High School Sports

'This is a culture'

Since seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers. “In my family, it wasn’t an accepted profession at all, but I’d managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business,” she said. Then last week, Sana […]

Published

1 month ago

June 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Since seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers.

“In my family, it wasn’t an accepted profession at all, but I’d managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business,” she said.

Then last week, Sana Yousaf was shot dead outside her house in the capital Islamabad by a man whose advances she had repeatedly rejected, police said.

News of the murder led to an outpouring of comments under her final post — her 17th birthday celebration where she blew out the candles on a cake.

In between condolence messages, some blamed her for her own death: “You reap what you sow” or “it’s deserved, she was tarnishing Islam”.

Yousaf had racked up more than a million followers on social media, where she shared her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional shalwar kameez outfits.

TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels. On it, women have found both audience and income, rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy.

But as TikTok’s views have surged, so have efforts to police the platform.

Pakistani telecommunications authorities have repeatedly blocked or threatened to block the app over what it calls “immoral behaviour”, amid backlash against LGBTQ and sexual content.

TikTok has pledged to better moderate content and blocked millions of videos that do not meet its community guidelines as well as at the request of Pakistan authorities.

After Yousaf’s murder, Bukhari, 28, said her family no longer backs her involvement in the industry.

“I’m the first influencer in my family, and maybe the last,” she told AFP.

– ‘Fear of being judged’ –

Only 30 percent of women in Pakistan own a smartphone compared to twice as many men (58 percent), the largest gap in the world, according to the Mobile Gender Gap Report of 2025.

“Friends and family often discourage them from using social media for fear of being judged,” said a statement from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF).

In southwestern Balochistan, where tribal law governs many rural areas, a man confessed to orchestrating the murder of his 14-year-old daughter earlier this year over TikTok videos that he said compromised her honour.

In October, police in Karachi, in the south, announced the arrest of a man who had killed four women relatives over “indecent” TikTok videos.

These murders each revive memories of Qandeel Baloch, dubbed Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian and one of the country’s first breakout social media stars whose videos shot her to fame.

After years in the spotlight, she was suffocated by her brother.

Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan, according to the country’s Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting men are not uncommon.

“This isn’t one crazy man, this is a culture,” said Kanwal Ahmed, who leads a closed Facebook group of 300,000 women to share advice.

“Every woman in Pakistan knows this fear. Whether she’s on TikTok or has a private Instagram with 50 followers, men show up. In her DMs. In her comments. On her street,” she wrote in a post.

In the fifth-most-populous country in the world, where 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30, the director of digital rights organisation Bolo Bhi, Usama Khilji , says “many women don’t post their profile picture, but a flower, an object, very rarely their face”.

“The misogyny and the patriarchy that is prevalent in this society is reflected on the online spaces,” he added.

A 22-year-old man was arrested over Yousaf’s murder and is due to appear in court next week.

At a vigil in the capital last week, around 80 men and women gathered, holding placards that read “no means no”.

“Social media has given us a voice, but the opposing voices are louder,” said Hira, a young woman who joined the gathering.

The capital’s police chief, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, used a press conference to send a “clear message” to the public.

“If our sisters or daughters want to become influencers, professionally or as amateurs, we must encourage them,” he said.

jma/sbh/ecl/lb

High School Sports

Highlights from the second day of 2025 Iowa High School State Softball Tournament

Published

4 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Highlights from the second day of 2025 Iowa High School State Softball Tournament

College Sports

They are preparing for the world's toughest row

Published

5 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

They are preparing for the world's toughest row

High School Sports

VIDEO

[embedded content]Watch Atlanta (Ga.) Overtime Elite point guard Taylen Kinney playing for Wildcat Select at the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championship. Kinney averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in five games, leading Wildcat Select to a 3-2 record. Kinney is considered a five-star prospect with a 98-grade and the 11th-best in the class, No. 1 […]

Published

6 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Watch Atlanta (Ga.) Overtime Elite point guard Taylen Kinney playing for Wildcat Select at the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championship.

