December 12, 2022
Locked on Women’s Basketball: What have we learned from the NCAA season so far?
By The Next
Missy and Michelle discuss the lessons we have learned so far in the 2022-23 NCAA season
It’s time for another episode of the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast. This episode features host Missy Heidrick who is joined by The Next contributor Michelle Smith to talk about the lessons we’ve learned and haven’t so far in the 2022-23 NCAA women’s basketball season. So what were the takeaways from South Carolina-Stanford?
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
Michelle Smith talks about the takeaways from the South Carolina vs. Stanford game:
“It was a game in which South Carolina goes to Maples Pavilion and wins in overtime. And if not for a couple of frankly boneheaded plays by the Cardinal down late with an ability to get the ball in five seconds. And then calling a timeout, they didn’t have might have even had a different outcome. And we might have been flipping these two teams at one and two. But I think that they’re just a tear above right now. And I think one of the biggest reasons is they both have healthy rosters.”
Michelle Smith talks about injuries in the Pac-12 so far in the NCAA season:
“I think it changes the landscape more than it used to because there’s more parity than there used to be. There are more teams that are prepared to take advantage of a team that’s hobbled by injuries. I mean, what’s going on in UConn is just lousy, lousy luck. I mean to lose Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd; they’ve got a list of players that are out or injured. And even Geno, as good as a coach he is, you can’t coach through not having your best players on the floor. Although the interesting thing about UConn is that beyond those best players on the floor, that roster doesn’t look sort of one to 12 or one to 13 quite the way it used to, again, a sign of parity, people are choosing other places.
If you don’t think you’re going to play a lot, you’re not sitting at the end of UConn’s bench anymore; you are playing somewhere else. So teams that are absorbing injuries aren’t getting the benefit of being able to win anyway because the rest of their roster is so good. After all, the talent is now so spread out across the country, between people just making different choices. And the transfer portal and all the ways in which the talent is dispersed across the country. You’re just not going to get away with being able to have one of your main players out. And being able to sort of weather that in a solid way, you’re going to pay for that if one of your best players is out of the game.”
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.
Make sure to subscribe to Locked on Women’s Basketball, where we have new shows every weekday.
For more coverage of the NCAAW, click here.
