Iowa State Cyclones Archives - womenssportsnow.com

The Big 12 needs more money, fast. Is Allstate or private equity investment a good fix?

theathletic.com — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 20:56:19 +0000

Countless stadiums, arenas, golf tournaments and bowl games have sponsors in their titles. The world’s most prestigious soccer league was named the Barclays Premier League until 2016. Private equity firms currently hold ownership stakes in more than 60 North American sports franchises, according to Pitchbook, as well as many of the top soccer clubs in Europe.

But when news broke Thursday that the Big 12 is entertaining both a potential title sponsorship deal with insurance giant Allstate and a $1 billion private equity partnership, you could almost hear the collective reaction: “How dare they?!”

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Big 12 discussing PE investment, sale of naming rights to Allstate

Kirk Wakefield, a Baylor University marketing professor, had a much different reaction to the possible title sponsorship.

“You wonder why people haven’t done that already,” said Wakefield, who runs a research firm that studies sponsorship impacts for sports leagues and brands. “It’s such an obvious opportunity.”

USC sports business professor David Carter looks at the plight of the Big 12, which lags hundreds of millions a year in revenue behind the Big Ten and SEC, and sees private equity as a matter of Darwinian survival. To win national championships, Big 12 schools need to be able to spend like…

Thanks to NIL, local car dealers are out of the shadows and landing star college athletes

theathletic.com — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:00:31 +0000

On Jan. 19, two days after he became the most coveted football player in the NCAA’s transfer portal, and mere hours after he welcomed Ohio State coaches for a recruiting visit, Caleb Downs announced his change-of-address plans. The freshman safety who’d earned second-team All-America honors at Alabama committed to the Buckeyes. Not long after, Downs and his father began relocating to Columbus.

Getting there was simple enough. Getting around was another matter.

Some wheels needed to be put in motion.

“I get a call from someone on the coaching staff and they said, ‘Hey, I’m here with Caleb and his dad now. Are you looking to add somebody else to your team?’” says Rick Ricart, the CEO and owner of Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus. “Would you be willing to do a car deal for him?’”

For decades, these were shifty conversations. Local car dealerships had long been conduits for the whispered inducements coaches or boosters promised talented players. When discovered, scandal erupted. Repercussions were often stark. Then came the seismic summer of 2021, when changes to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules allowed college athletes to earn money without fear of NCAA sanctions.

Car dealers nationwide quickly exchanged leases and keys for players boasting about their new…

Tennessee still elite? Geno Auriemma nearing retirement? Women’s college basketball mailbag

theathletic.com — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:00:19 +0000

The 2023-24 season is over. The transfer portal is (still) open. Tara VanDerveer has coached her last game. Two of those three statements would’ve made zero sense to me even a few years ago.

But here we are. Times, they are a-changin’. We at The Athletic are here to make sense of all the movement. Let’s dive into this week’s mailbag to examine some of the big changes and project how they might have an impact on the sport.

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.

Do you think Geno retires end of next year? He will get the all-time wins record early in the season and Paige will be leaving. If so, who do you see as his replacement? (Sue Bird has already said no interest ). I assume CD will retire when Geno goes. — Thomas S.

I don’t think Auriemma will retire until he has another run at a national title with a fully healthy team. Even this year, with a group that ran six deep and had shifting rotations until the tournament, the Huskies still managed to put together a Final Four run. Among his many impressive coaching jobs, this one is near the top. But even when VanDerveer announced her retirement this offseason (even though I thought she’d want at least one go-around in the ACC), I never thought we’d see Auriemma step down. Let’s see…

Where will Paige Bueckers go in the 2025 WNBA Draft? Our big board projections

theathletic.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 09:00:02 +0000

Now that Caitlin Clark is a member of the Indiana Fever, it’s time to turn the page on the 2024 WNBA Draft and look ahead to what could be an even more talented class in 2025. This is the last group of players to be eligible for a pandemic bonus year, so the WNBA will have a true double draft of fourth- and fifth-year seniors, which will simplify the process for general managers who no longer have to wonder who will declare.

