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Women’s College Basketball 2024-2025: We Can’t Wait

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After a record-breaking and exciting WNBA season and Finals, the baton has been returned to women’s college basketball, which appears to be able to boost the stakes in the game once more.

With equity and the distribution of talent in the sport perhaps the strongest ever, one other historic NCAA season appears to be upon us.

From underrated signings to big players returning to the court, here’s an inventory of a number of the things we’re looking forward to within the 2024-2025 season.

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UConn guard Azzi Fudd (left) shoots the ball to Iowa goalkeeper Gabbie Marshall (right) on the Moda Center on November 27, 2022 in Portland, Oregon.

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Players getting back from injury

A 12 months ago, the injury bug hit a number of the game’s top and emerging stars, dealing huge blows to title-chasing teams. This season, for essentially the most part, these players are healthy and able to play of their lineups.

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Notre Dame returns part magician, part point guard Olivia Miles (knee injury) to team up with Hannah Hidalgo. Texas returns electrifying two-way guard Rori Harmon (ACL). Azzi Fudd (ACL, meniscus) is anticipated to take once more at UConn in December, making the Huskies top-of-the-line shooting weapons within the country. Each of those players is changing the competitive trajectory of their programs.

Note the important thing contributions of players similar to KK Deans (ACL) at Ole Miss, Cassandre Prosper at Notre Dame (lower leg) and Sa’myah Smith (ACL, MCL and meniscus) also at LSU.


USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (right) looks to pass the ball against the UCLA Bruins at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 8 in Las Vegas.

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Battle of Los Angeles, Part 2

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A 12 months ago, the primary chapter of the Battle of Los Angeles between USC and UCLA featured a few of the perfect games of the complete college basketball season – most notably a two-overtime rating within the Pac-12 tournament semifinals.

While last 12 months’s competition was good, this 12 months’s matchup between the 2 Los Angeles giants may very well be even higher. Both teams, currently playing within the Big Ten, have significantly revamped their rosters. USC, which enters the season ranked No. 2 within the nation, added a top transfer last offseason in forward Kiki Iriafen, in addition to a top defenseman in Talia Von Oelhoffen. Meanwhile, No. 5-ranked UCLA had three mammoth signings: defenseman Charlisse Leger-Walker and forwards Janiah Barker and Timea Gardner.

Bad news – you’ll have to attend until February 13 for the primary matchup between the Trojans and the Bruins. It will definitely be definitely worth the wait.


Texas-Arlington forward Starr Jacobs (right) passes Iowa State forward Nyamer Diew (left) during a first-round game within the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on March 18, 2022, in Ames, Iowa.

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

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Underrated transfers value watching

There have been numerous big name transfers within the news this summer, but two which have perhaps flown more under the radar are those of Liat King and Starr Jacobs. King transferred to Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, where a 12 months ago she was the second-leading rebounder and sixth-leading scorer within the ACC. She could play a key role for the Fighting Irish, especially early within the season when Maddy Westbeld and Kylee Watson were sidelined with injuries. Against a short-handed Notre Dame team within the season opener, King had 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Jacobs, who transferred to Ole Miss from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, last played in the course of the 2022-2023 season when she played at UT Arlington. In two seasons with the Mavericks, Jacobs averaged 18.1 points and eight.8 rebounds per game. As the 2021-2022 Sun Belt Player of the Year, Jacobs led UT Arlington to its first conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years. She should contact the Rebels immediately.


Kentucky Wildcats head coach Kenny Brooks speaks to the media during SEC media days on Oct. 16 on the Grand Bohemian Hotel.

Paintings by Vasha Hunt-Imagn

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The SEC goes to be crazy

As if the SEC wasn’t already one of the vital vital conferences in college basketball, the conference realignment added two more Top 25 programs in Texas, which begins the season at No. 4, and Oklahoma, which is ranked tenth. There are currently 4 teams within the AP Top 10, which is essentially the most of any conference, and 7 teams within the Top 25, which can also be essentially the most of any conference. The depth on this conference is big, from national champion South Carolina to powerhouse LSU, in addition to rising programs like Ole Miss and Alabama to rising programs like Auburn and Vanderbilt. Eyes may also be on Lexington and Knoxville to see what recent head coaches Kenny Brooks and Kim Caldwell can do with Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively.


South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley makes a basket during a charity exhibition game Oct. 15 in Memphis.

