In the current landscape of college basketball, as much pressure is felt off the court as is felt within the lines. Coaches who know their jobs are on unstable ground are scratching and clawing for every victory, while those who are just beginning feel the burden to win now and instantly turn their new program around. Last season’s stars feel they must prove those wins were not a fluke.
Players can no longer hide behind the idea of just being a student-athlete — many are being paid more money through revenue sharing than some staff members at their school make in an entire year. Others are reaping the benefits of various NIL opportunities, where they represent local or national brands. What is the new normal for high expectations and results based on what a player is getting paid?
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Tennis legend and women’s sports trailblazer Billie Jean King once said that “pressure is a privilege — it only comes to those that earn it.” We welcome you to year four of The Weekly Fast Break where we will feel every ounce of pressure on and off the floor during the 2025-26 women’s college basketball season. There will be weeks when teams thrive under difficult circumstances, and others where they wilt under the pressure of a full-court trap. Some coaches will welcome the idea of a high-pressure environment, and use it to build their team up, while others will not manage it well at all. This is our new normal, and only those that embrace the pressure, no matter where it comes from, will be poised to succeed this season.
TIP-OFF
Huskie Strong: All eyes are on the defending national champions as they start the 2025-26 season with a roster that looks different, but returns key pieces. UConn kicked off the season with a 13-point win over No. 22 Louisville on Nov. 4 and then earned a decisive 99-67 victory over Florida State on Nov. 9 at Gampel Pavillion. The Huskies unveiled their 12th national title banner prior to that game and are riding that momentum to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll. Super sophomore Sarah Strong looks better than she did a year ago, averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds through the first two games. Guard Azzi Fudd dropped 23 points in the rout of Florida State, posting 20 of those in the first half. While depth has not always been a luxury for UConn in years past, it will be this season with the addition of five new players, including transfers Kayleigh Heckel (USC) and Serah Williams (Wisconsin), who are making an early impact. To be the best, you must beat the best, and so everyone will be coming for the Huskies. But in the opening week of the season, UConn already seems quite comfortable at the front of the line.
UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) is healthy and the lead dog this season for a Huskies program that is on the hunt for their 13th national title. (Photo Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images)
The USC Conundrum: If there was one team that was riddled with question marks at the start of this season, it would be USC. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb had the Trojans on a path to the Final Four last March, but a season-ending injury to Naismith National Player of the Year JuJu Watkins derailed those plans. Watkins is out this season recovering from an ACL injury and six of the Trojans’ top seven rotation players did not return for the 2025-26 season. Sophomore Kennedy Smith is the only returner on a revamped roster that has played just over 13 minutes per game. Key transfers include guards Kara Dunn (Georgia Tech) and Londynn Jones (UCLA) along with 6’5 forward Yakiya Milton (Auburn) and 6’3 sophomore Dayana Mendes (Washington State). Even the star-power void left by Watkins could easily be filled by freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson*. The 6’1 guard, who was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025 (per ESPN.com) is averaging just shy of 18 points to start the year. She hit the game-winner against then-No. 9 NC State, knocking off the Wolfpack 69-68 in Charlotte, N.C. on Nov. 9. Questions remain on whether USC has what it takes to compete at the top of the Big Ten, but the riddle is becoming less complicated each week. *Davidson was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 10
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Hard Knocks in Knoxville: Year one of the Kim Caldwell era at Tennessee was a success by many standards. The Lady Vols finished 24-10 for the 2024-25 season and fast and furious system implemented by Caldwell had buy-in from players and fans alike. Fast forward to this season, and Tennessee was picked No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll. Caldwell and her staff retained key players, brought in talent in the portal and the No. 2 ranked recruiting class (per ESPN.com) to campus this fall. While the Lady Vols are 2-0 to start season, it has not been to Caldwell’s standard in what she calls her “effort-based system”.
Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell is not only working to get her team to buy into her “effort based system” on the court, but has had off-court pressures as well to start the 2025-26 season.
