're in the same preference. But also, we can. We can go see the Bruins when they come through town, because now they're going to come through town every few years, and we'll be able to see USC when they come through town, and it wouldn't be too hard for us to go see Stanford or Cal when they go to Notre Dame. Like, I think it's still weird. I think the other weird thing was that, like, I think it was during the Olympics this summer when they were doing, like, medal counts and stuff and seeing, like, the Big Ten claim Sabrina Unescu as a gold medalist. I was like, I. I don't think you can. You can't retroactively have Sabrina. Like, she is.
- [24:58]
D
Listen, she is Big Ten pride.
- [25:02]
E
Yeah. Like, the ACC and the SEC are, like, claiming, like, look at all of our gold medalists. And I'm like, this feels like a lie. I don't like this. I don't like this at all. But it's going to be interesting. I think for right now, it's just sort of like, oh, this is weird. But as I've talked with coaches through the off season, I think the one thing that they're really curious about, that they're all waiting for, is sort of you. As we get closer to the idea of what bracketology looks like, you know, in years past, you sort of knew, like, about this many teams from the SEC are going to get into the NCAA Tournament about this many teams from this conference will get in, but now you've got 18 teams in these conferences instead of 14, right. Or whatever, depending on the conference. And it's like, does that mean, like, did they get another two? Do they get another three? Do they get another one spot? Like, I think that's where it'll be really interesting to see how the committee and everyone, like, balances because the weight of college basketball has changed and shifted and it's concentrated now in these autonomous four conferences, which, again, I'm going to keep saying power five, just like I'm going to keep writing the 2023-24 season, because I can't quite believe we're in the 2024-25 season yet. But it's just, it's going to be weird for a little bit. We're going to have to get used to it. These new teams that are coming into conferences that haven't been at the power conferen conference level before in the acc, and so it'll be a little bit different. I'm really curious to see how it shakes out come NCAA tournament time, though.
- [26:26]
D
So it is going to be interesting from a player perspective. I mean, playing in the Ivy League, I thought back to backs was like the worst thing that could possibly happen to you now, thinking you're on the road for a week, you know, or two weeks. I have a family friend who played soccer at Cal and she was explaining to me, like, their east coast trip. Now again, I think a lot less games in soccer than women's basketball. It's also a less miserable time to travel. Sorry, the winter is awful for travel for me, but it just thinking of, like, going to the east coast to play three, four games and then coming back. She said it didn't seem as bad as she thought it would be. So hopefully the women's basketball players, like, also feel the same way. But that's going to be very interesting to see if that has impact on how they show up in these games. So we'll see. All right, before we go into some of the newcomers to the entire mix, I want to talk about last year's newcomers and, you know, how they've. They've jumped up, particularly some sophomores that I feel like this class is crazy. I'm actually going to hold this thought because it's going to be part of our game later. But sophomore class, of course, from day one, took our attention when they were rookies. Remember that Paris game I mentioned earlier? Hannah Hidalgo, Malaysia for Wiley. I mean, everyone was tweeting about that game they were crazy with Hannah Hidalgo with her steals, Malaysia Ful Wylie with her crazy moves. And it's not just them. Maddie Booker out of Texas, I mean talk about someone that stepped up last year when Rory Harmon went down as a freshman, becoming a six foot point guard, having to run an offense. Like, I mean it was some, there were some really impressive freshmen in last year's tournament in the season overall, and now they're sophomores. Who stands out to you in terms of people taking that freshman to sophomore leap?
