We last wrote about the changing college sports landscape, as it relates to the House Settlement, in early June shortly before Judge Claudia Wilken granted it final approval. In short, the settlement: Allows schools to directly share revenue with their student-athletes, to the tune of approximately $20.5 million per year, with the bulk of that […]
We last wrote about the changing college sports landscape, as it relates to the House Settlement, in early June shortly before Judge Claudia Wilken granted it final approval.
In short, the settlement:
Initially, “Collectives” were not deemed to meet the “legitimate business purpose” definition. This may be an oversimplification but collectives are basically booster organizations that raise and funnel money directly to college athletes, which used to be illegal under NCAA rules. Years ago, SMU football got the “death penalty” from the NCAA for paying players under the table.
This all changed, however, when Tennessee’s Attorney General, along with those from other states, sued the NCAA, resulting in a settlement where the NCAA agreed to stop enforcing its rules regarding NIL payments to athletes. The result was lucrative collective-funded NIL deals like the one received by Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer recently wrote:
Previously, the CSC had ruled NIL deals with athletes which were either paid by, or brokered by, school collectives were not deemed a valid business purpose. That forced a pause on deals submitted by collectives, players or other representatives on the new NIL Go platform.
That hits upon the heart of what the settlement was designed to do: limit collective payments that had little connection to a player’s actual NIL.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the collectives didn’t like this.
Ross Dellegner at Yahoo Sports has reported that the attorneys in the House Settlement, along with the NCAA’s power conferences, are working out a deal to relax the constraints on NIL deals made with collectives.
Now, the CSC is expected to treat collectives as a “school-associated entity” in the same way as businesses when determining the legitimacy of an NIL deal. Dellenger reports that some NIL deals made with collectives which were initially rejected will now be re-evaluated.
Is anyone really shocked here?
Does this just continue to pave the way for wealthy boosters to attempt to buy their favorite team a national championship? Is this any good for college sports?
Wake Forest football coach Jake Dickert said:
“We’ve got to decide if we want Major League Baseball or we want the NFL. Major League Baseball has some teams with $250 million [payrolls] and some teams playing Moneyball at $40 million. Or do we want a hard salary cap like the NFL and who’s doing the best with their resources? You know, the NFL doesn’t have GoFundMe for free agents, right? They don’t, they play with a certain set of rules.”
This author has argued that college athletes who generate revenue for their schools should receive a share of that revenue. This recent development, however, seems like it will just continue to widen the gap between the haves and have nots, limiting the schools that can actually compete at the highest level to a very select group, possibly severely decreasing fan interest altogether.
We may be in the heat of the off-season in women’s college basketball, but the summer has been full of international tournaments that feature some of the best players who will be competing next season. Here are the top 10 women’s performers of this year’s international basketball summer circuit. A breakout season could be on […]
We may be in the heat of the off-season in women’s college basketball, but the summer has been full of international tournaments that feature some of the best players who will be competing next season. Here are the top 10 women’s performers of this year’s international basketball summer circuit.
A breakout season could be on the horizon after Syla Swords showed out for Canada in consecutive years
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It’s hard to beat the summer Swords had in 2024. She became the youngest Canadian basketball player to suit up for the Olympic team in Paris. However, Swords has been hard at work, carving out an even more impressive offseason in 2025. The lone player on this list to participate in both senior and junior events for their country, Swords showed equal prowess at all levels, taking home all-tournament honors in both the Women’s AmeriCup and Women’s U19 World Cup.
The 2024 five-star recruit not only shined individually but also willed Canada to the semifinals in both tournaments. Swords took center stage, scoring the last-second winner in double overtime to secure the Bronze Medal in the Women’s AmeriCup. Two weeks later, Canada narrowly lost 70-68 to Spain in the bronze medal match of the U19 World Cup, still registering the third-highest finish in the country’s history. The Michigan Wolverine averaged 16.2 points per game in her debut Freshman All-Big Ten campaign. Watch out for a second-year leap.
This year’s Women’s AmeriCup roster was exclusively comprised of college talent, keeping with U.S. tradition. Among a sea of All-American selections and household names, Blakes stole the show. The Sophomore guard made her Team USA debut this tournament and took home the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup MVP.
