Posts by Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith has covered women's basketball nationally for nearly three decades. Smith has worked for ESPN.com, The Athletic, the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as Pac-12.com and WNBA.com. She was named to the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame in 2015, is the 2017 recipient of the Jake Wade Media Award from the Collegiate Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) and was named the Mel Greenberg Media Award winner by the WBCA in 2019.

Washington State has a mountain to climb in the Pac-12

January 8, 2023

Washington State is playing without junior guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and is trying to win without her

Stanford's Lauren Betts is pictured driving to the basked against Cal's Ugonne (Michelle) Onyiah.

The case for patience and Lauren Betts

December 29, 2022

Both Betts and coach VanDerveer are preaching patience

USC guard/forward Rayah Marshall dribbles the ball with her right hand as a UCLA defender tries to wall up.

Asking the Pac-12’s big questions

December 16, 2022

Which team will surprise, how dominant will Stanford be, and more

Fifth year transfer Jade Loville drives to the basket during Arizona's 77-50 loss to Kansas. She is wearing traditional red, white and blue home Arizona uniform colors.

Arizona is a powerhouse in progress

December 9, 2022

Early season 77-50 home loss to Kansas exploits ‘glaring’ areas for improvement

Teammates swarm Oregon's Ednyia Rogers while she is hoisted into the air in celebration

Auditioning for No. 2 in the Pac-12

December 1, 2022

Oregon, UCLA and Arizona among the contenders

2023 NCAA Women's Final Four logo. (Courtesy of NCAA)

Column: NCAA chooses Final Four sites without regard to choice

November 23, 2022

How abortion doesn’t figure into NCAA Final Four news

Stanford big wing Haley Jones holds onto the ball as South Carolina Gamecocks center Aliyah Boston tries to pry it away from besides Jones, while Cardinal big Fran Belibi tries to help Jones hold on from behind.

Top five things that will decide marquee South Carolina and Stanford matchup

November 18, 2022

No. 1 South Carolina traveling to take on No. 2 Stanford in early-season battle of heavyweights

Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens dribbles the ball on the perimeter with her left hand, using her body and her right arm to fend off an Idaho defender.

The three teams changing the Pac-12 pecking order

November 15, 2022

Keep an eye on Washington State, Colorado and Utah

Oregon's Taya Hanson dribbles the ball.

Pac(king) up and moving: From one Pac-12 program to another

November 1, 2022

‘It’s like musical chairs at this point’

Sedona Prince in an Oregon uniform running onto the court.

Prince’s legacy goes far beyond the court

October 28, 2022

Oregon women’s basketball program announced Friday morning that Prince’s college career is over