- [28:22]
E
I mean we've already talked about a lot of them. It's weird to think of them as sophomores. Like Juju doesn't feel like a sophomore to me. Hannah Hidalgo doesn't feel like a sophomore to me. I think when we're talking about everyone's going to take a leap forward because even beyond sort of the game slowing down for you, you get another year in the strength and conditioning programs. And so once you've had that sort of first full off season and it's not the first time you're doing everything again. Like you're just, you know, more experienced, more mature, you're not a newbie anymore. But the two players who I think are really, I'm really curious to see are Hannah Hidalgo and Maddie Booker specifically because as you said, so Maddie Booker last year, true freshman, comes in 12 games into the year. All American point guard Rory Harmon goes down with a knee injury. Vic Schaefer moves Maddie Booker, who has never played point guard before, into the point guard role. Like crazy. Feast or famine here, like there's only two options, right? And she feasted. Like Maddie Booker was phenomenal last year, outside of just her mid range game being completely lethal, like she just played so, so well, so mature, you would have never thought she was a true freshman. Let's go to the other side of the country. Hannah Hidalgo, another point guard, just five foot six, absolute monster. Like when you talk about elite defensive players, elite backcourt players like Hannah Hidalgo, that's it. Like let's, let's leave it there.
- [29:49]
D
Agree.
- [29:49]
E
And so what makes her interesting is that Olivia Miles, who we were talking about her this way two years ago @ Notre Dame, right? Same thing, injury. We haven't seen her in 18 months. And so now you have these two elite freshmen who are now sophomores who are getting point guards back, one of whom is not a point guard, the other of whom is a point guard. And so just how their roles shift within the offenses. I'm really fascinated to see what Neil Ivy does at Notre Dame. You Know an elite backcourt Notre Dame player in her own right. What she does now, right, right now that she has these two players to sort of play together and play off one another. Same thing at Texas. Like how does Rory Harmon coming back impact Maddie Booker and how does her year spent as a point guard impact? The way she sees the game and plays the game and sort of lets the game flow through her. Like, you know, with that sort of point guard tendencies coming from the wing, like we're just going to see really dynamic play, I think from both of them. And I'm trying to think of other players, specifically sophomores we haven't mentioned yet. I think Tessa Johnson, she warmed her.
- [30:53]
D
Way into our hearts last year. Absolutely. Tessa Johnson, unbelievable shot making at key points in her games. I mean she stepped up big time. Was not fearful of the moment at all.
- [31:04]
E
I think one of my favorite moments of the off season was her. She was somewhere and she like made a comment about how she had floppy ankles. Like, it just was hilarious to me. Like, like she is, she is this like authentic, wonderful person and on the court is just like a three point savant, like just a phenomenal player. But again, I think a year older, more mature in that system with Dawn Staley, how they feel more empowered. That group, South Carolina is tough because they're so good and they're so deep that you know, you're not going to get the usage rate of someone like a Juju or someone like a Paige where it's like the ball is not going to be in Tessa Johnson's hands every time down the floor necessarily with with sort of the play to make that it will be with Juju or with Paige even more so. But you know, I think she's someone that I'm really watching this year and to sort of wrap some of these conversations together. Alyssa Latham, transferred from Syracuse, former ACC freshman of the year, transfers to Tennessee, playing in a new system there under Kim Caldwell. I'm really interested to see how, you know, we're talking about new systems, playing in different systems, playing in a new conference, playing in the sec. That level of physicality and a new defense specifically that sort of is predicated on steals and forced turnovers and fast breaks and early threes. Like I'm really excited to see what Alyssa Latham looks like in the SEC in a new look Tennessee team. And I'm sure there are other players that we're forgetting about simply because this sophomore class is so good, so deep. But, but man, that WNBA 2027 class is going to be Crazy different.
- [32:36]
D
Thank you for telling me about Alyssa Latham. That definitely flew under my radar. This is good. This is. This is exactly what we want, folks. Just a reminder of the good talent. And as the season goes on, being introduced or reminded of talent that we weren't thinking about. Now let's shift it to brand new faces that are on the map. You mentioned South Carolina. We're going to start there because there's a big post player. Now. When you think about South Carolina, folks, Asia Wilson, Aaliyah Boston, Camila Cardoso. There's a trend here, okay. It seems that Don Staley has a thing for post players and she finds a way to get them to South Carolina to develop. And she's done it again with Joyce Edwards. Tell me about this player, Chantelle, because I feel like if you've watched a little bit of USA Basketball like you have, you know a little bit about her, but some of us don't know anything.