Competing against senior competition and WNBA talent, Blakes averaged 14 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2 steals per game throughout the tournament, saving her best performance — a 27-point, 6-rebound outing — for the championship game vs. Brazil. Blakes’s inspired performance propelled Team USA to the 92-84 victory and a Gold Medal, avenging their 2023 AmeriCup final loss to Brazil. The 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year is poised to turn Vanderbilt into a contender.
Silva was the single most dominant player in the 2025 U19 Women’s World Cup. Silva was unstoppable for Team Portugal, leading the tournament in points (23) and blocks (3.0) while finishing third in rebounds (9.7). Silva was surprisingly snubbed from the all-tournament team but was named the top defensive player and recognized by FIBA.com on their 2nd-team all-tournament.
Silva’s biggest feat was registering the third-most efficient game in the history of the U19 World Cup. In Portugal’s round-of-16 matchup vs Israel, Silva stuffed the stat sheet for 37 points on 15-of-20 from the field, 10 rebounds with a staggering 7 of them on the offensive end, while sprinkling in 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Portugal narrowly won 83-80, but eventually Silva’s lack of support caught up with them, placing 7th in the 16-team tournament. Silva was sparingly used at Kentucky in her freshman year, but with her offseason transfer to TCU, she is expected to be a far bigger factor this season.
Although Mevius didn’t participate in any traditional basketball tournaments this summer, she’s been forging her legacy on the half-court. The two-time All-MAAC selection has won five separate FIBA 3×3 tournaments this year for Germany. Her biggest win of her busy summer was the undefeated gold medal run at the 2025 World University Games in front of a German home crowd.
She has been statistically one of the most valuable players in the circuit, posting an average player value of 7.4 per game. Germany swept its three tournaments in the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League. Her impact is even larger than the stat sheet suggests. In the two tournaments that FIBA fully tracked, Mevius was first and second for “highlights per game”. Reflected by her FIBA World Cup highlight reel, reaching over 4.5 million views on Instagram reels. Mevius is going into her final season of college basketball at Oregon.
With five double-doubles in seven games, UCLA freshman Sienna Betts announced her arrival on the national scene
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The No. 2-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025 and the most decorated high school basketball player in Colorado history, the expectations were high for Betts in her FIBA World Cup debut. She did not disappoint. Betts put up five double-doubles in seven contests, tying the all-time tournament record. In her opening game, Betts shot 11-of-12 from the field for 25 points in only 18 minutes. This all culminated in Betts being selected to the all-tournament team, an honor that eluded her older sister, Lauren.
Betts averaged 14.1 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 24 minutes per game across the tournament. Her mere presence was a problem for opposing teams and coaches, racking up an average plus/minus of 24.6 points per game. Betts is entering her freshman year for a UCLA Team that made the Final 4 last year. She looks ready to contribute on day one for Coach Cori Close’s Bruins, who seem right on the cusp of their first NCAA national championship in program history.
Israel’s Gal Raviv appears to be on a fast track to stardom. The 18-year-old guard became the first freshman to win MAAC player of the year with Quinnipiac last season. This offseason, she broke another record. Raviv totalled 158 points, 26.3 per game, breaking the all-time scoring record for the event. A record that was held for the last 36 years by FIBA Hall of Famer Danira Bilic, who represented the now disbanded Yugoslavia.
What’s most impressive about Raviv’s record is that it was executed with efficiency. Raviv shot over 50 percent from inside the arc and 42.7 percent from beyond on a volume of 19 field goal attempts per game. Additionally, her FIBA efficiency rating was third among all players tournament-wide. If Raviv’s offensive production is scalable to NCAA play, there’s a good chance she competes for ACC Player of the Year in her sophomore season with the Hurricanes.
UCLA only brought in two freshmen this offseason (Betts and Bilic), but both appear to be great additions. Bilic showed incredible promise in her biggest international tournament to date. The Croatian forward led all scorers in the U18 EuroBasket tournament. She finished her run by carrying her nation to the bronze medal and Division A promotion with a 41-point outburst against Lithuania in the third-place game.
Bilic wasn’t just effective at scoring, however. She also averaged 2.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game on the defensive end to go with 6 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Bilic promises to be the long-term replacement for Angela Dugalic on the wing, but only time will tell.