The relevant exception to that is the medical redshirt. Players still have an additional year of eligibility if they sit out for a season due to injury, as is the case with the top prospect on the board. However, the number of players who fall into that category is relatively small.

Given that the draft order isn’t set until after the 2024 WNBA season, which has yet to commence, this isn’t a mock draft. Instead, it’s a list of the top players without regard to team fit. This exercise also only considers domestic prospects, though we should expect internationals to factor heavily on draft day in 2025. After all, three non-NCAA players were taken in the first round of Monday’s draft.

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WNBA Draft grades: Fever earn A for picking Clark, Sky receive C+ even with Angel Reese

Much is expected to change between now and then, but probably not the…

Caitlin Clark’s whirlwind WNBA Draft week just the start for the in-demand rookie

theathletic.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:38:03 +0000

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was anxious moments before WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert voiced the most predictable news of Monday night’s 2024 WNBA Draft. With the first pick, the Indiana Fever selected Clark, the Iowa superstar who amassed one of the greatest careers in women’s college basketball history. Fever general manager Lin Dunn said it took “20 seconds, maybe 15” to make Clark the choice. The celebration for Clark lasted far longer than that inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As she embraced her family, throngs of fans wearing No. 22 Iowa T-shirts rose to their feet in delight.

Eventually, everyone sat down, but not before a franchise had been changed.

“I can’t imagine a more perfect fit, a better place for me to start my professional career, an organization that really just believes in women’s basketball and wants to do everything the right way,” Clark said.

SEE YOU SOON CAITLIN!! pic.twitter.com/ImbApa6wuC

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 16, 2024

It’s been a whirlwind week for Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. In the span of eight days, she walked off the court at the national championship game, appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and shuffled in and out of meetings with league and player association officials in New…

Caitlin Clark is headed to the WNBA. Who will be the 2024-25 college basketball stars?

theathletic.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 09:00:48 +0000

With Iowa’s loss to South Carolina in the national title game, Caitlin Clark has officially played her last college basketball game. Lucky for all of us, there’s no shortage of star talent around the country. With the game’s parity, conference realignment and more games on national television, several players appear poised to burst either onto the national scene or even further into the national zeitgeist of American sports.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest stars who could take over (or re-take) women’s college basketball next season.

(Editor’s note: Players’ class listed for 2024-25 season)

1. JuJu Watkins, USC

Sophomore guard

This dominant freshman class is led by Watkins, who managed to capture the nation’s attention while being mostly tucked away on the Pac-12 Network for most of the season. She’s tasked with leading the USC resurrection as the Trojans move to the Big Ten. Conference realignment only helps Watkins’ star power and name recognition as she’ll now (finally) have games that are accessible to the whole country thanks to the Big Ten Network being partly owned by FOX. The fact that she’ll be playing in and around the three largest media markets in the U.S. and that the Big Ten, sans Caitlin Clark, will be looking for a new conference star to…

South Carolina tops our 2024-25 women’s college basketball power rankings

theathletic.com — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:00:51 +0000

Congrats to South Carolina, which was the No. 1 team in all but one edition of this season’s rankings. The Gamecocks proved they were the best team in college basketball for all of 2023-24, just like last year, only this time they were able to cap their remarkable regular season with a national championship. South Carolina’s success was the primary validation of these power rankings, though the last poll did feature 15 of the Sweet 16 teams in the top 18 (apologies to Duke).

In case you’re interested in how well my first power rankings of 2023-24 held up, take a gander! Oregon State really came out of nowhere.

As we look ahead to 2024-25, a reminder that this is an indicator of how teams stand right now, though WNBA Draft decisions and transfers — keep an eye on Oregon State and Washington State following the dissolution of the Pac-12 — could substantially change the makeup of rosters. I’ve priced in some player improvement, particularly for younger players with high pedigree, but otherwise tried to assess these squads based on how the players finished this season. Let me know in the comments if you think I’m overlooking anyone.

Almost famous: Kentucky, Michigan State, Vanderbilt

Why South Carolina over UConn?

