NATION’S LEADING SCORER TA’NIYA COMMITS TO SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks received a massive commitment from the No. 1 transfer portal prospect, Ta’Niya Latson, a dynamic 5’8” guard from Florida State. She led the NCAA in scoring for the 2024-25 season, averaging 25.2 points per game. The 3X All-ACC 1st team selection announced her decision to transfer on social media early Tuesday afternoon.
She will now be reunited with her former high school teammate Raven Johnson, who announced on social media that she’s returning to South Carolina for another year. Latson and Johnson played together at Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and won two state titles while on the same team.
UConn Huskies Are 2025 WBB National Champions
Coach Geno Auriemma became the head women’s basketball coach at UConn in 1985. Now 40 years later, he just led the Huskies to their 12th National Championship Win under his tenure. No. 2 UConn dominated No. 1 South Carolina 82-59 on Sunday afternoon. Freshman sensation Sarah Strong was spectacular in her National Championship debut, recording a double-double with 24 points (10/15 field goal) and 15 rebounds. UConn’s seniors Azzi Fudd (24 points) and Paige Bueckers (17 points) were key contributors in the win as well.
South Carolina Headed Back To Women’s National Title Game
South Carolina is one win away from back-to-back national titles. The No. 1 seeded Gamecocks defeated No. 1 Texas tonight, 74-57 to advance to the 2025 Women’s Basketball National Championship game. It was a slow start for the reigning national champs, as they found themselves down 10-2 midway through the 1st quarter, but Coach Staley’s squad responded with a dominant performance the rest of the way.
In the victory, South Carolina was led by Te-Hina PoaPoa (14 points, 3/4 three-pointers) and true freshman Joyce Edwards off the bench (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal).
Tonight was the fourth matchup between South Carolina and Texas this season, the Gamecocks won the series 3-1. On Sunday (April 6), South Carolina will face the winner of No. 1 UCLA vs No. 2 UConn in the National Championship Game at 3:00 PM ET on ABC.
2025 Women’s Final Four Preview
The last four teams remaining in the 2025 NCAA Women’s basketball tournament will play in the Final Four on April 4th at Amailie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Game #1:
In the first game of the 2025 Final Four, at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN, No. 1 South Carolina (34-3) will face off for the 4th time this season with No. 1 Texas (35-3).
What’s at stake for South Carolina:
The Gamecocks lead the season series 2-1 with the most recent win happening in the SEC Women’s Tournament Championship Game (64-45). South Carolina is back in familiar territory with its 5th consecutive Final Four appearance and seeking to win back-to-back NCAA WBB titles. For Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley, this will be her 7th Final Four appearance since arriving in Columbia, and she will be looking to secure a 4th national title.
What’s at stake for Texas:
For Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer, this will be his 3rd overall (2 with Mississippi State) Final Four appearance and his 1st since taking over at Texas. It’s been 22 years since the Longhorns made it to the Final Four back in 2003. They will be seeking their to win their 1st national title since 1986. Texas is one of the only three teams to beat the reigning national champs, South Carolina, this season, when they defeated the Gamecocks 66-62 on February 9th in Austin, Texas. They will look to have this series evened at 2-2 by the end of Friday night, to advance to the National Championship game.
#Game 2:
In the second Final Four matchup, No. 1 UCLA (34-2) and No. 2 UConn (35-3) will face off at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN.
What’s at stake for UCLA:
The Bruins are playing in the Women’s Final Four for the first time in program history. Prior to this season, the closest UCLA came to making the Final Four was two defeats in the Elite 8 in 1999 and 2018. Bruins head coach Cori Close has led UCLA to a program record 34 wins this season and will look to get past the UConn Huskies on Friday night to advance to the National Championship game.
What’s at stake for UConn:
There’s not a coach with more women’s Final Four appearances than UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who will be coaching in his 24th Final Four on Friday. This is the Huskies 4th appearance in the last five years. Coach Geno will look to guide UConn to a win on Friday night over No. 1 UCLA to have a shot at winning a 12th National title.
TCU HEADED TO ELITE 8 FOR THE 1ST TIME
The TCU Horned Frogs are making history as they advance to the women’s basketball Elite 8 for the first time ever. In the Sweet Sixteen, No. 2 seeded TCU (34-3) defeated No. 3 Notre Dame with a score of 71-62, thanks to an electrifying second-half performance by 5th-year senior Hailey Van Lith. The former LSU and Louisville transfer scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, becoming the first player in history to reach the Elite 8 with three different teams.