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Phenomena of first-graders and sensations of second-graders

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Last 12 months’s freshman class was top-of-the-line, if not the perfect, that ladies’s college basketball has ever seen.

Hidalgo was the ACC All-American Defensive Player of the Year for Notre Dame. Watkins led USC to the Elite Eight, dropped 50 players and was also named an All-American. South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley was SEC Tournament MVP, and Tessa Johnson was the hero of the national title game for the Gamecocks. Audi Crooks broke quite a few school records within the state of Iowa.

Each of those players will feature in revamped lineups that ought to elevate their games in season two. This also applies to Madison Booker, who will make a killer pair with Harmon in Austin.

Two huge second-year SEC talents who have not been mentioned yet – Taliah Scott, who transferred to Auburn from Arkansas, and LSU’s Mikaylah Williams, the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year.

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These usually are not reflections. The depth of this class is just ridiculous.


Harvard Crimson guard Harmoni Turner dribbles the ball in the course of the Ivy League semifinals on March 15 at Levien Gymnasium in New York.

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Mid-range player to observe: Harmony Turner from Harvard

Turner is an especially creative playmaking talent with a changeable playing style and a continuing ability to attain points within the box for the Crimson. She was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2022 and has since earned First-Team All-Ivy honors in her sophomore and junior seasons. This summer, Turner co-captained the U23 team that won gold on the FIBA ​​3×3 World Championship in Mongolia.

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Last season, Turner averaged 19.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Her performance against Power 5 opponents was impressive. She had 18 points, seven rebounds and 6 assists against Maryland on November 6, 2023 and 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists against Baylor on November 19, 2023.

Sean Hurd is a author for Andscape, primarily covering women’s basketball. The pinnacle of his athletic development got here on the age of 10, when he was voted camper of the week at Josh Childress’ basketball camp.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Jalen Milroe can follow the Jalen path in NFL

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Star Black playmakers aren’t any longer an exception – they’re the rule. Throughout the entire football season, this series will discover the importance and influence of black QB from bottom -up to NFL.


Indianapolis-keep me, should you heard it earlier: playmaker Alabama born in Texas, who’s a stronger runner than a passerby, will probably be called outside the first round of the NFL Draft.

The playmaker was undefeated in Sec as a primary -year starter.

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The playmaker never played for the same offensive coordinator.

The name of the playmaker is even Jalen.

But it isn’t clear that Jalen hurts. This winter he was busy winning the Super Bowl MVP, and he didn’t play Iron Bowl or against Michigan.

Instead, it’s a former playmaker of Crimson Tide Jalen Milroewho last week Combine Combine tried to convey the case to the trainers and evaluators that he – like his namesake – is price being their playmaker franchise in the future despite questions on his ability.

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“I went through adversity. I saw everything as a quarterback, “Milroe said on Friday. “I played at the most difficult conference in the country. It would be easier to play at other conferences, but what I could see in Sec catapulted me that I was ready to play NFL. “

Alabama, Jalen Milroe, talks to the media during the NFL mix at the Lucas Oil stadium on February 28 at Indianapolis.

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Departing from Katy in Texas, she originally got involved in Texas in 2019, but a 12 months later she fell to Alabama. After he was sitting behind the Crimson Tide Starter Bryung for 2 seasons, Milroe took his reins in the 2023 season. He helped Alabama survive Sec (8-0) this 12 months, won by the conference rival and two-time defender Georgia in the SEC championship, which caused Crimson Tide to the play-off collection.

But while Milroe had a big arm (his 10 yards for the test took third place in Sec in 2023), the pass was not his strong suit. For two seasons as a starter Milroe never achieved 3000 yards in one season, the first starter of Alabama, who did it because it … hurts.

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Hurts, from Houston, led Crimson Tide to the National National Championships in 2016–17, but during these two seasons were lower than 5,000 yards. While Hurts was a singular Rusher (1,809 yards and 21 sticks) at the moment, his weakness as a passerby is known for led to the spare Tua Tavailoa during the break of the national championships in 2017.

In the mix, Milroe decided that despite his pedestrian passes, he was still worthy of being a start at NFL.

He is aware of his weaknesses and swore that he worked in the ass to enhance outside being “one dimension.” He could move when his legendary trainer, Nick Saban, retired after the 2023 season, but decided to not fall off. He traveled six miles a day to ensure that that something was left in the fourth quarter in the fourth quarter. He studied progression and reads after I-SNAP to lift his IQ in football.

