^{November 17, 2025 | Edition #163}

Hey, Hoophead!

We’d like to believe you’ve all fallen victim to this very familiar feeling: disappointment. Most of the times, things are not as good as advertised. Thankfully, that’s a problem women’s hoops rarely, if ever, delivers. UConn is, without debate, the best team in the country by a wide, loud margin. TCU expected to shock? Absolutely on brand. And somewhere between wins and losses, college arenas also saw one of the sweetest homecomings we’ve seen in a while.

Rafters Welcome Tash Home

When the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center rose to their feet Sunday, you could feel it… this wasn’t just pride. It was gratitude. Deep, overwhelming gratitude.

Gratitude for Natasha Howard’s four unforgettable years at Florida State.

Gratitude for the way she represented Tallahassee.

Gratitude for everything she did, and everything she is.

And now, all of that lives in one place, right there in the rafters. That #33 banner, hanging high above the arena, finally took its rightful place as the newest Seminole forever.

Tash returned to her second home to see her jersey lifted during halftime of FSU vs. Indiana. As she stood there surrounded by so much love, one of her Indiana Fever teammates ended up giving her the most heartwarming surprise of the night with a sweet appearance. You really have to see for yourself!

But none of this really shocked anyone who’s followed FSU women’s basketball. When you think of the program’s greats, you think Natasha Howard. The two-time All-ACC performer, the program’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,047) and double-doubles (until recently), now becomes just the fifth player in program history to have her jersey retired.

And her three WNBA titles, a Defensive Player of the Year award, a Commissioner’s Cup MVP, and a reputation as one of the league’s most dominant defensive anchors and versatile offensive forces prove that she carried that same Florida State excellence straight into the pros.

But the story is far from over.

For now, though, here’s to a well-earned moment of forever. Happy jersey retirement, Tash!

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TCU Turns It Over, Strong’s Monster Night

It was a Sarah Strong show!

We get it…Strong going off and UConn cruising to a win isn’t exactly breaking news anymore. But did you see what she did yesterday? In what might be her best game yet, Strong matched her career-high 29 points and casually sprinkled in 13 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, three blocks and zero turnovers. Like… what is that stat line even?

And if the numbers didn’t fully hit you, that full-court, one-handed dime after a defensive rebound probably will.

You can’t miss this one!

Indeed, she was a different beast. But while she powered the offense, UConn got steady help everywhere. Azzi Fudd dropped 19 with seven assists, freshman Blanca Quiñonez lit it up off the bench with 18, and Serah Williams and Ashlynn Shade added 12 and 10. The Huskies were humming.

Ohio State tried to punch back, with Jaloni Cambridge scoring 17, T’yana Todd adding 12, and Kennedy Cambridge 10, but the Buckeyes’ lack of height and a turnover-heavy night (24 of them) made this an uphill climb from the jump.

Meanwhile, if UConn reminded everyone what contenders look like, TCU showed they’re ready to join that conversation. And on the wrong side of an upset, it was NC State again. TCU played fast, physical, and fearless in a 69–59 stunner, marking their first nonconference win over a ranked opponent in nearly 15 years.

Marta Suárez was sensational with 26 points, Olivia Miles added a loud double-double (15 and 14). And at one point, it almost felt like Miles was just flexing out there. Highlights will make it even clearer. Oh, and she hit a massive milestone you’ll want to know about, too.

NC State, meanwhile, walked away searching for someone to step into that leadership void. Their trio of starting guards went a rough 4-for-28, finishing with just 14 points. This first real taste of life without senior leadership is hitting the Wolfpack really hard.

DIII Upset! How Scranton Pulled Off the Unthinkable Against a DI Giant

Big Plays, Bigger Energy

Early games are just supposed to warm us up, right? But the fact that we’re getting this kind of energy says that these young guns aren’t waiting for primetime.

Skill > Size! We already discussed how the Buckeyes were undersized against UConn’s front line, but they figured out how to turn that disadvantage into pure creativity. Jaloni Cambridge (5'7") had Serah Williams towering over her and trouble coming from every direction, but she found the move.

The kind that makes you wonder if you actually saw what you think you saw and turned it into a clean finish. Catch the moment here!

Whatever it takes. If you can’t find a way, make your own. That was basically Texas’ Bryanna Preston. Texas already had a big lead, but Preston decided they weren’t done setting the court on fire. She sliced through traffic, still a good step away from the basket, when she pulled out this slick, “I’m making this shot because I said so” finish. Such a clever move this was!

No surprise the Longhorns wrapped it up 111–45 over Texas Southern.

Shared-brain basketball? And then there’s St. Thomas–Minnesota, sitting at a rough 0–4 start but refusing to let anything dim their spark. Even in a loss to NJ State, their chemistry was impossible to ignore, especially in one gorgeous sequence.

Faith Feuerbach threaded a perfect pass to Jada Hood, who attacked the basket but instantly sensed the wall of defenders closing in. Instead of forcing it, she kicked a one-bounce beauty back to a perfectly positioned Savannah McGowan for the finish. Check it out here!

Sabrina in Disguise

Sabrina Ionescu will always be Oregon’s darling. Truly.

And the thing about real Ducks fans is they can spot her anywhere. Or… you’d think they could. But on Sunday, the fans at Matthew Knight Arena completely whiffed. At halftime, the Ducks held a free-throw contest. The first contestant hit just one shot.

Then a woman, “Jennifer Skone,” walked up, and casually drained ten straight. Sound familiar? Yes, you already know exactly who that had to be. But the way she looked (or disguised as) might just have you rolling on the floor.

And if that doesn’t get you, well, we’ll let you in on something else. As you know, Sab is skipping Unrivaled this time. So what’s she been up to instead? A little vacation. And while she was out living her best life doing what she loves… let’s just say her friends weren’t having quite the same luck. You’ll want to see what we mean.

1. Azzi Fudd’s Public Move Clears Doubt About Paige Bueckers - Full Story 

2. Draymond Green Fires Back After Angel Reese Heckle - Full Story

3. Geno Auriemma Calls Out Freshman Trouble - Full Story

4. Paige Bueckers Reacts to Sarah Strong’s Performance - 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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