- [33:29]
E
Yeah, she's kind of a Swiss army knife. She can do it all on the floor. She was on that U18 team, USA team last summer. Youngest player there and was the MVP. Like when you can do that not just on a national stage, but an international stage like that says a lot about not just who you are as a player, but sort of what you can handle in terms of the game coming to you, playing with older players. So she's not going to be intimidated by sort of, oh, this player's a junior, this player is a senior that I'm going up against.
- [33:57]
D
That's a good point.
- [33:58]
E
She's going to be really, really fun to watch this year again. South Carolina is interesting because they are so deep that the rotation is going to be interesting, especially in the early parts of the season as Dawn Staley figures that out. What's really interesting, Xena, is when you were saying there's, you know, a post at South Carolina you wanted to talk about, I actually thought you were going to bring up Adele. Talk. She's a player that. I think sometimes people are forgetting to talk about this freshman class because she early enrolled at South Carolina last year. But she's sort of more in the traditional mold of. Of bigs that have come through South Carolina. But given how the mold in players has changed, it wouldn't surprise me if Dawn Staley and her staff sort of develop more of an outside game with her. But she's a player that I think is going to be able to be inside and be a really strong presence for South Carolina this year and in the coming seasons.
- [34:46]
D
That's pretty cool that she's just kind of been chilling, soaking up all of the greatness of an undefeated team and understanding what it takes to be able to do that. Now, Joyce and Adele both sound different than the traditional posts that have come out of South Carolina. I mean, Asia Wilson has a three point shot now, but she didn't always have one. Camilla Cardoso hit that big time three against Tennessee, but I think that was like the second shot of the season that she took to win the conference tournament for the sec. And you know, Aaliyah Boston, she does her work down dirty in the post. So you're saying, you know, we might see a little bit of, of floor stretching maybe for South Carolina.
- [35:26]
E
I mean, I think it's the evolution of the game, right? Like it's everyone. I mean, we're gonna get to the point where like everyone in America is a stretch four, right? Like it's just gonna be where the game is. We're like, you know, everyone's gonna be a 6 foot 3 point guard. Like it's how the game is. And I think it, it's good, it makes it more fun to watch when you have these players who are physical enough to bang inside and get to the rim and get to the free throw line, who can also step out and hit an 18 footer, hit a, you know, hit a three, whatever it might be and put the ball on the floor. It's. Everyone is getting more well rounded. And so it's. This was sort of the challenge in putting together a top 20 players list. Like, some players play the same position, but like not really. Like, even if you think about centers like Reagan Beers, Lauren Betts, those are both two centers, but they play the game differently, more similar than maybe other stretch fours, power forwards that we see, maybe more so than other point guards that we see. But it's still like, like the games are just different. And so it's hard to, you know, it's just always hard to talk about players in that way, but that's what makes it so much fun.
- [36:29]
D
Now, I could go on and on about South Carolina especially looking at are they going to try to repeat with these new faces in the mix of their already deep team, but there's a lot more new faces. So let's kind of rattle through some of the ones around the country. I know UConn's got some, some new faces. Notre Dame's got a new face, Oregon out west as well. Who are some of the freshmen that are standing out to you?
- [36:52]
E
Yeah, so I was at UConn earlier this week so I had a chance to see Sarah Strong in person. She's appropriately named Strong. She's gonna be a really strong presence for them. That is such a bad dad joke.
- [37:05]
D
I love that's too good joke.
- [37:07]
E
I'm in mid season form. I'm in mid season form. I completely expect her to start this year for UConn. She's that good.
- [37:14]
D
Wow.