The COCOBA Central American women’s basketball tournament rarely attracts stars; however, McMiller, a 2024 Jordan All-American, turned Managua into her personal playground. The Penn State transfer has been racking up unreal statlines versus Central America’s best, highlighted by a 33-point, 7-rebound 8- assist effort against Honduras.
McMiller was averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for Team Nicaragua. Last year at Rutgers, McMiller averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3 assists, so this isn’t entirely surprising, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
The No. 1 2026 recruit and AP second-team All-American, Strong once again dabbled in the 3×3 game this summer. A three-time U18 3×3 World Cup gold-medalist, it was now her turn to face senior competition. In her first FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Strong stole the show. Although the United States finished sixth in the tournament, the 2025 National Champion finished first in a number of categories.
Strong led all players in total player value, a 3×3 FIBA metric, despite playing two fewer games than the championship teams. She also led in shot efficiency with an 83 percent mark across five games, and was second in the tournament in points per game. While the U.S. went home without a medal, Strong yet again proved her stardom on the world stage.
Bielefeld showed off her well-rounded skill set in the U18 Women’s EuroBasket. The tall German guard had an impressive yet unorthodox statline for the tournament. She finished second in both assists (5.3 per game) and blocks (2.7) while also registering 10.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Bielefeld’s best performance was in the semifinals against Croatia, where she dropped 20 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocks.
Bielefeld was recognized on the All-Tournament team for the U18 Division B EuroBasket and earned silver, along with German promotion to Division A next year. Bielefeld is joining a 34-4 TCU Horned Frogs, who qualified for the Elite 8 last season. However, this year’s team will look dramatically different with Big 12 Player of the Year Hailey Van Lith and All-Big 12 selections Sedona Prince and Madison Conner gone to the pros.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo was one of the summer stars of the United States team
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Hannah Hidalgo, 5-foot-6 senior point guard, Notre Dame (United States)
Jazzy Davidson, 6-foot-1 freshman guard, USC (United States)
Bonnie Deas, 5-foot-9 freshman guard, Arkansas (Australia)
Gabriela Jacquez, 5-foot-11 senior forward, UCLA (Mexico)
Olivia Miles, 5-foot-10 graduate student point guard, TCU (United States)
Manuella “Manu” Alves, 6-foot-3 freshman forward, Illinois (Brazil)
Gina Garcia Safont, 5-foot-9 freshman point guard, Kansas State (Spain)
Mikaylah Williams, 6-foot-0 junior guard, LSU (United States)
Nastja Claessens, 6-foot-1 freshman power forward, Kansas State (Belgium)
Important note: This was written before 3 major tournaments began or finished. The FIBA Women’s AfroBasket takes place from July 26th through August 3rd and contains 8 Division I players. The U20 Women’s EuroBasket Division A and B tournaments will feature upwards of 50 college players and commits and take place from August 1-10.
The LSU baseball team turned into a juggernaut in 2025, but that’s not to say it was always destined to win a championship. Those are earned, often painstakingly. Still, there were signs for coach Jay Johnson early on that he had a team that could win it all. It all had to do with how […]
The LSU baseball team turned into a juggernaut in 2025, but that’s not to say it was always destined to win a championship. Those are earned, often painstakingly.
Still, there were signs for coach Jay Johnson early on that he had a team that could win it all. It all had to do with how his guys bounced back from early adversity.
“I think there was a few things that stuck out to me,” Johnson said on the Mik’d Up With Mikie Mahtook podcast. “No. 1 after we lost our first game to Omaha — and we played pretty dominant through like the first five games — and then we lost a game maybe we shouldn’t have, weird day with the wind blowing in and that sort of deal, and we actually had to play a double-header right after that.
“And I kind of challenged them like, ‘Hey, a lot of times you know what you have right after you lose your first game of the season and how you respond to that.’ Well we went out and won 12-1, played great. Then after that we won 17 games in a row.”
Take one look at LSU’s season schedule and you can see the streakiness. A loss here and there, sprinkled in amongst some huge winning streaks.
“That streak I think got broke at Texas and we lost two in a row, they beat us in the series,” Johnnson recalled. “Which was a very beneficial series for us. I learned a lot about what we needed to do from there, from that series. And then we won like nine in a row right after that. Mississippi State, playing late at night, all those types of things.
