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Nikki Spetseris previews ‘Full Court Press’ season two

Published

8 months ago

May 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Last year’s Full Court Press women’s NCAA basketball docuseries proved to be a remarkable moment. The series, from Omaha Productions, Words + Pictures, and ESPN, followed Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Kiki Rice through a wild season that saw massive interest in them, especially around Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record.

So how do you follow that up?

That was a key question around the second season of Full Court Press, which was green-lit last May. The first season drew a lot of attention, but there was discussion of how much of that was the Clark effect. And that fit into wider discussions about where women’s college basketball ratings would go post-Clark. Indeed, season one director Kristen Lappas even told Awful Announcing last spring “We caught lightning in a bottle” in terms of how well things broke for the first season of the show.

But the post-Clark era has seen ratings interest in women’s college basketball continue, with even some year-over-year growth. And that’s promising for the second season of Full Court Press, which premieres Saturday. Its first two episodes will air at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the final two airing May 11 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and with all episodes available on ESPN+ following their airing.

Nikki Spetseris, who directed the second season of Full Court Press, spoke to AA on that this week. She said there were some questions on how to follow up the first season, but this one (covering Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo, LSU junior guard Flau’jae Johnson and USC graduate student forward Kiki Iriafen) came together to provide its own unique set of stories.

“I think last season was amazing, but obviously they had a superstar, and a tangible thing to follow, which was her record-breaking season,” Spetseris said. “No one knew what to expect this season: will we live up to the hype of of the first one? And I think it’s almost more exciting, because we have…I don’t want to say they didn’t have three big personalities, but I do think that every woman got the same airtime [in S2], and we got to put a spotlight on three different personalities, programs, backgrounds, equally, and follow those stories.”

Telling three unique athletes’ stories

Each of those athletes has quite a different story. Spetseris said Johnson’s is a combination of her playing success, her business success, and her personal background.

“Flau’jae Johnson, the first time I met her in person, she just walked into the room, and there was this air about her. You’re like ‘She is a superstar.’ She just has that energy and that feeling around her. Not only are these three women amazing athletes, and we were able to see that, the discipline and the work they put in every day, but I think with Flau’jae, it’s the story off the court.

“I think her backstory is so inspiring, growing up with a single mom and her dad passed away while her mom was still pregnant with her. And she’s then pursuing his kind of rap career. I think she stands out with her off-the-court story. Also, she has more NIL deals than almost any college basketball player. So that was kind of interesting to follow, just a business mogul, musician, and athlete.”

With Hidalgo, Spetseris said the docuseries shows off a side of her that fans might not expect.

“Hannah Hidalgo, I think people see her on the court and she’s so fiery. Those were some of the the games I looked forward to the most, watching her out there flexing, doing her Incredible Hulk and just getting her team and the crowd amped up.

“I think what was cool to figure out with her, which we talked about in the series, is that off the court, she’s not like that at all. She’s really mellow. She’s really calm. She’s kind of quiet. So I think that makes her very interesting. There’s something that’s stepping out onto the floor and being under the lights and being around the crowd that just flips the switch for her.”

And with Iriafen, Spetseris said the show got a chance to watch her grace under pressure during difficult times.

“Kiki was kind of the player that maybe myself and my whole team knew the least about going into the show, and she just continued to impress us. I think of just grace when I think of her. She’s really poised. They really all were vulnerable and let their personality show, but I think there were some moments with Kiki where there were some growing pains at the beginning of the season, airing out chemistry with her new team and what her role was.”

One moment in particular with Iriafen stood out for Spetseris.

“We had a really interesting moment with her after the Notre Dame-USC game. She had a really tough time, and she opened up to us and she gave a teary interview about the turning point that that game created for her. That took a lot of guts.

“And at first she didn’t want to talk about it. But we kind of stressed the importance of showing the highs and lows; ‘You’re a gorgeous, talented athlete, let young women know that you have struggles too.’ With her, I was just really impressed how she opens up. And she has this grace that maybe we didn’t know at first, that she was so poised that way.”

Another element with Iriafen was her academic work in grad school and how she balanced that with on-court play.

“With Kiki, that was just a little bit more of her story,” Spetseris said. “I mean, graduating Stanford in three years is insane. So certainly that just became a little bit more of her story arc than the other two women.”

Maintaining women’s college basketball’s momentum

Overall, Spetseris said she sees this season of Full Court Press as proof there are still incredible stories to cover in women’s college basketball even after Clark.