- [37:14]
E
And she's gonna be able to play in tandem with Paige. Another player that you look at as a stretchfork can step out, hit the three, go inside, get the rebounds, take the ball up the floor a little bit if you need her to. Like she's going to be very, very fun. Ali Zybel, you know, sort of in the mold of of an Ashland Shade type player at UConn who we saw last year as a freshman able to come in, contribute, hit a, you know, a good three point shooter. Don't expect her to play as large for role as Sarah Strong, but someone that people should know in terms of a national title contending team at Notre Dame, Kate Covel is really interesting to me. I think she'll be an inside presence who again when we talk about the strength of of teams where you have a perimeter strength like Notre Dame, where you have Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron, you know, sort of how that pulls defenses outside in this space that allows a player like Kate to move around, to step out and hit some mid range shots to also bang inside the like. She'll be really fun in Oregon. This is I'm really excited to see what happens with Katie Eyb two years ago. She was super impressive then and the thought of, you know, how Kelly Graves has been able to shape two of the best point guards and and off ball guards in the WNBA right now in Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Yanescu. Having a player come in and being able to sort of work with her as well as they go into the league, the Big Ten, a new league. It'll be really interesting to sort of see what she she does there, especially as Daish Kelly, UNC transfer is on that Oregon team and so he'll have an opportunity to work with both of those. But also Katie will have a chance to learn from and grow with Daisha Kelly. So there's just talent all over. It is so fun. Cena.
- [38:55]
D
Oh I can't wait.
- [38:56]
E
I can't wait. We're gonna be going like over on our podcasts every week because there's just never going to be a shortage of things to talk About.
- [39:03]
D
I know that's the thing about the, the NCAA like, landscape. It's just that there's so many teams, you know, and a lot of this is going to be a, you know, top 25 teams are going to be able to take up a lot of the atmosphere, but there's going to be so many other teams to talk about throughout the course of the season and we're going to try to get it all in. But bear with us, folks, because the talent is overflowing and that's a good problem to have. Now let's shift it over to day one and you're going to have to keep me honest on these dates, but there's going to be another game in France this year, usc, Ole Miss, and then there's gonna be some other big time matchups going from both sides of the country. UCLA is going to take on Louisville, South Carolina taking on Michigan. What should we know after day one and what day is that that's going to actually kick everything off on?
- [39:53]
E
Monday, November 4th. It's coming.
- [39:56]
D
Whoa, I love it. Monday, November 4th. Let's go. All right, so what should we know after we watch these games after the season kicks off, what should we keep on our radar?
- [40:05]
E
You know, you finally get to see the players, right? Like, I've been talking with coaches throughout the off season and been on campuses and will be continuing to get out to campuses to see things with my own eyes. But like, you know, the proof is in the pudding. Like, put it on the floor during a game when the refs are out there, when they're making the calls, when the baskets count, like, put it on the floor, like, let's see what people got. And I love that there are these, these aggressively scheduled games early because it's like, no, you know, USC is saying, like, we don't need a ramp up period. We're going to take on Ole Miss and their defense and we're going to see what happens. Like, roll the balls out and let's go. And so I think mostly with that game on the USC side, I just want to see how it all works. Transfers coming in with Talia, with Kiki, how they play with and off Raya and Juju. And then also sort of how, because beyond this immediate core, Lindsey Gottlieb has seven freshmen on that team. And so how does she sort of work in when you have one of the best starting fives in the country? And then beyond that, you've got a lot of youth. Like, you will need those players in March. Not all of Them, but you will need some of those players in March. So how does she start incorporating those players now to put them in moments to, you know, get rid of that freshman ness so that it doesn't crop up in March? And for them, you know, they're hoping April. So I'm really curious to see how that goes. South Carolina, I just want to see them on the floor. Like, what does the rotation look like? Who's first off the bench? Like, what is Dawn Staley shaking up this year, if anything? Like, how do these freshmen look? I'm just really excited to see them. And it'll be a good Michigan team. They have a freshman I saw at the Olympics this summer, Silas Swords, who is on the Canadian national team. They're not going to be as good as maybe Michigan teams we've seen in the past. They're in a little bit of a rebuilding phase, but. But really curious to see how South Carolina looks on the floor. And then that other team out of la, UCLA playing Louisville, Corey Close.
