December 30, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Into the new year with the NCAA
By The Next
Heidrick: 'There is plenty of college women's basketball that you'll want to keep your eye on'
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick takes a look at all that is to come in the 2025 portion of the current NCAA women’s basketball season. She explores the most recent AP Top 25 list, recaps the status of certain teams as 2024 comes to an end, and looks forward to the new year.
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
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.
Heidrick opens the show by analyzing the most recent Top 25 poll from the AP. “When it dropped, we had no movement in the top 18 slots,” Heidrick says. “That doesn’t happen very often.” But there’s still a lot to say about the teams at the top. The No. 1 team, the UCLA Bruins, have been at the top for 13 straight weeks, and with star center Lauren Betts back in the lineup, UCLA feels confident heading into 2025.
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.
Later on, Heidrick talks about what different teams will need to to prepare for 2025. “There are going to be conference games,” Heidrick says, “and this is where rubber meets the road.” Heidrick goes onto explain the conference schedule and what to look for as the March tournament nears. “Net numbers reset on a daily basis,” Heidrick mentions. “So don’t have a panic attack.”
Heidrick closes out the show by building more anticipation for March. “If you are going to be sitting at home on New Years Day,” she says, “there is plenty of college women’s basketball that you’ll want to keep your eye on.”
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
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.
