When Paige Bueckers started her college career at UConn, she was crowned as women’s basketball’s next star. After rising to fame and showing off her skill to the world, Bueckers’ “middle years” of college were filled with unfortunate injuries and, in turn, rough times for the historic Huskies program.

Last year, she played her redshirt junior season, and while she was able to stay healthy, most of her teammates were not. Still, the Huskies made it to the Final Four and Bueckers was back on top. Despite a great resume, regardless of those lost “middle years,” Bueckers opted to use another year of NCAA eligibility and return to UConn.

So, instead of beginning her WNBA rookie season over the summer, Bueckers was free to do as she pleased. What followed was an epic summer of traveling, attending sporting events and continuing to be an icon. The term “the Paige Bueckers World Tour” was coined, as it seemed like Bueckers was literally everywhere. While some criticized these travels, saying Bueckers should be in the gym preparing for the upcoming season, she didn’t let the haters bring her down. Turns out she WAS in the gym all summer, but not just the gym in Storrs. The world is your gym when you’re a young basketball star.

Paige is thriving under pressure

Summer came to an end, and Bueckers returned to UConn, ready to lead her team. There is an immense amount of pressure on her shoulders—but that isn’t new. Bueckers has been a leader since she stepped onto campus as a freshman. Yet, she may be the biggest UConn star to not have “national champion” on her resume. That comes on top of the pressure she ultimately puts on herself.

Yet, when you look at her stats through UConn’s first games, you wouldn’t be able to tell she is under any pressure. It all started before the season officially tipped off, when the Huskies played an exhibition game against Fort Hayes State. Bueckers scored 27 points on 12-for-14 shooting from the field. She also had nine rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal, with zero turnovers. Haters, where you at?

That was preseason though, and the Huskies started their official non-conference schedule against Boston University last week. In an 86-32 win for UConn, Bueckers totaled 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds, five steals and one block in 24 minutes of action. She followed that up against South Florida with a 22-point, three-rebound, one-assist and two-steal performance over the weekend, all while shooting 9-for-10 from the field. In UConn’s 86-49 win, her only missed shot from the field was a 3-pointer.

That’s just Bueckers warming up, as UConn has not even faced their first ranked opponent yet. That’s the next battle, when No. 2 UConn faces No. 14 North Carolina on Friday in Chapel Hill.

Just wait until Paige reaches her peak

Ultimately, Bueckers is one of the smartest players in women’s basketball, and her rocky career at UConn has also come with a lot of lessons. There were times last season where the guard had to play in the frontcourt because the team was so injured. She’s had to deal with comebacks from injury and playing every position. She has to pull her team to victory, but also has to help them stay motivated in defeat.

When she moves onto the pros, Bueckers will blossom into a calculated force on the court. She plays effortlessly on both sides of the ball, has ice in her veins when it comes to making clutch plays and, somehow, keeps getting better.

So the World Tour has shifted from traveling and spectating to Bueckers being the star everyone wants to watch. She’s headed out on the US leg of her tour, where she is set to tear through a college basketball court near you. She needs to be in peak form as well, as she and the Huskies will face stars like JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen, Olivia Miles and more along the way.

With one last shot at a national championship before she hits the WNBA, this NCAA season is the Paige Bueckers Spectacular—and it’s the hottest ticket in town.

Throughout the history of the WNBA, the personal always has been political.

It’s never just been about playing basketball for a living, it’s been about simply living. From a livable salary to maternal benefits to bodily autonomy to identity integrity, the players of the WNBA have no other option but to confront these pertinent matters. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the players engage in social justice activism—because they have to live with it every day.

As the nation prepares for a second presidential term of Donald Trump after he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, many are expressing concern. if not outright fear, for what lies ahead. Those heightened anxieties are especially evident among women, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ people. All of whom make up the bulk of the WNBA and its fan base.

While the future is unknown, what is known is the WNBA must continue—if not become stronger—in its pursuit of social justice.

The WNBA should be credited with the beginning of what is known as the “third wave of athlete activism” in 2016. One month before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police violence and racism, it was Maya Moore, Tina Charles and others WNBA players who cried out, “Change Starts With Us.” They made the profound statement in the aftermath of the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, as well as after the murders of five police officers in Dallas, TX.

Since then, WNBA players have met the moment on virtually every social issue, from racial justice to equal pay to transgender rights to reproductive rights to civic engagement.

In 2020, they took their time in the COVID-restricted bubble in Orlando to shine a light on racial justice, especially the issue of police violence against Black women and girls following the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March, two months before the murder of George Floyd.

