The Weekly Fast Break: Thanksgiving edition

We are also thankful to be witnesses to history in women’s basketball. A season ago, legendary Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA college basketball, men’s or women’s. Who would have thought that such a monumental record would last less than one year? On Nov. 20, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma broke the record with his 1,217^th win, all of which have come in his 40 seasons at the helm of the Huskie program. He was celebrated in style after eclipsing the record, along with associate head coach Chris Dailey, his longtime lieutenant, who has been by his side for every season at UConn. Auriemma is a master of numbers and has a long list next to his name – 11 national titles, 23 Final Fours, six undefeated seasons, win streaks of 98 and 111 games respectively and now the all-times win record.

While much of the focus the past two seasons was on the race between VanDerveer and Auriemma to the top of the all-time wins list, it serves us well to take a moment to reflect on the impact of others on that list. Five of the top seven all-time winningest coaches in Division I history, men’s or women’s, are former head coaches in the women’s game. Retired head coaches Sylvia Hatchell and C. Vivian Stringer along with the late Pat Summit are joined by retired men’s coaches Mike Krzyzewski (Army & Duke) and Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) as the benchmark for longevity and success in the college game. While there were decades when more people were watching men’s basketball and knew more about Duke and Syracuse, these women’s coaches were building programs that every player and fan wants to be a part of — a winner.

Our motto this season here at The Weekly Fast Break is inspired by the late Pat Summitt when she said “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins games. Rebounding wins championships.” The heart of this quote is what made UConn and Tennessee heated rivals for decades. We are forever thankful to bear witness to the history of our game.

---

Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

---

TIP-OFF

Bright Lights, Big W’s:  Big stars and big moves were not just at the movie studios in Hollywood this past weekend, as the spotlights were shining on two top women’s basketball matchups in LA. On Nov. 23 then-No. 6 Notre Dame traveled to then-No. 3 USC, putting two of the nation’s super sophomores on display. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo was a showstopper with her 28 points and eight assists, and the supporting cast and team effort were dialed in for a 74-61 win by the Fighting Irish. Guard Olivia Miles had 20 points and seven assists and Notre Dame shot 46.8% from the field for the game. USC’s All-American JuJu Watkins tied Hidalgo for game-high honors with 24 points, but she did it on 10-for-25 from the field. Notre Dame was physical on every possession with Watkins and forced her into difficult, contested shots over long and athletic defenders. While this early season loss by no means derails the Trojans’ season, it does expose some areas for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb that need improvement. It also showcases how good this Notre Dame team is even without key players still missing due to injury. Keep your spotlights turned to South Bend, IN in the upcoming weeks. USC drops to No. 6 in the AP Poll and the Irish climb to No. 3 with three first-place votes.

Round two of big matchups in LA was on Sunday, Nov. 24 as the reigning national champions came to Westwood to face UCLA. South Carolina had not lost a game in over 600 days and was met at the opening tip by a “buzz saw,” as head coach Dawn Staley called it. The Bruins jumped on the No. 1 team in the country 20-10 in the first quarter and never looked back. Five UCLA players scored in double figures, including 15 points on 5-for-5 from behind the arc for reserve guard Londynn Jones to power them to a 77-62 win. The Bruins outrebounded the Gamecocks 41-34 and held them to just 36% from the field with aggressive defense that did not allow them to get into any flow in their half-court offense. Sophomore Tessa Johnson had 14 points off the bench and guard Te-Hina Paopao led South Carolina with 18, but it was not enough. The decisive win by UCLA ended a 43-game winning streak by South Carolina and snapped UCLA’s 0-20 record against No. 1 teams. The Gamecocks are now No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and UCLA is at the top as No. 1 for the first time.

Next Destination – LA: For the second time in as many weeks a top-tier college head coach is leaving for the professional ranks. Lynne Roberts was introduced on Nov. 21 as the newest head coach of the LA Sparks, leaving Utah after nine-plus seasons at the helm of that program. Roberts was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023, the same year her team was co-champions of the conference, and the Utes have made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Her system of high-power offense, based on 3-point shooting and active post play, was a big selling point to the Sparks’ front office. This move brings Roberts, a native of northern California, back to her home state. Gavin Petersen was named head coach of the Utah program, which is beginning its first season in the Big 12 Conference. Petersen has been the associate head coach for the past five seasons. Timing for these kinds of moves is never ideal, as seen earlier this month with the move of Karl Smesko to the Atlanta Dream from FGCU. While we applaud the investment by WNBA franchises into coaching moves, it also is a tough day for the college game. Quality coaches who build programs and produce quality student-athletes from their programs are becoming harder and harder to keep in this crazy landscape of college athletics.

