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Tag: NCAAW – English

  • Paige Bueckers snatches Angel Reese's most anticipated role in fight with Caitlin Clark, according to Liberty star

    Paige Bueckers snatches Angel Reese's most anticipated role in fight with Caitlin Clark, according to Liberty star

    Marine Johannes is set to make her WNBA return with the New York Liberty in 2025, rejoining a team that clinched the championship in 2024.

    As she steps back onto the court, the French guard is keeping a close eye on the league’s rising stars, particularly Caitlin Clark, who has been making waves with the Indiana Fever.

    Paige Buckers is on a title hunt chasing the one achievement Caitlin Clark never got

    Johannes predicts the future of the WNBA

    During a recent conversation with NBA legend Tony Parker and French national team standout Nando De Colo, Johannes shared her thoughts on Clark’s impact, drawing a bold comparison.

    “A bit like Stephen Curry,”Johannes remarked in French, likening Clark’s influence to the NBA’s revolutionary sharpshooter.

    She went on to name Clark and UConn’s Paige Bueckers as the future faces of the WNBA, stating, “I think that she and Paige Bueckers will be the future of the WNBA and women’s basketball. What she’s doing with her team is huge,

    everybody’s talking about it. When the two of them will come to the league, I think it will evolve in the media, it’ll be cool.”

    Clark has already generated immense excitement since joining the Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.

    Her transition to the WNBA follows an illustrious college career at Iowa, where she led her team to back-to-back national championship appearances.

    Meanwhile, Bueckers, a former national player of the year, is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, setting the stage for a thrilling new era of women’s basketball.

    A potential Clark-Bueckers showdown could take place as soon as June 27, when the Indiana Fever face the Dallas Wings.

    With their NCAA battles still fresh in fans’ minds, the matchup is already generating buzz, with many anticipating it as the beginning of a marquee WNBA rivalry.

    For Johannes, the return to the Liberty means stepping into a championship-defending squad while witnessing the next generation take center stage.

    Whether Clark and Bueckers can reshape the league remains to be seen, but their arrival is undeniably shifting the spotlight onto women’s basketball in unprecedented ways.



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  • How Stephen Curry helped save UConn star Azzi Fudd's knee and career

    How Stephen Curry helped save UConn star Azzi Fudd's knee and career

    When Azzi Fudd went down with a knee injury 16 months ago and required surgery, her parents immediately wondered how they would navigate another grueling rehab process.

    That’s when Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry came in and dished out a most important assist: He and his team of trainers and medical professionals offered to help lead the effort to get the Connecticut guard healthy and back on the court after she tore her right anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus.

    They came up with a precise plan, down to the specific milestones she would need to meet each step of the way, and collaborated with the UConn training staff to get her through those tests.

    “I was cast to put together a really good group of people,” said Carl Bergstrom, Curry’s director of performance. “Doing a virtual or distant rehab is not without its challenges, so with the resources that were allocated and just the network that we have, I was able to take the time and really bring in who I thought were some of the best world leaders in ACL rehab that were in my network in North America.”

    All good, Steph? Fans react as Curry’s rare clumsy moment goes viral

    Tim and Katie Fudd aren’t sure how they would have supported their daughter without the SC30 team. Fudd partnered with Curry’s off-court organization more than three years ago and it paid for her cross-country trips to see top doctors.

    “When we were kind of throwing around ideas about how to handle it and what we were going to do to help her get back to the best version of herself, we just didn’t know what to do, and then all of a sudden we got information that Stephen was stepping up and was going to provide some resources for her to have rehab for the next 12 months,” Tim said.

    “It was jaw-dropping No. 1, and No. 2, when you got involved with the whole process, and to see how in depth everything was in terms of her workouts and how meticulous the therapists and trainers that she worked with were, we were blown away by it.”

    Fudd formally joined Curry’s SC30 brand in November 2021 to build her career through a name, image and likeness contract. Still, she had little idea how far the support would reach.

    “Not even just from this rehab standpoint, Steph has been such an amazing resource,” Fudd said. “It kind of just goes to show the kind of person he is. … Just him being so open to sharing his resources from the beginning has been incredible, but during this rehab process being with SC30 I can’t imagine what this process would have been like if I wasn’t with Steph and he wasn’t so caring and sharing and giving.”

    Fudd returned for UConn in November and the graduate student guard is gearing up for what could be her final NCAA Tournament run with the second-seeded Huskies, who face Arkansas State on Saturday.

    Special relationship

    In 2018, Fudd was one of the first women to attend Curry’s elite camp, and that’s when they initially connected.

    “She’s part of the family and when we signed her out of high school it was part of providing resources off the court that could help her figure out the business of basketball before she really got going, be a support for her and her family,” Curry said. “Injuries happen. It was just trying to make sure she had the best chance to get back. So far, so good.”

    As Fudd sat out the 2023-24 season, she made several trips to Vancouver and Calgary to work with medical experts like Bergstrom, whom they called the “quarterback” of her recovery.

    That support network named their group chat “Team Azzi,” and Curry’s folks worked closely with the UConn athletic training staff so everybody stayed on the same page.

    “They made sure I was always on track and always ready to advance to the next stage and not rushing and making sure I wasn’t overcompensating in any other areas,” Fudd said. “They made sure my recovery process was very planned and strategic. They were amazing.”

