Dear Friend,

Thank you for being a subscriber of Women’s Hoops Network. We have some really exciting interviews coming out shortly about JuJu Watkins and some basketball legends that we can’t wait to share with you.

If you are a player, parent, coach, or administrator who thinks there’s something that we should cover in our journalism, please reach out to us. We are always accepting story pitches and would love to learn more.

You can reach out to us directly at: [email protected] 

Additionally, thank you to everyone who watched our interview with the amazing parents of Bree Hall and Chloe Kitts. We discussed what it’s like to play on the South Carolina team and what it’s like to be recruited by Dawn Staley. The interview blew up and we’ve gotten such great feedback.

You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUF9TThLwgY

Sincerely,

WHN Team

Angel Reese Covers Women’s Health 

In a captivating cover feature, Women's Health Magazine unfolds the extraordinary journey of LSU senior and basketball sensation, Angel Reese, highlighting her pivotal role in leading LSU to its first national championship and being crowned the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

This feature delves into Reese's manifestation process, where vision boards become a powerful tool for turning dreams into reality. As Reese reflects on her incredible accomplishments, she shares, "I had high hopes, and I manifested a lot of great things." The article not only captures Reese's athletic prowess but also delves into her off-court triumphs, including brand deals with Mercedes-Benz and Reebok, and a successful foray into modeling.

Beyond the glitz, Women's Health Magazine addresses Reese's unwavering dedication to mental health, emphasizing her resilience and authenticity. Reese's candid quote from the article resonates deeply: "My mental health is the most important thing.…I’m going to make sure I’m okay before anything. I want people to realize that I’m not just an athlete, I’m a human. I go through things. We all go through things."

You can read the article here: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a46650114/angel-reese-cover-story-interview/?utm_campaign=trueanthemFBWHphoto&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Ohio State Crushes Nebraska After Iowa Upset

In a basketball showcase, second-ranked Ohio State left no room for doubt as they secured a commanding 80-47 victory against Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes, riding a 12-game winning streak, demonstrated their prowess on both ends of the court, with a relentless defense that forced Nebraska into a season-high 30 turnovers.

Jacy Sheldon emerged as the star for Ohio State, tallying an impressive 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Not to be overlooked, Cotie McMahon recorded a remarkable double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, further solidifying Ohio State's dominance.

The Buckeyes, boasting the Big Ten's most experienced team, showcased their depth and skill throughout the game. Meanwhile, Nebraska, coming off a surprising win against No. 2 Iowa earlier in the week, faced a tough challenge against Ohio State's suffocating defense. The game raised questions about Iowa's tournament readiness following their recent loss to Nebraska.

As the regular season unfolds, Ohio State's dominance remains a defining narrative, while Nebraska seeks to regroup and build on the lessons learned from this intense matchup.

Iowa State upsets No.7 Kansas State in Ayoka Lee’s first game back 

Ayoka Lee, Kansas State's top center, played her first game back from an injury. Kansas State was 17-1 with her, 4-2 without her. In her return, she scored 20 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, and blocked 7 shots, forcing a second OT with a late bucket at the end of the first. 

However it was not enough as Iowa State pulled off the upset in a double overtime thriller 96-93. This is their third victory over a ranked team, the others being West Virginia (ranked 24th at the time) and Baylor (ranked 4th). Audi Crooks was huge in this game finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals, while Addy Brown added 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. 

Iowa State's free throw shooting proved vital down the stretch, going 14-14 in both overtimes and finishing 31-36 from the line. Addy Brown was a huge part of it, going 8-8 from the free throw line, including two crucial free throws that put the Cyclones up three with three seconds left to seal the victory. 

“We all hit some big ones down the stretch,” Crooks said. "We practice them, so coach (Bill) Fennelly says ‘We’re going to take time out for this, so you better get to the hoop and get to the line.'"

Iowa State will look to use this as a confidence boost as they prepare for a difficult road game against No. 5 Texas on Saturday. 

Caitlin Clark To Likely Break NCAA Record Tonight Among Shocking Ticket Prices

With Caitlin Clark just eight points away from breaking the NCAA Division I women's college basketball scoring record, Thursday's ticket prices have surged. Ticket prices vary by site, with Vividseats starting at $334, StubHub at $351, and Tickpick at $340. The most expensive ticket available on StubHub as of Wednesday morning was $4,940. To emphasize how important Caitlin Clark and this record are to Iowa supporters, ticket prices for the men's game on February 17th range from $19 to $151. 