During her post-game press conference, Van Lith stated, “As I mentioned before the game to many media members, I was going to go out there and play as hard as I could so that I could practice with these girls tomorrow.”
In the loss for Notre Dame (28-6), Liatu King stood out, scoring 17 points on 8 of 9 field goal attempts, along with 10 rebounds. Coach Niele Ivey expressed pride in what her seniors—Sonia Citron, Olivia Miles, and Maddy Westbeld—accomplished during their time in South Bend. She noted, “These three believed in my vision. They are loyal, amazing young women who have a bright future in basketball ahead of them.”
Looking ahead, in Mark Campbell’s second year as head coach, the Horned Frogs are one game away from securing a spot in the Final Four in Tampa, Florida. They will face off against No. 1 Texas on Monday night, March 31, at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN.
South Carolina advances to elite 8 for the 5th straight year
The No. 1 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks overcame a 33-31 halftime deficit with a strong second half to defeat No. 4 Maryland 71-67, advancing to the Elite Eight for the fifth consecutive year. Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley came off the bench and had a phenomenal second half, providing the spark Coach Staley’s team needed. She finished with a game-high 23 points, skillfully splitting the defense and driving to the basket at will, leading South Carolina to victory.
The Gamecocks' bench outscored the starters 40-31. In her post-game interview, Coach Staley emphasized the importance of depth, stating, “You cannot win a national championship without having depth.”
Maryland presented a significant challenge for South Carolina; the Terrapins forced 18 turnovers and led 60-59 with 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. Kaylene Smikle recorded a team-high 17 points for Maryland in their loss.
Next up for South Carolina is an Elite Eight matchup against No. 2 Duke on Sunday, March 30, at 1:00 PM ET on ABC in Birmingham, Alabama.
2025 NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT REVEALED
The 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket has been revealed. Featuring 68 teams with 31 autobids and 37 at-large bids. The No. 1 overall seed is the UCLA Bruins with a 30-2 overall record and Big Ten Tournament Champions. They will be playing in the Spokane Regional 1. Rounding out the other No. 1 seeds are: South Carolina (Birmingham Regional 2), Texas (Birmingham Regional 3), and USC (Spokane Regional 4).
The Top 16 Seeds will be hosting the first two rounds at their home arenas which includes: (1) UCLA, (1) South Carolina, (1) Texas, (1) USC, (2) NC State, (2) Duke, (2) UConn, (2) TCU, (3) LSU, (3) North Carolina, (3) Oklahoma, (3) Notre Dame, (4) Baylor, (4) Maryland, (4) Kentucky, and (4) Ohio State.
Eight teams were selected for the First Four play-in that will take place on March 19-20.
First Four Schedule:
March 19:
#11 Iowa State vs #11 Princeton | 7:00 PM ET | South Bend, IN
#16 UC San Diego vs #16 Southern | 9:00 PM ET | Los Angeles, CA
March 20:
#11 Columbia vs #11 Washington | 7:00 PM ET | Chapel Hill, NC
#16 High Point vs #16 William & Mary | 9:00 PM ET | Austin, TX
The first round and second round will happen on March 21-24, the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight takes place on March 28-31, leading up to the Final Four in Tampa, Florida on April 4, and the National Championship on April 6.
South Carolina & USC Agree To Battle Of SC Series
Two elite women’s college basketball programs with identical acronyms have agreed to a two-year series titled the “Real SC Series”. South Carolina and USC will face off on November 15, 2025 at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, CA (home of the LA Lakers), and on November 15, 2026 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC; according to a press release by South Carolina athletics. This series will be hosted by Complete Sports Management.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley stated in the release: “I will always choose elevating women’s basketball, and that’s especially true in scheduling, I know Complete Sports Management has the same mission, and I like their creativity in [bringing] not just two great programs together but engaging their fan bases on both coasts in a debate they love to have.”
The last time these two teams met was on November 15, 2014, in a game that South Carolina won 70-61.
5-Star CG Agot Makeer Commits To South Carolina
Coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks have landed a massive commitment from the class of 2025 5-Star combo guard, Agot Makeer. The Canada native announced her decision on X today, stating “no long caption, just know I’m home”. Makeer chose South Carolina over UConn and Michigan State. According to 247Sports, the 6’1” Montverde Academy (FL) product is ranked the No. 1 overall combo guard in the class of 2025. For her senior year, she averaged 10 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
JMU Clinches SBC Regular Season Title
In an 83-57 win over App State this past Saturday, James Madison clinched the 2024-25 outright Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball regular season title. This is the JMU Dukes 2nd SBC regular season title and 15th overall regular season title in program history. Under 9th-year head coach Sean O’Regan, James Madison is 25-4 overall and 16-0 in SBC play. Their outstanding play is not going unnoticed nationally, as JMU is receiving votes (currently 5) in the AP Top 25, for the 1st time since the 2019-20 season.