- [42:00]
D
And I was gonna say, don't let Corey Close hear you say that. Other team.
- [42:03]
E
Right. We're the team and my husband, the Bruin. These are two coaches that know each other really, really well. Jeff Walls and Corey Close have an immense amount of respect for one another of Team USA experience together. And so they are going to game plan like crazy for this and sort of be playing to, you know, two moves ahead in terms of, like, you know, they know each other well enough that I'm sure Corey says, okay, if Jeff runs this out, he knows this is what we're gonna do. So this is what we're actually gonna do. Like, that's the sort of tendencies that they know about each other. So that'll be very interesting to see. Excited to see Lauren Betts on the floor. The steps she takes forward as a junior, obviously she's not making that freshman to sophomore bump. But last year was her first year at ucla. Her first year really playing significant minutes after, you know, sitting on the bench for a lot of her freshman season at Stanford. And so really curious to see what Corey does to maybe expand her game a little bit. At the end of the day, you can't teach six, seven. Like, that's what everyone I talk to, you know, when I talk about ucla, they're like, well, I was like, I wonder how Lauren has improved. Or like, you know, and they're like, ah, you can't teach six, seven. Like, that's the main. Like, the main thing's the main thing here. Like, she changes that UCLA team. And if UCLA wants to get to the Final Four, like, Lauren Betts has to play well. She has to be on, she has to be on the floor. She can't get into foul trouble. She has to find a way to make an impact on offense and defense on every possession this season.
- [43:24]
D
And the guards have to find a way to get her the ball.
- [43:26]
E
Oh, my God.
- [43:27]
D
That's for another day.
- [43:30]
E
Albany all over again. I'm having like flashbacks now.
- [43:33]
D
I know, having flashbacks. Guys, if you watched that NCAA tournament last year, I know there was some frustration. People yelling at their TVs, get bets the ball. Like, what are we doing? I'm sure they've watched some stuff over the summer. They've been, you know, drilling that into their guards heads for this upcoming season. It was cool. I heard some of the UCLA players and coaches on Christina Williams podcast, in case you missed this, and they all were saying, expect wins, expect championship caliber, you know, play. So they're feeling real confident out there in ucla. All right. This has been phenomenal. I mean, Chantel, you have got me so excited for the season. Thank you for the reminders. The, the, the heads ups on certain players that I hadn't thought about or heard of before. I mean, I'm so pumped now. Before we go, I want to kind of play this game. I'm calling it heat check or airball Heat check, meaning I'm gonna put something out there and you tell me, am I onto something? Should I get the ball again, should I go again, should I stroke, try to stroke again? Or is it an airball? Am I way off thinking outside of the box? Like put the ball down, maybe take a seat on the bench real quick. So let me throw some things out there for you and you let me know, am I on a heat check or an air ball first up. And I kind of feel like this is gonna be an easy one because of what we talked about. Is the class of 2027 collectively the best class in the country?
- [45:07]
E
I'm gonna heat check this one because. And let's say, let's separate out the fifth year seniors from the seniors because we gotta be fair, right?
- [45:15]
D
Sure, sure, sure. Of course. Yeah, I'm with that. I'm with that.
- [45:18]
E
And if we're talking about classes, it's like, like not just starting five, we're talking about like when we think about maybe the, the first round of the WNBA draft for that group. I think so. I really think so. Because you run down the list and it's like, Mikayla Williams, Juju Watkins, Hannah Hodelgo, Maddie Booker. We haven't talked about Zoe Brooks yet. Like KK Arnold, Malaysia, Folwiley Audi, Crooks. We haven't talked about Clara Strack yet. You know, I think she could have a really big year at Kentucky with Georgia Amore running the point. Like. Yeah, he checked that. Xena. Yes.