Kinney averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in five games, leading Wildcat Select to a 3-2 record.

Kinney is considered a five-star prospect with a 98-grade and the 11th-best in the class, No. 1 point guard according to 247Sports.

He holds an offer from Miami.

Christopher Stock has covered the Miami Hurricanes since 2003 and can be reached by e-mail at stock@insidetheu.com and on Twitter @InsideTheU.

High School Sports

Women's Basketball Named to the 2024

Story Links ATLANTA (July 22, 2025) – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College, University of the Cumberlands, and Colby Community College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The Ottawa University women’s basketball team finished the season […]

Published

7 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ATLANTA (July 22, 2025) – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College, University of the Cumberlands, and Colby Community College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The Ottawa University women’s basketball team finished the season with a team GPA of 3.662 which is tied for 12th in the NAIA. This is the second straight season that the Braves have been named to the list. Ottawa came in at no. 24 in 2023-24.

“What an honor for our program and most importantly all of our hard-working student-athletes to make the WBCA Academic Top 25 for the second year in a row,” said OU head women’s basketball coach Hunter Bondurant. “Our first team goal of the season is to make this list and so to finish as high as 12th in the nation in overall GPA is such a gratifying moment for them. So thankful for all the hard work our team puts in both on the court and in the classroom. Couldn’t be more proud of their effort and dedication!”

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes college women’s basketball teams across the nation in their respective divisions that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2024-25 season is the 30th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

Green Bay, coached by Kayla Karius, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.862 cumulative team grade-point average. St. Cloud state, coached by Lori Fish, claimed top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.892 GPA. Colorado College, coached by Katherine Menendez, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.864 GPA. Cumberlands, coached by Rick Reeves, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.837 GPA. Colby, coached by Darin Spence, finished atop the two-year college standings with a 3.662 GPA.

“The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women’s basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “The 119 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!”

Here are the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2024-25 season. Teams having a 3.0 combined GPA and qualifying for consideration for the top 25 in their respective divisions are listed as special mentions.

NCAA Division I

Rank	Institution	Head Coach	GPA
1	UW-Green Bay	Kayla Karius	3.862
2	Boise State	Gordy Presnell	3.803
3	Youngstown State	Melissa Jackson	3.781
4	Western Illinois	JD Gravina	3.775
5	South Dakota State	Aaron Johnston	3.760
6	Creighton	Jim Flanery	3.757
7	DePaul	Jill Pizzotti	3.750
8	Drake	Allison Pohlman	3.741
9	California Baptist	Jarrod Olson	3.733
10	Utah Valley	Dan Nielson	3.716
11	Davidson	Gayle Fulks	3.711
12	Saint Peter’s	Jennifer Leedham	3.700
13	Tennessee Tech	Kim Rosamond	3.699
14	Montana State	Tricia Binford	3.694
15	Wyoming	Heather Ezell	3.692
16	Maine	Amy Vachon	3.691
17	Cleveland State	Chris Kielsmeier	3.685
18	Northern Kentucky	Jeff Hans	3.678
19	Kent State	Todd Starkey	3.669
T20	Manhattan	Heather Vulin	3.667
T20	UW-Milwaukee	Kyle Rechlicz	3.667
22	Iowa State	Bill Fennelly	3.658
23	Lafayette	Kia Damon-Olson	3.630
24	Purdue Fort Wayne	Maria Marchesano	3.624
25	Northern Iowa	Tanya Warren	3.621