That same year, WNBA players led the charge to oust then-Atlanta Dream owner and Republican senator Kelly Loeffler after she made criticisms of the Black Lives Matter movement. Their efforts culminated in the election of Rev. Raphael Warnock to the US Senate to represent the state of Georgia after the players put their support behind him when he was originally polling at just one percent. The story is told in the 2024 documentary The Power of the Dream.

On the issue of reproductive rights, players have understood the connection between their athletic endeavors and the ability to have access to the full range of reproductive health care. Once Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, they were on the frontlines. During this election cycle, LeBron James asked Nneka Ogwumike to head up his More Than A Vote organization with a central focus on reproductive rights.

Then there are the intersections of racism, sexism, misogyny, misogynoir, homophobia and transphobia WNBA players have endured from social media trolls to grievance-fueled political commentators who use the league as an avatar for their social insecurities, all of which has been normalized for the past decade, not just in the recent election cycle and its aftermath.

As a result, WNBA players are expected to take stronger sociopolitical stands. However, they can’t do it by themselves. They had a reliable partner in the NBA during the summer of 2020. Despite some notable exceptions, such as James and Steph Curry, the league is generally back to business as usual. Will they step up in the same manner as before?

Nevertheless, the WNBA beats the drum for social and political change louder than most. Will people listen this time?

On November 7 and 10, women’s national teams from across Europe participated in the second qualifying window for FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025, which will take place June 18-29, 2025. The third qualifying window is scheduled for February 2025.

16 teams will reach the Final Round, with the four co-host countries having qualified automatically: Czechia, Germany, Italy and Greece.

Here are the key takeaways from the second window of qualifiers, headlined by Turkey and Sweden earning a spot in the Final Round:

Turkey is tops

At the moment, it seems that Turkey is the best women’s basketball country in Europe. Their club teams, headlined by back-to-back EuroLeague Women champion Fenerbahçe, are dominating club competition, and the national team isn’t far behind. In this round of games, the Turkish-born athletes were aided by Teaira McCowan of the Dallas Wings, who averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds in the two wins over Romania, 101-54, and Slovakia, 65-50.

Sweden also progressed to the final phase, and they should be followed by France and Serbia in February, as the two teams are also unbeaten. One might expect Belgium to be in the group too, as they managed to pick up two wins, but the Cats haven’t been as dominant as one might expect.

Emma Meesseman is out of this world

Nevertheless, Belgium wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for their center Emma Meesseman, who, again, was handling defensive, playmaking and scoring duties, carrying her team to two wins. In the win against Lithuania, 81-70, she had 17 points, seven boards and four steals, as there was no need for her to go that extra mile and take over. The next contest against Poland required more work from her. She had 29 points, eight boards and four dimes, and stepped up when her team needed her the most, as Poland was on its way to pull off another major upset, as it did against Belgium in the previous round of games last fall. This time though, Poland committed mistakes—missing free throws, giving up a nine-point lead and committing 20 turnovers—which the Belgians capitalized on to win 80-77. Thanks to the win, they are the top team in Group C.

Luxembourg keep the fairytale alive

The smallest country in the competition—with a population of 700,000—still has a chance at making the final stage after beating Montenegro (without Natasha Mack) 71-49, thanks to an awesome performance by Amanda Brooke Cahill, who had 32 points and nine boards. The Indiana graduate currently is playing for Grengewald in the Luxembourg Basketball League. Another notable player for Luxembourg is Faith Eti Etute, the Oregon freshman forward who is averaging 15.1 points, 13 boards and 3.3 steals for her national team during the competition. Her younger sister, Joyce Isi, also got to debut in this round of games. While she didn’t play much, she showed that the Etute sisters may form the country’s frontcourt for years to come.

Shepard’s, Hillsman’s debuts go as planned

The Minnesota Lynx’s Jessica Shepard and Khaalia Hillsman, a former standout at Texas A&M, played great for their new national teams, allowing Slovenia and Bulgaria, respectively, to win their games. Slovenia beat Finland 84-62, and Shepard had 29 points and 23 boards. In the next game, a win over Hungary, she had 17 points and 17 boards. Thanks to her, Slovenia sits atop Group B. The bottom team in the same group is Bulgaria, who stunned Hungary in Hillsman’s debut, 83-68, following 25 points and 12 boards by the big, who is playing for Besiktas in the Turkish Women’s Super League and EuroCup Women. In the next game, a loss to Finland, Hillsman still shined, with 22 points and 10 boards.

