Houston Roundball Review Women's Hoops Blog

UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas Sit Atop Second Top 16 Reveal of 2026

2026-03-01T10:54:00.004-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

With just two weeks until Selection Sunday, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee has selected UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas as the No. 1 seeds in its second top 16 reveal of the season.

Vanderbilt, Iowa, LSU and Michigan follow on the two line, with No. 3 seeds Louisville, Duke, TCU and Oklahoma. Rounding out the reveal are Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State as the No. 4 seeds.

The committee also provided regional assignments for all 16 seeds. Fort Worth 1 consists of UConn, LSU, Louisville and Maryland. UCLA, Vanderbilt, Duke and Ohio State were placed in Sacramento 2, while Fort Worth 3 features South Carolina, Michigan, TCU and Minnesota. Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Michigan State were assigned to Sacramento 4. The number listed next to the regional site location (e.g. Fort Worth 1) reflects the true seed number of the number one seed within that respective regional pod.

“This reveal is a great opportunity for the committee to showcase our top 16 teams just two weeks away from Selection Sunday,” said Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee and chair of the committee. “Like the first reveal, the discussions around these teams made it clear that there is not a lot of separation. With so much basketball still to be played, there remains a lot of potential for change.

UConn (30-0), UCLA (27-1), and South Carolina (28-2) maintained their positions as the top three teams in this latest version of the reveal as they remained unbeaten since the last release.

Texas (27-3) overtook Vanderbilt for the last No. 1 seed. The Longhorns are the lone team to defeat UCLA this season and split a season series with fellow top seed South Carolina.

If the season were to end today, it would be only the third time in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history that the No. 1 seeds are the four teams that competed in the previous year’s Final Four (1984 and 2013).

The top 16 teams announced in this release have no bearing on the final 68-team field for the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The full bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. This season, for the first time, the committee will announce the top 16 teams in the field, in alphabetical order, Saturday, March 14, with a time and network to be announced later.

Regional play in Fort Worth, Texas (Dickies Arena) and Sacramento, California (Golden 1 Center) will take place March 27-30, with each site hosting two regional semifinal games March 27 and two March 28. In addition, each site will host a regional championship game March 29 and one on March 31.

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be played April 3 and 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee Top 16 Ranking – March 1, 2026*

UConn
UCLA
South Carolina
Texas
Vanderbilt
Iowa
LSU
Michigan
Louisville
Duke
TCU
Oklahoma
Maryland
Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State

Regional Assignments*

Fort Worth 1

UConn (1)
LSU (7)
Louisville (9)
Maryland (13)

Sacramento 2

UCLA (2)
Vanderbilt (5)
Duke (10)
Ohio State (16)

Fort Worth 3

South Carolina (3)
Michigan (8)
TCU (11)
Minnesota (15)

Sacramento 4

Texas (4)
Iowa (6)
Oklahoma (12)
Michigan State (14)

*Rankings and regional assignments based on games played through Saturday, February 28

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Vanderbilt lead first Top 16 reveal of 2026

2026-02-14T22:46:00.004-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee tabbed UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Vanderbilt as the No. 1 seeds in its first top 16 reveal of the season.

Following those teams as the projected No. 2 seeds are Texas, Michigan, Louisville and LSU. Ohio State, Duke, Iowa and TCU would be the No. 3 seeds. Rounding out the top 16 are Maryland, Michigan State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma placed on the four line.

The committee also provided regional assignments for all 16 seeds. Fort Worth Regional 1 included UConn, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma. UCLA, Texas, Duke and Ole Miss were assigned to Sacramento Regional 2. Fort Worth Regional 3 would feature South Carolina, Louisville, Iowa and Michigan State, and Vanderbilt, Michigan, TCU and Maryland were placed in Sacramento Regional 4. The number listed next to the regional site location (e.g. Fort Worth Regional 1) reflects the true seed number of the number one seed within that respective regional pod.

“The committee is excited to share our current top 16 teams and give insight into our conversations,” said Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee and chair of the committee. “This season, we’ve seen a high level of play across the country, and finalizing this ranking was a difficult task. With many significant regular season games and all conference tournaments ahead of us, there is still a lot of opportunity for movement.”

UConn (26-0) is undefeated and was named top seed in the reveal. The defending national champions are currently the top in the NET rating and hold marquee wins over Michigan, Louisville, Iowa and Ohio State.

Behind UConn is another Women’s Final Four team from 2025, UCLA (24-1). The Bruins have the toughest schedule in the country and have not lost since November.

South Carolina (24-2) is in line potentially for another number one seed. If they stay on the one line, it would be the sixth straight season that the Gamecocks earned a top seed.

Rounding out the number one seeds is Vanderbilt (24-2). The Commodores are fresh off a win Thursday night against Texas, adding to an already impressive resume that featured wins over Michigan, LSU and Oklahoma.

Saturday’s reveal was the first of two that will be provided by the committee during the 2025-26 regular season. The other reveal will take place at 10 a.m. Central time, Sunday, March 1, on ESPN.

The top 16 teams announced during both reveals have no bearing on the final 68-team field for the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The full bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. This season, for the first time, the committee will announce the top 16 teams in the field, in alphabetical order, on Saturday, March 14, with a time and network to be announced at a later time.

Regional play at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, will take place March 27-30, with each site hosting two regional semifinal games March 27 and two March 28. In addition, each site will host a regional championship game March 29 and one on March 31.

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be played April 3 and 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee Top 16 Ranking – February 14, 2026*

UConn
UCLA
South Carolina
Vanderbilt
Texas
Michigan
Louisville
LSU
Ohio State
Duke
Iowa
TCU
Maryland
Michigan State
Ole Miss
Oklahoma

Regional Assignments*

Fort Worth 1

UConn (1)
LSU (8)
Ohio State (9)
Oklahoma (16)

Sacramento 2

UCLA (2)
Texas (5)
Duke (10)
Ole Miss (15)

Fort Worth 3

South Carolina (3)
Louisville (7)
Iowa (11)
Michigan State (14)

Sacramento 4

Vanderbilt (4)
Michigan (6)
TCU (12)
Maryland (13)

*Rankings and regional assignments based on games played through Friday, February 13

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

WNBA Slated to tip off 30th Season Friday, May 8 with 2026 WNBA Tip-Off

2026-01-23T07:56:00.005-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The WNBA today released its game schedule for the 2026 regular season, the league’s 30th, which will begin on Friday, May 8. The regular season will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 24, followed by the WNBA Playoffs.

The milestone season will feature two new teams – the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo – and 44 games per team, with each team playing 22 home games and 22 road games. Highlights include a rematch of the league’s inaugural game in 1997, with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the New York Liberty on Sunday, June 21, on the anniversary of the original matchup. In addition, the sixth annual WNBA Commissioner's Cup will feature a 17-day period in June when the schedule will consist entirely of Cup games.

The WNBA will unveil its complete television and streaming schedule at a later date. That schedule is expected to include over 200 of 330 games being available through the league’s national broadcast and streaming partners.

“As we prepare to tip off the WNBA’s historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has come and the momentum that continues to drive us forward,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “From welcoming two new organizations in Toronto and Portland, to honoring our history with marquee matchups that connect the league’s first game to today’s stars, the 2026 season will celebrate the WNBA’s past, present, and future. With a record number of games, growing global reach, and unprecedented momentum, this milestone season will help define the next chapter of the WNBA.”