Special Mention: East Tennessee State, Brenda Mock Brown, 3.616; Lehigh, Addie Micir, 3.615; Portland, Michael Meek, 3.605; Quinnipiac, Tricia Fabbri, 3.602; Eastern Michigan, Sahar Nusseibeh, 3.597; Illinois, Shauna Green, 3.597; Georgia State, Gene Hill, 3.587; Northern Illinois, Lisa Carlson, 3.585; Marist, Erin Doughty, 3.584; South Florida, Jose Fernandez, 3.584; Stonehill College , Trisha Brown, 3.583; NJIT, Mike Lane, 3.581; Illinois State, Kristen Gillespie, 3.581; Nebraska, Amy Williams, 3.579; Cincinnati, Katrina Merriweather, 3.576; West Georgia, Joanna Reitz, 3.571; Fairleigh Dickinson, Stephanie Gaitley, 3.541; Belmont, Bart Brooks, 3.540; Northern Colorado, Kristen Mattio, 3.536; North Carolina, Courtney Banghart, 3.532; Eastern Illinois, Marqus Mcglothan, 3.530; Michigan State, Robyn Fralick, 3.530; Indiana, Teri Moren, 3.528; Portland State, Chelsey Gregg, 3.528; Albany, Colleen Mullen, 3.525; Minnesota, Dawn Plitzuweit, 3.521; Abilene Christian, Julie Goodenough, 3.511; Colorado State, Ryun Williams, 3.511; Kentucky, Kenny Brooks, 3.504; Saint Joseph’s, Cindy Griffin, 3.503; Iowa, Jan Jensen, 3.495; Richmond, Aaron Roussell, 3.492; SIUE, Samantha Quigley Smith, 3.489; Drexel, Amy Mallon, 3.489; California, Charmin Smith, 3.462; Duke, Kara Lawson, 3.456; Merrimack, Kelly Morrone, 3.454; UAB, Randy Norton, 3.447; Sacramento State, Aaron Kallhoff, 3.447; Pennsylvania, Michael Mclaughlin, 3.446; South Carolina, Dawn Staley, 3.438; Alabama, Kristy Curry, 3.432; Missouri, Robin Pingeton, 3.431; Robert Morris, Chandler McCabe, 3.431; Northwestern, Joe McKeown, 3.427; Miami, Tricia Cullop, 3.426; Missouri State, Beth Cunningham, 3.426; Denver, Doshia Woods, 3.425; Texas A&M, Joni Taylor, 3.422; Bradley, Kate Popovec-Goss, 3.398; UNC Greensboro, Trina Patterson, 3.395; Liberty, Carey Green, 3.394; Fairfield, Carly Thibault-Dudonis, 3.392; Lipscomb, Lauren Sumski, 3.377; Texas Tech, Krista Gerlich, 3.376; Florida State, Brooke Wyckoff, 3.375; Temple, Diane Richardson, 3.373; Texas, Vic Schaefer, 3.372; Longwood , Erika Lang-Montgomery, 3.369; Vanderbilt, Shea Ralph, 3.367; Hofstra, Danielle Santos, 3.366; Colorado, Jr Payne, 3.366; Louisville, Jeff Walz, 3.363; Virginia Tech, Megan Duffy, 3.360; UNC Asheville, Tynesha Lewis, 3.358; USC, Lindsay Gottlieb, 3.348; Marquette, Cara Consuegra, 3.345; Hawaii, Laura Beeman, 3.343; Yale, Dalila Eshe, 3.338; Oklahoma, Jennie Baranczyk, 3.334; Tennessee, Kim Caldwell, 3.323; Kansas State, Jeff Mittie, 3.317; Notre Dame, Niele Ivey, 3.314; Elon, Charlotte Smith, 3.271; Ohio State, Kevin Mcguff, 3.263; Oklahoma State, Jacie Hoyt, 3.254; West Virginia, Mark Kellogg, 3.242; Akron, Ryan Gensler, 3.225; Seton Hall, Anthony Bozzella, 3.205; UNLV, Lindy La Rocque, 3.201; BYU, Lee Cummard, 3.189; Oregon, Kelly Graves, 3.168; Georgia Tech, Nell Fortner, 3.162; Baylor, Nicki Collen, 3.133; North Texas, Jason Burton, 3.128; Connecticut, Geno Auriemma, 3.061; Tulsa, Angie Nelp, 3.047; Troy, Chanda Rigby, 3.046; Georgetown, Darnell Haney, 3.008; Navy, Tim Taylor, 3.005.