The Dukes are led by Peyton McDaniel, a 6’0” redshirt junior guard, who is averaging: 16.1 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, and 1.9 steals per game. According to NCAA.com, James Madison as a team, ranks 7th nationally in rebounding, averaging 43.14 rebounds per game.
Looking ahead, with the SBC No.1 seed already secured, JMU has two regular season games remaining: vs Georgia State (Feb 26th) and vs ULM (Feb 28th). The Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament will place March 4 - March 10 in Pensacola, Florida. James Madison has a 5-round bye and won’t play until the SBC Tournament Semifinals on March 9th.
AUBURN LANDS 2026 IN-STATE Commit JABRIA LINDSEY
Jabria Lindsey, a 5’8” combo guard in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to the Auburn Tigers women’s basketball team today on Instagram. She chose Coach Johnnie Harris and the Tigers over offers from: South Carolina, Charlotte, UAB, and many more Division 1 schools. According to Max Preps, Lindsey ranks 2nd in the state of Alabama in scoring, averaging 26.0 points per game, as a junior at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama. The news of her commitment was first reported by Mike Gittens.
HER COMMITMENT POST
Coach Dawn Staley Releasing Her 1st Book
Dawn Staley, a 3X national champion as head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, made a special announcement on social media today. She is releasing her first book on May 20, 2025, titled: “Uncommon Favor”. The basketball legend explained that the book is about her journey from growing up in North Philadelphia, PA, to her failures and successes throughout her career as a basketball player and coach. The book is available for pre-order right now in the link below:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Uncommon-Favor/Dawn-Staley/9781668023365
For a hardcover, the price is $28.99, while the E-book price is $14.99.
The Parental Perspective: How Josh Hubbard Became a Top Scorer in the Nation
Josh Hubbard is one of the most prolific players the state of Mississippi has ever produced. According to his mother, Betty, The Lord put Josh on earth to play basketball. The all-time state high school basketball points leader (4,367 points) and current Mississippi State Bulldog leading scorer has “prepared for this moment since he was a child.”
As always, Hubbard is stepping up to the plate. After earning a spot on the SEC’s all-freshman team last season with an impressive 17 points per game, Hubbard is hitting career-highs all across the board, bumping his average to 19 points per game. The young guard has turned the ball over only three (!) times all season while leading the Bulldogs to a 9-1 record and a top-25 ranking. Despite being only 5’10, Hubbard is as explosive as anyone in the country–to be that small and to dominate in the best basketball conference in the nation is special.
I recently sat down with Josh's parents, Jason and Betty, to discover what makes their son so special.
Jason: “His willingness to learn. I think that at this level, it’s about absorbing what's before you, and he's worked at it. If you want something, you got to work for it. Now, I knew early on, like in the seventh grade, he was going to be different because he would work harder than anybody, stay in the gym longer, put up more shots–all that accounted for today, and that’s why he’s here.”
Betty: His discipline was really good as a whole in everything. It carried from on the court to off the court. He followed directions really well and made it easy to parent. He does what he says he is going to do. His drive for basketball was inside; we didn’t have to lead him. It was what he wanted to do. It’s what he asked to do. He would ask to go to the gym.”
While Betty and Jason are proud of Josh’s development, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans has also been impressed with his progress:
“It’s been really, really cool. I don’t need to urge him [to lead]; he’s just a natural at it. He works so hard that he’s the perfect candidate to be a leader.”Jans said, “He worked his tail off this summer. He’s more explosive, in better shape than he’s ever been.”
Jason: “We had committed to Ole Miss, then Kermit Davis (the Rebels’ head coach) got fired. (Josh) decommitted and opened it back up. Coach Jans came to the house, great conversation. It was a God move, really. God kind of re-orchestrated everything… We’re a praying family. God don’t make mistakes. It was divine.”
Although Josh had an excellent freshman season, he’s improved his game. According to his mother, Betty, Josh is first a child of God and second a basketball player. For her, basketball is just Josh’s “hobby.”
