ATHLETES SPEAK OUT ON THE LATEST US GOVERNMENT ATTACK

In the January 23 edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed what’s been going on in Minneapolis. The federal government has been terrorizing the city over the past few months and has continued to escalate its attacks even amidst resistance from Minnesotans and people across the country.

Shortly after we published the newsletter, we learned that federal officers killed a legal observer and Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA, Alex Pretti.

It’s the second time in the span of a few weeks that the government has killed a legal observer in Minneapolis, lied about it to the public, and smeared the name of the person they killed. The community is reeling, but they continue to brave the winter cold and resist the government’s fascism.

The protests continued throughout the weekend, and prominent voices in the sports world vocalized their support. Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton was direct when he said, “Alex Pretti was murdered.”

Minnesota Lynx icon and current assistant coach, Rebekkah Brunson, spoke about the government’s attacks on the Minneapolis community and the losses of Renee Good and Alex Pretti:

At Unrivaled on January 25, Breanna Stewart displayed an “Abolish ICE” sign before the games began. Like millions of people, Stewart saw news of what happened and felt compelled to speak. In postgame, she explained why she shared that message.

“I wanted to have a simple message of “Abolish ICE,”” Stewart said, “which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence. When human lives are at stake, it's bigger than anything else. So to have that simple message before the game was important to me. And knowing that everyone[at Unrivaled] is feeling that way, it was a perfect time.”

The government targeting immigrants and minority communities hits home for Stewart and her family.

"It's scary," Stewart said. "You see it on social media, you see it splitting up families and dissecting communities, and kids are being involved. It's the worst in all ways. And to be married to Marta ... we're working to get her citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn't matter. And I think that that's why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen, because it doesn't seem to be affecting the right people. It's not helping anybody."

People have had enough. They’re tired of the government terrorizing the community and want change now. Various communities are uniting and helping each other survive these attacks.

This fight is far from over, and it's good to see athletes using their platforms to speak on important issues.

ONE UNDEFEATED TEAM LEFT STANDING

Here’s the latest in the AP’s Top 25 rankings:

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Week 11

DUKE HAS SAVED THEIR SEASON

In issue 076 of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed Duke basketball. At that time, they were 3-5 and trending downwards. They had a string of awful losses that culminated in a primetime matchup loss against LSU to drop their record to 3-6.

It looked like things were spiraling out of control, but our very own Erica L. Ayala told Duke fans not to panic. And wouldn’t you know it, Erica was right!

Since that loss to LSU, Duke has gone undefeated. They pushed their winning streak to 11 after doubling up Pittsburgh, 95-41 on January 24. won 11 straight games. They are 9-0 in the ACC and tied with Louisville for first place in the conference.

“I’m more proud that they — the players themselves — stuck together,” head coach Kara Lawson told The Associated Press. "Because I can tell you this: There’s way more teams in the NCAA that would’ve folded or broken apart or played below their potential after what we went through.

“They had every reason to say, ‘Ah, this ain’t the year, we’ve just got too much going against us.’ ... And they didn’t. They just came into practice every day and said, ‘I’m going to get better.'”

One player who’s gotten better is sophomore Toby Fournier. During the streak, she’s averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. The sophomore forward was named to the preseason All-ACC team and is living up to her immense potential. Not to be outdone, senior guard Taina Mair has played great ball as well.

Mair is fourth in the ACC in both steals and assists on the season, and during Duke’s winning streak is shooting 43.8 percent from three point range.

Patience is key. Over the course of a season, you’re bound to have rough outings. However, if you build good habits, the results will start to show.

Duke withstood a slow start and is on the right track. There’s more work to be done, but they should be proud of their turnaround.

WHO’S THE ONE IN ONE-ON ONE?

Last year, the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament took the basketball world by storm. We saw some shockers early on, especially when Aaliyah Edwards pitched a shutout against Breanna Stewart. Napheesa Collier took the crown last year, but due to injuries she sustained in the WNBA season, there will be a new champion this February.

On January 21, Unrivaled announced that the one-on-one tournament will begin on February 11 and conclude on Valentine’s Day!

From Unrivaled:

The championship round will feature up to three final games, culminating in a championship moment that crowns the 2026 Unrivaled 1 on 1 Tournament winner. With a $300,000 total prize pool, the tournament builds upon Unrivaled’s commitment to investing directly in its athletes. The champion will take home $200,000, the runner-up will earn $50,000, and each semifinalist will receive $25,000.

As we discussed in the last edition of the newsletter, we’ve seen players use their Unrivaled winnings for important causes.

The tournament was a hit last year as it helped players showcase new, exciting skills. Unrivaled has had growing pains this year, but they’re still pushing to be a premier destination for players.

As they prepare for a big doubleheader in Philadelphia, the tournament is another chance for the league to show why it's a valuable investment for players looking to earn high salaries and push themselves against elite competition.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

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