“The time and place we’re at, wondering if this was just a moment in time with women’s basketball, I think we were able to help prove that it isn’t, and keep that momentum going.”

Speaking of maintaining momentum, Spetseris said coming into an established series like this actually had some benefits, with her able to build on the work Lappas had done.

“I think as filmmakers, we always want to put our stamp on things. But for me, I just remember when I first got the call and first started talking about the show. I just kept saying like ‘You know, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.’

“They’d already set so many things in motion that were successful, even kind of like a rough formula for ‘Here’s what we track over the season, and here’s our graphics look.’ And we had a composer. There were so many things that I usually have to worry about that were just already set up that I could really focus on getting to know these women, and their stories, and how do we tell the best stories? So I actually felt really lucky that I could just focus on the fun stuff, if you will: Kristen had already put a lot in motion. So that was great.”

Spetseris and her team did make some changes here and there, though. That included more emphasis on practices and on some different interview settings.

“They didn’t do so many practices last season, and I tend to just love that process of seeing what you work on in practice and then seeing it play out in a game. So I think that was kind of an interesting little added thing.

“And Kristen had these epic interviews that were so gorgeous, where these women were the center of the room, and we loved that. But I feel like just to get to know them, we kind of started, like with this vulnerable interview I was talking about with Kiki, that was just in her bedroom on her bed in the afternoon. And we tried to craft a few intimate moments like that, where maybe they would open up in a different way.”

She said the series’ focus on telling the stories of each athlete on and off the court remains, though.

“You’re always trying to get that right combination as a filmmaker: what will get the best result, what will make people the most comfortable? So we played around with that a little bit, and that served us well. But generally the storytelling, I just feel like it’s really ‘What’s the flow of the story and how do you mix these three characters together?’

“And for me, the mark of success is always, I mean, we hope people watch, but ‘Do you care about these characters and care about these women after you watch the show, and do you want to tune in and and hear more? Do you want to follow their games? Are are they relatable in some way?’ I think Kristen did a great job at that, and I think that I’ve done and my team has done a great job with that this season.”

The logistical hurdles of a multi-athlete series

It’s a lot of work to pull off a docuseries covering three athletes across three different schools over the course of six months, though. Spetseris said her team was critical to making that happen.

“For this project, we’ve been following these women for about six months, obviously their season story arc, but also injuries and birthdays and family events. And you really are embedded. I just want to shout out the women for letting us in and being so vulnerable. But also, I had like a forty-person team, the people in the field and the cameras and editors and assistant editors, and then the three field producers.

“I’m not everywhere, I’m also running four edit rooms while we’re filming, so we have three field producers that were just out there, and they’re the ones that really become like family to the women. Shout out to them and the rest of the crew, because it really is a team effort on this one.”

She said another particular challenge with a project like Full Court Press is that these athletes are all busy, and have frequent short-notice schedule changes.

“The logistics of it are the most difficult part. And I also think that because they’re young women, they have a lot of scheduling changes. We would fly somewhere and we’d have a day planned and then all of a sudden a practice would get scheduled, or a time would change for a practice or a workout or training session, or maybe a NIL commercial shoot would pop up.”

Spetseris said the key from her perspective is being flexible there.

“I think that you just have to be, most people that produce and direct are really type A, and I think you have to let a little of that go when you’re doing documentary work, particularly with college athletes. I got a lot of mid-day or late-night phone calls about, ‘Hey, this isn’t happening anymore, what should we do now,’ and just brainstorming on the fly.”

And that flexibility led to some benefits for the series, including an unexpected chance to connect with Johnson at a key moment.

“After LSU’s Elite Eight loss, we ended up just by chance being on the same flight as Flau’jae going to Atlanta,” Spetseris said. “We saw her at the airport. We just thought, ‘Oh my God, we need to get a shot of her on the plane.’ We filmed her right after the loss. So we have her at the airport, in an airplane.

“And then it was kind of this discussion, basically like midnight that night, ‘Do we just stay in Atlanta and film with her the next day? Because how crazy is that access?’

“There’s a lot of that last-minute decision making in the show. And the games are at night and on the weekends, all the stuff. So we did definitely live and breathe it the last six months, which was really fun. But also, we all need naps now.”

While projects like this do take a massive amount of work, Spetseris is optimistic Full Court Press can pave the way for more docuseries on female athletes.

“I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, and this is one of the first shows I’ve done with female lead athletes. And the majority of my team behind the scenes, shoutout to the guys that were on our team too, but we had a a strong female-led team. And just knowing my own personal energy for it and my team, for us, we feel like, ‘Oh my God, this is such a long time coming. This is just the beginning.’

