Mitchell Northam

An unlikely winning streak, ACC player of the year and a coach carousal update Rice has won 19 games in a row behind elite defense, Duke's Toby Fournier has a case for ACC awards and Joni Taylor's seat has cooled at Texas A&M.

Latest women’s basketball notebook is live at @usatodaysports.usatoday.com:

- Rice has leaned in on defense and won 19 straight
- Kara Lawson makes the case for Toby Fournier as ACC POY
- Cooling seat: Joni Taylor is likely safe at Texas A&M

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

A few women's flag football news items...

Binghamton and Gardner-Webb announced the addition of varsity teams, bringing us to at least 15 at the Division I level.

Abbi Munson has been hired as North Alabama's first head coach.

Arizona State women’s basketball lands Tennessee's Ruby Whitehorn Former Tennessee women's basketball starter Ruby Whitehorn has landed at Arizona State. She was dismissed by the Lady Vols after two arrests.

Story here on former Tennessee starter Ruby Whitehorn landing at Arizona State: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

'A season of adversity to a season of prosperity': How Kara Lawson guided Duke's massive midseason turnaround The Blue Devils started the season 3-6, but are now on a stunning 16-game winning streak

I wrote about Duke's midseason turnaround, and how Kara Lawson's postgame comments after the UNC game might be the key, just not for the reason you might think: www.cbssports.com/womens-colle...

Everything to know about the first NCAA Women’s Wrestling Tournament For the first time ever this year, the NCAA will host a national championship for women’s wrestling. The finals are March 6-7 in Coralville, Iowa.

This weekend marks the start of the first-ever NCAA Tournament for women’s wrestling. Here’s what it will look like:

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

WNBA draft stock continues to rise for Richmond's Maggie Doogan Maggie Doogan continues to attract interest from the WNBA. Scouts from three teams were at Richmond's win over Davidson on Saturday.

On Saturday, I was at Richmond's win at Davidson.

Folks from three WNBA teams were in the building too. They all had their eyes on Maggie Doogan, who scored 26 points.

It's becoming more likely that the mid-major star will be drafted.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Women's basketball player faces 4 felony charges, is suspended UNC-Wilmington's Paige Smith faces four felony charges after she was arrested last week. Court records say she had a "half of a pound" of marijuana.

UNC-Wilmington says guard Paige Smith was suspended Feb. 9, the day before she was arrested.

The former JUCO all-American faces four felonies. Court records say she was in possession of “half of a pound” of marijuana that was packaged for distribution.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

North Carolina vs. Duke fallout, Vandy's seeding and hot seat watch North Carolina didn't shoot any free throws in its four-point loss at Duke on Sunday. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt may have squandered its No. 1 seed.

Latest women's basketball notebook is live. #ncaaW

- Free throw discrepancy hangs over UNC vs. Duke
- Is Vandy still a No. 1 seed?
- It's a matter of when, not if, at Boston College

More here:

Hell yea y’all

Meet the women racing at Daytona during NASCAR’s opening weekend Six women will compete in various NASCAR races this weekend at Daytona, including Natalie Decker and Isabella Robusto.

From Natalie Decker to Isabella Robusto, meet the six women racing at Daytona this weekend: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Women’s basketball bracketology: Top 16 seeds becoming clearer Teams are solidifying their positions in the top 16 seeds for the women's NCAA Tournament. On the bubble, things are looking bad for the Big East.

Bracket watch, where the bubble is turning into an ACC and Big 12 party, and positions in the top 16 are being solidified: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

2026 women’s basketball coaching candidates: Who are the hot names? As March Madness approaches, so does the coaching carousel for the women’s basketball season. Last year, there were more than 60 coaching changes.

Coaching carousel season is approaching.

Here's some names you need to know in women's basketball, from the best mid-major coaches to assistants ready for the big chair, and also some former head coaches that could get in the mix.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

6 women's basketball players sue Pitt for 'hostile environment' Pitt and its women's basketball coach Tory Verdi are being sued by six former players who allege he created a "hostile, discriminatory," environment.

Six former Pitt women’s basketball players are suing the school and coach Tory Verdi, alleging that he created a “hostile, discriminatory, and retaliatory environment."

Verdi allegedly told one foreign-born player to “go back home because ICE is coming.”

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

6 women's basketball players sue Pitt for 'hostile environment' Pitt and its women's basketball coach Tory Verdi are being sued by six former players who allege he created a "hostile, discriminatory," environment.