“Then you look up and we’ve won 26 of 28 against a pretty good schedule, like, man, there’s something to this. Then we got swept in three tough games at Auburn. They didn’t blow us out, but they beat us. Then we responded well to that.”
Eventually, LSU piled up enough wins that it put itself in a favorable position to do some serious damage in the postseason. The team earned a No. 6 seed nationally, giving it the right to host through the Super Regionals if it kept winning.
That proved tricky. Arkansas-Little Rock pushed LSU to a winner-take-all game in the Baton Rouge Regional.
You can probably guess at this point how the Tigers responded. With aplomb, naturally.
“Every time they got challenged, like we got off the mat quickly and didn’t really spiral or those types of things,” Johnson said. “So it was like that consistency is kind of the hallmark that I’m really proud of. Because you just, you’re going to get bloodied in this thing. It’s baseball No. 1, it’s the SEC No. 2. Nobody’s getting through it perfectly, but I thought they did about as good a job as you could to responding to adversity. And there was no complacency ever.
“I felt like they had this quality of like, and I say this to them, but it’s really hard to get to this, it’s like we’re not validated by our record or what anybody says about us, but like can we do this college baseball program thing as good as it possibly could be done? In every facet of it. I thought they were really bought into that and I think it showed in their ability to be consistent.”
The skinny: Purdue may have finished in the bottom four of the Big Ten in 2024-25, but coach Katie Gearlds is bringing in the conference’s top transfer class. Feldman, Henderson and Nya Smith were mid-major stars and double-digit contributors at past stops. Feldman was a first-team All-Big Sky selection this past season, while Henderson was […]
The skinny: Purdue may have finished in the bottom four of the Big Ten in 2024-25, but coach Katie Gearlds is bringing in the conference’s top transfer class. Feldman, Henderson and Nya Smith were mid-major stars and double-digit contributors at past stops. Feldman was a first-team All-Big Sky selection this past season, while Henderson was the SoCon’s Rookie of the Year. Kiki Smith, the 2024 NJCAA DI Women’s Player of the Year, will bring invaluable high-major experience after a breakout season at Arkansas. Daye is a well-rounded veteran after three seasons in the Big East with St. John’s. Expect Stahl to have a significant interior impact coming off a season in which she averaged 7.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Incoming transfers: Shay Bollin, 6-foot-3 graduate senior forward (Illinois); Kyrah Daniels, 6-foot junior wing (Missouri State); Destiny Howell, 6-foot graduate senior wing (Howard); Gift Uchenna Okeke, 6-foot-3 senior forward (Southern Illinois); Laci Steele, 5-foot-11 junior wing (NC State); Breauna Ware, 5-foot-7 redshirt junior guard (Stony Brook).
The skinny: Wisconsin didn’t fare much better than Purdue in 2024-25, but will look to rebound with a transfer class that has the potential to help the Badgers possess one of the top offenses in the Big Ten. Uchenna Okeke was a two-way machine in the frontcourt for Southern Illinois, averaging 14.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Ware flourished at Stony Brook this past season, contributing 14.7 points per game and leading the Seawolves in three-point shooting at 35 percent. Howell was a three-time All-MEAC selection, the conference player of the year in 2022-23 and looks ready for a high-major opportunity. Daniels was key in lifting Missouri State to an MVC regular-season championship in 2024-25, averaging 12.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. If Bollin and Steele can prove effective high-major contributors, the Badgers will have several new offensive weapons and depth as well.
Former MEAC Player of the Year Destiny Howell joins the Badgers
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Incoming transfers: Faith Blackstone, 6-foot graduate senior guard (Stephen F. Austin); Kaylah Ivey, 5-foot-8 graduate senior guard (Boston College); Imani Lester, 6-foot-3 junior forward (Kansas State); Nene Ndiaye, 6-foot-1 junior forward (Boston College); Yacine N’Diaye, 6-foot-4 junior forward (UNC Greensboro); Lauryn Swann, 5-foot-7 sophomore guard (Arizona).
The skinny: Despite losing star freshman Kiyomi McMiller in the portal, this offseason still can be viewed as a success for Rutgers. McMiller’s production will be difficult to replace, but Blackstone is a great start. She started her career at Syracuse, but really emerged with Stephen F. Austin this past season. Swann was a Big 12 All-Freshman selection in 2024-25, averaging 8.0 points per game on 39 percent shooting from three. Expect her to see an increase in minutes with the Scarlet Knight. The Boston College duo and Lester transfer in from high majors in search of additional playing time. Lastly, N’Diaye brings size and gives Rutgers possibly the biggest frontcourt rotation in the conference to pair with its strong backcourt talent.
