Unusually emotional press conference from UCLA's coach yesterday. Makes me think something is going on with Lauren Betts, who didn't play this weekend.
2024-2025 WBB Team (2022-present)
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I watched as well. It does seem something is going on with Betts. In my opinion it is non basketball related as the coach said there are more important things than basketball. The way that Kiki had to take over for the coach at a point bc she was so emotional was telling as well. Kiki said it has been a rough week for the team and that they miss Betts presence on and off the court. I hope its nothing too serious!
Yessir, somethin' ain't right. Ain't right for a team that highly ranked to be losing a home game to Washington State, either.
The UCLA situation doesn't sound good at all. I hope everything is ok. Like the Coach Close said there's some things that are bigger than basketball. Whatever it is, is taking a toll on the team.
The coach was visibly upset, almost torn up. There's something more serious afoot than menstrual cramps, not that I am minimizing those.
We were in the red as well between 3-4 million dollars last year. Personally, I think we should go up on the ticket prices. People will pay it. Further, I think the staffs for Women's Basketball are too large. Does Dawn really need 4 Assistant Coaches. Some of that support staff could be shaved back as well. The last think I will say is that the Women's Game is getting exploited by ESPN and other networks. They laud Thursday ratings being higher than the NBA. However, when it's time to negotiate a TV contract, the women are not even getting a penny on the dollar.
She was on Haley Jones' podcast 5 days ago and she appeared to be doing fine.
WHOAH! Didn’t realize Betts has a very masculine voice.
I disagree with any downgrading of staff for Dawn as here staff matches the staff of everyother serious womens program in the country. The question you should ask yourself is how much money the Baseball, Track, Soccer program etc.. loses. It is similar to womens programs. As you can see is that our program losses less because of their drawing power than years ago when we were losing 9 million. The biggest difference is the TV contracts which will change with the new deal that ESPN signed exclusively with non-revenue sports and the Units funding that teams in the NCAA tournament will hopefully get in the future.
I am aware that all other programs lose money besides the football team. I just think the Women's Basketball program doesn't have to. We can increase our Revenue and tighten our belt. I am with you on the TV contracts. The money that the women's side is getting on these TV contracts is beyond pitiful for the exposure they are getting. No game in college basketball, men's or ladies, was as hyped as South Carolina vs. LSU. The viewership followed. However, the programs are not receiving the benefit right now. It's unfortunate.
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If Auburn can beat LSU, I suppose Mississippi State could also. The game is worth watching just to see HVL guard Lauren Park-Lane. Or will Mulkey mix things up?The picks for today and Monday
I was 4-0 on Thursday but other than our game they were all mismatches. Today’s and tomorrow’s games are going either muddy up or clarify the race for the double byes.
Gamecocksvs Vandy
see above
A&M
A&M is the better TEAM but Correa and Martharu might be the two best players on the court. I believe UF gets 6’6” Kyle back today I think. Even though it’s in Gainesville I’m picking A&M.
UT
Possibly best game of the day. Winner has a big leg up on 3rd place. I just am not impressed by UT but they keep winning. Coach Yo called out the fan base for lack of support this week. Attendance today will be a litmus test about whether Yo stays. I want to pick OM…..but UT has just a little more
Ark @ Mizzou
Who knows? Does good or bad Arky show up? Does good or bad Mizzou show up? Tossing the coin
….. It’s tails Mizzou wins.
UK vs Bama
Nobody thought UK would have 2 wins at this point. They are that bad. Nobody thought Bama would have only 2 wins. Disappointing. Bama gets back on track
Monday
UGA @ Aub
UGA Preseason pick to make the NCAAs. Auburn was picked next to last. Auburn is improving UGA is not.
LSU
VERY INTRIGUING. LSU needs a bounce back performance. STATE needs a big win to be in the top 4 in the conference race. Need it also for NCAA hopes. I said I would pick against LSU all season on gener principles But LSU wins
Jessika Carter is one of the nicest players in the conference. I'm worried she's too nice. She needs a little mean streak in her tonight. If she can stay out of foul trouble and Angel Reese doesn't, then the Bulldogs have a real chance. But I fear it's going to be the other way around.
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I got the popcorn ready
This has been my worst picking of the season. Past us and LSU there is just not a team that is reliable night in and night out.
1st quarter stats:
Shots of Kim Mulkey - 11
Shots of Sam Purcell - 0
Shots of Kim Mulkey - 11
Shots of Sam Purcell - 0
That’s what happens when you pay some of your players over 1 million a year. They offered Joyce Edwards over a 1 million package!! At one time our girls were getting $25 k a season. Don’t know if it has increased any!!!
Spot on from an LSU poster …
Well Kim fumbled the ball this year from the get go with her roster construction. I knew playing only 5 players every week was not sustainable.