All 15 teams will be in action during opening weekend as part of 2026 WNBA Tip-Off.

2026 WNBA Tip-Off will begin with three games on Friday, May 8, including the Tempo’s debut when it hosts the Washington Mystics at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto (6:30 p.m. CT). In other opening night games, the New York Liberty will host the Connecticut Sun (6:30 p.m. CT), and the Golden State Valkyries, who last season became the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, will visit the Seattle Storm (9:00 p.m. CT).

The action will continue on Saturday, May 9 with a matchup of the two most recent Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year winners, as Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings, who own the top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, visit Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, champions of the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup (12:00 p.m. CT). Later, the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces will host the Phoenix Mercury in a rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals (2:30 p.m. CT). The nightcap marks the Fire’s regular-season return to the league, as Portland hosts the Chicago Sky at Moda Center (8:00 p.m. CT).

The opening weekend concludes on Sunday, May 10 with five games, highlighted by the Minnesota Lynx hosting the Atlanta Dream in a matchup of last season’s No. 1 and No. 3 playoff seeds, respectively (6:00 p.m. CT).

Commissioner's Cup

The WNBA Commissioner's Cup will feature a 49-game schedule from June 1-17. Each team will play one game against every other team in its conference – a total of six games for each of the seven Eastern Conference teams and seven games for each of the eight Western Conference teams. All Cup games except the Championship will count toward regular-season win-loss records.

Eastern Conference teams will play three games each at home and on the road. Western Conference teams will play either four games at home and three on the road, or three at home and four on the road.

The title game will be played on Tuesday, June 30, featuring the Eastern and Western Conference teams with the best record in Commissioner’s Cup play and will be hosted by the conference winner that has the best winning percentage in all regular season games played from opening day through June 17, the final day of Commissioner’s Cup games.

2026 WNBA All-Star

The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, the 22nd All-Star Game in league history, will be played on Saturday, July 25 at United Center in Chicago. Additional All-Star activities will also include the 3-Point Contest and WNBA Skills Challenge on Friday, July 24, at Wintrust Arena, home of the Chicago Sky. WNBA Live, the league’s interactive fan festival, will take place at McCormick Place.

FIBA World Cup Break

The WNBA regular season will include a roughly two-week break when numerous WNBA players are expected to represent their respective nations in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 from Sept. 4-13 in Germany.

Race for the WNBA Playoffs

With playoff berths and seedings potentially on the line, the regular season will resume after the World Cup break on Thursday, Sept. 17, and conclude with five games on Thursday, Sept. 24.

The WNBA Playoffs will then tip off on Sunday, Sept. 27. The bracket-style postseason will have three rounds, beginning with a best-of-three First Round featuring the top eight teams regardless of conference. First Round winners will advance to the best-of-five Semifinals, which will be followed by the best-of-seven Finals.

Additional Schedule Highlights

Two teams that closed the 2025 regular season on significant winning streaks – Las Vegas and Atlanta – will look to continue their streaks at the start of 2026.

The Aces need three wins to open the season to surpass the 2001 Sparks’ WNBA record of 18 straight regular season wins. The Aces will look to build on their 16-game winning streak when they open their season by hosting Phoenix (Saturday, May 9) and then visiting Los Angeles (Sunday, May 10) and Connecticut (Wednesday, May 13).
The Dream, whose six straight wins are two shy of the franchise record, will tip off at Minnesota (Saturday, May 10), visit Dallas (Tuesday, May 12), and host Las Vegas (Sunday, May 17) in its first three games.

In addition to opening the season against one another on Saturday, May 9, the Aces and Mercury will meet three more times: Wednesday, June 17 in Phoenix, Saturday, July 11 in Las Vegas, and Thursday, Sept. 24 in Phoenix on the final day of the regular season.
Indiana and Minnesota, the opponents in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game last season, will clash three times. The Fever and Lynx will first meet on Sunday, Aug. 2 in Minneapolis before closing the regular season with consecutive matchups on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in Indiana and Thursday, Sept. 24 in Minnesota.
Indiana and Las Vegas, whose 2025 WNBA Semifinals series went to a decisive Game 5, will meet three times. The Fever will visit the Aces on Sunday, July 5 and Sunday, July 12, and host them on Thursday, Aug. 6.
New York, which met Las Vegas in the 2023 WNBA Finals and Minnesota in the 2024 Finals, will face those two teams a total of six times. The Liberty will host the Lynx on Friday, July 3 and the Aces on Sunday, Aug. 9. New York will visit Las Vegas on Tuesday, June 23 and Thursday, July 30, and will be in Minnesota on Saturday, July 11 and Friday, Sept. 18.
Six teams will host a total of 19 games at special venues that accommodate larger crowds than their normal home arenas.

The Tempo, which will play a majority of its home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, will host three games at the nearby Scotiabank Arena and two games each at the Bell Centre in Montreal and Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The Aces will host three contests at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, including games against Phoenix (May 9), Chicago (July 3) and Indiana (July 5).
The Mystics will play their regular-season finale against the Sky at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Thursday, Sept. 24).
The Sky will face Las Vegas (Sunday, June 28) and Indiana (Saturday, Aug. 8) at United Center.
The Sun will take on Los Angeles (Saturday, May 30) and Dallas (Thursday, July 2) at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Conn., and the Sparks at TD Garden in Boston (Tuesday, Aug. 18).
The Wings will host Chicago (Sunday, July 12), Golden State (Friday, Aug. 7), and Indiana at American Airlines Arena in Dallas (Thursday, Aug. 20).

During the regular season, each team will play three games against every cross-conference opponent and either three or four games, including Commissioner’s Cup play, against in-conference opponents. The Eastern Conference comprises Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, New York, Toronto and Washington. The Western Conference is composed of Dallas, Golden State, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Phoenix, Portland and Seattle.

Below is the game schedule for 2026 WNBA Tip-Off.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Update on Lunar Owls BC's Napheesa Collier

2026-01-01T09:41:00.008-06:00

Click here and become a member.

Following additional consultation during the Unrivaled preseason and after exhausting all options to progress rehabilitation of injuries sustained during the WNBA season, a joint team of medical staff determined that surgery on both left and right ankles would be necessary for Lunar Owls BC’s Napheesa Collier and she will be unable to participate in the upcoming Unrivaled season. Collier’s expected timeline for recovery is 4-6 months.

Temi Fágbénlé will join the Lunar Owls for the 2026 season, with Unrivaled having signed Fágbénlé to a multiyear contract with the league.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Announces Multiyear Partnership with Cheez-It

2025-12-22T11:11:00.006-06:00

Click here and become a member.

Unrivaled today announced Cheez-It as the league’s first-ever Official Salty Snack Partner, marking the latest multiyear partnership for the league and their first in the snack category. Built on celebrating player personas and unparalleled talent, the collaboration will showcase the Cheez-It brand throughout the season via prominent in-arena branding and exclusive content.

Cheez-It will debut and serve as presenting partner of a new content series that will highlight players’ distinct basketball journeys and the uniqueness they bring to the game. Cheez-It will also appear via a sideline logo near the team bench where players and clubs keep it real.