(Photo credit: Brianna Paciorka | News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
But the tougher knocks have come off the court, starting with the dismissal of senior guard Ruby Whitehorn. Whitehorn, who started 28 contests last season and averaged 11.8 points per game, was arrested in August on charges of a domestic instance and then again in the early morning hours of Oct. 31 on a marijuana charge. Caldwell dismissed Whitehorn from the team, stating “in light of recent events, Ruby has been unable to reflect those standards, and I have made the difficult decision to dismiss her from our team. I love Ruby and will always be rooting for her, but my priority is to uphold the respected reputation of the Lady Vols.” How the absence of Whitehorn in the Tennessee lineup will be handled is still to be determined, but it is a void that will need to be filled.
In mid-October, Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello left Knoxville and his national title contender to be the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Rumors began to swirl in the Tennessee orbit via message boards and media outlets that Vitello departed because NIL money was being diverted from baseball and given to women’s basketball. There was speculation this had apparently happened due to Caldwell’s success on the court and in recruiting. It was a rumor that Tennessee athletic director Danny White was quick to point out as false at a press conference on Oct. 22. “Did anybody report that in here? So who reported it? Somebody had to make up something that’s not true for it to become a rumor, right?” White said to the room of reporters. “I think we should all collectively apologize to Kim Caldwell and our women’s basketball program, because that’s factually incorrect. Never happened.” White went on to explain the revenue sharing matrix that they have created at Tennessee, which does not include the separate third-party NIL opportunities for athletes. He also stated that their baseball program was supported “at a higher level than anybody in America.”
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Poll Watch: The preseason AP Poll dropped in late October, giving everyone just enough time to display their nervous ticks before the season tipped off. The first week of the regular season showed us what we had seen coming for weeks — predictions are just words on a page. Games give us results, answer some questions and leave us with more. The top six spots remain unchanged, while Baylor moved up nine spots to No. 7 after going 2-0, including their win over then-No. 7 Duke in Paris. The Blue Devils are down eight places while USC stormed up 10 spots to No. 8. Only one team dropped out of the Top 25 — Richmond — while Washington jumped into the poll for the first time in two years at No. 25. Five mid-majors are receiving votes after the first week of the season, led by Princeton with 19.
It was all smiles for the Baylor Bears as they celebrate their win over Duke at Adidas Arena in Paris on Nov. 3.
(Photo Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images)
STAR POWER
The expectations that fall on standout talents across the nation are not always easy to meet. The start of the season can be especially frustrating, as teams form their on-court chemistry and top players start to emerge. Whether you are a veteran, a transfer or a newbie freshman, putting your stamp on the start of the season is not easy, but these players have made it look effortless in the first week of play.
Her name has appeared in The Weekly Fastbreak for the past two years, and we expect to see her many more times this season. Fairfield junior Meghan Andersen was named the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week of the season after dropping 30 points in both of the Stags’ wins this week. Andersen’s 32.5 scoring average led the nation in the season’s opening week, highlighted by a career-high 35-point night in Fairfield’s win over Villanova on Nov. 5. The 6’1 native of Wantagh, N.Y. also surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, doing so in 67 career games. Anderson also went 6-for-10 from behind the arc in the 88-60 victory over Lehigh on Nov. 8.
Impact transfers are sprinkled across the country and there are a host of them in the Big 12 this season. Baylor redshirt sophomore Talia Scott, a transfer from Auburn, was the catalyst for the Bears’ 2-0 opening week and their rise in the AP Poll. Scott was named Big 12 Player of the Week after she had two 20+ point performances, including 24 points in the Bears’ win over Duke in Paris on Nov. 3. Scott scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, propelling the Bears to a 5-point victory over the Blue Devils. She followed with 29 points in the home opener against Lindenwood on Nov. 9, hitting five 3-pointers and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Guard Taliah Scott (0) had a stellar first week for Baylor in leading them to two victories and claiming Big 12 Player of the Week.
(Photo Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images)
The first ACC Rookie of the Week award for the 2025-26 season went to Stanford freshman Lara Somfai, after she averaged a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in three non-conference wins to start the year. The 6’3 forward from Adelaide, Australia arrives at The Farm after an All-American season at IMG Academy in Florida. Somafi is the first Stanford freshman since the 2019-20 season to post double doubles in back-to-back games. She is also the only freshman from a major conference with multiple double-doubles this season, including 14 points and 13 boards in the Nov. 6 victory over Santa Clara.