Incoming transfers: Jalyn Brown, 6-foot-1 senior wing (Arizona State); Marah Dykstra, 6-foot-2 senior forward (Montana State); Rashunda Jones, 5-foot-8 junior guard (Purdue).
The skinny: In addition to maintaining a core of the group that helped carry Michigan State to a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten, the Spartans added a trio of scorers. Joining former Big Ten Sixth Woman of the Year Theryn Hallock in the backcourt will be Jones, who brings Big Ten experience. As the primary ballhandler for the Boilermakers, she averaged 9.8 points and 3.7 assists per game. Dykstra is a two-time All-Big Sky selection and will pair well in the frontcourt alongside Spartans leading scorer Grace VanSlooten. But it’s Brown who has the potential to be the most impactful transfer for coach Robyn Fralick after a season in which she finished in the top 50 nationally in scoring at 18.0 points per game.
Incoming transfers: Kara Dunn, 5-foot-11 senior guard (Georgia Tech); Londynn Jones, 5-foot-4 senior guard (UCLA); Dayana Mendes, 6-foot-3 sophomore forward (Washington State); Yakiya Milton, 6-foot-5 junior forward (Auburn).
The skinny: National Player of the Year JuJu Watkins is back for another season, and with her returning, USC is the favorite to repeat as regular-season champions. But two star seniors departed for the WNBA Draft, which left coach Lindsay Gottlieb to venture into the portal in search of veteran talent. Dunn, a two-time All-ACC selection, will help to replace some of that lost production; she was the Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. Jones and Mendes have shown flashes with successful programs and can be solid role players. And though Milton has yet to find her footing at the high-major level, her size and versatility can help fill a void left by the loss of Kiki Iriafen (6-foot-3) and Rayah Marshall (6-foot-4).
Londynn Jones makes the move across town to the Trojans from a Final Four program
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Incoming transfers: Avary Cain, 6-foot-1 sophomore wing (UCLA); Mia Jacobs, 6-foot-2 senior forward (Fresno State); Astera Tuhina, 5-foot-9 senior guard (Washington State).
The skinny: With Oregon losing four key contributors, it was important that coach Kelly Graves be active in the portal to help rebuild this rotation. In Jacobs, the Ducks have their next star. She averaged a double-double this past season (18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds), finishing in the top 45 nationally in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles. Meanwhile, Tuhina did it all in the backcourt for Washington State: 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Cain, a former five-star recruit, needs to prove she’s a capable high-major contributor.
Incoming transfers: Yarden Garzon, 6-foot-3 senior wing (Indiana); Oluchi Okananwa, 5-foot-10 junior guard (Duke).
The skinny: Following another good season under legendary coach Brenda Frese, Maryland was able to hold onto leading scorer Kaylene Smikle and build from there. The Terrapins will look for returnees down the depth chart to step up, but the two portal additions figure to be relied upon heavily. Garzon is proven at this level and averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. Okananwa racked up awards in her two seasons at Duke: She was picked to the ACC All-Freshman Team, won ACC Sixth Woman of the Year and was selected to the 2025 ACC All-Tournament team. It’s a small transfer class, and both need to produce to help maintain the program’s level of success.
Incoming transfers: Kendall Dudley, 6-foot-2 sophomore forward (UCLA); Ashley Sofilkanich, 6-foot-3 junior forward (Bucknell).
The skinny: With two of the nation’s best freshmen returning in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, coach Kim Barnes Arico added a top-10 talent from the portal. Sofilkanich dominated on both ends in the Patriot League this past season; she averaged 19.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, and was the league player of the year. She led the conference in scoring and blocked shots, and finished in the top 30 nationally in scoring. Sofilkanich also was ranked as the No. 10 player in the portal by TPR. The transition from the Patriot League to the Big Ten undoubtedly is a significant one, but Sofilkanich should have no problems given her talent. Dudley is a former five-star recruit, and if the Wolverines can unlock her talent, she’ll be an impactful addition in the frontcourt.