Women’s EuroBasket 2025 group standings

Group A

1. Spain (4-0)
2. Croatia (2-2)
3. Netherlands (2-2)
4. Austria (0-4)

Group B

1. Slovenia (3-1)
2. Hungary (2-2)
3. Finland (2-2)
4. Bulgaria (1-3)

Group C

1. Belgium (3-1)
2. Lithuania (3-1)
3. Poland (2-2)
4. Azerbaijan (0-4)

Group D

1. Sweden (4-0)*
2. Great Britain (2-2)
3. Denmark (1-3)
4. Estonia (1-3)

Group E

1. France (4-0)
2. Latvia (2-2)
3. Israel (2-2)
4. Ireland (0-4)

Group F

1. Turkey (4-0)*
2. Slovakia (2-2)
3. Romania (1-3)
4. Iceland (1-3)

Group G

1. Serbia (4-0)
2. Portugal (3-1)
3. Ukraine (1-3)
4. North Macedonia (0-4)

Group H

1. Luxembourg (3-1)
2. Montenegro (3-1)
3. Switzerland (2-2)
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-4)

Group I

1. Italy (3-1)*
2. Germany (3-1)*
3. Greece (2-2)*
4. Czechia (0-4)*

*=qualified; all teams in Group I automatically qualify as co-hosts

The opening week of the 2024-25 NCAAW season did not disappoint, featuring a fair share of competitive games, surprising results and exceptional efforts. Here’s a review of the most significant happenings and developments:

South Carolina stays on top

On Sunday, South Carolina ensured they would maintain the nation’s No. 1 ranking, defeating NC State 71-57. The victory also marked the program’s 40th-straight win. Even with junior forward Chloe Kitts sidelined due to an academic policy issue, the Gamecocks flexed their depth. After an uneven opener, grad guard Te-Hina Paopao was in top form, scoring a game-high 23 points. Junior forward Ashlyn Watkins showed little rust in her season debut. Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley was characteristically dynamic. Senior forward Sania Feagin, senior guard Bree Hall and junior guard Raven Johnson were solid as ever. Although head coach Dawn Staley likely had some strong words for her squad after they allowed a 20-point second half advantage to at one point wither to seven points, South Carolina remains the sport’s standard.

While the season’s opening week did not feature an abundance of upsets, there were enough surprises to likely result in some rumblings in the rankings. Three ranked teams—then-No. 11 Duke, then-No. 19 Florida State and then-No. 25 Indiana—lost, with only the Blue Devils’ loss coming to a ranked team in then-No. 18 Maryland. The Terrapins looked better than the nation’s 18th-best team in dispatching Duke, 85-80. What Eric Nemchock emphasized in his draft profile of senior guard Shyanne Sellers was evident on the court on Sunday: the Terps’ influx of new talent not only will make things easier for Sellers, but, in turn, will make Maryland better. Sellers stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Rutgers transfer and junior guard Kaylene Smikle scored a game-high 23 points. Villanova transfer and senior forward Christina Dalce was all over the glass, grabbing seven offensive and seven defensive boards.

Ivy impression

The season’s first statement win came from an Ivy League squad, with Harvard invading Assembly Hall and defeating then-No. 25 Indiana in an overtime thriller, 72-68, on Thursday.

Senior guard Harmoni Turner captained the Crimson with 24 points, craftily finishing an array of inside-the-arc shots. She also added six steals, four rebounds and four assists in 39 minutes. In a sweet bit of revenge, senior forward Mona Zarić, who spent her first two college seasons as a rarely used reserve for the Hoosiers, made critical plays down the stretch for the Crimson. She scored Harvard’s final field goal in overtime before sinking two free throws that sealed the upset.

Although Indiana dominated the glass and earned 38 free throws to Harvard’s 16, poor shooting, along with 27 turnovers, sunk the Hoosier’s hopes. The Crimson took advantage of the home team’s woes to get only their second win against a ranked opponent in the past 25 years. A letdown loss, however, followed Harvard’s high, with the Crimson falling to Quinnipiac on Sunday, 76-53.

Standout stat-stuffers

These players got off to fast starts after a long offseason, filling up box scores with some superb stat lines during the season’s first week:

• Grambling State ran roughshod over Centenary on opening night, winning by 101 points, 131-30. Even more impressive? Junior guard Kahia Warmsley did not miss a shot. She made all 10 of her field goal attempts, two of which came from 3-point range. She also made both of her free throws, as she led the Tigers with 24 points.

• Florida State senior forward Makayla Timpson, who Eric identified as a 2025 WNBA Draft prospect, had an excellent, glass-owning opener. She pulled down 22 rebounds, which were complemented by an efficient 17 points. With four steals and three blocks as well, Timpson helped the Seminoles crush North Florida, 119-49. Unfortunately, Timpson’s second-straight double-double—22 points, 14 rebounds—was not enough to keep Florida State, ranked No. 19 in the AP’s preseason poll, from falling prey to an Illinois upset bid, as the unranked Illini knocked off the Noles on Thursday, 83-74.

• Richmond edged Temple 79-72 on opening day behind a scoring masterclass from junior guard Rachel Ullstrom. She netted 32 points, shooting better than 80 percent from the field and going a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. She also added six boards and five steals.

