Posts by Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith has covered women’s basketball nationally for more than three decades. A 2024 inductee into the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Hall of Fame, Smith has worked for ESPN.com, The Athletic, the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as Pac-12.com and WNBA.com. She 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.

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

Haley Jones puts her shoulder into Oregon State's Ellie Mack as she drives towards the hoop

Takeaways from Pac-12 preseason awards

October 24, 2022

Haley Jones, Cameron Brink lead the way

Haley Jones puts her shoulder into Oregon State's Ellie Mack as she drives towards the hoop

2022-23 Pac-12 preview

October 22, 2022

Pac-12 Conference will highlight unprecedented infusion of young talent

ASU coach Natasha Adair running her teaam's practice

Adair ready to pave her own path at Arizona State

October 3, 2022

Taking over for a legend isn’t a strange task for Natasha Adair

Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her USC squad will look to improve the 2022-23 season with a roster full of new faces. (Photo credit: Jenny Chuang/USC Athletics.)

How UCLA’s Cori Close, USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb are preparing for the Big Ten already

September 20, 2022

‘It’s nice to be in a position where everybody wanted us’

M.A. Voepel and Michelle Smith McDonald at the 2022 Final Four. (Voepel photo)

M.A. Voepel is the gold standard

September 9, 2022

Essential chronicler of women’s basketball to receive Curt Gowdy Media Award