Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped popularize women’s basketball new peaks over the last two years. Although there could also be a drop in viewership compared to last season record highthere are plenty of talented players like Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Deja Kelly and Hannah Hidalgo ready to proceed their development.

“I know we lost some great people in Angel and Caitlin, but we gained so much more. We have gained a lot more talent, skill and marketability,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m glad this happened at a time where I can acknowledge it and share it with other individuals who are joining us immediately.

Watkins, a Los Angeles native, has attracted attention for home games in Southern California that often sell out and draw celebrity crowds.

“I don’t know if there was a young African-American women’s basketball superstar at that age who could use this platform, but I think it will be very useful to the community both in Los Angeles and across the country,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I wouldn’t bet against her that she can handle anything. At the same time, our job is to prepare her for what may come and make sure she can enjoy life and be a child.”

USC turned to Iowa for advice on how to take care of the quantity of attention Watkins is receiving this 12 months. The USC sophomore said it was special that Caitlin Clark offered to help her the primary time they met if she ever needed advice on navigating her role because the face of women’s basketball.

“She’s great. “It shows how good of a person he is outside of basketball,” Watkins said. “To have that sort of mentorship and that relationship together with her, it definitely means a lot to me. She has made the most important impact on women’s basketball and having the ability to watch her journey is actually inspiring.

Watkins is a component of a truly talented sophomore class. Three out of five preseason All-Americans they are second-year students – that is the primary time of their lives.

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“I never thought I would be the face of something,” said Hidalgo, who was one of three All-Americans. “I had no expectations. I just wanted to come, play basketball and of course win. Just seeing this generational talent is unlike any other.”

Bueckers and Kelly bridge the gap between the subsequent group and the previous one. They each went to school concurrently Clark. Bueckers’ profession was briefly interrupted by injury, and Kelly is a component of a senior class that may benefit from a pandemic 12 months.

“I think we had one of the best classes in a while, my class of 2020.” said Kelly, who transferred to Oregon from North Carolina for her senior season. “And of course, considering half of them entered the draft last 12 months, there are still a lot of people in class. I don’t need people to forget that.”

Ten years ago, exceptional players played at just a handful of schools, but now they’re more opened up across the country, giving more people the possibility to see their stardom. Increasing the number of games on television and giving players more exposure through name, image and likeness at an earlier age also helped.

“I just think there’s a lot of stars just waiting to explode,” NC State coach Wes Moore said. “And with the publicity and coverage we’re getting, there’s going to be a lot of new stars coming out.”

Kelly sees that the game is in good hands and will proceed to thrive even when the remaining of her class is gone.

“Everyone at their schools is doing a really good job of making a name for themselves,” Kelly said. “And like I said, we still have a lot of big names in college looking to enter the draft this year and they will continue to grow. So I think women’s basketball is in a very good place.”

Black Male Excellence will steer the ship at the 2025 Met Gala, with the theme being “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has invited a distinguished group of trendy black icons to co-chair the prestigious Met Gala. Composition covers actor Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, and LeBron James is honorary chairman, in response to .

The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Wednesday announced the Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, the exhibition will showcase clothing, paintings, photography and more, exploring the timeless variety of Black men through the lens of dandyism from the 18th century to the present day – making the 2025 chairs the perfect fit for the event.

Domingo has been lighting up the red carpets following the 2023 awards season, which saw him stand out for his standout on-screen performances in Oscar-nominated movies like and . It debuted at the Met Gala earlier this 12 months. Lewis Hamilton, an everyday at the event since 2015, joins A$AP Rocky and Pharrell, who’ve attended six times and co-chaired the 2017 gala titled “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In- Between”. Meanwhile, LeBron James will make his stylish Met Gala debut as honorary chairman.

Following the announcement, Hamilton shared how “honored” he’s to be emceeing next 12 months’s Met Gala.

As the 2025 Met Gala theme was announced, Black Twitter shared its reactions, and lots of of them were comical.