Betty: “I do see a different person as far as a leader. But one of the things that my husband did was in junior high, he told him you need to play like you're in high school, and when you get to high school, you need to work like you’re in college so when you get to college you’ll be at home. You’ll be ready. You’ll fill the part. He’s prepared for this moment since he was a child. He feels this is his calling; this is what he’s put on earth to do. God has blessed him with all the gifts and talents that come along with it, and he took those gifts and talents and cultivated them by working hard and getting his body and mind prepared. It’s like a match made in heaven, literally.”
Jason credits Josh’s sophomore leap to his son’s number change.
Jason: The first thing that changed is his number. He changed his number from 13 to 12. He went back to his old high school number, loved the number 12, and always played with the number 12.”
Hubbard notes that Ja Morant did not influence the decision to switch to 12. Jason and Betty claim their son made the number 12 cool before Morant did.
Jason: “He accepted the fact that Coach Jans gave him the green light to run the team and be vocal. His character, his leadership, everything has changed. He’s turning from a scorer into a leader.”
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State fifth-year forward, on Josh’s leadership development:
“Definitely, for sure. Just saw him last year as a young buck, kind of shy, and quiet. He’s definitely had more voice this year.”
Betty, a self-described praying woman, calls Josh’s success a gift from the Lord.
Betty: It (Josh’s faith) has everything to do with his success. (Mississippi State) is where God wanted him to be and it has all worked out just like it was supposed to work out. You live, and you pray, and you do what you think is best, and you make good choices, and if God throws a roadblock in the way, you take heed to it, and that’s really what happened, and because of that, he ended up right where he was supposed to be.”
Despite all of the praise from the voices around him, Josh remains humble in the face of praise. “I had a lot of tremendous guys help me last year just watching them be leaders for this team. I’m still learning to have a voice. I’m not the best at it now, so I’m just trying to be a leader for my team when they need me.”
Reach Light on Sports contributor Sam Shoemaker on X @s_shoemaker52 or email sjshmker@memphis.edu
Photo Credit: Mississippi State Athletics | WLBT | WAPT 16
Why Arkansas State Should Win the Sun Belt Conference
Photo: Arkansas State Athletics
Jonesboro, AR. -- In an instate rivalry matchup between two teams, Arkansas State (ASU) and Little Rock (UALR), predicted to win their respective conferences, the Red Wolves came out on top with an 80-63 victory.
With a home crowd of 5,187, Arkansas State’s largest since their February 2017 contest with Little Rock, the Red Wolves led 27-33 at the half. But after pushing the lead to 47-33 four minutes into the second half, the home team handled the game despite a few pushes from the Trojans.
ASU, who took home 12/14 of the Sun Belt’s first-place votes in the preseason poll, looked the part against a solid Little Rock squad. Here’s what I learned about Arkansas State and why I believe they will win the Sun Belt Conference:
Head coach Bryan Hodgson, who spent time at Buffalo and Alabama under Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats, understands his personnel and the personnel of his opponents as well as any coach in the country.
Hodgson’s run-and-gun offense totaled 78.8 points per game in 2023-24, which he noted was one of the best in Sun Belt history. In the Red Wolves’ three games, all against squads picked to win their conference, Hodgson’s team averages 78 points per game.
In their game against Little Rock, ASU shot 39 threes, a number they matched or beat 7 times last season.
On the defensive side, ASU impressed as they forced UALR into 17 turnovers.
UALR guard Jonathan Lawson scored 28 points in his team’s previous matchup against Winthrop. However, ASU was physical on the defensive end with Lawson and took him out of the game as he totaled 4 turnovers and only 7 points.
Forward Kobe Julien grabbed 6 steals, as his length bothered the Trojans all night. Julien added 16 points. Julien, who has a knack for drawing fouls, is an explosive athlete who excels in transition.
Offensively, the Red Wolf attack was headed by Taryn Todd, who led the Scarlet and Black with 17 points and created for himself and others all night. At first glance, Todd is the most naturally gifted player on this ASU squad; he’s a shifty, left-hand driver who can reach the paint at will.
Guards Joseph Pinion and Avery Felts knocked down three three-pointers Tuesday against UALR. The two combined for 14 total shots, which were all three-point attempts.
Forward Rashaud Marshall (6’8, 225) knows his role as well as anyone in the country. Marshall, ASU’s lone starting big man, came down with 11 rebounds on (get this) 0(!) shot attempts.
Where ASU may be vulnerable are as follows: 1) they seem to be living, or dying, by the three, 2) they are severely undersized as their lone big man is 6’8, and 3) they shot only 19/30 from the free throw line.
Overall, Arkansas State is talented and well-coached enough to beat anyone in the country. As long as they clean up the little things, the Red Wolves should find themselves in their first NCAA tournament berth since 1999.