December 9, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Monday women’s basketball musings and more
Catching up on the week's biggest WNBA and women's college basketball stories
In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, The Next’s Missy Heidrick and Matthew Walter break down what happened in an eventful weekend of women’s basketball, from the 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft to several top-25 college matchups.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
Heidrick asks Walter about the players he was most impressed with the Golden State Valkyries getting in the expansion draft. Walter names a few:
“I’ll start with that point guard spot. I’m going to start with, I think [Veronica] Burton will be a great fit. She’s a phenomenal defender. She can really make people’s life tough. I think she’s a good rotation piece. The person [who stands out] to me is Julie Vanloo from Washington. She was a very, very good rookie last year: top 12 in the league in 3-pointers made, top nine in the league in assists. She started 34 of 40 games for the Mystics last year. She started on the Belgian national team in the Olympics. … She’s someone who could come in and start at the point guard spot. And you and I both know having a floor general makes or breaks any team. …
“The other couple players I really like is their three, four swing spot. I’m going to start with Temi Fagbenle from the Indiana Fever. Phenomenal in the pick-and-roll last year. She crushed it, especially with Caitlin Clark in that pick-and-roll. … [She] just exploded onto the scene last year in her time with Indiana and I think could make a big impact for the Valkyries right away.”
The IX Basketball, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom powered by The Next
The IX Basketball: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
Later in the episode, the conversation shifts to women’s college basketball. Walter talks about how the formerly top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks have rebounded from a loss to then-No. 5 UCLA on Nov. 24, including with dominant wins over then-No. 8 Duke on Thursday and then-No. 9 TCU on Sunday:
“There’s just a level of like, you’re the best. Everyone wants to beat you. … And I think sometimes you go on the road, especially across the country, to Los Angeles, to play a team that is very, very good. …
“And I think you see that [South Carolina head coach] Dawn Staley is the kind of coach that when you get punched in the mouth, she’s going to get her kids right back up and they’re going to come back and punch you in the mouth. And you saw that for the first three quarters against Duke, and you saw that yesterday against TCU.”
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to The IX Sports and receive our daily women’s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.
Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about women’s college basketball, the WNBA, basketball history and much more!