“We’re thrilled to partner with a brand like Cheez-It that always keeps it real and is eager to amplify the unique culture that defines Unrivaled basketball,” said Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell. “From the sidelines to the stories of our athletes, this partnership will celebrate the distinctiveness that ties together the identities of Unrivaled and Cheez-It.”

In addition to in-arena visibility, fans can expect interactive game-day features and social content giving fans the behind-the-scenes content from players they crave. The collaboration with Cheez-It will lean into the brand’s 100% real individuality, rooted in 100% real cheese, bringing fans closer to the league’s most notable pairings and personalities.

“Cheez-It is excited to expand our presence in basketball as the Official Salty Snack of Unrivaled Basketball; the league celebrates player individuality and brings an incredibly exciting take on basketball for both fans in the stadium and snacking at home. We hope to match fans’ basketball passion with our 100% real cheese energy on and off the court,” said Diane Sayler, Senior Director, Full Funnel Marketing for Cheez-It.

The partnership will debut ahead of Unrivaled Season 2 in Miami at Sephora Arena, which tips off on January 5, 2026, on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. For more information and to stay up to date with league news, visit unrivaled.basketball and follow @UnrivaledBasketball.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

TNT Sports Announces the Return of Unrivaled for Season Two beginning Monday, Jan. 5, 12 pm CT

2025-12-18T18:26:00.001-06:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

TNT Sports is ready for the sophomore season of Unrivaled with the launch of extended live programming, a stellar roster of studio and game analysts and more for the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league tipping off Monday, Jan.5 at 12 p.m. CT.

Coverage begins with the Mist BC vs. Hive BC followed by Vinyl vs. Laces BC and concludes with Lunar vs. Rose at 7 p.m. CT and Phantom BC vs. Breeze BC on opening day.

TNT Sports’ studio coverage will center on three-time WNBA Champion and two-time league MVP Candace Parker, former WNBA All-Star Renee Montgomery and host Lauren Jbara – with special appearances by four-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie – as they share pregame insights and analysis as well as postgame highlights throughout the season from TNT studios in Atlanta.

Play-by-play announcer Brendan Glasheen and analysts Lisa Leslie and Sarah Kustok will provide game commentary throughout Unrivaled’s sophomore season, joined by a rotation of veteran reporters including Allie LaForce, Ros Gold-Onwude, Isis Young, and Bridget Howard. Live game coverage will originate from Unrivaled’s facilities in Miami.

Extended Coverage + Unrivaled Takes on Philly

This season will feature an exciting fourth night of basketball (as previously announced) providing fans with four consecutive nights of game action, Friday through Monday.

Games scheduled on Fridays and Mondays will air on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, while games scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays will air on truTV and HBO Max. Unrivaled will follow the same doubleheader format as last year, with the second games tipping off shortly after the first on any given game night.

Unrivaled full 2026 season will air exclusively on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, and the full schedule can be found on Unrivaled’s website here.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

WNBA Statement On WNBPA’s Strike Authorization Vote

2025-12-18T18:15:00.001-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The Women’s National Basketball Association released the following statement today in response to the Women’s National Basketball Players Association’s strike authorization vote:

“We are aware that the players have voted to authorize the WNBPA Executive Committee to call a strike if the Executive Committee decides to take that step in the future. While we acknowledge the players’ right to authorize a future work stoppage, we strongly disagree with the WNBPA’s characterization of the current state of negotiations, which fundamentally misrepresents the ongoing discussions taking place at the bargaining table. It is difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change, particularly given that we are proposing numerous CBA modifications including significant immediate salary increases and a new uncapped revenue-sharing model that would ensure continued salary growth tied to revenue growth.

“The league remains steadfast in its commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible and delivering a 30th season for the players, fans, teams, and partners. We have negotiated in good faith and with urgency, and remain focused on finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement that not only meaningfully enhances player pay, benefits, and experience, but also does so in a way that ensures the long-term growth of the game and the league’s capacity to serve the next generation of WNBA players.”

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

WNBA Statement Regarding Extension of Collective Bargaining Agreement

2025-12-01T00:41:00.006-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The Women’s National Basketball Association issued the following statement today:

“The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement through January 9, 2026, with either party having the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice. The WNBA and WNBPA are continuing to work toward a new agreement.”

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Weekend Pass Tickets, Black Friday Special Available for 2026 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament

2025-11-28T12:40:00.005-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

00:00 - Intro

01:47 - Black Friday Ticket prices for the 2026 Big 12 WBB Tournament on sale November 28-30

03:59 - 2026 Big 12 WBB Tournament Schedule

05:57 - Support your favorite Big 12 WBB team. One day, I'll be there covering both the Big 12 WBB and the Big 12 MBB Tournaments in the same year

Click here and become a HRR YouTube member.

Houston Roundball Review Merch

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

No. 4 Texas Women’s Basketball tops No. 2 South Carolina 66-64, Harmon breaks Longhorns career assist record

2025-11-28T06:25:00.000-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

LAS VEGAS – The No. 4 Texas women’s basketball team earned their second consecutive top-three win in a 66-64 win over No. 2 South Carolina to win the Players Era Championship on Thursday.

Rori Harmon broke the Texas career assist record, but it was her jumper with one second to go and a tie game 64-64 to lift Texas to the victory.

Jordan Lee led Texas with 19 points and Madison Booker added 16 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Justice Carlton provided a big spark for the second day in a row with 13 points and eight rebounds. Harmon, Lee and Booker all played the entire 40 minutes of the game.

Harmon, who was named the MVP of the event, found Jordan Lee on an out of bounds play at the 4:24 mark of the fourth quarter for the record-breaking assist. Harmon recorded her 777th career assist to break the previous record of 776 set by Kamie Ethridge in 1986, when Ethridge led Texas to the NCAA Championship and a 34-0 season.

The Longhorns had to respond after getting down eight points, 50-42 following an 11-0 South Carolina run. Texas scored the final four points of the third quarter and the first four of the fourth quarter for an 8-0 run to tie the game.

The record-breaking assist from Harmon to Lee put Texas up 62-56, but South Carolina tied the game on a pair of free-throws to make it 64-64 with 15.1 on the clock. It was Harmon, who dribbled to her left an hit a jumper to put Texas up for good and secure the victory.

Up next the Longhorns will host Penn on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT on SECN+.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

American Conference Partners with Kay Yow Cancer Fund

2025-11-25T14:06:00.004-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The American Conference announced a new partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, joining the national effort to raise awareness and support in the fight against all cancers affecting women.

As part of the partnership, all 13 American women’s basketball programs have committed to raising a combined $25,000 during the 2025-26 season. In return, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund will invest $50,000 directly into Birmingham, Alabama — the host city of the American Women’s Basketball Championship — to deliver lifesaving cancer care to under-resourced women in the local community.

“We are proud to partner with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in its mission to eradicate cancer and uplift those affected by the disease,” American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti said. “This partnership allows our conference and member institutions to meaningfully support a cause that touches the communities we serve.”

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was founded in 2007 in honor of Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow, who spent more than three decades leading NC State women’s basketball and became a national inspiration through her public fight against breast cancer. Since its launch, the Fund has awarded millions of dollars in research grants and expanded access to cancer screenings and support services nationwide.