Six former Pitt women’s basketball players are suing the school and coach Tory Verdi, alleging that he created a “hostile, discriminatory, and retaliatory environment."

Verdi allegedly told one foreign-born player to “go back home because ICE is coming.”

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Freshman behind Duke's win streak, Big South suspension, hot seat watch During Duke's 15-game win streak, freshman Arianna Roberson has emerged as a key weapon. The Big South suspends a player, and USF is a job to watch.

This week's women's basketball notebook...

- Arianna Roberson is emerging as an off-the-bench weapon for Duke
- Big South hands down 8-game suspension
- A big mid-major job that could open

More: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

5 weeks to Selection Sunday, y’all

Might as well change my handle on the other app to @MitchellNorthamHatesYourTeam

The Big South has suspended Winthrop junior forward Tocarra Johnson eight games for fighting. Incident occurred in a recent game vs. High Point.

Unless Winthrop makes the Big South tourney semifinals, her season is over. #ncaaW

Clemson is up 2 at the break.

Last time Clemson beat North Carolina and NC State in the same season? 2000-01. (h/t @northam67.bsky.social who looked it up).

Rusne Augustinaite has 9 for Clemson, Lanie Grant has 9 for UNC.

13th NCAA Division I school to add varsity women’s flag football team USC Upstate is the 13th NCAA Division I program to add a women's flag football team at the varsity level and the second in the Big South Conference.

USC Upstate is the 13th Division I school to announced the addition of a varsity women's flag football team: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

The Triangle Curling Club has bounced back from COVID, just in time for the Olympics Every four years, around the Winter Olympics, the sport of curling finds some new fans. Not surprisingly, it’s a sport played, primarily, in very cold locations. But curling also has a home right here...

The Winter Olympics are here, so I’m resharing one of my favorite stories from my time at WUNC, on curling and a little club in Durham.

This was my first full length radio feature. The web version also has photos from the great Kate Medley:

www.wunc.org/sports/2022-...

Been bummed out all day by the Washington Post cuts. Working for that sports section was always my dream job. I admired so many of the great writers there, and was lucky to call a few of them friends.

Incredibly idiotic, short-sighted and damaging move by Jeff Bezos.

the new T.I. song sounds like it came out in 2008. To be clear, this is a high compliment.

BRACKET WATCH - #ncaaW

- The SEC is grabbing seven top 16 seeds.
- Big opportunities loom for Clemson, Virginia Tech to get off the bubble.
- Arizona State needs help.

Read here: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

And my full bracket in yellow pad form below… 🏀📈

Burn It All Down, the feminist sports podcast you need A new season of what haters have called a "capitalist-hating, Trump-hating, NFL protest-loving group of far-Left women."

Some **PERSONAL NEWS** as the go-getters say.

@burnitalldownpod.com has been on a hiatus for a couple of years. We are SO READY to return, but need your help because we don't have backing by a corporation, and need this to be sustainable.

Enter Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/bur...

How Vanessa Blair-Lewis built a women's basketball winner at George Mason Vanessa Blair-Lewis has won titles at three different Division I programs and is the longest tenured Black woman head coach in women's basketball.

Now at George Mason, Vanessa Blair-Lewis has turned three programs into conference champions. @MasonWBB is 10-0 in A-10 play for the first time ever this season.

Wherever she goes, she wins.

"For us, it's always been the player inside the jersey."

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Inspired by Coach Jo’s cancer treatment, UNC defeats NC State On Play4Kay night at NC State, the UNC Tar Heels women's basketball team played for assistant Joanne Aluka-White who has breast cancer.

UNC's win at NC State was crucial. It was the first Quad 1 win of the season for the Tar Heels, and Courtney Banghart's first victory at Reynolds.

But on #Play4Kay night, UNC fought for Coach Jo, their associate head coach who has battled cancer.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Wes Moore wasn’t as enthusiastic about the idea of playing UNC in a non-conference game:

“Hadn’t even thought about it. Not saying it wouldn’t happen, but we play a pretty tough schedule, so it’s not like we’re shying away.”

For the first time ever, Courtney Banghart has won inside Reynolds Coliseum. Tar Heels get their first victory in Raleigh since 2019, 61-59.

It's also the first Quad 1 win of the season for UNC. Indya Nivar (16-7-6) and Lanie Grant (18 points) led the way.

Reminder: a Courtney Banghart-coached team has never won at Reynolds Coliseum.