NCAA Division II

	Rank	Institution	Head Coach	GPA
1		St. Cloud State	Lori Fish	3.892
2		Winona State	Ana Wurtz	3.887
3		Texas Woman’s	Beth Jillson	3.881
4		Malone	Selana Ickes	3.874
5		Tiffin	Josh Mason	3.864
6		Lubbock Christian	Steve Gomez	3.823
7		Ferris State	Kurt Westendorp	3.820
8		Northwestern Okla. St.	Tasha Diesselhorst	3.813
9		Chaminade	Michael Edwards	3.805
10		Ashland	Kari Pickens	3.795
11		Missouri Western	Ashton Feldhaus	3.788
12		UVA Wise	Jamie Cluesman	3.763
13		CSU East Bay	Jenny Thigpin	3.760
14		Montana State Billings	Kevin Woodin	3.757
15		Upper Iowa	Justin Maass	3.750
16		Missouri S&T	Kira Carter	3.736
17		Point Loma Nazarene	Charity Elliott	3.728
18		Dominican (CA)	Tim LaKose	3.726
19		West Liberty	Kyle Cooper	3.715
20		Southern New Hampshire	Karen Pinkos	3.713
21		Maryville	Brita Hand	3.709
22		Sioux Falls	Travis Traphagen	3.703
23		Goldey-Beacom	Bethann Burke	3.702
T24		Truman State	Theo Dean	3.695
T24		Northwest Missouri State	Austin Meyer	3.695

Special Mention: Central Missouri, David Slifer, 3.689; Fairmont State, Stephanie Anderson, 3.687; Fort Hays State, Talia Kahrs, 3.685; McKendree, Kari Kerkhoff, 3.676; Kutztown, Janet Malouf, 3.668; D’Youville, Kelly Broderick, 3.660; Rockhurst, Larry Park, 3.655; Kentucky State, Amani Williams, 3.651; Southwest Minnesota State, Tom Webb, 3.649; Pittsburg State, Amanda Davied, 3.647; Lee, Marty Rowe, 3.642; Minnesota State Moorhead, Karla Nelson, 3.634; Caldwell, Christie Conforti, 3.633; Cal State San Marcos, Jana Pearson, 3.628; Chestnut Hill, Megan Fox, 3.626; Wayne State, Carrie Lohr, 3.604; Michigan Tech, Samantha Clayton, 3.589; Pace, Carrie Seymour, 3.587; Davenport, Shonda Sanders, 3.574; Gannon, Cleve Wright, 3.573; Northern Michigan, Casey Thousand, 3.566; Findlay, Michele Durand, 3.558; Menlo, Shannon Spataro, 3.557; Bentley, C White, 3.550; Cal Poly Pomona, Danelle Bishop, 3.542; UW-Parkside, Jen Conely, 3.541; Florida Tech, John Reynolds, 3.536; Assumption, Kerry Phayre, 3.524; Daemen, Jenepher Banker, 3.498; Carson-Newman, Michael Mincey, 3.493; Seattle Pacific, Karen Byers, 3.465; Newman, Amy Briggs, 3.462; West Chester, Kiera Wooden, 3.438; West Florida, Stephanie Yelton, 3.432; Minnesota State Mankato, Emilee Thiesse, 3.431; Barry, Heather Macy, 3.430; Shorter, Lasheena Brooks, 3.425; Southern Arkansas, Darrick Matthews, 3.417; Bridgeport, Jimmy Howard, 3.407; Wingate, Ann Hancock, 3.377; UNC Pembroke, Dr. Kendra Samuels-Eaton, 3.372; Hillsdale, Brianna Brennan, 3.372; Union, Mark Campbell, 3.338; Cal State Monterey Bay, Sarah Hopkins-Chery, 3.316; Tusculum, Roger Hodge, 3.283; Academy of Art, Jesse Clark, 3.278; Anderson, Jonathon Barbaree, 3.268; Emory & Henry, Jaclyn Dickens, 3.249; Cal State San Bernardino, Casandra Renno, 3.249; Augusta, Celeste Stewart, 3.172.

