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A Lego lover to Larry Bird clone: 10 players to know in women's NCAA Tournament
The women's NCAA Tournament bracket is set. Now college basketball fans can finally start filling out their own brackets.
Here are 10 players to know as March Madness begins in the women's tournament:
Ta'Niya Latson | Florida State
Gotta love this: The nation's leading scorer, a 5-foot-8 guard, has an interesting hobby: Legos, the line of plastics construction toys you may have played with as a kid. On the "Ball Up Top" podcast, Latson said her dream NIL deal would be with Lego and that she can easily put together a 1,000-piece set.
MiLaysia Fulwiley | South Carolina
Gotta love this: Every time the 5-foot-10 guard enters into a game, Fulwiley has a burst of energy and a presence that gets the bench unit of South Carolina fired up. That could very well be attributed to her NIL deal with Red Bull, the energy drink. In 2024, Fulwiley became the first collegiate athlete to sign an NIL deal with the brand.
JuJu Watkins | Southern California
Gotta love this: Her parents thought the 6-foot-2 guard would go into a career in modeling. But Watkins has been widely considered a basketball superstar for a long time. As early as 2020, Watkins was on a national stage in YouTube videos surrounding her day-to-day basketball life. She is one of the nation's best players and can take over a game at any point. Watkins scored a school-record 51 points against Stanford earlier this season.
Every bucket from JuJu Watkins' record-breaking outing at Stanford pic.twitter.com/AhbyuNmpg4
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 3, 2024
Lauren Betts | UCLA
Gotta love this: Some athletes may take an "all for me" approach in the NIL world but not Betts, a 6-foot-7 center. One of her biggest deals is her partnership with Project C.U.R.E., which aligns her brand deals to help go toward charitable causes in the medical field. On the court, she averages nearly a double-double at 19.6 points and 9.7 rebounds.
Audi Crooks | Iowa State
Gotta love this: In a segment titled "Stanchion to Stanchion," published on the Iowa State women's basketball's X page, the 6-foot-3 center revealed she has a hidden talent: singing. It is unclear if she can just hit the high notes or if Crooks may have a career in rap like Johnson, but nonetheless, the nation's eighth-leading scorer (23.2 PPG) can do much more than shoot hoops.
Mikayla Blakes | Vanderbilt
Gotta love this: Only a freshman, the 5-foot-8 guard is already one of the best players in the country, averaging 23.2 points per game. She scored 55 points against Auburn, an NCAA record for points in a game by a freshman. That performance put her with LeBron James as the only two players at any level of collegiate or pro basketball to score 55-plus points in a game while playing every minute of the game.
Every bucket from Mikayla Blakes' RECORD-BREAKING 55-POINT GAME @mikaylablakes | @VandyWBB pic.twitter.com/DMikZD9OW0
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 17, 2025
Flau'jae Johnson | LSU
Gotta love this: Along with being a star for a really good LSU team, the 5-foot-10 guard is also a rapper. No, not an Internet rapper who gets 35 views on SoundCloud. Johnson has a huge following on Apple Music and even has songs that include rap legends such as Lil Wayne and Roy Woods. Johnson served as an opener for a Rod Wave concert in 2023.
Diamond Johnson | Norfolk State
Gotta love this: If your first name is Diamond, you automatically have to make this list. Besides having maybe, the coolest name in the sport, the 5-foot-8 guard does everything on the floor for Norfolk State, averaging 19 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 steals. Johnson's transfer from North Carolina State to Norfolk State, an HBCU, received plaudits from ESPN commentator Arielle Chambers.
Carla Viegas | Florida State
Gotta love this: After an elite showing at the U-17 World Championship in 2022, the 5-foot-9 guard was referred to as the best three-point shooter in the world. Better than Stephen Curry?! Viegas only averages 6.3 points for the Seminoles, but Florida State is 7-0 when she scores more than 10 points in a game.
Alyssa Durazo-Frescas | Grand Canyon
Gotta love this: The 5-foot-7 guard was deemed a "unicorn" during her high school playing days at Mater Dei High School in California. She even received comparisons to Larry Bird because of her dominant three-point shooting. The comparisons may not be far off, as she is second in college basketball in three-point shooting at 47% from deep. Frescas has made three or more three-pointers in 24 of Grand Canyon's 31 games this season.