The initiative extends beyond fundraising, emphasizing community impact through Play4Kay game activations, direct support for women battling cancer and local investments designed to provide hope and healing.

Fans are invited to donate to the American’s campaign throughout the entire women’s basketball regular season. Supporters may choose a specific American program to contribute to and track team-by-team progress through the season leaderboard.

To donate to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, please visit https://charity.pledgeit.org/American.

American Conference Play4Kay Games

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Dallas Wings Win Top Pick in 2026 WNBA Draft

2025-11-23T18:20:00.006-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The Dallas Wings today won the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery and will have the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to be held on Monday, April 13, 2026.

The results of the 25th annual Lottery were revealed by WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin during the 30-minute, WNBA Draft Lottery Special on ESPN. This marks the 14th consecutive year that ESPN networks has presented the WNBA Draft Lottery.

Dallas, which entered the Lottery with the most chances to win the top pick (420 out of 1,000), won the WNBA Draft Lottery for the second consecutive year. In November 2024, the Wings won the top pick for the first time in team history after participating in the Lottery 11 previous times. The franchise used that No. 1 overall pick to select Paige Bueckers, who went on to be voted as a starter in the WNBA All-Star Game and as the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

This also marks the fifth time in the history of the WNBA Draft Lottery that the results matched the order of chances held by the Lottery teams. The prior instances were ahead of the 2009, 2015, 2016, and 2018 WNBA drafts.

The Minnesota Lynx, which had the second-most chances to win the top pick (261), will have the second selection. The Seattle Storm will select third after having the third-most chances to land the top pick (167).

The fourth selection belongs to the Washington Mystics, which had 97 chances to receive the first pick. The Chicago Sky, which had the fifth-most chances to garner the top pick (55), rounds out the top five.

Lottery odds were based on the two-year (2024 and 2025) cumulative records of the five teams that did not make the playoffs in the most recent season. With a cumulative record of 19-65, the Wings had the most assigned combinations (420 out of 1,000) and were guaranteed at least the third pick.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third rounds will be announced at a later date.

A representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young was in attendance to oversee the Lottery process.

The following are results of the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery.

* Chicago and Minnesota extinguished Minnesota’s right to swap its own first round pick for Chicago’s own first round pick and Chicago has traded its own first round pick to Minnesota (Sika Koné, Nikolina Milić, 4/14/24), (Draft picks, 4/13/25)

^ Los Angeles had traded its own first round pick to Seattle (Kia Nurse, 1/31/24)

+ Phoenix had traded its own first round pick to Chicago (Kahleah Copper, Morgan Bertsch, Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner, 2/6/24) and Chicago has swapped Phoenix’s first round pick for Connecticut’s own first round pick (Marina Mabrey, Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, 7/17/24)

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

ESPN presents special coverage of the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery

2025-11-22T20:54:00.001-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

ESPN presents special coverage of the WNBA Draft Lottery 2026 this Sunday, Nov. 23, at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Live from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios for the first time, the 30-minute WNBA Draft Lottery Special will be hosted by Malika Andrews, joined by ESPN analysts Rebecca Lobo and Chiney Ogwumike.

This marks the 14th consecutive year that ESPN platforms will present the WNBA Draft Lottery.

Five teams will take part in the 25th annual WNBA Draft Lottery: the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky. The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026.

The special will break down the lottery process, discuss the top prospects, and provide in-depth analysis ahead of the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Representatives from each of the five participating teams will join ESPN’s coverage, including:

Minnesota Lynx: Courtney Williams (Guard) and Natisha Hiedeman (Guard)
Dallas Wings: Maddy Siegrist (Forward)
Seattle Storm: Gabby Williams (Forward)
Chicago Sky: Co-Owner and Operating Chairman Nadia Rawlinson
Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen (Forward)

Lottery odds are based on the two-year (2024 and 2025) cumulative records of the five teams that did not make the playoffs in the most recent season. With a cumulative record of 19-65, the Wings will have the most assigned combinations (420 out of 1,000) and are guaranteed at least the third pick.

As the result of a prior trade between Minnesota and Chicago (23-61), the Lynx possess the Sky’s first round pick and will have 261 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick. Seattle, which owns the Los Angeles Sparks’ (29-55) first round pick by virtue of a January 2024 trade, has the third-most chances (167).

Washington, 30-54 over the past two seasons, has 97 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick, and Chicago, which owns the Connecticut Sun’s (39-45) first round selection, has the fifth most chances (55).

In the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick. Of the three teams not selected in the drawings, the team with the worst cumulative two-year record shall select third; the team with the next worst record will select fourth; and the remaining team shall select fifth.

The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 13, 2026, broadcast on ESPN.

A representative from the league’s independent accounting firm Ernst & Young will be in attendance to oversee the Draft Lottery process.

Below are the number of chances for teams to land the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery.

* Chicago and Minnesota have extinguished Minnesota’s right to swap its own first round pick for Chicago’s own first round pick and Chicago has traded its own first round pick to Minnesota (Sika Koné, Nikolina Milić, 4/14/24), (Draft picks, 4/13/25)

^ Los Angeles has traded its own first round pick to Seattle (Kia Nurse, 1/31/24)

+ Phoenix has traded its own first round pick to Chicago (Kahleah Copper, Morgan Bertsch, Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner, 2/6/24) and Chicago has swapped Phoenix’s first round pick for Connecticut’s own first round pick (Marina Mabrey, Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, 7/17/24)

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Texas Women’s Basketball signs pair of top-10 recruits, Addison Bjorn and Brihanna Crittendon

2025-11-22T02:04:00.005-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Texas women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer announced the signing of top-10 recruits Addison Bjorn (Parkville, Mo.) and Brihanna Crittendon (Thornton, Colo.) on Thursday.

Bjorn, a 6'2" guard from Parkville, Mo., earned the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for Missouri and is on the watch list for the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Trophy. Bjorn, the No. 10 ranked recruit by ESPN in the 2026 class, earned 2025 Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 6 Player of the Year honors and was a 2025 Naismith High School All-America honor mention selection.

"We are so excited to welcome Addison Bjorn and her family Darren, Karie, Jack and Carson to the 40 acres," Schaefer said. "Addison is someone we have been recruiting for a long time now and it's great to finally add her to our Longhorn family. She is a three-time gold medal winner with USA Basketball and has always been a proven winner, doing whatever her team needs her to do versus any given opponent. Addison will bring toughness, hard work and a competitive spirit along with an incredible skill set being able to score at all three levels. She can also play multiple positions, which will allow us to be very difficult to defend and allow us to continue to be a tough, physical and aggressive defensive team as well. We are honored and excited to add her to our program."

"I chose Texas because of the strong culture and it really felt like home," Bjorn said. "It's an amazing opportunity for me to compete on the biggest stages and against the best competition in the country. My goal is to do whatever it takes to help bring a National Championship to The University of Texas."

Crittendon, a 6'3" forward from Thornton, Colo., averaged 28.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.9 steals as a junior Riverdale Ridge High School. She was the fastest in the history of her high school male or female to reach 2,000 points.

