February 12, 2025
The Weekly Fast Break: Consistency matters
At this point in the season, consistency is the fundamental key to success. Who has it, and who doesn't?
In life, and in sports, we seem to talk about consistency on almost a daily basis. Are we consistent in our exercise routine or in sitting down at the table during the week with our families for dinner? Are your toddlers brushing their teeth twice a day while your teenager makes her bed every morning? Are you the one in your family that consistently drives around on ‘empty,’ only to glide into the gas station with just a gallon or two to spare?
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
Ask any college basketball coach and they will tell you: the quest for consistency is what keeps them up at night. How do you string together not only two halves of great defense, but two great games back-to-back? What is the key to getting your top three-point shooter to be an automatic 45% from behind the arc every game? And what is it that will make everyone on your team block out on every possession?
Here at The Weekly Fast Break, we know that consistency matters, especially in the month of February. Teams are dealing with injuries and illness, long travel days and late nights spent in three-star hotels. You must fight through the fatigue to focus on the fundamentals and game plans. Spending an extra ten minutes after practice to get in 100 shots can be the difference between a 2-for-10 performance and a 7-for-10 night from three. Defensive scouting reports are built so that your team can lock down their opponent, but all five on the court must be dialed in. And as our motto this season goes, the great Pat Summitt knew that “offense sells tickets; defense wins games, and rebounding wins championships.” It is time for everyone on the floor to block, because if we are inconsistent, our opponents will take advantage. The shot clock on the season is running low — it is time to remember what matters most.
Party like it’s 2007
UConn women’s basketball has been a pillar of consistency for the past several decades, and the Huskies’ dominance of their rivals has been unparalleled. We all know about the epic Tennessee vs. UConn battles and the intense, but cordial, handshakes between the late Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma. The Huskies had not lost to the Lady Vols since 2007, but on Feb. 6, a new chapter of Tennessee history was written under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell. The fast-paced, high-intensity system that Caldwell has installed in Knoxville brought an 80-76 win over then-No. 5 UConn. There have been a handful of games this year where Tennessee could not close the deal, but they found the right combination to knock off the Huskies with four Lady Vols’ in double figures, led by 6’4 junior Lazaria “Zee” Spearman. They out-rebounded UConn and capitalized on key turnovers in the second half. A mid-season pause on conference play gave us a big showdown and a renewed rivalry for women’s basketball to relish in for years to come.
A Longhorn stampede
Everyone knew that the SEC would be loaded this season, and with seven teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25, the conference is living up to its billing. When Oklahoma and Texas joined in July, the conference added two more quality programs and created scheduling matchups that would be primetime showcases. Super Bowl Sunday brought us the rematch of South Carolina and Texas — the now-No. 4 Gamecocks easily handled the Longhorns back on Jan. 12 in Columbia, winning 67-50. Fast forward to Feb. 9, and in an electric atmosphere, now-No. 3 Texas held home court to beat South Carolina 66-62. The win snaps the Gamecocks 57-game SEC regular season winning streak and creates a log jam at the top of the league standings, with the two teams — and LSU — all sitting at 11-1.
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.
Sophomore sensation Madison Booker bounced back from a tough performance in the first South Carolina game (3-for-19 from the field) to score 20 points. Guard Rori Harmon delivered the knockout punch with two monster free throws down the stretch. Can Texas hang on to capture the regular season title in their first year in the SEC? It could very well all come down to a Feb. 16 visit by No. 5 LSU to Austin. Caution Tigers — cattle crossing ahead.
Poll watch
Only two teams stayed consistent in this week’s AP Top 25 and remained at their same ranking, which means nothing is in same the place it was seven days ago. Notre Dame moves into the No. 2 spot, its best ranking since 2019, and Texas takes over at No. 3. Kentucky is up three spots to No. 8, making this the highest ranking for the Wildcats since December of 2015. No. 10 NC State and No. 15 Tennessee move up four places in this week’s poll while Oklahoma State rises five spots to No. 20 after their dismantling of now No. 14 K-State in Stillwater on Feb. 8.
Five mid-majors received votes this week, including Grand Canyon (1) which sits at 22-2 on the season and has won 20 straight.
Star power
Fairfield’s Raiana Brown was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week after she went a perfect 11-for-11 from the floor on her way to a 31-point performance in the Stags’ 82-76 win over Sacred Heart on Feb. 8. Brown became the first Fairfield player to ever accomplish that feat, and she is just the sixth player in the nation this season to not miss a shot with at least 10 field goals made. The Wheatley Heights, NY native also had 12 points off the bench in her team’s 80-49 victory of Marist on Feb. 6.
Junior Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was named Big 12 Player of the Week after leading Baylor to two victories last week and into a tie at the top of the conference standings. She averaged 22.5 points and 11 rebounds per game in wins over Houston (92-47) on Feb. 5 and BYU on Feb. 8, 83-71. The junior from Oklahoma City, OK had her 10th double-double of the year against BYU, with 26 points and 15 rebounds. It was her seventh-career 20-point game of the season. Littlepage-Buggs, who was recently named to 2025 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award Top 10 list, matched or exceeded her opponent’s offensive rebounds in both games. This is her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor and ninth overall league weekly award.
While helping Coastal Carolina to their fourth straight win, junior Savannah Brooks was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week. The 5’9 guard had 18 points, five assists and five rebounds in the Feb. 5 win over Texas State, 68-60. The Taneytown, MD native then posted 15 points and nine boards in the Chants 73-65 win over Buffalo in the MAC-SBC Challenge on Feb. 8. Brooks is fifth in the Sun Belt in scoring and tops in the in the league in steals per game (2.5). This is the first player of the week honor for Coastal Carolina since the 2022-23 season.