NCAA Division III

Rank	Institution	Head Coach	GPA
1	Colorado College	Katherine Menendez	3.864
2	MIT	Lucia Robinson-Griggs	3.863
3	St. John Fisher	Sarah Cartmill	3.838
4	UW-Stevens Point	Matt Hockett	3.823
5	Benedictine	Oliver Wiseman	3.814
6	Wartburg	Bob Amsberry	3.810
7	Thiel	Jess Vormelker	3.802
8	Baldwin Wallace	Cheri Harrer	3.797
9	Carthage	Megan Jones	3.793
10	Simpson	Brian Niemuth	3.777
11	Drew	John Olenowski	3.774
12	Shenandoah	Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft	3.771
13	Lawrence	Riley Woldt	3.770
14	UW-Oshkosh	Brad Fischer	3.760
15	SUNY Canton	Chris Klassen	3.754
16	Oberlin College	Stephany Dunmyer	3.752
17	Saint Benedict	Mike Durbin	3.749
18	Trine	Andy Rang	3.737
19	UW-Stout	Hannah Iverson	3.736
20	Smith	Lynn Hersey	3.735
21	Gustavus Adolphus	Laurie Kelly	3.729
T22	Williams	Pat Manning	3.728
T22	Dickinson	Aby Diop	3.728
24	RIT	Melissa Kuberka	3.726
25	Maine-Farmington	Nate Carson	3.716

Special Mention: St. Olaf, Megan Lueck, 3.713; Nebraska Wesleyan, James Wiedie, 3.711; Houghton, Phil Pellegrino, 3.710; UW-River Falls, Shelby Lyman, 3.710; Washington And Lee, Brittney Kemp, 3.706; Denison, Maureen Hirt, 3.703; New York, Meg Barber, 3.693; Illinois Wesleyan, Mia Smith, 3.687; Alfred, Michael Moskowitz, 3.686; Misericordia, Jessica Rini, 3.683; Swarthmore, Dawn Grant, 3.679; Concordia (MN), Kim Wagers, 3.679; Wheaton (MA), Kanika Cummings Groves, 3.678; Case Western Reserve, Jennifer Reimer, 3.677; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, John Greene, 3.672; Washington (St. Louis), Lisa Stone, 3.672; Springfield, Naomi Graves, 3.667; St. Catherine, Donald Mulhern, 3.660; Carnegie Mellon, Kathy McConnell-Miller, 3.656; Christopher Newport, Bill Broderick, 3.646; Marywood, Tara Macciocco, 3.643; Buena Vista, Kylee Boettcher, 3.642; Sarah Lawrence, Bradley Alexander, 3.639; Emory, Misha Jackson, 3.634; Martin Luther, Dan Gawrisch, 3.633; Catholic, Matt Donohue, 3.630; Heidelberg, Erin Eaton, 3.629; Johns Hopkins, Rodney Rogan, 3.624; Ohio Northern, Mark Huelsman, 3.621; McDaniel, Christin Gowan, 3.620; Penn State Harrisburg, Ross Patrick, 3.616; Wooster, Olivia Besancon, 3.615; Redlands, Rich Murphy, 3.614; SUNY Geneseo, Alyssa Polosky, 3.612; Manchester, Josh Dzurick, 3.612; Calvin, Mark Christner, 3.611; Rowan, Kate Pearson, 3.609; Bryn Mawr, Carla Coleman, 3.607; Immaculata, Brittany Whalen, 3.606; UW-Eau Claire, Tonja Englund, 3.605; Haverford, Grace Elliott, 3.600; King’s, Caitlin Hadzimichalis, 3.597; Depauw, Kristin Huffman, 3.597; St. Scholastica, Jason Schmitz, 3.594; SUNY Brockport, Corinne Jones, 3.586; Bates, Alison Montgomery, 3.579; Elizabethtown, Veronica Nolt, 3.571; Mount Union, Suzanne Venet Pietz, 3.563; Salisbury, Aprile Preller, 3.559; Messiah, Mike Miller, 3.557; Capital, Camille Mcpherson, 3.557; Piedmont, Jamie Purdy, 3.555; Carleton, Tammy Metcalf-Filzen, 3.549; Gallaudet, Stephanie Stevens, 3.548; Susquehanna, Gabby Holko, 3.546; Southern Virginia, Lynette Schroeder, 3.540; Anderson (IN), Jon Gin, 3.533; Whitman, Michelle Ferenz, 3.530; Occidental, Anahit Aladzhanyan, 3.525; Edgewood, Kole Vivian, 3.525; Moravian, Mary Beth Spirk, 3.519; Monmouth, Michelle Decoud, 3.514; Gettysburg, Nathan Davis, 3.511; Babson, Kate Barnosky, 3.505; Luther, Amanda Bailey, 3.502; Claremont Mudd Scripps, Chanel Murchison, 3.479; Central, Justin Weiland, 3.478; Manhattanville, Kate Vlahakis, 3.475; Illinois Tech, Carissa Sain, 3.473; Bard, Alaina Walker, 3.470; Kean, Mandy King, 3.466; Worcester State, Karen Tessmer, 3.463; Minnesota Morris, Tim Grove, 3.461; Mount Saint Mary, Marion Dietz, 3.458; Coe, Kayla Waskow, 3.447; Randolph-Macon, Lindsey Burke, 3.429; SUNY New Paltz, James Seward, 3.414; Lynchburg, Allison Nichols, 3.414; Franklin & Marshall, Brianna Spector, 3.410; Roger Williams, Kelly Thompson, 3.400; Kenyon, Mary Corbett, 3.395; Suffolk, Ed Leyden, 3.384; Mary Washington, Deena Applebury, 3.360; Bethany Lutheran, Emma Purfeerst, 3.353; Wilson, Dylan Ward, 3.345; William Paterson, Erin Monahan, 3.344; Kalamazoo, Ryan Clark, 3.340; Rhode Island, Jenna Cosgrove, 3.339; Principia, Ramiro Dominguez, 3.336; St. Mary’s (MD), Latanya Collins, 3.267; Willamette, Peg Swadener, 3.197; Colby-Sawyer, Tim Viola, 3.187; Mount Aloysius, Brian Giesler, 3.161.