"We are very excited to welcome Brihanna Crittendon and her family to the 40 acres," Schaefer said. "We had a definite need at the power forward position and we feel like Bri with her size, athleticism and skill set will really be able to be that monster big guard that can play multiple positions for us. She has the toughness and the competitive spirit as well as the physicality that makes her a perfect fit for our program. She comes from an incredible family, mother Chelsea and father Greg along with her brother Bryce have been so great throughout this process and fun to get to know. Bri is another difference player that should be able to come in and compete right away again having the ability to play multiple positions."

"Texas was everything I was looking for," Crittendon said. "The culture, the players, the staff and the environment. Add in the University's strong commitment to women's sports and it just felt right. It's the SEC and I'm excited to be a Longhorn."

With the additions of Bjorn and Crittendon that marks eight top-10 ranked recruits that Texas women's basketball has signed under head coach Vic Schaefer. The Longhorns have had four top-10 recruiting class rankings in the five years under Schaefer and 2026 will mark the fifth in six years.

Bjorn and Crittendon join the Longhorns 2026 class that includes Aaliah "Lizzy" Spaight (ESPN No. 20) and Amalia Holguin (ESPN No. 57). Spaight, Bjorn and Crittendon are all on the watch list for the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Trophy.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

ESPN signs women’s basketball analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo to multi-year extension

2025-11-22T01:56:00.007-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Thursday, ESPN announced it has reached a multi-year contract extension with women’s basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo. She will continue as one of ESPN’s lead voices on women’s college basketball and WNBA coverage, including regular-season games, Champ Week, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and the WNBA Finals. Lobo will also remain a contributor across ESPN, including SportsCenter and special programming around the women’s game.

“Rebecca is one of the most influential voices in the game of women’s basketball,” said Meg Aronowitz, Senior Vice President, Production. “We could not be more thrilled that she will continue bringing her expertise to every game she calls on our air.”

“I have loved calling women’s college and WNBA games for ESPN the last 20-plus years,” Lobo said. “It’s an honor to be a voice of this sport and to witness some of the greatest performances in the history of the game from a courtside seat. Working with Ryan Ruocco and Holly Rowe is a joy, and I appreciate ESPN’s continued commitment to me and the women’s game.”

Lobo joined ESPN in 2004 and has been a central figure in the network’s coverage of the sport, including multiple NCAA Women’s Final Fours, national championship games and WNBA Finals. A former WNBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, she is widely recognized for her insight, experience and impact on the women’s game.

Before ESPN, Lobo played seven WNBA seasons, including as a foundational member of the New York Liberty, and starred at the University of Connecticut, where she helped lead the Huskies to an undefeated national championship season in 1995. Outside of broadcasting, she remains active in youth development, women’s sports advocacy and community initiatives.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Iowa State's Audi Crooks headlines USBWA's women's weekly honors

2025-11-18T18:36:00.003-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The guards had it, almost unanimously, when it came to deciding the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s weekly women’s awards, though deliberations are not done by positions and the one individual position that was from the post made it two straight appearances onto the Ann Meyers Drysdale group of five national player list of honorees while a second was a contributor in helping her school earn the weekly team honor.

Unlike many conferences which announce honor rolls with their awards, that is not the case here, and though early in the week a player may seem like a lock heading for the next set of announcements, a full resume that includes an ensuing game or several games might result in the final sign off to go in a different direction.

That said, a special salute goes to AP preseason All-American and past USBWA multi-winner Hannah Hidalgo for setting the Notre Dame scoring record with 44 points and NCAA steals record at 16 in the Irish win over Akron, who just missed a triple-double with nine boards and is now the only player in the history of the WNBA, NBA, and the NCAA – both genders and all divisions – to have a game of at least 40 points and 15 steals.

The USBWA women’s awards, organized under Mel Greenberg, the USBWA Vice President for women’s basketball, are drawn from weekly conference honors as well as at-large additions. Nominations are welcome as each seven-day period rolls along to make sure no one is inadvertently overlooked.

There is no restriction within a week on the number of national honors received within a conference, especially the way realignment has affected membership size.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 16, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Navy guard Zanai Barnett-Gay, Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Michigan guard Olivia Olson, Washington guard Sayvia Sellers, and West Virginia guard Sydney Shaw.

The Tamika Catchings freshman of the week is Maryland guard Addi Mack, and the National Team of the Week is UCLA.

Barnett-Gay, a 5'8" junior guard from Glenn Dale, MD, and a past USBWA honoree, scored 22 points – 17 in the second half – with eight rebounds as Patriot League favorite Navy at home upset Florida, Sunday, the 69-54 result making it the first win over an opponent from the Southeastern Conference since 1998. On Wednesday, the league’s preseason player of the year had 25 points and 13 boards in a 74-66 win over Longwood. On Monday, she was named the Patriot League’s player of the week.

Crooks, a 6'3" junior center from Algona, IA, is being honored for the second straight week in which Iowa State went 2-0 with a 97-50 victory over Valparaiso and a 98-52 triumph over Norfolk State, both in Ames, to move to 5-0 and climb four spots to No. 12 in Monday’s newest Associated Press women’s poll. Against Valparaiso, Crooks set a Cyclones record, scoring a career-high 43 points with seven rebounds, in just 20 minutes playing while ill, shooting 19-for-23 from the field. She came back against Norfolk State to score a double-double, 19 points and 10 boards, with a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, while teammate Addy Brown had the program’s fourth triple-double with 11 points, 10 boards and 10 assists. On Monday, Crooks picked up another Big 12 Player of the Week award.

Olson, a 6'1" sophomore guard from New Hope, MN, who leads the team with an 18.7 scoring average over three games, helped ruin then-No. 18 Notre Dame’s appearance in the Shamrock Classic in Detroit on NBC with a lopsided 93-54 victory leading all the way as she scored 20 points with six rebounds and three assists. The outcome enabled the Wolverines to bolt from No. 14 to No. 6 in the new AP Poll, Michigan’s second-highest ranking in the poll’s 50-year history, while Notre Dame plunged to 24th. Michigan on Tuesday hosts Binghamton in the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor Tuesday at 6 p.m. before heading East for a Top 10 showdown in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase against No. 1 UConn at 7 p.m. CT on FOX at the Mohegan Sun, home of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun.

Sellers, a 5'7" junior guard from Anchorage, AK, in No. 25 Washington wins 87-56 over Montana at home in Seattle, and 72-61 at Utah in Salt Lake City, had 19 points against the Grizzlies, shooting 8-for-13 from the field with five assists, and then scored 30 points with four rebounds, two steals and two blocks against the Utes, her second 30-point game on Utah in successive seasons. She’s second on the team in scoring with a 15.3 average. On Monday, Sellers earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week award while Michigan’s Olson was on the weekly honor roll.

Shaw, a 5'9" senior guard from Miami, FL, who was at Auburn through her enrollment as a sophomore, helped the Mountaineers jump into the AP poll at No. 23 for the first time this season after a 57-49 upset of then-No. 15 Duke at the Greenbrier Tipoff in a game in which only five West Virginia players were able to play the second half, the others, including four starters, were ejected following a melee on the court as the first half closed. Shaw had a game-high 16 points with seven rebounds and on Monday was named to the Big 12’s new weekly starting five. In an 89-61 home win in Morgantown against Temple, a past rival when both were members of the Atlantic 10, Shaw had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Mack, a 5'9" freshman guard from Minneapolis, in an 88-70 victory at home over nearby Towson was 7-for-13, leading to a team-high 15 points, with six assists and three rebounds for the No. 9 Terrapins, who held their ranking this week, and then scored a follow-up 84-68 home victory over Ivy favorite Princeton in a game in which Mack scored 15 points with six boards, four assists and grabbed two steals in her first career start. On Monday, she was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week to go with her Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Week.