According to TickPick, seven of the top ten most expensive women's basketball games ever are Iowa women's basketball home games, and they all occurred this season.

• Ohio State at Iowa (March 3, 2024): $517

• Michigan at Iowa (Feb. 15, 2024): $394

• Illinois at Iowa (Feb. 25, 2024): $381

• Indiana at Iowa (Jan. 13, 2024): $273

• Northwestern at Iowa (Jan. 31, 2024): $256

• Alabama at South Carolina (Feb. 22, 2024): $190

• Nebraska at Iowa (Jan. 27, 2024): $173

• 2022 WNBA All-Star Game (July 10, 2022): $150

• Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals: Las Vegas Aces at NY Liberty (Oct. 25, 2023): $148

• Penn State at Iowa (Feb. 8, 2024): $142

No. 4 Iowa will look to bounce back after an upset loss on the road 82-79 against Nebraska. Thursday's game against Michigan is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be shown live on Peacock.

2/12/24 - 2/14-24 — Notable Game Results

• #10 USC beats Arizona: 81-64 

• Tennessee beats Arkansas: 81-55

• Grambling beats Alabama A&M: 69-62

• Florida A&M beats Prairie View A&M: 71-63 

• Jackson State beats Arkansas Pine: 72-56 

• #24 West Virginia beats TCU: 77-52 

• Villanova beats Georgetown: 62-47

• BYU beats UCF: 64-60

• Seton Hall beats St John’s: 68-57

• Rutgers beats Minnesota: 81-73

• Marquette beats DePaul: 69-58

• #2 Ohio State beats Nebraska: 80-47 

• #15 UConn beats Xavier: 86-40 

• #23 Oklahoma beats #21 Baylor: 84-73 

• Iowa State beats #7 Kansas State: 96-93 

• #5 Texas beats Houston: 82-66 

• #14 Indiana beats Wisconsin: 68-54 

• UNLV beats Colorado State: 67-64 

• Rice beats Eastern Carolina: 75-57 

2/12/24 - 2/14/24 — Players Of The Game

• Juju Watkins — USC 

  • 32 pts, 7 rebound, 4 assists, 4 blocks

• Rickea Jackson — Tennessee 

  • 21 pts, 9 rebounds, 2 assists,

• Jordan Harrison — West Virginia 

  • 19 pts, 6 rebounds, 3 assist, 4 steals 

• Lucy Olsen — Villanova

  • 33 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 assist,2 steals

• Lauren Gustin  — BYU  

  • 22 pts, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal 

• Romi Levy — South Florida 

  • 28 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks 

•  Ahriahna Grizzle — Florida A&M  

  • 27 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 4 steals

• Destiny Brown — Alcorn State 

  • 17 pts, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 blocks 

• Jacy Sheldon — Ohio State 

  • 23 pts, 6 rebounds, 6 assists,

• Payton Verhulst — Oklahoma 

  • 16 pts, 11 rebounds, 7 assist, 5 blocks 

• Taiyanna Jackson — Kansas 

  • 18 pts, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks

• Amarachi Kimpson  — UNLV  

  • 20 pts, 2 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals 

• Khamari Mitchell-Steen — Northern Kentucky 

  • 25 pts, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks 

•  Macknezie Holmes — Indiana   

  • 24 pts, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 block

• Paige Bueckers — UConn 

  • 20 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 assists 

Thursday Games To Watch

• Georgia State vs. James Madison 

• #6 NC State vs. #16 Notre Dame 

• #19 Syracuse vs. Miami 

• North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh

• Ole Miss vs.Florida 

• #18 Louisville vs. Boston College

• #1 South Carolina vs. Tennessee 

• Drake vs. Murray State 

• Florida Gulf Coast vs. Kennesaw State

• #17 Gonzaga vs, Saint Mary’s

• UIC vs. Illinois State

• Michigan vs #4 Iowa

• Duke vs. #12 Virginia Tech 

• Vanderbilt vs Texas A&M 

Friday Games To Watch

• Georgetown vs. #15 UConn 

• #20 Creighton vs. St. John’s 

• #25 Princeton vs. Brown  

• Drexel vs. Towson

• #8 Colorado vs. #22 Utah  

• Washington State vs. Arizona 

• Washington vs. Arizona State 

• #9 UCLA vs. #11 Oregon State 

• #10 USC vs, Oregon