- [45:47]
D
Okay, one for one. All right. We've been talking about usc. We've been talking about ucla. We talked about Stanford. We've talked about Cal as well. I'm going to focus on the Big Ten, though, and I'm going to say, is the Big Ten going to be won by a team in California? Oh, actually, no, it's not going to be a question. The Big Ten will be won by a team in California. Heat check or airball?
- [46:10]
E
I'm going to say heat check. I think as someone living in Big Ten country that is looking outside right now at snow falling down. I'm. I'm thinking sunny thoughts. I feel like either USC or UCLA has a good shot to do that. So heat check.
- [46:26]
D
That.
- [46:26]
E
Definitely not an airball. They're gonna be right up at the top.
- [46:30]
D
Okay. Okay, cool. I feel like maybe I'm doing this. Maybe I'm too easy right now. I don't know. I don't know. All right, let's go a little bit tougher. Let's go to the SEC again. I feel like I'm. I'm leaning towards new teams. This is gonna be a different one because. Especially because you just walk through all of the talent that is just flowing in South Carolina. But Texas is going to usurp the SEC championship from South Carolina as a newcomer. Heat check or airball?
- [47:02]
E
I think this is your first airball of the game, Cena.
- [47:05]
D
Ooh. Okay. Okay.
- [47:08]
E
It's time for you to get to the rim, get fouled, get your shot back at the free throw line.
- [47:12]
D
Okay. Okay. All right. Yeah, that. As you walked through the se. Talent, I was like, yikes. I might have to rewrite that one, but. But I had to stick with my list. All right, all right, that's fair. This could be a little fun one. Especially if we saw. We. I mean, we saw Caitlin Clark kit. 41 points last year three times. We saw Elizabeth Kitley out of Virginia tech. She had 40 plus game as well. 44. I believe someone, anyone, is putting up 50 points in irregular season or tournament game. Heat check or airball.
- [47:43]
E
Oh, heat check for sure. Ayoka Lee, the nation's leader for most points ever scored in a Division 1 game. 61 points. Kansas State. She's still here. We haven't talked about her yet, but she's still here.
- [47:54]
D
That's absolutely right. Oh, what am I thinking? Of course, that's a heat check. I feel like I should get an airball for even forgetting about that.
- [48:02]
E
No, it's. This is good. Everyone is getting refreshed back. Your mind has been in the WNBA for so long, and she's so.
- [48:07]
D
I know.
- [48:08]
E
I totally get it. She's so good, though. We can't forget about Aoka Lee. And I think the Big 12. The thing about Aoka Lee, too, and this is something that, as I've talked with coaches about players through the off season, it's that, you know, there was a player who told me, you know, if you haven't played Ioka yet, you underestimate her athleticism and how she can move because she's. She's another player who's 6, 7, 6, 8. Like, she's a big body. You just can't move her. And what was also really interesting, we've talked about perimeter players, abilities to get the ball into the paint. That was what a coach told me about Kansas State, specifically, is that their perimeter players are so long that they can make these passes that you don't necessarily expect they could make. And so if you haven't played them before, it catches you off guard the first time or. And whether that's a player or a team. And we talk about, again, shifting conferences, and you look at two of the best teams out of the Big 12, Oklahoma and Texas, they're gone. And so you have this shifting power in the Big 12, where Iowa State and Kansas State are still there, but you've got new teams coming in that have. Haven't faced Aokalee before. So, yeah, she's definitely dropping 40 at some point in the season among other players, but she was the first one that came to mind.
- [49:18]
D
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. All right. All right, last one here. We've talked a little bit about Kentucky. We mentioned Tennessee, and I feel like they're just like a. They're kind of like a. I don't know what to expect out of Tennessee this year. I really, genuinely don't. And I also don't know what to expect out of Kentucky. Both of them under new management, so you could say. And some new faces on both teams. Right now, neither team is on the athletics top 25. Go read the article. It's live on the site. But I'm wondering, by year's end, I believe Tennessee or Kentucky. I actually Originally said top 25. I believe Tennessee or Kentucky will break into the top 15 by year end. He. Check. Airball.