• What a collegiate debut for Ohio State freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge! Chelsea Leite highlighted Cambridge among the freshmen to watch this season, and she instantly delivered by busting out for 31 points, six assists, five steals and two blocks as the Buckeyes trounced Cleveland State 104-69 on Tuesday.

• If Wisconsin is to outperform expectations in the Big Ten, Serah Williams will be a big reason why. In the Badgers’ opener on Tuesday, she posted a 29-point and 12-rebound double-double, along with four blocks. Wisconsin defeated Wright State 95-68.

• Hailey Van Lith’s TCU tenure got off to a strong start. The graduate guard, identified as a transfer to watch by Edwin Garcia, had 21 points, seven assists and six steals in the Horned Frogs’ 78-41 win over Houston Christian on Tuesday.

• North Florida rang up a program-record 146 points in their opening win over Trinity Baptist on Wednesday. The 146-53 romp was spurred by sophomore guard Jaz Spencer, who came off the bench to score a team-high 24 points. Her points were propelled by a 5-for-7 effort from behind the arc. She also added five assists and seven steals.

• One of the nation’s most prolific offensive players picked up right where she left off last season. Norfolk State grad guard Diamond Johnson drained six of her eight 3-point attempts on her way to 32 points, steering the Spartans to the 71-62 win over Longwood on Thursday. On Sunday, Johnson and Norfolk State notched an even more impressive achievement, going to Missouri to secure the program’s first win over a SEC team, 57-54.

• Molly Kaiser went crazy for New Mexico State on Thursday, with the grad guard exploding for 35 points in the 85-63 win over Utah Tech. Her career-high scoring performance was complemented by five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

• Junior center Raegan Beers immediately reminded why she was one of the most sought-after transfers, opening her Oklahoma era with two straight double-doubles, including a 26-point and 14-rebound effort as the Sooners took care of Virginia with ease on Friday, 95-51.

• DeYona Gaston’s debut for her new team also has been delightful. The Auburn grad forward, who spent four seasons at Texas, had 36 points and 11 rebounds as the Tigers rolled over Virginia-Lynchburg, 128-36, on Friday.

• On Friday, Arkansas State eked out a win at Arizona State, 100-96, behind a breakout performance from sophomore guard Crislyn Rose. She dropped a career-best 33 points, shooting 75 percent from the field.

• Bethune-Cookman’s big 102-27 win over Fort Lauderdale on Saturday was powered by junior forward Asianae Nicholson, who came off the bench to post a 26-point and 11-rebound double-double. She shot nearly 80 percent from the field, while also racking up five steals.

• Sunday saw two perfect performances from post players. First, Texas grad forward Taylor Jones was 8-for-8 from the field as she scored 18 points, grabbed five boards and had six steals as the Longhorns cruised past Southeast Missouri, 119-47. Then, Iowa senior forward Addison O’Grady went 9-for-9 in the Hawkeyes’ 71-52 victory over Virginia Tech at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte. O’Grady also finished with 18 points.

• An even louder effort from a post player came from UCLA junior center Lauren Betts. In the Bruins’ 81-63 win over Colgate on Sunday, Betts netted a career-best 31 points, going 15-for-18 from the field. She also added nine boards and three blocks.

Stanford celebrates Tara VanDerveer Court

Tara VanDerveer has 1,216 wins. Tara VanDerveer Court has one.

On Sunday, the court at Maples Pavilion official became Tara VanDerveer Court, named in honor of the all-time winningest head coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history. Stanford, now under the leadership of Kate Paye, inaugurated it in appropriate fashion, scoring a 89-58 win over Gonzaga.

No. 10 to the rafters at UW

Kelsey Plum will become the first University of Washington women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired. Her No. 10 jersey will be raised to the rafters of Hec Edmundson Pavilion on Jan. 18, 2025. The consensus national player of the year as a senior in 2017, Plum left Washington as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.

A Deutschland debut in 2025-26

UConn and Louisville will begin the 2025-26 season by becoming the first two women’s teams to participate in the Armed Forces Classic. The game will be held on Nov. 4, 2025 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

A look ahead

While UConn’s trip to Chapel Hill highlights the week’s action, Norfolk State will have an opportunity to score another upset over a SEC team, as they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama. Here’s a sampling of the week’s most intriguing action:

Wednesday, Nov. 13

Norfolk State vs. Alabama (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)

Thursday, Nov. 14

Creighton vs. Kansas State (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 15

UConn vs. North Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Saturday, Nov. 16

Louisville vs. Kentucky (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)

Sunday, Nov. 17

Stanford vs. Indiana (2 p.m. ET, FS1)

NC State vs. TCU (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)