“Now it’s such a rare thing, there’s still not enough of these docs out there. But I think hopefully really soon they’ll just be good docs and great athletes and all that stuff that they are. I think now it’s so new still that there’s such a focus on these being female-led stories, right? So for me, no, I never worry, because I know how me and all my friends think, and they’re like ‘More of this.’”

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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian rips NCAA’s player agent rules

Published

36 minutes ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian still has one more game to play in his 2025 season, but like every other program in the country, he has to recruit for 2026 and beyond at the same time.

That process has obviously changed now across all college athletics after the introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, which has turned recruiting into a financial game.

But one of the many holes in the system, at least in the eyes of Sarkisian, is the lack of regulation surrounding the agents these athletes hire to negotiate those NIL deals before heading off to school.

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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns holds Horns Up as he walks into the stadium before the SEC football game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 28, 2025, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire)

Before the Longhorns take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Sarkisian discussed that aspect of recruitment, suggesting some of the agents are not even qualified to be negotiating deals that could be millions.

“Which agent are you dealing with? There’s some agents who are rational and then there’s some where it’s their first time ever being an agent,” Sarkisian told reporters, per OnTexasFootball. “I don’t even know if they’re licensed to be agents, and all of a sudden, they get to be agents because we have no certification process in college football, where the NFL you have to be certified. In college football, it might be their college roommate their freshman year who’s their agent right now.”

Sarkisian was asked about what Texas is looking to do this offseason to replace some key players, including running back Quintrevion Wisner, who entered the transfer portal. Wisner made the announcement of the move this past Friday, joining CJ Baxter and Rickey Stewart Jr. as Texas running back transfers.

While Sarkisian explained how the team needs other be strategic, identifying what they need versus what they want, as well as looking at the “luxuries” they have on the roster, he also made sure to mention the high school recruiting class for 2026 that needs to be looked at.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns speaks during SEC Football Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Either way, Texas continues to peruse the transfer portal, and Sarkisian knows he’s going to have to continue having phone conversations with “agents” moving forward.

“Again, I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sarkisian said after reflecting on how financials have come into play when it comes to building a college roster. “We’ve just got to tighten it up. Hopefully, we can get there sooner rather than later, because again, I’m probably going to be on the phone with an agent today who’s going to throw a number at me that I’m going to be like, ‘Good luck, I hope you get it. If you don’t, call us back. But I can’t do that number.’”

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns on the field prior to a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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Unlike other lower-level programs, the University of Texas has some tremendous NIL funds to work with. In fact, the highest-paid NIL athlete in college football is their quarterback, Arch Manning, who will remain with the squad heading into 2026. He’s hoping to finish strong in his first bowl game start on New Year’s Eve.

Texas led the way with a massive NIL budget for the 2025 season, ranking higher than any team in college football at $22.2 million, according to 247 Sports.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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No. 1 college football team linked to underrated prospect in transfer portal

Published

1 hour ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Colorado finished a disappointing 2025 campaign after the program’s 2024 surge, falling to 3–9 (1–8 Big 12) one year after a 9–4 season and No. 23 final AP ranking under third-year head coach Deion Sanders.

Adding insult to injury, the Buffaloes are now set to lose numerous players, with 24 players expected to enter the transfer portal when the window opens on Friday.

The most surprising name on the list, however, is true freshman cornerback Noah King, who entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

King was a four-star prospect from Hamilton, Ohio, with 247Sports ranking him as the No. 26 cornerback in the 2025 class.

He arrived at Colorado in April 2025 after a brief enrollment at Kansas State, transferring just months after signing with the Wildcats on December 4, 2024.

Prior to his commitment to Kansas State, King held more than a dozen Power Four offers, including Kentucky, Nebraska, West Virginia, Marshall, and Oregon State.

With King set to test the market, multiple outlets have mentioned Indiana as a program monitoring his situation or viewed as a logical fit.

Indiana Hoosiers football team. — The Hoosiers celebrate after the Indiana versus Wiscsonsin football game at Memorial Stadium. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head coach Curt Cignetti has rapidly transformed Indiana since his hire on November 30, 2023.

In 2024, he engineered one of the program’s quickest turnarounds, delivering a then-program-record 11-win season, Indiana’s first College Football Playoff berth, and national coach-of-the-year recognition.