NAIA

Rank	Institution	Head Coach	GPA
1	Cumberlands	Rick Reeves	3.837
2	Hastings	Jina Douglas	3.794
3	Bethel (TN)	Chris Nelson	3.783
4	Carroll	Rachelle Sayers	3.766
5	Cornerstone	Jessica Yonkers	3.755
6	Tabor	Shawn Reed	3.748
7	Embry-Riddle (AZ)	Michael Trujillo	3.725
8	John Brown	Sydni Salvato	3.690
9	Grace	Dan Davis	3.688
10	Milligan	Kylie Russell Greer	3.679
11	Culver-Stockton	Janette Burgin	3.674
T12	Providence (MT)	Bill Himmelberg	3.662
T12	Ottawa (KS)	Hunter Bondurant	3.662
14	Columbia (MO)	Matthew Moore	3.655
15	Lewis-Clark	Caelyn Orlandi	3.647
16	St. Francis (IL)	John McGinty	3.642
17	Pikeville	Clifton Williams	3.626
18	Jamestown (ND)	Thad Sankey	3.617
19	Southern Oregon	Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt	3.597
20	Georgetown (KY)	Jeff Nickel	3.538
21	Rio Grande (OH)	David Smalley	3.516
22	Warner (FL)	Niesha Lowe	3.484
23	Montana State Northern	Chris Mouat	3.470
24	Truett McConnell	Tiek Fields	3.393
25	Peru State	Mike Sybrant	3.350

Special Mention: Texas Wesleyan, Scott Hyland, 3.320; UHSP, Markell Cox, 3.214.