Unlike the forecast sorts of the first round, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, Milroe threw a mix on Saturday, hoping that he would show the bands that he has mechanics to do that to the playmaker NFL. It turned out to be a mixed bag. Milroe showed strong arm strength and a very good location of sail routes, curls and it while throwing exercises, but fought accuracy on intermediate and on the routes.

“That’s so many things that I can learn more where I am today and where I will be when it comes to day 1, starting with NFL,” said Milroe before Saturday exercises. “Always be a game student, at all times attempt to develop, because it would be so many opportunities in which I can look back and say that it was the moment after I grew up as a playmaker.

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“That’s right now, I’m just trying to grow as much as possible, put my best foot forward and just look for development.”

Jalen Milroe warms up during seniors training at the Hancock Whitney stadium on January 29 at Mobile, Alabama.

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Milroe was asked that he was one other playmaker in Alabama to succeed in the mix, following in the footsteps of the role (who moved to Oklahoma in 2019), Tavailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young. Milroe said he appreciates being in the company of others, but he added that it’s difficult to check him with others.

“We had different bands, we had different players around us, we had a different system,” he said.

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But when he specifically asked what he could study the journey of Hurts-from the first manager of the game after the super Bowl-Milroe master said he inspired him his companion Alabam.

“The most important thing I learned from J. Hurts is how he kept his head (I) always continued to work,” said Milroe. “He at all times raised his game, he has never been self -deserved, and all the pieces you see is great progress from him.

“And I have to applaud him as a person, he as a man, because he is definitely inspiring for many playmakers of my image, as well as many playmakers throughout the country. He leads to all of us. “

The couple isn’t completely similar. Hurts had about 20 kilos on Milroe when he was in college. Milroe has a stronger arm, while Hurts played more and not using a mistake of football: Milroe threw 17 interceptions and ate 67 bags for 2 seasons as a starter in comparison with 10 captures Hurts and 43 bags.

But they can each be changing the game when their teams need them. In a highly publicized match against Georgia at the starting of the last season, Milroe finished almost 82% of his passes on 374 yards and two appointments, adding 117 yards to the ground for the next two results.

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Milroe can also match the wounds in the so -called “Jalen-ISMS. “

“Climbing upstairs is not easy, but when you reach the top of this mountain, you will learn so many things when it comes to adversity when it comes to difficulties, things along the way,” said Milroe in a mix.

Martenzie Johnson is an older author for Andcape. His favorite film moment is that Django said: “You all want to see something?”

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This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Like Tommie Smith and John Carlos from 1968. Black Power Salute inspired me to find my goal

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I’d say that I grew up within the household to be sure that that me and my siblings were aware of the black history. My parents invested in the gathering of black encyclopedias. On the duvet we had a version of the Bible with Black Jesus. Our house was stuffed with books of black novelists and thinkers, and if a black document appeared, we watched it. I watched all movies made on television about Dr. King, each “Roots” and “Alex Haley’s Queen” and I sat for all 14 hours “Eyes on the reward”-as a toddler. Bless my heart.

Having said this, there have been pockets of black history, and more likely that I had no opportunity to delve into once I was a toddler. The college was where all the will for information and understanding of the combined. I attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., One of a very powerful historically black universities within the country. It was there that I met people from around the globe whose knowledge about black history differed (often depending on the colleges and the communities by which we lived), but everyone had hunger to learn more.

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One day, through the first yr, I remember one among my friends in a T -shirt by which I had definitely seen before, but I never paid attention to. There was a black and white screen printing on the shirt (what I do know now) the enduring moment on the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, where on the rostrum for 200-meter medals, Tommie Smith, John Carlos (races 1. And 3. Place Finaners) Everyone gathered a black fist in gloves while he played “Star Spangled Banner”. Peter Norman, the second place from Australia, wore a human rights badge, like Smith and Carlos.

Not only did they raise the fist of black power (although they each said it was for human rights), they received medals in black socks to represent poverty within the black community, and Smith wore a black scarf for black pride. Carlos showed solidarity with blue-wheeled employees, unpacking the jacket and wore a necklace from the beads for individuals who were lynched. Due to the state of Black America in 1968 and a continuing struggle for equality and civil rights, there have been calls to a boycott of the Games. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was also killed in April this yr – and all three athletes were inspired enough to find a way to do it on the rostrum, which led to one of the crucial durable images of public protest.