No. 3 UCLA went 3-0 with two ranked wins to earn our USWBA women’s National Team of the Week honor, beating then-No. 6 Oklahoma 73-59 in Sacramento, Calif., then in the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas, handled then-No. 11 North Carolina 78-60, and American Conference favorite South Florida, 94-61.

In the win over Oklahoma, Angela Dugalic scored 14 points on 5-for-10 from the field, Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens scored 20, and center Lauren Betts, projected as a potential No. 1 pick next April in the WNBA draft, had nine points, ten boards and four blocks. Against the Tar Heels in the first game in Las Vegas, after trailing 17-12 at the end of the first quarter, Betts was named the most outstanding player with 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal. Two days later in beating South Florida, whose coach Jose Fernandez recently left to coach Dallas in the WNBA, Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker was named the Most Outstanding Player, scoring 16 points on 6-for-10 from the field, while dealing seven assists, with a block and a steal.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

TAMU WBB Inks Two Four-Star Recruits

2025-11-15T10:22:00.001-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Texas A&M women’s basketball inked a pair of four-star recruits in Rieyan DeSouze and Jayda Porter Wednesday from the 2026 signing class.

Rieyan DeSouze | Point Guard | 5'7" | DeSoto, Texas | Legion Prep Academy

The 5'7" point guard is a four-star prospect with 247sports, SportsCenter Next 100 and Rivals. Additionally, DeSouze is ranked within the top 50 players nationally in the 2026 class on all three recruit rankings and as high as No. 4 on Rivals among point guards in the class.

The DeSoto, Texas, native has played her high school career at Legion Prep Academy. With the Bulldogs, DeSouze helped lead the program to a 2025 Texas Christian Athletic League State Championship. DeSouze is the No. 1 point guard in the Lone Star State in the 2026 class.

“We’re excited to welcome Rieyan, the No. 1 point guard in the state of Texas, to our Texas A&M family,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “She’s a poised floor general with elite court vision and an explosive first step. Her ability to control tempo, create for others and lead with confidence sets her apart. Rieyan embodies everything we value, both on and off the court. She’s the type of point guard who makes everyone around her better, and we’re excited to have her join our Aggie family.”

Jayda Porter | Power Forward | 6'3" | Columbia, Missouri | Rock Bridge High School

Porter is the No. 28 recruit in the country according to 247sports and the No. 9 power forward in the class. The Columbia, Missouri, native was a Class 6A MBCA All-State selection out of Rock Bridge High School after leading her team to a Class 6A District 7 Championship.

The 6'3" forward was also named a 2024-25 Honorable Mention MaxPreps Junior All-American after averaging 24.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 62.0% from the field. Porter was also named a 2023-24 Third Team MaxPreps Sophomore All-American when she led Rock Bridge to the Class 6A semifinals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jayda to Aggieland,” Taylor said. “Her combination of size, skill and basketball IQ makes her a perfect fit for our culture and our program. Jayda’s proven ability to score, rebound and protect the rim will be a major factor for us going forward. We believe that in College Station she’ll continue to grow, lead and help elevate our program to new heights.”

Texas A&M returns to the court Sunday, Nov. 16 at Kansas State for its first road game of the season. The Aggies are 2-0 and have an average margin of victory of 26.5.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled & TNT Sports Announce Schedule for 2026 Season & Fourth Night Expansion on TNT Sports Networks

2025-11-12T18:12:00.001-06:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

TNT Sports Extends Partnership with Unrivaled, Adding Fourth Night of Games

Unrivaled announced the full 2026 season schedule in partnership with TNT Sports. All games will air exclusively on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, and the full schedule can be found on Unrivaled’s website here. Tickets to the league’s second season go on pre-sale to newsletter subscribers on Nov. 14, with general on-sale going live on Nov. 17 on unrivaled.basketball.

This season will feature an exciting fourth night of basketball, providing Unrivaled with four consecutive nights of game action, Friday through Monday. Unrivaled has eliminated back-to-backs for players during the regular season, while also creating a full weekend of nonstop action for fans, both in-arena and watching at home on TNT Sports' networks. Games scheduled on Fridays and Mondays will air on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, while games scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays will air on truTV and HBO Max. Unrivaled will follow the same doubleheader format as last year, with the second games tipping off shortly after the first on any given game night.

Unrivaled’s Monday, Jan. 5 opening slate features all eight clubs in action, beginning with Mist BC at Hive BC at 12 p.m. CT on truTV and HBO Max. Kelsey Mitchell and the Hive make their Unrivaled debuts against Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart and Mist BC. Last year’s Championship runner-up Vinyl and Miami native Erica Wheeler will take on Alyssa Thomas and Laces BC in game two.

The night session on TNT, truTV and HBO Max begins with an 7:00 p.m. CT matchup between the two clubs with the best records in Unrivaled last season, the Lunar Owls and Rose. Co-founder and league MVP Napheesa Collier will face reigning Unrivaled Champion and 2025 WNBA Champion Chelsea Gray. Phantom BC and Breeze BC close out opening day as Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers make their Unrivaled debuts for the Phantom and Breeze, respectively.

Unrivaled clubs face each opponent only twice, and each meeting will carry high stakes and intense competition. Last year’s finalists, Rose and Vinyl, meet for the first time to open the first full weekend of games on Friday, Jan. 9 and will meet again for their second matchup on Saturday, Feb. 7. The second annual 1 on 1 Tournament will start the following Wednesday Feb. 11 and continue on Feb. 13 and 14.

The highly anticipated Philly is Unrivaled tour stop on Friday, Jan. 30 features Breeze at Phantom at 6:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, followed by Rose at Lunar Owls at 7:45 p.m. at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Philly natives Kahleah Copper (Rose) and Natasha Cloud (Phantom) will play professional games in their hometowns for the first time in their careers.

The expanded 56-game regular season concludes on Friday, Feb. 27, before heading straight into the Unrivaled Playoffs on Saturday, Feb. 28. Season two will utilize an expanded playoff structure to include six clubs. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinals, where the No. 1 overall seed will play the lowest remaining seed after the first round. The Unrivaled Championship will take place on Wednesday, March 4 at 8:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

For more information and to stay up to date with league news, visit unrivaled.basketball, follow @UnrivaledBasketball on social platforms and subscribe to the league’s newsletter found at unrivaled.basketball/newsletter.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Announces Matchups for Philly is Unrivaled

2025-11-07T17:18:00.002-06:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

Philly natives Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper set to play their first pro games in their hometown

Unrivaled announced Phantom BC vs. Breeze BC and Lunar Owls BC vs. Rose BC as the marquee matchups for the Jan. 30 Philly is Unrivaled tour stop, along with the release of additional tickets now on sale to the public.