South Florida’s Edyn Battle was named the American Conference’s Player of the Week after leading the league in scoring with an averaged of 20 points per game in two Bulls’ victories. Battle, a transfer from Jacksonville, poured in 17 points on 7-for-18 from the field in the Nov. 3 victory over FIU (81-56). The 5-7 guard then added 23 points, including 10 made field goals, in 31 minutes on the floor in South Florida’s win over Long Island 79-82 on Nov. 7.
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FILM ROOM
The first weeks of the regular season always bring intriguing match-ups, and we did not have to wait long for a top-10 showdown on a neutral court. On Nov. 10, we got a Big Ten/SEC tussle as No. 3. UCLA and No. 6 Oklahoma met in Sacramento, Calif. at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. It is a bit of a tale of two teams — one that returned over 60% of their scoring and rebounding from a year ago (OU) and another who has multiple new faces blending with All-American talent. Though it may have been billed as a battle of the bigs, with UCLA’s Lauren Betts going up against Reagan Beers for OU, the game became more a perimeter chess match to see who could hit shots and score in transition.
There were flashes in this game that were phenomenal for both teams. However, there were stretches that were not executed well for either side, which is to be expected this early in the season. The 6’7 Betts finished with nine points and 10 rebounds while Beers posted seven points and 14 rebounds for the Sooners. It was an incredibly physical game, with bodies and elbows flying and a grueling battle for position in the paint. The Bruins dominated the glass 59-43 and were able to utilize their depth of experienced veterans to capitalize on scoring droughts in both halves by the Sooners. Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens had 20 points in 31 minutes of action for UCLA, while the senior backcourt duo of Kiki Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker controlled tempo and the Sooner offense. OU hit only four threes on the night and shot just 30.7% from the field, one of the lowest field goal percentages the team has had since head coach Jennie Baranczyk came on in 2021. UCLA pulled away late to win 73-59.
Oklahoma guard Payton Verhulst, seen here against Belmont on Nov. 3, led the Sooners with 16 points on 7-for-17 shooting against UCLA in 36 minutes of action. (Photo credit: © NATHAN J. FISH / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Was this game a full snapshot of what we expect out of UCLA and OU this season? Absolutely not, but it is most definitely a building block for what is to come. UCLA has great versatility up and down their roster, while the Sooners utilize a fast-paced system where shooters thrive, and they’ll want to unleash freshman point guard Aaliyah Chavez. Overall, it’s unlikely there will be many losses between these two programs this season.
FULL COURT PRESS
The first week of the regular season proved to be smooth ride for some and bumpier one for others. Coaches will tell you that this is just the beginning, and they are still learning about their teams. While that is true, both they and their players can get impatient and may want to put their foot on the gas right now. It’s time to embrace the uncomfortable and meet the pressure head on — keep your eyes on these games coming up over the next week to see who can handle it in early November (check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability):
Nov. 12
Colorado at No. 22 Louisville
Norfolk State at No. 15 Duke
Bowling Green at Wisconsin
Nov. 13
Belmont at No. 12 Tennessee
Drake at No. 21 Iowa
Oral Roberts at Lindenwood
SMU at Texas Tech
No. 11 North Carolina at No. 3 UCLA
Nov. 14
No. 15 Duke vs. R/V West Virginia (Greenbrier Tip-Off)
Stanford at Washington State
No. 7 Baylor at UNLV
Illinois at Oregon State
Nov. 15
No. 18 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Michigan (Shamrock Classic)
No. 25 Washington at Utah
Grand Canyon at UCSB
R/V Fairfield vs. No. 11 North Carolina (WBCA Challenge)
Missouri vs. R/V Kansas (T-Mobile Center, KC)
No. 2 South Carolina vs. No. 8 USC (Crypto.com Arena, LA)
Nov. 16
R/V Ohio State at. No. 1 UConn
R/V Princeton at No. 9 Maryland
No. 17 TCU at No. 10 NC State
Texas A&M vs. R/V Kansas State
No. 21 Iowa at UNI
No. 22 Louisville at Clemson
Arizona State at Santa Clara
R/V Stanford at Gonzaga
Indiana at Florida State
Nov. 17
Northwestern at DePaul
Tulsa at Oral Roberts
San Diego at Colorado State
Nov. 18
Murray State at Illinois
Purdue at No. 23 Kentucky
No. 13 Ole Miss at Memphis
Portland at No. 8 USC
UNLV at Montana State
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference provided statistics