Building on that momentum, the Hoosiers completed an undefeated 13–0 regular season in 2025, captured the Big Ten title, and entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed — a rise fueled by targeted transfer additions, improved recruiting, and a physical, high-tempo identity Cignetti installed.

One of those transfer additions was Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Under Cignetti and Mendoza, Indiana now has a legitimate chance to compete for a national title, with a CFP quarterfinal matchup set for Thursday against No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl (4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN).

If the Hoosiers advance, they would face the winner of the No. 4 Texas Tech–No. 5 Oregon matchup in the CFP semifinals, with a potential national championship game on January 19 looming.

As an Ohio native, Bloomington represents a logical fit for King due to the Midwest pull, and after redshirting his first year at Colorado, he would have a clearer path to playing time.

Indiana’s recent success, defensive back development, and growing NFL attention make it an attractive landing spot for a young, highly recruited cornerback seeking to develop and compete for championships.

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Ted Cruz warns of ‘utter tragedy’ if Congress fails to act on college football

Published

2 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Senator Ted Cruz is taking a break from the usual political discourse to sound the alarm on college football.

On Tuesday, he quote-tweeted a college football account, highlighting the massive roster challenges Iowa State is facing. According to the post, the team has only 17 players remaining for next season with just one returning starter after a coaching change.

“An absolute crisis. Congress NEEDS to act,” Cruz wrote on X/Twitter. “For months, I’ve been working night (and) day to try to bring Republicans and Democrats together to save college sports. If we fail to do so, it will be an utter tragedy. And it’s happening right before our eyes.”

Iowa State is trying to steady itself after Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in school history, left for Penn State. This has set off a chain reaction that has unraveled the roster.

Campbell’s departure has resulted in at least 36 players leaving, according to College Sports Network, including quarterback Rocco Becht and leading tackler Marcus Neal. The losses have left Iowa State focused less on postseason ambitions and more on simply staying afloat.

Now the job of rebuilding falls to Jimmy Rogers, hired away from Washington State on Dec. 5. Rogers is in the process of re-recruiting players and assembling a new staff.

Iowa State’s situation is becoming more common in today’s college football. The rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and constant coaching changes have made the sport unstable, with rosters changing almost overnight.

NIL refers to the ability of college athletes to earn money from endorsements, sponsorships, appearances, and other commercial uses of their personal brand.

Adopted nationwide in 2021, NIL allows athletes to profit without being paid directly by their schools for performance. While supporters see it as a long-overdue correction to amateurism, critics argue it has created an uneven, lightly regulated marketplace that has upended recruiting and competitive balance in college sports.

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College football transfer portal: Texas’ Steve Sarkisian calls out irrational agents

Published

3 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Constructing a college football roster is wildly different now than it was even three years ago, as the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing completely reshaped the way coaches and programs must operate.

There are plenty of teams that use the ability to (legally) pay players and the portal to their advantage, but the newness of everything related paying players and the lack of regulations in college football, due to the ever-weakening NCAA, created a number of challenges.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian detailed one major problem he hopes to see addressed after a reporter asked about how he approaches building through the portal. Texas doesn’t have much issue with investment or resources, but Sarkisian explained that the lack of a certification process for agents can lead to some absurd situations.

“I think it’s all so strategic, right? It’s one about need. It’s two about money and the cost and where’s the market and which agent you’re dealing with,” Sarkisian said. “There are some agents that are rational, and there are some agents that this is the first time ever being an agent — I don’t know if they are even licensed to be agents, but all of a sudden they get to be agents because we have no certification process in college football. In the NFL, you have to be certified. In college football, it may be their college roommate their freshman year who’s their agent right now, and this guy is throwing numbers at you and it’s like, we can’t even deal with this. Like, you just move on. It’s unfortunate. And we’ll get there in college football, but right now it’s a tough situation.”

Coaches complaining about NIL and the portal often amount to sour grapes, but Sarkisian’s point about the challenge of dealing with agents which have no previous experience or understanding of the market is a legitimate one.

That said, you have to wonder if this is fresh in Sarkisian’s mind due to any of Texas’ opt-outs, as they have 13 players who announced intentions to enter the transfer portal and won’t play in the Citrus Bowl. Among them are the Longhorns top three running backs, headlined by Tre Wisner, and their second-leading receiver, DeAndre Moore Jr.

Eventually one would think some governing body will emerge that can provide some form of regulations on that sort of thing and require certification to help everyone out — as players would be better served being represented by more professional agents. However, it’s not clear when that will happen as the fear of anti-trust litigation led the NCAA to await congressional action, which has yet to materialize in any meaningful way.