Philadelphia natives Natasha Cloud (Phantom) and Kahleah Copper (Rose) are set to play in the first professional basketball games of their careers in their hometown at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Cloud and the Phantom will take on the young core of the Breeze, headlined by Paige Bueckers, at 6:30 p.m. CT. Copper and the reigning 2025 champion Rose squad will face the Lunar Owls, anchored by returners Napheesa Collier and Skylar Diggins, at 7:45 p.m. CT. The Rose handed the Lunar Owls their first loss of the 2025 season after a dominant 8-0 start, but the Lunar Owls still lead the series 2-1.

Fans can watch both matchups on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. Remaining tickets are available for purchase on Ticketmaster and xfinitymobilearena.com.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Announces 2026 Club Rosters and Development Pool

2025-11-07T17:12:00.007-06:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

Unrivaled announced rosters for each basketball club and the league’s new development pool, unveiled tonight as part of a live show with Bleacher Report on the B/R App, Bleacher Report’s YouTube, and B/R and B/R W’s TikTok channels.

Below are the full club rosters categorized by pod and development pool of players:

Development Pool:

Hailey Van Lith
Aziaha James
Haley Jones
Emily Engstler
Laeticia Amihere
Makayla Timpson

Unrivaled’s Jan. 5 opening slate of games will feature all eight clubs in action, beginning with Hive BC vs. Vinyl BC at 12:00 p.m. CT with a pregame show at 11:30 a.m. CT. Kelsey Mitchell and the Hive make their Unrivaled debuts against last year’s Championship runner-up Vinyl and Miami-native Erica Wheeler. Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart and Mist BC take on Alyssa Thomas and Laces BC in game two at approximately 1:15 p.m. CT.

The Jan. 5 night session begins with an 7:00 p.m. CT matchup between the two clubs with the best records in Unrivaled last season, Lunar Owls BC and Rose BC. Co-founder and league MVP Napheesa Collier will face reigning Unrivaled Champion and 2025 WNBA Champion Chelsea Gray. Phantom BC and Breeze BC close out opening day at approximately 8:15 p.m. CT as Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers make their Unrivaled debuts for the Phantom and Breeze, respectively.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

2026 WNBA Draft Lottery to take place Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPN

2025-11-07T17:01:00.003-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery will be broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 23, on ESPN, the WNBA announced today.

ESPN will air the 30-minute, WNBA Draft Lottery Special at 5:30 p.m. CT with WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin revealing the results of the Lottery during ESPN’s coverage. This marks the 14th consecutive year that ESPN networks will present the WNBA Draft Lottery.

The Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky will take part in the 25th annual WNBA Draft Lottery. The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 13, 2026.

A representative from the league’s independent accounting firm Ernst & Young will be in attendance to oversee the Draft Lottery process.

Below are the number of chances for teams to land the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery.

^ Los Angeles has traded its own first round pick to Seattle (Kia Nurse, 1/31/24)

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Unveils New Under Armour Uniforms for Season 2

2025-11-05T04:22:00.003-06:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

Unrivaled unveiled its new Under Armour club uniforms for Season 2 on social media. Heading into its sophomore season, the league continues to raise the bar for professional women’s basketball — and these uniforms are designed for peak performance, merging elite innovation with expressive club identity across every stitch, stripe, and silhouette.

Developed over the past eight months in close collaboration with Under Armour’s product team, each uniform is built on UA’s pinnacle basketball chassis, its most advanced fit for female basketball athletes. Jerseys feature varsity mesh on the front and Reflexx ArmourVent on the back, engineered for optimal breathability and freedom of movement. Club names and logos show up via twill appliqué, offering a premium visual pop that’s become a signature of Unrivaled’s overall brand.

Each club's uniform is brought to life through bold signature colors, graphic storytelling, and detailed design. From alternate wordmarks to enlarged logos and interior embellishments, every look is distinct and crafted to reflect each club's uniqueness.

Additional highlights include:

TPU Unrivaled & UA logos for a premium finish
Boxer labels on the waistband for additional branding
Bottom hem stripes across all teams — designed for players who like to compete untucked
Side body detailing for elevated detailing
Custom sizing tailored to athletes, with adjustable jersey and short lengths
Championship patch for Rose BC, Unrivaled’s 2025 defending champions

The reveal also introduced uniforms for Unrivaled’s two newest clubs, Breeze and Hive. All eight clubs will sport home and away sets, along with alternate uniforms, bolder, more creative expressions of each club's personality, designed for the league’s 1v1 tournament format.

Unrivaled will reveal club rosters on November 5th at 6 p.m. CT on the B/R App and B/R's YouTube. Following the announcement, a limited number of jerseys will be available for fans to purchase at https://shop.unrivaled.basketball/.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Big 12 Launches Women’s Basketball Documentary ‘A Different League’

2025-11-02T01:20:00.002-06:00

Support The HRR and Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

The Big 12 Conference, in collaboration with WME Sports, has launched a league-wide women’s basketball documentary titled A Different League. The series will provide an unprecedented look at the Conference’s coaches and players as they prepare for the upcoming season.

The first episode is available now on the Big 12’s official YouTube channel and will also air on Big 12 Studios. Additional episodes will be released throughout the first week of the season.

Featuring all 16 member institutions, the documentary offers behind-the-scenes access and exclusive interviews with coaches and student-athletes from across the Conference.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Announces Head Coaches for the League's Second Season

2025-10-30T16:40:00.000-05:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

Today, Unrivaled announced the head coaching staff across the league’s eight clubs, with four of the inaugural six head coaches returning to their clubs for a second season and four new head coaches joining the league. The coaches and respective clubs are as follows:

Breeze BC: Noelle Quinn
Hive BC: Rena Wakama
Laces BC: Andrew Wade
Lunar Owls BC: DJ Sackmann
Mist BC: Zach O’Brien
Phantom BC: Roneeka Hodges
Rose BC: Nola Henry
Vinyl BC: Teresa Weatherspoon

“We’re thrilled to add such exceptional talent to our head coaching roster in our second season, elevating the strong foundation established by our inaugural coaching staffs across Unrivaled,” Unrivaled GM Clare Duwelius said. “We thank Phil [Handy] and Adam [Harrington] for their leadership last season and look forward to building on the momentum for the league this year.”

Noelle Quinn joins Unrivaled as the first-ever head coach of Breeze BC. Quinn most recently served as head coach of the Seattle Storm after having previously served as an assistant coach and associate head coach for the team, helping guide the franchise to its 2020 WNBA Championship. The Storm were crowned the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup Champions in 2021 and reached the playoffs in four out of five seasons under her direction. Quinn transitioned into coaching after a 12-year WNBA playing career that culminated in a championship with Seattle in 2018. Drafted fourth overall in 2007 by Minnesota, she appeared in 400 games and played for Los Angeles, Washington and Phoenix, in addition to the Lynx and Storm. Her overseas career spanned ten seasons and included representing Bulgaria in both FIBA competition and the EuroBasket Women’s Qualifiers in 2017.

Rena Wakama will lead Hive BC in the team’s Unrivaled debut, following her first season as an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky. Wakama also serves as head coach of the Nigerian Women’s National Team and made history in 2024 when the D’Tigress became the first African team, men’s or women’s, to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympics. After joining as head coach in June 2023, she became the first female coach to ever win a Women’s AfroBasket title in August 2023 and subsequently led the team to another AfroBasket title in 2025. Wakama previously served in assistant coaching roles for Tulane and Stony Brook. Wakama began her coaching career after spending two years at Manhattan College as the director of basketball operations, then advancing to an assistant coach role. Wakama played collegiately at Western Carolina University.