South Carolina is losing Kamilla Cardoso, but otherwise…

Caitlin Clark? Paige Bueckers? Who would players pick to join their teams?

theathletic.com — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:00:16 +0000

Follow live coverage today as Iowa, UConn meet in Final Four

Players don’t get to assemble their own rosters, but who they choose to play with is an important part of the recruiting process and transfer portal decisions. The Athletic took it a step further with women’s college basketball players and allowed them to play GM with their teams.

If you could add one player to your roster, who would it be and why?

The obvious answer surely would be Caitlin Clark, right? Yes, but the Iowa star wasn’t a runaway choice. Players thoughtfully considered a variety of factors, including their roster needs and best fits for their teams.

The Athletic surveyed 95 NCAA Tournament players, including 85 from the Sweet 16, about their sport. They dished on coaches, opined about their peers and shared thoughts on weightier topics like draft rules and NIL. Players were granted anonymity to allow them to be candid without fear of repercussions. Some players abstained from certain questions.

If you could pick one player to join your team, who would it be?

Player	Team	Votes
Caitlin Clark	Iowa	10
Paige Bueckers	UConn	9
Audi Crooks	Iowa State	5
Raegan Beers	Oregon State	4
JuJu Watkins	USC	4
Kiki Iriafen	Stanford	3
Kamilla Cardoso	South Carolina	2
Alissa Pili	Utah	2
Ashlyn Watkins	South Carolina	2

…

Caitlin Clark’s precision passing carries Iowa to Elite Eight: ‘She loves to be Mahomes’

theathletic.com — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 02:07:04 +0000

ALBANY, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark’s performance Saturday evening reminded Iowa associate head coach Jan Jensen of one of her star guard’s favorite athletes. “Our little quarterback in Caitlin,” Jensen said. “She loves to be Mahomes.”

The Kansas City Chiefs signal caller was an apt comparison as Clark located her teammates streaking upcourt, and when necessary, finding them for a basket. Like Patrick Mahomes, she throws them open, as well. She sees space other mortals often don’t. “She’s got all those receivers,” Jensen added.

The main Iowa receivers against Colorado were Hannah Stuelke, Sydney Affolter and Kate Martin. On countless occasions during the Sweet 16 contest, one (or multiple Hawkeyes) bolted upcourt alongside, or ahead of, Clark. They were the beneficiaries of assist after assist. (Martin added in jest, referring to the Chiefs tight end: “Sure, I’m Travis Kelce. I’m dating Taylor Swift.”)

Clark had 15 dimes, tying a season high, and she moved into third all time in women’s NCAA Division I assists, passing former Gonzaga star Courtney Vandersloot.

From the opening tip of her 29-point performance, Clark controlled the action. She finished with only two turnovers in No. 1 seed Iowa’s 89-68 victory over No. 5 seed Colorado. (She averages 4.9…

Should the women’s NCAA Tournament early rounds move to neutral sites?

theathletic.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 09:00:37 +0000

ALBANY, N.Y. — There will be no home-court advantage here in the Sweet 16 for any of the top seeds. No. 1 seed South Carolina traveled more than 800 miles to get here, and fellow No. 1 seed Iowa is now a thousand miles from its home court.

But both got to play at home last weekend in front of huge crowds made up of their own raucous fans. That’s because the top 16 seeds in the NCAA women’s tournament get to host first- and second-round games, a format that has existed since 2015.

A total of 292,456 fans attended first- and second-round games this year, a 27 percent increase over 2023’s then-record first-weekend attendance. Iowa City, unsurprisingly, topped all hosts with sellout crowds that accounted for 28,764 fans at one site alone.

With such strong attendance and three consecutive years of record-setting crowds, those in and around the sport wonder whether the time is right to move to predetermined neutral sites, much like the men’s tournament uses for its first weekend.

Lynn Holzman, the NCAA’s vice president for women’s basketball, told The Athletic this week that she is urging the Division I women’s basketball committee to expedite its review of site format in light of the shattered attendance records and trendlines for the sport overall. The committee had…