- [50:06]
E
Oh, yikes. Oh, I'm gonna say airball on this one, because here's the thing. It's partially about those teams, right? Like, I have. I have questions around Tennessee and Kentucky, for sure. They're in a league that's really hard to win in, and so that's gonna impact how voters see them. But I also, like, there's, like, 10 teams that I think could make the Final Four. Like, this is not a normal year in women's college basketball. And so the top 15 of today is not the top 15 of years past. Like, you've got to be really, really good to be in the top 15. And I think Kenny Brooks at Kentucky, they're going to build something. Something good. Tennessee, Kim Caldwell, a new system there. I'm really curious to see how it goes down, but I don't. Yeah, airball. That top 15 by season's end. I don't think so.
- [50:55]
D
Okay. All right, that's fair. That's fair. Gotta get these thoughts out. Let's see what's happening. Let me try to end on a heat check, but I don't know if I'm gonna end on a heat check. We'll see. Paige Beckers is gonna get another national Player of the Year award. Heat check. Airball.
- [51:14]
E
I will say heat check with the asterisk of if UConn stays healthy, which is, like.
- [51:22]
D
Which has been their crutch.
- [51:24]
E
It's been their thing, the overarching storyline the last several years for them. So if they stay healthy. Yes, I think so. Again, it comes down to how much the ball is going to be in her hands and how important she is to that team, the balance beam that they're walking on, that she is holding, and how we saw her ability to raise her game in the postseason last year when, you know, there was, in some ways more talent around her, but fewer bodies. And so I think, yeah, I think that's a pretty good heat shuck to end on Z.
- [51:50]
D
Okay, perfect. I wanted to end out on a good note. I think I went half and half there. Chantel, this has been so much fun. I hope it's been as fun. For those of you listening that needed a refresher, needed a reminder, and just needed to get a little bit pumped for this season. I don't know how you can't be pumped after the unbelievable WNBA season. Going back into where these women came from and just knowing that the game just continues to evolve. So I'm just excited to be kind of going into the NCAA season turning the page on this pod and really focusing in on what's going on in college women's hoops. Make sure you subscribe to this pod. We're gonna have two a week. Gonna try to bring back those interviews folks. I know you guys loved us being able to talk to some of the biggest coaches and biggest players out on the scene. We're definitely gonna be bringing those back. And of course Chantelle, Sabrina and Ben will be making the rounds to give us some of that college insight that we love so much. So, so again, thank you all for tuning in today. Hit that subscribe button on the show on the site. Leave us comments. Let me know. Is there something you want us to heat check or airball? We definitely can ask our experts if you have any topics you want us to cover. For now, on behalf of Chantel, I'm Zena Kada thanking you for your ear again and encourage you. Keep listening, keep watching, keep reading, keep learning, keep doing all the things and especially keep loving the game because that's the only way we're going to keep growing it until next time.
- [53:21]
Zena Kada
As we head into the playoffs, it's.
- [53:23]
E
Safe to assume there will be a few calls made by the refs that will be hard to accept. But you know what isn't hard to accept? Discover. Believe it or not, Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You heard that right, 99%. So make a good call for your wallet and get Discover. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.
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Zena Kada
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E
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D
Remember blowing into a video game cartridge.
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E
Or taping songs off the radio?
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D
How about Saturday morning cartoons?
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E
Hey, AOL chat rooms.
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D
Did we just age ourselves?
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E
Yep.
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Chantelle Jennings
We're Mike Fanoya and Charles McBee, two.
- [55:01]
E
Comedians getting nostalgic and asking that nagging question, are we old?
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D
Relive the laughs, the cringes, and the nostalgia. Are we old?
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E
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