More must-reads:
- A villain to 'granny-style' free-throw shooter: 10 players to know in men's NCAA Tournament
- Athletes who were stars for their hometown pro teams
- The 'Women's Division I college basketball coaching wins leaders' quiz
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Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave’s Wife’s Stunned Reaction to Jordan Love’s Wife’s Personal Post
The Green Bay Packers are about to kick off their 2025 NFL regular season, so it feels like a good time for some of the players to look back at some of the key moments and experiences they’ve had in the offseason. For quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Luke Musgrave, the 2025 NFL offseason will always be one that they’ll cherish — and not just because of anything that’s football-related. Love and Musgrave both got married to their respective longtime girlfriends in the offseason. The signal-caller tied the knot with Ronika Stone in June, while Musgrave and Madi Weisner exchanged vows in July. Ronika Stone’s wedding lookback gets Green Bay tight end’s wife’s reactions Mrs. Love recently shared a post on Instagram that shows a series of snapshots from her wedding with the Packers’ signal caller. “Every detail was SPECTACULAR ,” Ronika wrote as a caption for the post. She clearly is still awed by how her wedding looked that day, with several beautiful flower arrangements adorning the special day. Ronika’s post drew plenty of comments, including one from Mrs. Musgrave, who wrote “UNREAL.” It’s great to see Packers players’ wives showing support for each other just as Love and Musgrave do on the field. For Musgrave, he is looking to have a big rebound in 2025 after only appearing in seven games and coming up with 45 receiving yards with zero touchdowns and only a couple of first downs on seven receptions and 10 targets. The Packers, who will play the Seattle Seahawks at home this Saturday for both teams’ 2025 NFL preseason finale, will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
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These college QBs are set to earn millions in 2025
Quarterback is the most important position in football, and the money given to top signal-callers — both in the NFL and at the collegiate level — supports that. On3's Pete Nakos detailed on Thursday what some of the top quarterbacks in college football will earn during the upcoming season. Nakos writes that at least five QBs will make roughly $3 million in the 2025 campaign, while more than 20 starting quarterbacks will command at least $1 million. It's important, for context, to note that these financial figures include direct revenue-sharing from schools and/or NIL deals from third-party collectives. Leading the way among 2025 quarterbacks is Duke's Darian Mensah. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore, from San Luis Obispo, Calif., will earn $4 million this year, part of a two-year, $8 million contract with the Blue Devils. Mensah transferred to Duke from Tulane, where in 2024 he threw for 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns against just six interceptions. True freshman Bryce Underwood of Michigan is set to collect $3 million this season, which is a massive number for someone who has never taken an official snap in college. Still, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Underwood is a significant contender to win the Wolverines' starting QB job in 2025. The native of Belleville, Mich., was the No. 1 national prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. Redshirt senior Carson Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami in the offseason, and he will make $3 million to $3.2 million this season to start, in a deal that could be worth up to $6 million with incentives, per Nakos. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Beck, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., tallied 3,485 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. According to the On3 article, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola will earn more than $3 million in total compensation during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore, who hails from Buford, Ga., threw for 2,819 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a true freshman. Last year, Raiola guided the Cornhuskers to a 7-6 record and a bowl-game triumph. Drew Allar will look to lead Penn State on another deep College Football Playoff run in 2025, and the senior quarterback will earn at least $3 million during the upcoming campaign. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allar, from Medina, Ohio, threw for 3,327 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions a year ago as Penn State made the CFP semifinals. The Nittany Lions are No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press top-25 poll. Other quarterbacks who are expected to make big bucks in the 2025 season include Oklahoma's John Mateer ($2.5 million to $3 million), Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia (at least $2 million), Kansas State's Avery Johnson (at least $2 million), South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers ($1.8 million), TCU's Josh Hoover ($1.75 million) and Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby ($1.5 million to $1.7 million), among others.
How offseason gambles put the Toronto Maple Leafs in a better position
With training camp on the horizon, the Toronto Maple Leafs are about to enter their first season of a new era. This new “era” rightfully has some fans dismayed, but that doesn’t mean these fans should not be excited. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Unfortunately, this is exactly what we have seen the Leafs do over the last nine years, and it has not worked. Not even close. We have beaten to death the playoff failures and how the “Core Four” was a problem. Mitch Marner unfortunately had to go, and from the sounds of it, it was mutual. But we now have a change in perspective and direction when it comes to the team. In this post, let’s take a look at some of the offseason moves made by the Leafs and why the Leafs are in a better position than last season. Changes and acquisitions With the changes so far, we have seen a shift in team philosophy. The two “go to” guys are now Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Perhaps throw in Knies after signing his six-year extension. But either way, the Leafs will have to fill in the holes with actual supporting players, instead of shopping at Value Village for bargain-bin players like they have the last several years. The three big additions this offseason by general manager Brad Treliving were Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy, and Dakota Joshua. Maccelli is a young winger at 24 years old, while Roy and Joshua are entering the tail end of their prime. Maccelli has one 57-point and one 49-point season in his four-season NHL career, with last year being a disappointment. It should be mentioned that he played for the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth for his career. The team has made the playoffs once in over a decade, and Maccelli was playing for Ilves Tampere in the SM-liiga at the time. Nicholas Roy and Dakota Joshua are known to play a heavier game and have an aggressive forecheck. Roy has been a 30–40 point centre the last four seasons, while Joshua showed