Hog Call on Mute: The last NCAA appearance for the Arkansas Razorbacks was 2022 when they lost to the No. 7 seed Utah Utes. In the past two seasons, the Hogs have won just 13 games total in SEC play and were picked last out of 16 teams in the 2024-25 SEC preseason poll. Head coach Mike Neighbors has a 142-95 record at his alma mater, but the struggle has been real against quality opponents this November. They opened the year with an 81-67 home loss to MAAC champion Fairfield, were steamrolled by now No. 1 UCLA 101-52 on the road on Nov. 17 and were run over by Oral Roberts at home 94-73 on Nov. 21. The Golden Eagles were in control of the game from the opening tip and Arkansas spent almost the entire 40 minutes on the floor looking unorganized on offense and lost on the defensive end. On the season, the Razorbacks are giving up 75 points per game and turning it over just under 16 times per game. Neighbors and his team travel to the Daytona Beach Classic over Thanksgiving where they will face Oklahoma State and Bowling Green. The Hogs need to find some answers quickly or it could be a very long season for them in the stacked SEC.

---

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

---

Poll Watch:  Last week any movement in the Top 25 AP Poll happened from No. 12 on down. This week — well, throw that idea out with the turkey leg bones because nothing looks like it did seven days ago. UCLA takes over the top spot at No. 1, with UConn, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Texas rounding out the top five respectively. Iowa State takes the biggest tumble, dropping seven spots to No. 15 after their loss at Northern Iowa and a buzzer-beater win against Drake. No. 19 Illinois is up three this week to garner the program’s best ranking since 2000, while their new Big Ten mate Oregon rises two to No. 21. Iowa bounces into the poll at No. 22 and the Baylor Bears bounce out after suffering a 73-65 loss to Indiana in the Bahamas. The Ivy League is represented this week by Harvard who received one vote.

STAR POWER

It was a clean sweep by the UCF Golden Knights as two of their players were honored by the Big 12 Conference. Senior guard Kaitlin Peterson was named Big 12 Player of the Week after continuing the frenetic scoring pace she had a year ago. Peterson tied her career high with 35 points against SIUE on Nov. 22, which is the second most by a Big 12 player in a single game so far this season. The Eufaula, AL native scored at least 20 points in all three wins for the Knights last week posting 21 against Florida A&M on Nov. 19 and 23 on Nov. 24 in the 80-55 win over North Florida. 6’ freshman Emely Rodriguez took home her first Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor after scoring 35 points in UCF’s three wins and pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game as well. She posted a career-high 18 points in the victory over Florida A&M and her current average of 13.5 points per game is tops for all freshmen in the Big 12. This marks the first time since UCF joined the Big 12 that a player has won either weekly honor.

The Hercules Tires MAAC Player of the Week went to Quinnipiac 6’3 sophomore Anna Foley after a banner performance in two victories for the Bobcats. The forward/center from Andover, MA scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked three shots and had two steals in the Nov. 21 win over Cornell. Against Maine on Nov. 24, Foley led the Bobcats with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for a 62-53 victory. It was Quinnipiac’s fifth win of the season. 

Nat Martinez, a freshman guard from San Diego State, was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week after helping the Aztecs to two victories. The 5’7 native of San Leandro, CA averaged 10.5 points, two rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field and over 44% from beyond the arc. Martinez and the Aztecs defeated California Baptist 78-66 on Nov. 20 and CSU Bakersfield handily 88-46 on Nov. 22 to keep SDSU undefeated on the season. They are 6-0 heading into the Cancun Challenge where they will face Wisconsin on Nov. 28.

Nat Martinez is crowned Freshman of the Week because she averaged 10.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game; the rookie shot 46.2 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from beyond the arc and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line on the week🔥 #MakingHerMark… pic.twitter.com/k0bKz1vm5N

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 25, 2024

FILM SESSION

Balance is a word every coach strives for with their roster in terms of size, athleticism, experience and skill level. It is also what teams strive for when they look at a postgame stat sheet — how many different scorers did we have? Who was on the glass for rebounds, especially on the offensive end? What was our turnover number and did our opponent punish us for our mistakes? How well did we defend throughout the game, not just one specific quarter?