Incoming transfers: Gianna Kneepkens, 6-foot graduate senior guard (Utah).
The skinny: UCLA lost a handful of valuable pieces to the portal, but they will be offset by the addition of Kneepkens, TPR’s top-ranked transfer. She was a first-team All-Big 12 selection who averaged 19.3 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range. She joins a Bruins roster that already boasts star center Lauren Betts and guard Kiki Rice.
The Bruins welcome the top player in the portal class from former Pac-12 foe Utah.
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Incoming transfers: Emily Fisher, 6-foot junior wing (Maryland); Claire Johnson, 5-foot-9 sophomore guard (Samford); Eliza Maupin, 6-foot-3 senior forward (Kansas State); Hailey Weaver, 6-foot redshirt senior guard (Northwestern).
The skinny: Nebraska managed 21 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024-25, but with Alexis Markowski out of eligibility, the Huskers need several returnees to step up. If coach Amy Williams can get continued development and production from the likes of Britt Prince, Natalie Potts and Logan Nissley, the transfers can be key role players. Johnson is the strongest addition; she was a second-team All-SoCon pick as a freshman. Fisher and Maupin bring high-major experience, but will be expected to improve with an increase in minutes. Weaver joins Nebraska after a year off from basketball and is an experienced veteran and a versatile offensive piece.
Incoming transfers: Amiya Evans, 6-foot-2 senior forward (Georgia); Kiyomi McMiller, 5-foot-8 sophomore guard (Rutgers).
The skinny: Penn State finished last in the Big Ten in 2024-25 and lost some talent to the portal, but the additions of McMiller and Evans mean the roster is shaping up to be vastly improved. Gracie Merkle and Moriah Murray return and will be joined by McMiller, who had a standout freshman season for Rutgers. She averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 21 games. Evans is a former highly touted four-star prospect who will look to finally meet the lofty expectations set for her when she signed with Georgia.
Incoming transfers: Aaliyah Guyton, 5-foot-7 sophomore guard (Iowa); Gisela Segura, 5-foot-11 graduate senior wing (Long Island); Maddie Webber, 5-foot-11 junior guard (Villanova).
The skinny: Illinois lost its top three scorers, but with a highly regarded freshman class, coach Shauna Green didn’t need to invest heavily in the portal. Webber is the standout from this transfer class; she averaged a career-high 13.3 points and was a second-team All-Big East selection. She led Villanova to the semifinals of the 2025 WBIT and is ready for a big role with a more consistent high-major program. Segura brings some versatility on the offensive end and should be a respected veteran presence in a youthful locker room. Guyton will look to find her footing after stumbling at Iowa.
Maddie Webber took Villanova to the semifinals of the WBIT.
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Incoming transfers: Emely Rodriguez, 6-foot sophomore wing (UCF); Chazadi Wright, 5-foot-4 sophomore guard (Georgia Tech).
The skinny: Though leading scorer Lucy Olsen graduated, there’s a solid returning core that led coach Jan Jensen to opt for youth from the portal. But that doesn’t mean this duo can’t have a major impact for the Hawkeyes. Rodriguez was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. Wright started 12 games and played in 33 for an NCAA Tournament team, averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 assists. It’ll be a battle for the duo to secure consistent starter minutes, but they can help the Hawkeyes achieve another 20-win season.
Incoming transfers: Tracey Bershers, 6-foot-2 graduate senior forward (UAB); Brylee Glenn, 5-foot-10 graduate senior guard (Kansas State); Finau Tonga, 6-foot-2 graduate senior forward (San Jose State).
The skinny: Minnesota kept all three double-digit scorers from this past season and did a good job of adding to a solid core. Tonga looks the part of a serviceable Big Ten forward after averaging 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds this past season. Breshers likely will join her in the frontcourt rotation, but don’t discount her offensive profile as a 6-foot-2 forward who shot 43 percent from deep on 129 attempts in 2024-25. Glenn was competitive in her first two seasons at Kansas State. but a decline in minutes this past season saw her production decrease. Give her additional playing time and she’s a proven high-major guard, a known two-way talent and, now, an experienced veteran in Minnesota’s backcourt.
Incoming transfers: Yulia Grabovskaia, 6-foot-5 senior center (Michigan); Avery Howell, 6-foot sophomore guard (USC).