promise two seasons ago, scoring 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points, but tapered off considerably. Last season, he only scored seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 57 games. This is what Leafs fans have wanted for several years now: a much more balanced roster in terms of salary allocation. But are they better? Are the Leafs better? I think the question everyone is wondering with these acquisitions is: Are the Leafs better? I think this can’t be answered until the conclusion of the 2025–26 season. But for the sake of argument, I will say yes, they are better, but not from a skill standpoint, but from a cultural shift and flexibility point of view. The Leafs’ roster needed to change in a big way; the playoff failures speak for themselves. Brad Treliving’s Gambles Losing a 100-point winger in Mitch Marner hurts. If we add up the point totals from last season for all three new additions, they scored 30 goals and 33 assists for 63 points. Compared to Marner’s 27 goals and 75 assists for 102 points, this looks like a horrible proposition on paper. But what do these three players have in common? They are all expected to have bounce-back seasons. If we add up the point totals of three new acquisitions from the 2023–24 season, they scored 48 goals, 82 assists for 130 points. Much better value, especially when considering these three players will play throughout the lineup, not just on the first line. The team is heading towards a better balance instead of being so top-heavy. Maccelli playing with either Auston Matthews and Knies, or with John Tavares and William Nylander, is a solid bet, especially with Maccelli in a contract year. For the sake of discussion, let’s say Maccelli scores 50–60 points. At age 25 and an RFA, you absolutely re-sign him and have a decent young player in your top-six. Joshua and Roy are less flashy and are older. However, while not every player will be a Matthew Knies, Roy and Joshua could be the missing pieces in the bottom-six that have plagued the Leafs for nearly a decade: A bottom-six that can ram you through the boards and can also score. With Treliving’s gamble on Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, and the gambles on defence, notably Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Simon Benoit, Treliving has deserved the benefit of the doubt. More often than not, his gambles have paid off. Future opportunities The offseason acquisitions have a lot to do with future opportunities just as much as they do with this upcoming season. The Leafs are no longer married to a high-priced offence that disappears come playoffs. They can continue to find personnel who fit their new vision. The Leafs have just under $2M in cap space. With a logjam of players in the bottom-six, one or both of David Kampf or Calle Jarnkrok will likely be moved. I am not expecting a huge trade, but the Leafs will likely have more cap space by the NHL trade deadline to fill holes. None of the changes made this offseason prevents the Leafs from making changes in the future. If one of the new additions doesn’t work out, their cap hits aren’t insurmountable that they can’t be traded. With few draft picks or solid prospects, these new acquisitions can be used in combination with available cap space to make a bigger acquisition come the trade deadline or next offseason. The offseason moves provide the Leafs with much-needed cap space and roster flexibility. However, if the new additions perform well in the lineup, the team will be much more well-rounded than last season, especially come the playoffs. Way forward I think we need to look at everything in totality, as opposed to viewing it as a “100 point player out, a bunch of third line producers in.” During most of the regular season, most of the series against the Ottawa Senators, and when the Leafs went up 2–0 against the Florida Panthers in the second round, what were your thoughts? My thoughts, and we’ve written about it several times, are that this team has changed. A lot of it is due to Craig Berube and his system, but this was Year 1. Adding more “Berube-esque” players in Joshua and Roy, and this team will perhaps be even better than last year. Combine these solid offseason bets with existing players like Matthews and Morgan Rielly being due for bounce-back seasons, or perhaps Easton Cowan making the roster out of camp, and there’s plenty to be excited about heading into next season. I am not dismissing the importance of points during the regular season. After all, the team still has to make the playoffs. But if the Panthers are any indication, regular season success does not translate to playoff success. It’s how the team plays the game, and the Leafs need to continue to reshape their DNA into something where we will not have an annual eulogy.
Panthers will be without Matthew Tkachuk for a while
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk’s health entering the season has been a topic of conversation after he returned early from an adductor injury sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off to suit up in Florida’s run to a second straight Stanley Cup. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period now relays that Tkachuk indeed opted for surgery to repair it, undergoing the procedure “a few weeks ago,” and could miss as much as the first four months of the campaign. It’s still not clear what caused the right-winger’s injury during the 4 Nations tournament, but he missed the balance of the regular season and wasn’t cleared to return until Game 2 of the Cats’ first-round win over the Lightning. Opting for non-surgical rehab initially to accelerate his return timeline, he still managed to rattle off a point per game as he marched to his third straight Stanley Cup Final and second straight win, although his 17:24 average time on ice was a noticeable drop from his previous usage. His projected return timeline makes him LTIR-eligible and offers the Panthers a pathway to cap compliance to begin the season, but it’s not that simple. They’re now $4.5M over the cap and, on top of shuffling their roster to optimize his LTIR relief, they have to figure out a way to reinstate him on the active roster when he’s ready to return while staying below the $95.5M upper limit. They likely won’t concern themselves with the first bit too much, as he’s not a season-long absence and their roster is full, but their roadmap to a compliant roster and a healthy Tkachuk is still murky. Tkachuk, 27, has averaged 99 points per 82 games since arriving in Florida in 2022 via the blockbuster trade with the Flames that sent Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar the other way. He also has 25 goals and 69 points in 67 playoff games for the Panthers over the last three years, ranking fourth and third in franchise history, respectively. In the interim, the Panthers can expect 2021 first-rounder Mackie Samoskevich to play a pivotal role in their early-season success. The 22-year-old winger filled in for Tkachuk down the stretch last year and finished his rookie campaign with a 15-16–31 scoring line in 72 games. He’ll now get more opportunity out of the gate after essentially being forced to sign a league-minimum contract this summer thanks to Florida’s cap crunch and his 10.2(c) status prohibiting him from signing an offer sheet.
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