---

Win a New York Liberty trading card when you subscribe!

Until the end of November, every new subscriber (and subscription renewal) to The Next will be entered to win a Panini trading card celebrating the WNBA champion New York Liberty — and yes, we can confirm it will be the Ellie rookie card!

---

For UCLA head coach Cori Close, the balance of her team in multiple areas was on full display in their decisive 77-62 win on Nov. 24 over then-No. 1 South Carolina. Here are some examples for you to digest — first, the Bruins outrebounded South Carolina 41-34. Fourteen of those boards were offensive with five of the eight players who had significant minutes on the floor snagging at least one offensive rebound. Secondly, UCLA did commit 17 turnovers in the game, but the Gamecocks could only convert those into 11 points, which minimized the damage from their miscues. Third, Close’s squad pounced on the reigning national champions 20-10 in the first quarter and then 23-12 in the second, giving themselves a 21-point lead at halftime. While South Carolina did shoot better in the second half as team, they only outscored UCLA 40-34 and shot just 36% from the field for the game. The Bruins were active on defense all afternoon and played solid position-team defense when needed. 

Lastly, the balance in the scoring column was a driving force for the upset win for UCLA. Eight of 11 players scored, including five who hit double figures. Junior guard Londynn Jones came in off the bench to knock down five 3-pointers while freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo had 13 points in 27 minutes on the floor. What stood out to us in this game was the play of 6’7 center Lauren Betts. The junior had 11 points (5-for-8 from the field), collected 14 rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes of play. Betts put in ironwoman-type minutes and never missed a beat. It was her court awareness on numerous possessions for UCLA that were key — she recognized double and triple teams to patiently kick out to open shooters, she wrestled for position on the offensive glass to get her team extra possessions and was consistently in great help-side position on defense. There were numerous times that Betts altered shots and was the backline defender her team needed. Great players step up in big games to help balance the attack — Lauren Betts did just that for UCLA against South Carolina.

FULL COURT PRESS

The Thanksgiving holiday break is when we spend time with family and friends, over-indulge on fantastic food and usually search for a quiet location to take a much-needed nap. So, if you find yourself hiding from your noisy nieces or avoiding your own children for a few moments, find a hidden space and check out these matchups — your personal sanity and fandom will thank you (check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability):

Nov. 27

UCF at UNLV

No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Duke (Ball Dawgs Classic, Las Vegas)

No. 9 K-State vs. DePaul (Ball Dawgs Classic, Las Vegas)

No. 14 Kentucky vs. NO. 19 Illinois (Music City Classic, Nashville)

Nov. 28

No. 4 South Carolina vs. No. 15 Iowa State (Fort Myers Tip Off)

Purdue vs. Middle Tennessee (Fort Myers Tip Off)

Texas Tech vs. R/V Florida State (Virgin Islands)

Missouri State vs. Gonzaga (Virgin Islands)

Nov. 29

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 17 TCU (Cayman Islands)

Drake vs. Green Bay (Puerto Rico)

R/V Michigan vs Belmont (Fort Myers Tip Off)

Houston vs. R/V Minnesota (New Orleans)

Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas (Daytona Beach)

Mississippi State vs. South Florida (Cayman Islands)

#22 Iowa vs. BYU (Cancun Challenge)

Nov. 30

No. 4 South Carolina vs. Purdue (Fort Myers Tip Off)

UNI vs. Pitt (Virgin Islands)

Middle Tennessee vs. No .15 Iowa State (Fort Myers Tip Off)

No. 24 Louisville at Colorado

Washington State vs. Drake (Puerto Rico)

Auburn vs. Kansas (Virgin Islands)

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Utah (Cayman Islands)

R/V Florida State vs. Gonzaga (Virgin Islands)

Dec. 1

Southern Miss at UAB

Georgetown at Howard

Villanova at Saint Joseph’s

Dec. 2

Georgia State at No. 23 Alabama

St. John’s at Penn State

Dec. 3

Murray State at Saint Louis

Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech

Holy Cross at No. 2 UConn

*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference provided statistics

---

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

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.

---