Two-Year College*

Rank	Institution	Head Coach	GPA
1	Colby (KS)	Darin Spence	3.662
2	Central Maine	Andrew Morong	3.633
3	Northern Oklahoma	Michael Dominguez	3.625
4	Pima (AZ)	Todd Holthaus	3.614
5	Southwestern Oregon	Heather Weber	3.532
6	Lamar (CO)	Delino Lewis	3.515
7	New Mexico JC	Austin Mefford	3.483
8	Minnesota West	Rosalie Hayenga	3.443
9	Folsom Lake (CA)	Ali Mollet	3.426
10	Southern Nevada	Dan Savage	3.317
11	Walters State (TN)	Jasmin Coleman	3.307
T12	Cypress (CA)	Brittany Imaku	3.295
T12	Napa Valley (CA)	Paul DeBolt	3.295
14	Kirkwood (IA)	Kim Muhl	3.283
15	Taft (CA)	Romeo Lagmay Jr.	3.185
16	Canyons (CA)	Robin Hester	3.176
17	Sacramento City (CA)	Caleb Theodore	3.152
18	Rio Hondo (CA)	Rene Herrera	3.147
19	RCTC (MN)	Jason Bonde	3.058

* There were only 19 institutions eligible for ranking in the two-year college division.

A team’s GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) earned by the total number of academic hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Teams must be nominated for the honor by their head coach who must be a WBCA member. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.

About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.

Print Friendly Version

High School Sports

Women in Sport Summit Highlights Growing Commercial Importance of Women's Sport

The Women in Sport Summit 2024 served as a clear indicator of the increasing commercial viability and strategic importance of women’s sport. The event, which sold out, brought together a high calibre of speakers and attendees, highlighting the sector’s rapid professionalisation and its role in driving new audience engagement and growth. The sold-out status of […]

Published

11 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Women in Sport Summit Highlights Growing Commercial Importance of Women's Sport

The Women in Sport Summit 2024 served as a clear indicator of the increasing commercial viability and strategic importance of women’s sport.

The event, which sold out, brought together a high calibre of speakers and attendees, highlighting the sector’s rapid professionalisation and its role in driving new audience engagement and growth. The sold-out status of the 2024 Summit signifies a market trend for the sector.

Reflecting on the previous event, Karren Rogers, noted: “This is the first time I’ve seen Women in Sport events sold out, so it’s pretty exciting to see that, having come so many years.”

This shift reflects heightened industry interest and demand for insights into a rapidly expanding market segment for Women in Sport.

The presence of a “huge calibre of speakers” and “international speakers,” as observed by Genevieve McCulloch and Karren Rogers, further validates the professional depth now present in the women’s sports environment.

The discussions at the summit focused on themes of leadership, purpose, and progress, with Paul Nolan identifying some ideas shared as “the cutting edge of driving new audience and new growth.”

The Women in Sport Summit highlights a strategic importance for sports business professionals to actively engage with the women’s sport movement, recognising its potential as a key growth engine for the broader industry.

In addition, Indicating a mature sector focusing on collaborative development and emphasising knowledge exchange, Ilene Hauser, concluded: “There’s so much good information out there and people that are knowledgeable of the space.”

Looking ahead, the 2025 summit will return to the Gold Coast for two days on 27-28 August and three major events, aiming to go further, deeper, and bigger, and signalling continued investment and expansion in Women in Sport.

Don’t miss out on the latest in sports business – Subscribe today to the free Ministry of Sport newsletter and stay ahead of the game. For even more exclusive insights, event tickets, professional development and networking events, become a MoS Member today!.

High School Sports

Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper highlights Covington's annual Summer Football Clinic

Covington alumnus and Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper couldn’t help but smile as he walked on the turf of Jack Salter Stadium. Cooper was part of Covington High’s 11th annual Summer Football Clinic, which took place on June 14, as he returned home to share his expertise with local youngsters. “I’m glad I came […]

Published

16 hours ago

July 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper highlights Covington's annual Summer Football Clinic

Covington alumnus and Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper couldn’t help but smile as he walked on the turf of Jack Salter Stadium.

Cooper was part of Covington High’s 11th annual Summer Football Clinic, which took place on June 14, as he returned home to share his expertise with local youngsters.