The skinny: Despite the return of Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers, the loss of 6-foot-4 senior forward Dalayah Daniels to the WNBA is a big one. To try to help replace her, the Huskies added Grabovskaia. A native of Russia, she’s steadily improved since arriving in the United States in 2023 and averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this past season. Howell, on the other hand, brings notable expectations as a former top-25 prospect. Though she didn’t quite meet those expectations as a freshman, the move to Washington offers her the opportunity to carve out a role with more consistent playing time.
Incoming transfers: Jerni Kiaku, 5-foot-7 senior guard (Duquesne); Zania Socka-Nguemen, 6-foot-3 sophomore forward (UCLA); Chloe Spreen, 5-foot-10 sophomore guard (Alabama); Phoenix Stotjin, 5-foot-8 sophomore guard (Arkansas); Edessa Noyan, 6-foot-3 junior forward (Virginia).
The skinny: Indiana lost leading scorer Yarden Garzon to Maryland and didn’t do much to recoup that lost production. Kiaku averaged 13.2 points per game this past season, is a former MEAC Rookie of the Year and should slot into the starting lineup. Stotjin was productive in stretches for Arkansas and should continue to develop as a sophomore. Socks-Ngueman and Spreen struggled to get consistent playing time as freshmen even though both were top-50 prospects. Similarly, Noyan hasn’t been able to find her footing after two seasons in the high-major ranks and starting 23 games for Virginia this past season.
Incoming transfers: DaiJa Turner, 6-foot-3 redshirt senior forward (TCU); Tate Walters, 5-foot-9 graduate senior guard (Furman).
The skinny: Melannie Daley, Caileigh Walsh and Taylor Williams are gone after finishing as Northwestern’s three top contributors this past season. Walters will be asked to help fill some of that production; she was a two-time All-SoCon selection who averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2024-25. She’ll likely slot into the starting lineup. Turner looks to be more of a depth piece after making just 35 appearances in four seasons at TCU.
Tate Walters will asked to play a big role, likely slotting into the starting lineup.
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Incoming transfers: T’Yana Todd, 6-foot senior guard (Boston College); Kylee Kitts, 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman forward (Florida).
The skinny: Cotie McMahon was lost to the portal and Taylor Thierry to the WNBA, and though co-Big Ten Rookie of the Year Jaloni Cambridge remains, this roster is worse than 2024-25’s. Todd will be tasked with picking up some of the slack; she averaged 13.7 points this past season. Kitts is an intriguing case, as she reclassified to join Florida a year early, then redshirted. With a season of Division I practice experience under her belt, she has the potential to be an impactful addition.
Penn State baseball has added another transfer player, as Maddox McDonald has committed to the Nittany Lions. McDonald comes to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer after spending two years at Trinity University. The outfielder started in 52 games last season, causing 78 outs with a 100% fielding percentage. Through his two years with the […]
Penn State baseball has added another transfer player, as Maddox McDonald has committed to the Nittany Lions.
McDonald comes to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer after spending two years at Trinity University.
The outfielder started in 52 games last season, causing 78 outs with a 100% fielding percentage. Through his two years with the Tigers, he recorded 75 runs and 72 RBIs.
In the 2024 season, McDonald was named to the All-SCAC Second Team and was a SCAC Hitter of the Week. He helped Trinity reach the NCAA III Playoffs, become NCAA Regional Finalists, and SCAC Regular Season Champions.
President Donald Trump inserted himself into the chaos of college athletics and NIL. He signed an executive order that banned third-party payments to athletes without “fair-market” contracts. Legendary broadcaster Tim Brando has already praised the new executive order, but now also from arguably college football’s greatest coach, Nick Saban, who has been desperate for this […]
President Donald Trump inserted himself into the chaos of college athletics and NIL. He signed an executive order that banned third-party payments to athletes without “fair-market” contracts. Legendary broadcaster Tim Brando has already praised the new executive order, but now also from arguably college football’s greatest coach, Nick Saban, who has been desperate for this sort of reform for a long time.
It’s not surprising to see Saban support this new executive order from the President, as he’s been one of the strongest advocates of keeping the educational aspect of college athletics as the primary focus.
has always dreamed in Mercurial. Now his initials are on the boots.
The new Kyl…
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