Jess Koffie Articles - Page 9

As Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women’s basketball team gears up for its Final Four appearance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, anticipation is building around the reigning titleholder’s journey to a repeat. The penultimate round will be a showdown with Texas, a team that’s been as much of a powerhouse during its March Madness […]

USC women’s basketball standout Kiki Iriafen has secured an endorsement deal with Skechers Basketball two weeks before the 2025 WNBA Draft. Iriafen will play in the SKX Nexus when she takes the court as a professional for the first time, according to media personality Nick DePaula. The basketball sneaker is marketed as a breathable low-top […]

As the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament approaches a climactic Final Four, the matchup between UConn women’s basketball and UCLA promises to be one of the most thrilling games of the competition. These two sides have been storied programs in the sport, and their clash will feature big names, strategic gameplay, and plenty of history on […]

It should be no surprise to see that Stephen A. Smith is still calling out college coaches for their actions during this year’s March Madness. This time, the name at the top of his list belongs to LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey. The ESPN personality commented on Mulkey’s exchange at LSU’s postgame press […]

As the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament continues, the list of options for the sport’s next national titleholder narrows down. Now that teams have nowhere left to hide, TCU women’s basketball keeps emerging as one of the most promising contenders for the championship. The Horned Frogs aren’t just operating with a high level of talent, player […]

The defending champion South Carolina women’s basketball team has kept its March Madness repeat dream alive by edging out Duke 54-50 to make it to the Final Four. But that’s not the only goal that victory achieved for head coach Dawn Staley. Staley’s Gamecocks triggered one of several performance-based incentives tied to her contract by […]

The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament is shifting into its next phase after a couple of high-scoring rounds that saw few upset opportunities. Only heavy hitters remain, and the true contenders are beginning to stand out from a mostly evenly matched field. However, few programs heading into the Sweet 16 are more confident in their ability […]

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma is no stranger to seeing elite players fall to injury and had empathetic words to offer USC women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after star JuJu Watkins went down with a season-ending ACL tear. “I feel terrible for JuJu personally, knowing the players I’ve had that had to […]

The women’s 2025 NCAA Tournament has arrived at the Sweet 16 following two thrilling rounds of play. After witnessing some incredible games and record-setting March Madness moments, it feels like the real competition is finally underway. Every contest will feature a top-five-and-above matchup from here on out, meaning the battle for the national championship remains […]

The Houson women’s basketball team may not have made it to this year’s women’s March Madness tournament, but it’s still making big moves this month. The program has hired former Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell as the squad’s next leader and eighth coach in its history. Mitchell beat out multiple other finalists for the opportunity to […]

The USC women’s basketball team has earned a reputation for having resilience, depth, seasoned coaching, and the ability to compete at a high level. Despite the unfortunate injury to star JuJu Watkins, the team still possesses the traits needed to have a legitimate shot at winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Losing a player as dynamic […]

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and competitive in recent years of women’s college basketball. UCLA, in particular, stands out as a powerhouse that has the talent, depth, and experience to contend for the championship behind superstar Lauren Betts, who’s proving she has the elite high ceiling […]

The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament is off to a thrilling and record-setting start, especially for the TCU women’s basketball team. While there’s still no clear frontrunner out of the remaining contenders, the Horned Frogs are two rounds closer to the title and have shaken off their initial nerves following their dominant 73-51 win over Fairleigh […]

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is set to be an exciting conclusion to a storied season of UConn women’s college basketball. The theme of the 2024-25 campaign was parity, and that has continued into the postseason. Each program will have to navigate through a sea of competitors worthy of holding the title of national champion. The […]

After receiving a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey is preparing the Irish for the tough road ahead of them by giving them a much-needed break. “I think just having a little bit of time off, I feel like they kind of needed a mental break.” […]

With so many star players to focus on heading into the women’s March Madness tournament, it’s difficult to narrow down the favorites. During an episode of First Take, Los Angeles Sparks big and ESPN personality Chiney Ogwumike listed a few options before choosing her player to watch. “This tournament, I feel like it’s built for Paige […]

As the start of the NCAA Tournament approaches, women’s college basketball fans are hyping themselves up and making their “player to watch” picks. First Take analyst Stephen A. Smith is among those anticipating the high level of talent that will be displayed, and he’s making it known that he’ll be showing love to USC’s JuJu Watkins. […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been inspiring players on the basketball court for years, and now his impact has reached the women’s tennis court. Mirra Andreeva came from behind to win at the Women’s Tennis Association‘s BNP Paribas Open 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, and she seemingly had a secret weapon that helped her do […]

Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to confrontation, and this time he’s calling out USC women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. The day after Selection Sunday, Smith was asked about Gottlieb’s response to the Trojans’ placement as the fourth overall No.1 seed on an episode of First Take. The sports commentator did not mince his […]

Angel Reese wasn’t on the court to support her teammates during Unrivaled’s semifinal game, but she still made sure her presence was felt from the sidelines. Reese, who was forced to miss the contest after suffering an injury on the same wrist that had to be surgically repaired in September 2024, cheered on her Rose […]

Angel Reese still knows how to hype up her teammates, even when she can’t join them on the court. Reese commemorated the first Unrivaled season with her team by gifting them all custom pairs of the new Powerbeats Pro 2 high-performance earbuds. She posted a video to her Instagram story showing some of the squad’s […]

Angel Reese knows talent when she sees it. The WNBA star and former NCAA standout reacted to Derik Queen’s performance in Maryland’s game against Michigan on X, commenting that the newcomer is “literally a baby Jokic” and essentially deeming him a name to watch in men’s basketball. Reese apparently enjoyed what she saw during the […]

Most of the women’s basketball teams that will enter the 2025 NCAA Tournament have already been decided on ahead of Selection Sunday. The contenders for the No. 1 seeds are clear, with South Carolina, Texas, USC, and UCLA the most likely to head each regional, according to ESPN. There’s also not much depth to choose […]

Grand Canyon women’s basketball head coach Molly Miller has been a rumored top candidate to fill the same position at both Arizona State and Arkansas, and she allegedly now has her pick of the two roles, according to Mitchell Northam of SB Nation. Miller boasts an impressive resume, leading GCU to a 30-2 record this […]

USC women’s basketball superstar JuJu Watkins has a habit of making memorable and historic moments, and she’s continued that trend heading into March Madness. After putting up 31 points against Indiana, 20 points versus Michigan, and 29 points on intracity rival UCLA throughout the Big Ten Tournament, Watkins has set a Trojan record for the […]

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins has signed an exclusive multi-year NIL deal with Fanatics and the company’s trading card division, Fanatics Collectibles. The agreement, which covers memorabilia and trading cards, is the first of its kind for a female college athlete. The deal will include items like autographed photos, basketballs, trading cards, and game-worn apparel, all […]

USC sophomore standout JuJu Watkins is leading the Trojans into the NCAA Tournament as the national player of the year favorite, which gives the squad at least a decent chance to make a significant impact, if not contend for the championship. The Trojans’ odds of success among a stacked group of competitors hinge heavily on […]

TCU guard Hailey Van Lith has been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year award, according to the award’s official X account. The trophy is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding basketball player and has been recognizing collegiate women since 1983. Van Lith led the Horned Frogs, which […]

USC guard Juju Watkins is no stranger to receiving recognition for her talent. The superstar sophomore has already started to rack up accolades for this season, including one that was a unanimous decision, and she’s on the shortlist for many others. Watkins was outshone only by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for the Player of […]