I remember how I learned history and realized that on the most important scene these brave men used their moment of triumph and victory to quietly protest against the conditions of underrated communities in America. I felt strengthened; We often discuss standing on the arms of giants, however the more I got into the history of black in America, the more I spotted what number of giants there have been. In college I used to be very bad and for a while ready to burn every part that represented the establishment or any obstacle to black liberation. I felt like all those individuals who even saw their space on the planet in reference to individuals who could never give you the option to speak as heroes whose lives were to be modeled later. Especially since it was also fastidiously that putting people in front of him can often bring an enormous personal loss.

When Smith and Carlos took their position, they were booed on the stadium and ordered to be sent home by the International Olympic Committee. The athletes returned home, but they weren’t welcomed by the hero, but as a substitute of rough sleds, and even in some cases the specter of death. They were also not beloved by athletes. Two men, associated eternally in history, even have a good relationship –Carlos even claims that he let Smith go within the race Because “Tommie Smith would never put his fist in the sky if I won this race,” the claim that Smith denies.

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History ultimately has a way of rights, but it surely took a few years and realizations on the front of social policy, in order that the actions of those persons are perceived as brave and needed, not only selfish and smug.

The lessons that I learned from College and continuous reading and education I gained (my head remained within the book about black history) were one among the best advantages in HBCU. The very variety of books I learned about about which I actually have never heard of – I actually have upheld me all my life.

That is why I remember sooner or later I used to be walking around Washington, the eastern Washington market and a street seller was selling different photos of moments in black history, and he had a 40 -inch photo within the Tommie Smith and John Carlos frame. I paid for it in money and spent it across the capital of the country until I returned home. I do know that it happened in 2005 (I finished Morehouse College in 2001) because I just moved to my first apartment with no roommate and it was the very first thing that I actually have ever suspended on the wall. This picture within the frame still hangs on the wall in my home in 2025 and I used it to teach my children about sacrifice and privilege and how you may have to discuss individuals who cannot.

Teenage students of Stax Music Academy Mark 25th anniversary, black history month with a concert

The query that my youngest children often ask: “How do I know who can’t speak for herself?” Which is an incredible query. For this I answered an easy fact, pointing to the photo:

“These men have made a gesture that gave people whose most of us, including them, would never see or never know them, but on which life negatively affects the alternatives of the wealthy and the federal government. Sometimes you may have to take this chance to say something because you do not know in the event you’ll ever have such a big platform.

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Son, there may be at all times someone who cannot speak for himself, and you may have to use it in a voice, because perhaps the thing you say or a stand that can help someone you understand, live a greater life. ”

I take advantage of words that may understand a little bit higher, but I can inform you that my children have a look at this photo on a regular basis, and once one among my sons said: “These guys are heroes, right?”

I say yes, they’re. They are the heroes of the Black History.

They will live eternally for speaking, and even quietly, in solidarity with those that couldn’t.

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Panama Jackson Thegrio.com

(Tagstranslate) @Ap

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Main Treasury Official Morgan State University, Sterling Steward, died

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Morgan State University, Sterling Steward


Morgan State University announced that his older associate athletics director and tax director, Sterling Steward, died.

No reason for death was disclosed, but the college has confirmed his contribution since he was employed in December 2022.

Steward died on February 26. In Morgan State he was accountable for the event of university programs, supporting partnerships and strengthening the financial and operational success of the Faculty.

“Sterling was more than a colleague-he was a respected leader, mentor and friend,” said in a written statement by Den Freeman-Patton, vice chairman and director of inter-university athletes. “His passion for athletics and commitment to raising Morgan programs were visible in everything he did. He worked tirelessly to ensure that our sports students had resources and the possibilities of distinction, and its impact will be felt for many years. We expand our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, especially his three sons and sister when we mourn this huge loss. “

While the steward worked in Morgan, strategic growth and cooperation occurred. His work with the institutional development department helped to offer more opportunities and created lasting relationships to support sports programs.

Steward earlier he worked At the University of New Orleans (UNO) as an assistant to the college athletics director for strategic income generation. He also made stays on the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Savannah State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Alabama State University, Kentucky State University, Eastern Oregon University and Xavier University in various roles, including for a senior consultant athletics director and sports director.

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He was from New Orleans, who received the title of bachelor and master’s degree on the University of Southern Mississippi. He won a bachelor’s degree in the sphere of coaching and administration/history of sport and his master’s degree in the sphere of sport management.

(Tagstransate) Morgan State Universiry

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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