“I’m glad I came back. There were some familiar faces from last year’s camp, so it was great to see them back. I’m extremely proud to return home and be able to give back to the community. It’s great to have a small impact on their lives, helping them improve their football skills and knowledge,” Cooper said.

“I was in their shoes once, so I understand what’s important to them, wanting to improve their skills. Our drills teach them proper technique and the importance of pad level while focusing on executing proper footwork. We emphasize the importance of trying to get better every day, remaining focused.”

The 6-foot-2, 229-pound linebacker lived that mantra after being picked No. 45 overall in last year’s draft. He had an exceptional rookie season, registering 87 tackles, including 57 solo stops. He also had 3.5 sacks, recovered a fumble, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.

The 23-year-old, who played at Texas A&M and was a consensus All-American in 2023, said aside from football queries, the number one question for him was How much does he make? The question always elicits a chuckle, and Cooper thanked his former head coach, Greg Salter, for pushing him every day to be the best player he could be.

“He told me I definitely had potential, and he helped keep me focused, pushing me to excel throughout my Lions’ career. I’m very grateful and enjoy coming back when I can to help with the clinic,” Cooper said.

Salter, entering his 13th season at Covington, said he realized early on that Cooper was a special talent with great potential, starting at linebacker while also playing running back in short-yardage situations and returning kicks on special teams.

“Edgerrin is a complete football player, and he earned the coaches’ trust early on, becoming a starter midway through his sophomore year on our 2017 team that finished 12-1, losing to Hahnville in the quarterfinals. He’s the total package, having athleticism, instincts and speed. He’s just a freak athlete with immense, God-given talent. An extremely hard worker, he pushed himself to become the absolute best,” Salter said.

While Cooper was the highlight of the camp for many participants, Salter was also grateful to his other former players who returned to campus to help put on the clinic, sharing their expertise and knowledge as coaches.

Seven other former Lions’ players joined Cooper as clinic coaches, including Bobby Barkley, KeJohn Batiste, Devin Brumfield, Lawson Champagne, Ian Goodley, Abram Lewis, Garrald McDowell and Logan Potter.

“It’s special seeing those guys again, having a chance to catch up,” Salter said. “Their involvement in giving back to the community is important and helps make the CHS clinic a continuing success. Their ongoing involvement can hopefully help spark an interest in the kids to pursue football one day at the high school level.”

Amaury Weary, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at William Pitcher Junior High, took part in his second camp.

“Last year’s camp was fun, but we didn’t get to finish because of the rain. I had a special time this year with friends, and it was a great learning experience for me. I loved having another chance to learn from Edgerrin Cooper. He just said I needed to keep working on improving my speed, staying locked in to get better,” Weary said.

“He’s a very nice, funny guy. You can tell he’s just a good person and is interested in helping young players. He made the camp fun, and we learned a lot.”

Weary will be a two-way performer for the Panthers this season, playing wide receiver and cornerback. Amaury’s father, Sherrard Weary, a 2010 Covington High grad, said the camp was a memorable one.

“It was an awesome camp,” Sherrard Weary said. “Learning from a young NFL star and the other experienced mentors means a lot to the kids. Even I learned some helpful things with some of the drills being taught, so I can work with Amaury. If it deals with football, my son loves it.”

For the Kebodeaux brothers, it was a true family outing. Lane, 9, and Layton, 6, attended the festivities, enthusiastically joined by their 3-year-old brother, Liam.

Liam made sure to make his mark at the Lions’ clinic, racing off the sidelines and joining his brothers to showcase his skills.

The boys’ mother, Lauren Kebodeaux, said the camp was an opportunity for her sons to have fun and learn about the sport.

“Coach Salter and his guys put on an awesome event,” Lauren Kebodeaux said. “It’s a great opportunity for the youngsters to have fun and learn at the same time. All the former Covington High players were fantastic with the kids. It was a great night for football and family fun.”

Lane Kebodeaux, who is entering the fourth grade at Christ Episcopal School, plays flag football at Pelican Park with the Hurricanes (QB/WR/Safety). Layton is entering first grade and also plays flag football at Pelican Park with the Wolverines.