April 1, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: The Final Four is taking shape
By The Next
Plus, breaking down the controversy surrounding the 3-point line in Portland
In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick talks with Hall of Fame journalist Michelle Smith about the NCAA Tournament bracket so far and who may get the last two spots in the Final Four, to go along with South Carolina and NC State.
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First, they discussed South Carolina and NC State having claimed the first two spots in Cleveland. Smith said NC State has surprised her by getting this far.
“They’ve come in like a team that thinks that they belong here,” she said. “And played like a team that belongs here. And they have out-shot and out-defended and out-energied the big dogs. I mean, they you know, they came in and they beat Stanford and Texas in this region, and to get themselves to Cleveland. … I’m really impressed. I’m really impressed with Wes Moore and really impressed with what they’ve done in this tournament.”
The two also spoke about the controversy surrounding the 3-point line at the Portland site.
“I thought what was interesting and disappointing yesterday was that the coaches agreed to play on the court, as it was based on the fact that it would take about an hour to repair and they were going to lose their ABC broadcast window,” Smith said. “And I just wish that wasn’t a choice they had to make.”
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On Monday night, Iowa and LSU will face off for a Final Four ticket, as will USC and UConn. About the latter game, Heidrick reminded listeners, “This is JuJu [Watkins] and this is Paige [Bueckers], but as you said just a few moments ago, these are two teams full of talent top to bottom.”
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Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