    Fudd was injured in practice on Nov. 14, 2023, and had surgery on Dec. 1 that year.

    She is grateful to every person who played a key role in her comeback, saying, “I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.”



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  • Why Angel Reese has dubbed Maryland's Derik Queen 'Baby Jokic'

    Why Angel Reese has dubbed Maryland's Derik Queen 'Baby Jokic'

    WNBA superstar Angel Reese has her eyes set on a future basketball sensation, and she’s made her opinion known.

    As Maryland took on Michigan in a tense March Madness showdown on Saturday, Reese took to social media to shout out Derik Queen, comparing the 6-foot-10 freshman center to none other than Nikola Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP.

    Slaying TikTok! Angel Reese shows she’s a boss

    Reese, known for her sharp basketball insights as well as her on-court dominance, wasn’t holding back when she called Queen “Baby Jokic” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Watching Queen’s commanding presence on the court, it’s clear to see why Reese made such a bold statement.

    Derik Queen’s Game Mirrors Jokic’s Versatility

    Even though Maryland narrowly fell to Michigan in an 80-81 thriller, Queen’s performance proved why he’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting players in college basketball.

    This season, Queen is averaging 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, all while shooting 53% from the field – numbers that make him one of the top freshmen in the country.

    But stats only tell part of the story. Like Jokic, Queen possesses rare ball-handling and playmaking skills for a big man. His ability to create shots from the perimeter, handle the ball smoothly, and make smart passes is reminiscent of what has made Jokic an NBA superstar.

    Maryland head coach Kevin Willard even remarked to CBS: “If [Queen] was White and European, he’d be the first pick in the draft.”

    It’s a striking comment that highlights both Queen’s extraordinary talent and the ongoing discussion about how players are evaluated in the NBA draft process.

    Coaches and Players Rave About Queen’s Impact

    Though his assist numbers might not jump off the page, those watching closely know that Queen has elite court vision and creativity, especially for a player his size.

    Speaking about Queen’s impact on the game, Michigan guard Rubin Jones shared: “He’s definitely a good player. He puts a lot of pressure on you even though he’s not shooting the ball or nothing like that. He’s light on his feet to be so big.”

    Michigan’s Will Tschetter also praised Queen, adding: “[Queen’s] very tough to guard with that skill set, versatility is really tough. Obviously hasn’t shot it the greatest from three, but you know came on tonight and shot really well from three.”

    Beyond his impressive stats and flashy plays, Queen’s calm demeanor and ability to read the game set him apart. His passing ability, particularly when on the move, is something NBA scouts look for – and it’s another reason Reese wasn’t afraid to put him in the same conversation as Jokic.

    As Queen continues to shine under the March Madness spotlight, his stock is only rising, and Angel Reese might be onto something. Whether he reaches Jokic’s heights remains to be seen, but with his unique skill set and growing reputation, he’s certainly on the radar as a future NBA standout.



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  • Caitlin Clark's college reign is not safe as JuJu Watkins shows why she is the favorite for National Player of the Year

    Caitlin Clark's college reign is not safe as JuJu Watkins shows why she is the favorite for National Player of the Year

    Caitlin Clark’s collegiate career at Iowa was nothing short of historic. As the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, she left an undeniable impact not only on the Hawkeyes program, but on the sport as a whole. Her dynamic playmaking and elite scoring ability propelled Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances, though they fell just short of winning a title. Despite those losses to current Chicago Sky players Angel Reese and LSU in 2023 and Camilla Cardoso with South Carolina in 2024, Clark’s legacy extends far beyond championships.

    Her individual brilliance has set a new standard for future generations and inspired young players across the country. Her impact is already being felt at the professional level, where she has taken the WNBA by storm, winning Rookie of the Year and leading the Indiana Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But even as Clark transitions to the next chapter of her career, her impact on the college game continues to shape the narrative, with USC’sJuJu Watkins emerging as the next dominant force in women’s basketball.

    JuJu Watkins Joins Elite Company

    Watkins has been nothing short of spectacular for USC this season, cementing herself as the frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors. Her latest accomplishment further cements her place in history: she became just the second player this century to score 30 or more points in four consecutive games against the same opponent, joining Clark in that exclusive club. Watkins torched UCLA for 30 points in USC’s 80-67 victory, adding five assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

    It was a master class in scoring and defensive dominance that has become a hallmark of her game. UCLA, one of the best teams in the nation, simply had no answer for her, just as Nebraska struggled to contain Clark during her reign at Iowa. Watkins’ ability to consistently perform against top competition is a testament to her skill, work ethic and mental toughness. With USC securing the Big Ten regular season title, the Trojans are poised for a deep run in March, and Watkins will be at the center of their championship aspirations.

    What’s Next for Watkins and USC?

    With the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Watkins and USC enter as one of the favorites to cut down the nets. With a 26-2 record, the Trojans are expected to secure a No. 1 seed, setting up potential matchups against elite competition like UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. Watkins has thrived in big moments all season, from her dominant performance in the season opener in Paris against Ole Miss to her statement game against UConn. Her ability to elevate her game under pressure makes her the most dangerous player on the court. Last season, as a freshman, she led USC to the Elite Eight, but expectations are even higher this year. With more national exposure thanks to USC’s move to the Big Ten, Watkins has become one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. If she continues on this trajectory, she won’t just be chasing a national title, she’ll be chasing history.



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