In the meantime, coaches and GMs will have to deal with the occasional green agent who asks the world, which even a program with seemingly endless resources like Texas has to laugh off.

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$1.4 million QB strongly linked to Big Ten program after decision to enter transfer portal

Published

4 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The college football transfer portal window opens soon with a flurry of high-profile movement expected across the country.

One of the most significant announcements comes from a veteran quarterback, with a reported $1.4 million valuation by On3, who declared his intention to seek a new home for his final senior campaign. This signal-caller brings a wealth of experience and production to the open market as teams look to solidify their rosters for 2026.

This prospect stands out as the most experienced returning starter in the Power 4 conferences with 39 career starts under his belt. He has accumulated 26 victories over the last three years and boasts 83 total touchdowns during his collegiate career. His decision to move on follows a challenging 2025 season where he battled through a partially torn labrum and an AC sprain while leading his team.

Speculation immediately centers on a reunion with his former head coach who recently departed for a prominent job in the Big Ten Conference. The two share a close relationship that could facilitate a quick transition to the new program in State College.

Analysts believe this connection makes the Nittany Lions a logical landing spot for the seasoned passer as he explores his options in a lucrative marketplace.

Quarterback Rocco Becht leaves Iowa State Cyclones to pursue new opportunities

Rocco Becht officially announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 20 through a social media post. The Iowa State Cyclones standout thanked the fanbase and the program before stating his desire to find a new destination for his final year of eligibility. Becht leaves Ames as one of the most productive players in school history and as the coach who guided the team to its first 11-win season in 2024.

His entry into the portal comes shortly after Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Campbell and Becht developed a strong bond during their time together in the Big 12 Conference.

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) finished his 2025 campaign with 2,584 yards and 24 total touchdowns. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Reports from ESPN’s Max Olson suggest Becht is a strong candidate to follow Campbell to Pennsylvania. However, the redshirt junior is expected to consider offers from other schools before finalizing his decision.

The market for experienced quarterbacks has grown expensive with top passers commanding deals in the $3 million to $4 million range. Becht offers a proven track record despite a statistically down year in 2025 caused by multiple injuries. He underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder recently to address a labrum issue that plagued him throughout the fall.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback threw for 2,584 yards and 24 touchdowns this past season while managing the physical setbacks. He ends his time at Iowa State with 9,274 passing yards and 64 passing touchdowns.

The NCAA transfer portal window will open for all players on Jan. 2.

Major college football program ‘targeting’ $2.4 million QB in transfer portal

Published

5 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Friday for all college football players seeking new programs to play for in 2026. The portal will stay open for the following two weeks.

Among the vast number of players who have entered the transfer portal, quarterbacks have received the most attention in recent weeks. No less than seven Power Four starters from the 2025 season are on the move, and there are a number of starters from the Group of Five ranks looking to move into the Power Four.

One Power Four starter on the move is Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his third school.

While Sorsby is an attractive starter candidate from the transfer portal, one of the strongest contenders lies within the Big 12.

The Athletic recently unveiled projections for each quarterback’s potential destination out of the transfer portal. One of the projections listed Sorsby transferring to Texas Tech in the 2026 offseason.

The Red Raiders are some of the most aggressive NIL spenders in college football, but they have seldom used the portal for a quarterback. Tyler Shough is the only quarterback Texas Tech has started from the portal under Joey McGuire, and he transferred to Louisville after suffering an injury and losing the job to Behren Morton.

Sorsby began his college football career at Indiana under Tom Allen in 2022. He redshirted that season, finishing 3-of-6 passing for eight yards and an interception in a blowout loss to Penn State.

The Hoosiers featured Sorsby in 10 games during the 2023 season. He passed for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Allen was fired by Indiana that offseason, so Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati.

Brendan Sorsby evades a tackle in Indiana's 2023 football game against Michigan State. — Indiana’s Brendan Sorsby (15) runs during the first half of the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Scott Satterfield immediately named Sorsby as the Bearcats’ starter in 2024. He compiled 2,813 pass yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 447 rush yards and nine rush touchdowns. Cincinnati finished the year 5-7, losing each of its last five games.

Sorsby accumulated 2,800 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and nine interceptions to go along with 580 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The 36 total touchdowns are the most in Cincinnati program history.

Since the portal opens on Jan. 2, Sorsby will not play in Cincinnati’s bowl game. The Bearcats (7-5, 5-4) will face Navy (10-2, 7-1) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN).