^{November 24, 2025 | Edition #165}

Hey, Hoophead!

We hope you’re busy preparing for the annual shopping madness or maybe (like most of us) acting like it’s a life-or-death situation. And yes, we know that the emotions only skyrocketed with yesterday’s Lottery Draft… until we realized there was nothing to panic about. It was the fifth time in lottery history that the results matched the exact order of the teams’ odds. Still, there’s plenty to look forward to.

Luck Chose Dallas, Again!

Luck arrives in Dallas in doubles! For the second year in a row, the WNBA Draft Lottery has landed right in their lap and Wings will once again be the first one on the clock come April 13.

It’s not every day you see a franchise get back-to-back No. 1 overall picks. In fact, only three other franchises (one of them twice) have been fortunate enough. And one of those teams is pretty much ruling the league right now.

Take a look at these names and you’ll see the value yourself!

So, with this and a new head coach, Wings get another shot at adding a franchise pillar. Will they reunite former teammates Bueckers and Azzi Fudd? Will they go bigger and more defensive-minded with Lauren Betts? Or will they surprise us all? Tim will tell.

Meanwhile, the basketball gods also showed the Minnesota Lynx some love. Despite finishing with the best record, a smart-timed trade set them up. The rich just keep getting richer. Then comes Seattle at No. 3, another playoff squad that magically walks away with a top pick thanks to a three-team trade.

The Washington Mystics sent their last year’s No. 4 pick, Kiki Iriafen, and saw her bringing back another No. 4 pick to DC. They now own the Nos. 4, 9, and 11 selections in the 2026 draft - three first-rounders for the second year in a row!

And then there’s the Chicago Sky. The only non-expansion team in the WNBA’s 30-year history to never hold a No. 1 pick. Unfortunately, that streak is going to stretch past 2027 thanks to some questionable moves. Still, while the No. 5 pick isn’t always viewed as a franchise-changer, this year’s depth is something else.

Dallas GM himself said he’s already getting more trade calls than he did before the 2025 draft. It’s going to be wild. But before we even get to that, we’ve got free agency and CBA on the way.

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Payday Upset & Pair of Dominations

Imagine this: you get invited somewhere new, your hotel is paid for, you get a nice little check… and then you walk out with a ranked win too. Dream scenario, right? Well, that’s literally what Rhode Island just pulled off.

N.C. State paid the Rams $25,000 to come play this game, plus they covered accommodation. And Rhode Island stormed into Raleigh and pulled off a stunning upset. Honestly, it didn’t feel like ranked vs. unranked at any point. Rams were up 33–30 at halftime, N.C. State had tiny leads here and there, tied it at 51 going into the fourth… and then completely froze. 2-for-7 shooting over the final 6:41.

The real turning point was a cold-blooded three with 1:56 left (followed by a perfect sequence) that flipped everything. You can’t miss this one! Eventually, Rhode Island closed out with 68–63, the second ranked win in program history.

Meanwhile in Connecticut, Azzi Fudd basically turned into a cheat code. UConn blew out Utah 93–41, thanks to Fudd dropping 24 points (and career-high 8 rebounds) while shooting 81.8% from the field and 4-for-4 from deep. There was something different, though. Sarah Strong only played 20 minutes (averaging 29). Why?

Geno Auriemma had a reason. He wanted to distribute the minutes well after his star sophomore was absolutely wiped after the Michigan game. She still gave them 15 and 4 like it was nothing. Also, freshman Blanca Quinonez had a big day scoring a season-high 21 points and five rebounds.

And while Geno was happy with the overall execution, Dawn Staley was definitely in celebration mode in Columbia. Because her Gamecocks handed her a shiny new career record in a blowout at home.

Check out what it is!

South Carolina’s defense made life hard for the Royals. Queens scored just 49 points as USC forced a season-high 21 turnovers and scored 22 points off those. Every single South Carolina player scored, and the starters all hit double digits.

• Joyce Edwards – 25

• Ta’Niya Latson – 24

• Raven Johnson – 12

• Tessa Johnson – 13

• Madina Okot – 14 & 12

We can't wait for Gamecocks to face tough opponents soon!

New 2026 WNBA Mock Draft! Meet the Projected Top 10 and Their Potential Teams

Miracles & Milestones

The no-look miracle! We bet you've never seen a buzzer-beater like this before. Arizona State took UNLV on Saturday. The game was tied at 53 apiece and all the signs pointed to an overtime ASU tried preventing a shot to win the game and that’s when Marley Washenitz slides in, scoops the ball. The only problem was that she wasn’t facing the basket.

So, did she know how much time was left? No. Did she care? Also no. Without even looking, she just let it fly. AND game winner!!

It seriously doesn't get much crazier than this!

The record breaker. Nya Robertson had herself a night. As the Lady Vols became the first women’s basketball program to ever reach 1,500 wins, she decided to drop a little history of her own. Watch what a beauty this record-breaker was!

Robertson turned the fourth quarter into her personal showcase, finishing with 32 points, plus 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Tennessee wrapped it up with an easy 88–35 win at the Food City Center vs. Coppin State.

Future is Here! This High Schooler Breaks Candace Parker’s Scoring Record

The Paige Experience

Paige Bueckers is different. You’ve probably heard that a lot. But this time, she might have written it in bold letters for everyone to see. “Unconditionally Unaffected” felt like one of the most courageous displays of vulnerability we’ve ever seen from an athlete. Paige let fans feel every high and low of her championship journey through unfiltered Zoom calls sessions that captured her emotions all year long.

She laughed, she cried, and she showed the raw foundation of what makes her HER. The most emotional moment was watching Paige tear up while seeing herself break down yet still choosing to share that with the world.

Watch the interview to experience it yourself!

And yet… the second the draft lottery results dropped, on social media, Bueckers was in her fun, goofy mode. Dallas celebrated yet another No. 1 pick and if you ask Paige Bueckers, there’s a very special reason behind it.

1. Azzi Fudd’s Fourth-Quarter Fury Sends Her to No.1 in ESPN Projections - Full Story 

2. Sophie Cunningham Sets the Record Straight on Michael Porter Jr.’s Viral WNBA Claim - Full Story

3. Lauren Betts Makes Feelings Clear on Wings Landing Top Pick - Full Story

4. Reality Check Hits Nneka & AT as Project B Needs WNBA to Survive - Full Story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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