THE LONGHORNS ARE OFF TO A GREAT START

Texas made history!

The Longhorns traveled to Las Vegas for the inaugural women’s Players Era Festival tournament during Thanksgiving week. Their first matchup was #3 ranked UCLA. Texas led for most of the game and held off a spirited Bruins second half rally to win 76-65. That earned them a showdown against South Carolina. These SEC rivals picked up from where they left off last season and had one of the best games of the season so far.

Texas found themselves trailing in the second half as it looked like they were going to fall short to the Gamecocks once again. Texas suffered through an extended scoring drought that saw them go four minutes without a point in the third quarter as South Carolina started to take control of the game. However, the Longhorns fought back and were able to regain the lead in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied coming down the stretch, and Texas’ most experienced player saved the day

Throughout the Festival, we saw the importance of Rori Harmon on display. Her veteran experience guided the team to wins against the number two and three teams in the country. Most impressively, Texas won on back-to-back days, something that hasn’t been done in 25 years.

“She’s meant everything to us,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said after the game. “She’s been a big part of our building this program. And it’s allowed us to go get players like Jordan (Lee) and Madison (Booker) and the rest of this team…”

Texas was in action on Thursday as part of the ACC/SEC challenge as they faced #11 North Carolina. The dynamic duo of Booker and Harmon didn’t have superstar performances, but Jordan Lee bridged the gap and led all players in scoring as Texas improved to 9-0 on the season.

The Longhorns haven’t had back-to-back Final Four appearances since 1987, but they might end that drought this year. They have the perfect mix of coaching, veteran experience, and star power to guide them through a difficult SEC schedule and challenging NCAA Tournament. Is this the year Vic Schaefer finally captures that elusive National Championship? We’ve got a long way to go until March, but he and the team should feel pretty confident in their chances.

THE TIGERS ARE MAKING AN EARLY STATEMENT

It’s a fascinating time to be at LSU these days. The governor got himself involved in team business when the football team fired Brian Kelly in October. The school found its replacement coach in Lane Kiffin on November 30, although that came with plenty of complications of its own. While all that’s been happening, the basketball team has been sensational.

LSU made some history as they began the season. They scored 100 points in each of their first eight games, an NCAA record. The previous record was six, held by Louisiana Tech in 1982, which Kim Mulkey led at point guard. In addition to the hundred-point streak, LSU won each of its first eight games by at least 30 points. Good teams win, great teams dominate. There’s been some discussion about the strength of schedule, but once you get on the court, you have to execute and play at a high level if you want to win.

As part of the ACC/SEC challenge, Duke traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face a struggling Duke team. Those struggles looked like a thing of the past as Duke jumped out to an early 14-1 lead. However, the depth and talent of LSU started to break through.

One player who shone in the ACC/SEC challenge was Flau’jae Johnson. The multipurpose star and likely WNBA Draft lottery pick has been sensational in her minutes this season. Due to all of the blowouts, she’s only had to play 23 minutes a night, a career low. However, she’s made the most of her minutes as she’s shooting a career best 54.8 percent from the field and 58.1 percent from three point range. She led everyone in scoring with 18 points, but she had some extra motivation based on her poor experience with USA Basketball and Kara Lawson this summer at Americup

The best players are the ones who can succeed even in the most challenging circumstances. As Johnson continues her basketball journey, games like this will go a long way in helping her reach her full potential.

Once the calendar turns to 2026, LSU enters conference play, and things will pick up exponentially. In their first five games of the month, they’ll play four ranked opponents, including back-to-back national TV games at home against Texas and on the road against Oklahoma. That stretch will tell us a lot about the Tigers and how far they can go this season.

THINKING OF THE PAST, WORRYING ABOUT THE PRESENT

The latest extension for the WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement lasts until January 9, 2026. As the road to a new CBA continues on, we’re starting to learn about the specifics being mentioned in negotiations. And one item in particular is an issue that spans generations.

On December 3, Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman of The Athletic reported on the latest in negotiations. The big ticket news items centered around a potential draft combine, the WNBA interfering with the NCAA calendar, the proposed revenue split from the league office, etc. Those are all worthwhile topics that we’ll continue to explore at the WBB Roundup throughout the winter. This section from Merchant and Pickman caught my eye:

“Among the possible benefits for retiring or retired players, the sides have discussed a one-time payment for former players with a certain number of years of service. However, the amount to be tendered is under negotiation. The WNBPA is also seeking a medical benefit for uninsured retired players.”

That section brought to mind something we wrote in the March 22 edition of the WBB Roundup. There, we discussed Spencer Haywood’s advocacy for retired WNBA players, specifically getting health insurance, and Sheryl Swoopes mentioned that retired players have no pensions with the WNBA. It shocked Angel Reese, and it still shocks me all these months later.

As we see throughout the United States, a lack of access to health insurance can be catastrophic. And for players in the WNBA, it’s an issue they know all too well.

“I think so many times we go without having the conversations about the number of women that we've lost to cancer here in the last two years, two of which I know for sure did not have insurance,” retired WNBA player Rushia Brown said in 2024. “That's absolutely unacceptable, to have invested seven, 10, 12 years into a job, in a league, and you not have insurance and you not have a pension.”

In reading everything surrounding the CBA talks, I can’t help but feel that management has no respect for the players and their contributions to this league. WNBA players have sacrificed so much over the decades and played for less money than they could have elsewhere. In turn, players have been told they don’t “understand the business,” that sharing is the wrong way to look at things, they’re asking for too much, they should be grateful for the league, etc. That lack of respect manifests itself in what the league is offering the current players and the systematic ignoring of past eras of players. The WNBA historically hasn’t done a great job in honoring its history, and these negotiations continue that disappointing trend.

We’ve got a month before the newest deadline expires. It appears we’re at a stalemate, with various issues unresolved. This era of players has been steadfast in their resolve to obtain the most support and benefits going forward.

Hopefully, they’re able to achieve some wins for the players that paved the way as well.

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