South Dakota senior Grace Larkins made Summit League history, becoming the league’s single-game scoring record holder with a 47-point performance and was name the league’s Peak Performer of the Week for the second consecutive week. The 5’9 guard became the USD and Summit League’s single-game scoring record holder after pouring in a career-high 47 points on 17-for-21 shooting and 11-for-12 from the free throw line against North Dakota State on Feb. 8. She is also the only player in DI with two 40-point games this season. Larkins, a native of Altoona, IA notched her 12th double-double of the season and 26th of her career against Oral Roberts on Feb. 6. She finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the 88-62 loss to the Golden Eagles.
Saint Joseph’s junior Laura Ziegler was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week after she posted two stellar performances which led to two key victories for the Hawks. Ziegler set a program record with 43 points against Loyola Chicago on Feb. 9 in what was a decisive 83-45 victory. The 6’2 junior went 17-for-26 from the field and was perfect from the charity stripe (6-for-6). Her 43-point game broke a program record that dated back to Jan. 1990, when Dale Hodges had 42 against Temple. Ziegler, a native of Denmark, also had a 27-point, 10-rebound effort to notch her 17th double-double of the season the Hawks’ 69-49 win over Saint Louis on Feb. 5. Saint Joseph’s is 20-4 on the year and 11-2 in conference play.
For the fourth time this season, Lindenwood sophomore Brooke Coffey was named Newcomer of the Week in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) after averaging a double-double in two road victories. It is the first time Lindenwood has won back-to-back road games since the 2019-20 season. Coffey had 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the 62-59 win at UT-Martin on Feb. 6. The 6’1 sophomore was 6-for-11 from the floor while knocked down a season-high three three-pointers. She then had a career-high 18 points in the 81-70 victory over Tennessee State on Feb. 8, going 6-for-9 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 at the foul line. She also added 10 rebounds and four assists to her stat line. This was the second time this season that Coffey, a transfer from Bradley, has posted back-to-back double-doubles against UT Martin and Tennessee State.
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.
Shot clock violation
We are weeks away from the usual timing of head coaching jobs across college basketball opening up, as well as the subsequent moves and official statements that follow. There is a job opening now at Montana in the Big Sky Conference, and it is clouded by questions that have not been answered. On Jan. 16, Montana athletic officials announced that head coach Brian Holsinger was taking a leave of absence from the program. No additional information was given, and assistant Nate Harris was named as interim head coach. Since Holsinger left the program, the Grizzlies have gone 5-3. His departure has been made murky with wide speculation and questions by local media. While the Montana athletic department initially declared transparency, no official statement or details from the university have been given.
On Monday, Feb. 9, in a statement from the department, Montana announced Holsinger had officially stepped down as head coach effective immediately and the search of a permanent replacement would begin after the season concludes. The details of his termination were released by the department and included a contract buyout. While it seems as though this was in the best interest of the program and the student-athletes, the lack of transparency by the department is concerning. Rumors will continue to swirl throughout Montana, and this has now found itself on the radar of others outside of the Treasure State. As the athletic department leadership begins its search for a new head coach, it better be ready to answer what really happened in order for a head coach to disappear from the sidelines and the public eye, for the sake of both the student-athletes and the future of the program.
Full court press
February is the month where moves are made in conference standings, and when we also keep our eye out for cupid, with his magical red arrows. Valentine’s Day is upon us, so be sure to balance the expectations of your significant other and the college basketball season. Can dinner be at a local establishment with televisions turned to games? Can we be back from the rom-con movie in time for tipoff? Or is it enough to stay home with wine and chocolates and watch two games via picture-in-picture? Here is hoping cupid finds you the perfect valentine, and one of these great games to watch. Check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability:
Feb. 12:
Davidson at Dayton
No. 14 K-State at Cincinnati
Rhode Island at George Mason
Arizona at No. 20 Oklahoma State
R/V South Dakota State at North Dakota State
Colorado at R/V Utah
Washington at Oregon
San Diego State at UNLV
Feb. 13:
R/V Louisville at No. 23 Florida State
UNI at Belmont
Missouri State at Southern Illinois
Green Bay at Oakland
Minnesota at No. 9 Ohio State
Saint Joseph’s at R/V Richmond
Tarleton State at R/V Grand Canyon
No. 1 UCLA at No. 6 USC
Feb. 14:
R/V Harvard at Cornell
Dartmouth at R/V Columbia
NC A&T at Northeastern
Feb. 15:
Army at Navy
Southern Indiana at Lindenwood
Ball State at Eastern Michigan
Buffalo at Ohio
Wofford at UNC Greensboro
Memphis at UTSA
No. 20 Oklahoma State at BYU
Iowa State at Kansas
Washington State at Portland
Feb. 16:
R/V Mississippi at No. 15 Tennessee
R/V Harvard at R/V Columbia
No. 7 UConn at No. 4 South Carolina
Georgia at No. 8 Kentucky
William & Mary @ Delaware
No. 5 LSU at No. 3 Texas
Nebraska at R/V Illinois
No. 22 Michigan State at No. 1 UCLA
Feb. 17:
Iowa at No. 9 Ohio State
No. 14 K-State at No. 18 West Virginia
No. 13 Duke at No. 2 Notre Dame
R/V Michigan at No. 17 Maryland
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university- and conference-provided statistics
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
Written by Missy Heidrick
I am a retired Kansas State shooting guard and spent almost 20 years working in Higher Education and Division 1 athletics. I am currently a basketball analyst for television and radio, contributing correspondent at The Next, Locked on Women's Basketball podcast host, WBB Naismith Award board of selectors member and run my own consulting business. I am a proud mother of two and wife to a patient husband who is almost as big of a sports junkie as I am!
