THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON BEGINS

College basketball has returned!

When we last saw the NCAA, the University of Connecticut won the National Championship with a resounding victory against the University of South Carolina. Paige Bueckers graduated and is starring in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings, but Geno Auriemma’s team still has plenty of star power.

Azzi Fudd returns for her final collegiate season and hopes to end her UConn tenure on a high note. Joining her on this journey will be transfer portal pickup Serah Williams and super sophomore Sarah Strong. Strong dominated all opponents in the Tournament and is even better than when we last saw her.

South Carolina is hoping to make it back to the Final Four for the sixth straight season. It’s going to be a bit harder due to the season-long absences of Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins. They lost MiLaysha Fulwiley to LSU in the transfer portal, but made up for it by bringing the nation’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, from Florida State. This will be Raven Johnson’s fifth and final season in college, and Dawn Staley expects a lot out of her vet:

"Raven's been in the gym, she's been working. Not only do we need her voice, we need her example of how to play the position and how to run our basketball team ... I think she's probably in the best physical, mental, just complete (shape). We need her the most the way she is right now."

The Gamecocks need to clean some things up, but the reigning SEC Champions will be a major threat come Tournament time.

Also in the SEC, LSU is looking to make one big push to make it back to the Final Four in Flau’jae Johnson’s final season. There were thoughts Johnson might declare for the WNBA Draft last spring, but she opted to return to college.

Johnson has added to her game each season and will be someone we watch closely in the WNBA and Unrivaled going forward. This college season, she’ll be joined by Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams. Fulwiley has earned raves in training camp and hopes to take her successes with South Carolina and transfer them over to Baton Rouge. Kim Mulkey can be tough on point guards, but if Fulwiley can play up to her potential, the Tigers have a chance to go on a big run this year.

Out west, UCLA is looking to make it back to the Final Four on the strength of preseason All-American and likely 2026 WNBA Draft lottery pick, Lauren Betts. Betts fully stepped into stardom last season and will be one of the most intriguing players to watch in the country this year.

She’ll be joined by her sister Sienna Betts and standout guards Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez. For Cori Close, she is looking to guide the Bruins to the National Championship game for the first time in school history.

USC will have to go this season without superstar JuJu Watkins, but hope that freshman guard Jazzy Davidson steps in and shows why she’s one of the most exciting prospects in the sport.

This season will be all about transition for Olivia Miles and her former school, Notre Dame. TCU made it to the Elite Eight last season and hopes that Miles’ improved three point shooting and all around excellence pushes them into the Final Four.

For Hannah Hidalgo, Niele Ivey, and the Fighting Irish, they have to incorporate seven newcomers onto a team that fell apart down the stretch and did not live up to expectations.

The road to the Final Four begins now, and we’re excited to have you covered every step of the way!

OPENING WEEK

Every week, we’ll list out the updated Top 25 rankings for you guys. Here’s Week 1:

THE STORM PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

The Seattle Storm have hired Sonia Raman to be their new head coach, and they’ve got a lot of questions they need to answer. With most of the veterans in the W heading to free agency, this off-season represents a great chance to boost their championship odds.

I joined Erica L. Ayala and Roberta F. Rodrigues on the latest edition of Tempestade Talk to break down the Storm’s hire and various happenings in women’s sports.

As we draw closer to the true beginning of the WNBA offseason, how the Storm builds its roster will be something to watch closely.

STEPPING UP FOR THE COMMUNITY

As of this writing, the United States government continues to be shut down. As a result of the shutdown, various services have been made unavailable for people and we’ve seen issues with flights, etc. For as bad as things currently are, the shutdown has created an even worse possibility.

As of November 1, a reported 42 million people are at risk of not having the entirety of their SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) benefits. It’s a catastrophe and people are at grave risk of going hungry, especially with the federal government delaying their response to a court order requiring they pay out SNAP benefits immediately. It’s a stressful time for a lot of people, and one college star is looking to do what she can to help people in need.

Iowa State star Audi Crooks is providing aid in a time of need for folks in Iowa. Crooks and The Audi Crooks Foundation have launched the “Knock N Dash” program to help people in need in the Kossoth County part of Iowa. According to Kelby Wingbert of KCCI Des Moines:

“Knock N Dash aims to bridge those gaps quickly and quietly: residents complete a short form noting household size and location, and volunteers deliver care packages directly to their doors — no questions asked and no judgment.”

In moments of crisis, we have to stick together. Times are hard and everybody is doing their best to make it through tough circumstances. Athletes can be inspirational on the court and community leaders off of it. With their platforms and access to resources, they can do good work that benefits communities across the world.

For Crooks, this program will help keep people from going hungry and possibly prevent them from falling into deeper despair. It’s genuinely life-saving work and helps fill a void that the federal government is choosing not to fill.

Hopefully, others follow Crooks’ lead and help out in this time of crisis.

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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