Andrew Wade returns to Laces BC after having led the club to the playoffs and the third-best overall record last season. Wade spent the Unrivaled offseason with the New York Liberty as the team’s director of player development, building on his previous experience in a similar role with the Washington Mystics in addition to his assistant coaching role with the team. With the Mystics, Wade helped lead the team to their 2019 WNBA Championship. Wade also served as a coaching associate and player development staffer with the Washington Wizards’ G League Team, the Capital City Go-Go, and a youth academy coach and instructor for the Orlando Magic. Wade played collegiately for Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

DJ Sackmann returns to Lunar Owls BC after leading the club to the Semifinals and the best overall record across Unrivaled (13-1 during the regular season) in his first-ever head coaching position. Under Sackmann, the Lunar Owls produced the highest scoring offense in Unrivaled (80.7 ppg), best field goal shooting percentage, and (52.6%), highest free throw shooting percentage (81.4%), on top of recording the most assists (15.6), steals (5.3) and blocks per contest (2.8). Sackmann joined Unrivaled following more than 15 years of experience as a globally recognized NBA and WNBA skills coach, working with more than 15,000 players across multiple countries through camps, clinics and workshops to help both players and coaches refine their skills. As a collegiate player, Sackmann was a four-year starter at the University of New Haven.

Zach O’Brien will serve as head coach of Mist BC and joins Unrivaled from the New York Liberty, where he serves as an assistant coach. O’Brien was a member of New York’s 2024 WNBA Championship coaching staff, having joined the team in 2022. Prior to the Liberty, O’Brien served as the director of player development for the Phoenix Mercury following his stint as a video coordinator for the team, as well as for the Northern Arizona Suns from 2019-20. O’Brien played collegiately at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, where he scored more than 1,500 career points and earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-First Team honors his senior year. He went on to play for Oxford Brookes University in England for two years.

Roneeka Hodges joins Unrivaled as head coach of Phantom BC following her first season with the Connecticut Sun as an associate head coach. Having previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty from 2022-24, she is credited with helping guide the Liberty to their first WNBA Championship in 2024. Prior to the Liberty, Hodges coached collegiately as an assistant with Colgate University (2021-22) and Old Dominion University (2020-21), and served as a special advisor to LSU’s women’s basketball program during the 2019-20 season. Hodges’ 11-year WNBA career included being selected 15th overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Houston Comets and appearing in 327 career games.

Nola Henry returns to the reigning Unrivaled Champion Rose BC for a highly-anticipated second season. Henry led the Rose to a 10-6 overall record, the league’s second-best, and guided the club from a 1-4 record to start the season to being the second club to clinch a playoff berth along their journey to the first-ever Unrivaled Championship title. Henry most recently served as assistant coach for the Dallas Wings during the 2025 WNBA season, building on her six plus years of experience on the WNBA sidelines. She previously served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks after being a player development coach for the team, and was an assistant basketball operations manager for the Connecticut Sun. Prior to embarking on her coaching career, Henry played collegiate basketball at both the University of Massachusetts and College of Charleston.

Teresa Weatherspoon returns to Unrivaled to lead Vinyl BC following a successful inaugural season and playoff run, where the club upset the top-seeded Lunar Owls to secure their spot in the Championship before falling to the Rose. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member, two-time Olympic medalist, and WNBA legend previously served as head coach of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. After a distinguished playing career, Weatherspoon began coaching in 2007 as head coach of the Westchester Phantoms in the American Basketball Association. She then joined the coaching staff at Louisiana Tech in 2008 and was promoted to head coach in 2009, leading the Lady Techsters to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2010-11), a Western Athletic Conference Tournament title (2010) and two WAC regular-season championships (2009, 2011). Weatherspoon also spent time with the New Orleans Pelicans as a player development coach and assistant coach.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com

Unrivaled Player Announcement Recap

2025-10-30T16:31:00.002-05:00

Support The HRR when you Order your Houston Roundball Review merch.

Unrivaled today announced the final rostered players to be part of the league's second season. The development pool of players will be announced at a later date:

Aari McDonald, Indiana Fever (new player)
Rebecca Allen, Chicago Sky (new player)
Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm (new player)

Unrivaled also released a message to fans from Unrivaled General Manager Clare Duwelius:

"We couldn't be more excited about the incredible talent we've added so far in addition to our returning athletes heading into Season 2. We know you all were eager to learn who would be joining us this year and we wanted to give you as much information as possible ahead of more big news tomorrow in Philadelphia. A few of the players we're in productive negotiations with just need a little extra time -- and we're all about giving our athletes the space to make big decisions on their own terms. That means we've still got two roster spots, and we can't wait to share who will be filling them soon. Thank you all for the continued enthusiasm and support for Unrivaled and our amazing players. It's what makes this league so special."

The final comprehensive list of rostered players is below:

Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls but was out due to injury)
Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun (returning player, played inaugural season for the Phantom
Maddy Siegrist, Dallas Wings (new player)
Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx (new player)
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury (returning player, played inaugural season for the Laces)
Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks (returning player, played inaugural season for the Mist)
Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury (returning player, played inaugural season for the Phantom)
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (new player)
Saniya Rivers, Connecticut Sun (new player)
Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm (new player)
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (returning player, played inaugural season for the Mist)
Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever (returning player, played inaugural season for the Rose)
Azurá Stevens, Los Angeles Sparks (returning player, played inaugural season for the Rose)
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (returning player, played inaugural season for the Laces)
Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics (new player)
Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries (new player)
Kate Martin, Golden State Valkyries (returning player, played inaugural season for the Laces)
Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty (returning player, played inaugural season for the Phantom)
Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun (returning player, played inaugural season for the Mist)
Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics (new player)
Monique Billings, Golden State Valkyries (new player)
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
Rae Burrell, Los Angeles Sparks (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces (returning player, played inaugural season for the Rose)
Brittney Sykes, Seattle Storm (returning player, played inaugural season for the Rose)
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever (new player)
Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream (previously played in Unrivaled as a relief player, officially rostered player this season)
Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (returning player, played inaugural season for the Rose)
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
Sug Sutton, Washington Mystics (new player)
Natisha Hiedeman, Minnesota Lynx (previously played in Unrivaled as a relief player, officially rostered player this season)
Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm (returning player, played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream (returning player, played inaugural season for the Phantom)
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm (new player)
Rachel Banham, Chicago Sky (new player)
Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream (returning player, played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Li Yueru, Dallas Wings (new player)
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks (new player)
Dana Evans, Las Vegas Aces (new player)
Aari McDonald, Indiana Fever (new player)
Rebecca Allen, Chicago Sky (new player)
Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm (new player)

Unrivaled announced earlier today that DiJonai Carrington Minnesota Lynx (returning player, played inaugural season for the Mist), would miss the 2026 Unrivaled season due to recovery from previously announced injury.

Order your Houston Roundball Review merch

Support The Houston Roundball Review via PayPal

Visit WNBAStore.com or Visit Fanatics.com