“Since the Met Gala focuses on Black culture, I need invitations to reflect that,” one person he tweeted. “I want designers to respect black culture. It can be one of the most iconic motifs if done correctly.”

“There is no one more deserving of being co-chair of the Met Gala than Colman – always give it a damn – Domingo,” added a fan, who sang Domingo’s praises for the way forward for fashion.

The Met Gala has been held under the leadership of Anna Wintour since 1995. Always held on the first Monday in May, next 12 months’s gala will return to New York on May 5, 2025. The applicable dress code shall be revealed in early 2025 when the exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, shall be on view from May 6 to October 26, 2025.

Like many other stars, actress Jennifer Lopez is distancing herself from any associations with disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. However, unlike the others, she shares a past with a troubled star she once dated.

Combs is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal facility known for violence and poor conditions, a stark contrast to the lavish lifestyle he once led.

While promoting her latest film “Unstoppable” at AFI Fest 2024 on Thursday, October 31, the 55-year-old stepped outside the concert hall where her adoring fans were waiting for her.

Movie published DailyMail.com shows Lopez signing programs and photos of fans while a security guard warns them to not crowd her.

Suddenly someone shouts, “Do you have any comments about Diddy and the allegations?”

Suddenly, the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer stopped signing autographs and ran out, clearly annoyed by the person’s query.

However, people on social media asked when she would speak, and after the clip surfaced, they recommend their very own theories about her reluctance to be associated with the former White Party promoter.

“JLo can’t stand the heat!!!” one person he tweeted.

Another person he said“It’s understandable that JLo would feel uncomfortable broaching such a sensitive topic under these circumstances. These allegations are serious and deserve thorough investigation. #JusticeForVictims.”

🚨 JLO LEAVES AFTER A FAN ASKS ABOUT DIDDY’S ALLEGATIONS

During an autograph session after AFI FEST 2024, Jennifer Lopez abruptly ended the event when a fan asked her for her response to the recent allegations against ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Lopez’s attitude modified when… pic.twitter.com/XIFVgYzpxF

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 31, 2024

However, not everyone was so understanding.

“CANCEL HER, WAKE UP AMERICA” – user X he wrote.

“Jlo knew about Diddy’s parties and his crimes against minors!” fourth comment To read. “She is a disgusting, baseless diva.”

Another person he tweeted“She’s guilty, that’s why Ben left.”

Lopez’s relationship with Diddy dates back to the late ’90s, and it was a high-profile relationship that was each glamorous and controversial.

The couple began dating in 1999, when Combs was in the “shiny suit” era of his profession, following the death of his breakout star, The Notorious B.I.G., and Lopez was making a reputation for herself as an actress and singer, having just finished her profession with the success of her hit movies, resembling “Selena”, “Anaconda” and “Out of Sight”.

Her first of 4 husbands, Ojani Noa, believes that her relationship with the “Been Around the World” rapper contributed to the end of their marriage.

Their relationship attracted media attention, and they were often seen at industry parties and high-profile events. However, things modified in December 1999 when the pair were involved in a shooting at the now-defunct Club New York in New York’s Times Square neighborhood.

Combs was ultimately acquitted of all charges, and his artist Shyne accepted the charges and spent almost nine years in prison for the crime. Still, the incident left a mark on JLo and the hitmaker’s relationship. She distanced herself from Combs shortly thereafter, and they separated in 2001.

Fast forward to today, Combs is facing serious charges. The Department of Justice has accused from a minimum of 2008 to the present, he has abused, threatened and coerced women to have interaction in various “including, but not limited to, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice” and that he “led “racketeer” plan to perform the crime.

While these allegations remain allegations, their serious nature has solid a shadow over his legacy and drawn attention from those once associated with him.

The stakes are high for the “Atlas” actress, and that is just one other headache and a headline she doesn’t need in the wake of her highly publicized split from Ben Affleck.

By distancing herself, Lopez seems to wish to clearly separate herself from the period in her life she married, protecting her popularity and aligning with her current values.