-LSU lost Ladazhia Williams, who is 6'4. We add 6'1 Morrow
-LSU lost Alexis Morris, who is a PG, we add HVL who is NOT a ball handler
-LSU sits on 3 open scholarships going into the season despite having needs beyond what the transfers brought
-LSU did not attempt to develop its bench much during the OOC slate and kept starters in up 40+ late into the 4th quarter
-Kim over delegated recruiting responsibilities and signed her worst HS class in 12+ years
LSU is in deep trouble in the near future with Reese leaving if Kim doesn't adjust some things from her staff to what is going on in recruiting/roster construction. It was pure laziness this year
Well Kim fumbled the ball this year from the get go with her roster construction. I knew playing only 5 players every week was not sustainable.
-LSU lost Ladazhia Williams, who is 6'4. We add 6'1 Morrow
-LSU lost Alexis Morris, who is a PG, we add HVL who is NOT a ball handler
-LSU sits on 3 open scholarships going into the season despite having needs beyond what the transfers brought
-LSU did not attempt to develop its bench much during the OOC slate and kept starters in up 40+ late into the 4th quarter
-Kim over delegated recruiting responsibilities and signed her worst HS class in 12+ years
LSU is in deep trouble in the near future with Reese leaving if Kim doesn't adjust some things from her staff to what is going on in recruiting/roster construction. It was pure laziness this year
on this play LSU should’ve kicked out to Mulkey for three from the corner. she was open.
The more they keep losing, the more they will disintegrate as a team. The more they disintegrate, the harder it will be to recruit and rebuild. (except for their grand stash of wealth) Which suits me just fine.
You underestimate the Dime Store Queen, which is surprising. They're going to be good as long as she's there. It's our job to be better. Just think of the lift our program got this past week by beating him under those particular circumstances. Had we played and beat them AFTER this game tonight, the impact would have been greatly diminished.
IMHO, LSU would not have lost this game tonight but for having already played and lost to the Gamecocks four days ago.
Lots of respect for Mulkey's history and coaching ability, but that star seems to be starting to flicker a little.
It IS our job to be better. We have been. I think that will continue under Dawn.
What we have here is a failure to communicate
Hope you didn’t place any bets……The picks for today and Monday
I was 4-0 on Thursday but other than our game they were all mismatches. Today’s and tomorrow’s games are going either muddy up or clarify the race for the double byes.
Gamecocks
see above
A&M
A&M is the better TEAM but Correa and Martharu might be the two best players on the court. I believe UF gets 6’6” Kyle back today I think. Even though it’s in Gainesville I’m picking A&M.
UT
Possibly best game of the day. Winner has a big leg up on 3rd place. I just am not impressed by UT but they keep winning. Coach Yo called out the fan base for lack of support this week. Attendance today will be a litmus test about whether Yo stays. I want to pick OM…..but UT has just a little more
Ark @ Mizzou
UK vs Bama
Nobody thought UK would have 2 wins at this point. They are that bad. Nobody thought Bama would have only 2 wins. Disappointing. Bama gets back on track
Monday
UGA @ Aub
UGA Preseason pick to make the NCAAs. Auburn was picked next to last. Auburn is improving UGA is not.
LSU
VERY INTRIGUING. LSU needs a bounce back performance. STATE needs a big win to be in the top 4 in the conference race. Need it also for NCAA hopes. I said I would pick against LSU all season on gener principles But LSU wins
Not worried about LSU. I think we took their best punch in a hostile environment. Cardoso struggled in the first half. Paopao didn't make shots until a crucial one at the end. I think we take them by double digits on a neutral court. Still more concerned about a team like Iowa where one person can put so much stress on our man defense that it puts pressure on us to score. More equipped to put up points this year but still cause for concern. Also, Stanford is quietly getting better and their size always give teams problems. I don't know much about Colorado or Kansas State, but I intend to take a look at them soon.
Just took a look at Auburn who we play on Thursday. How did LSU lose to them? Auburn doesn't score much. 67 points per game. 40% FG and in the 28% on three pointers. It has one player averaging 16 a game, two others at 8 and 9, then drop to 6 and below. For the season they are outrebounding opponents by 1. The only things that stand out are +6 in turnover margin and opponents averaging just 55 pts/game. Conservatively, we win by 20 on the road? 79-59?
Auburn beat LSU because of several reasons….Some of their doing and some that LSU self inflicted
1. Auburn dictated tempo
2. Played good tough D
3. Fought LSU to a draw on the boards
4. HVL & Williams were 4-19
5. LSU’s guards are wretched on D
6. LSU does not know how to handle being in a close game
Auburn is well coached but I too think it’s a 20 point game. I don’t think it’s a name your margin game like the Kentucky game.
I am always interested and a little perturbed by our rebounding
Methinks #6 on your list might be the most important. And they are too tired to execute by the end of the game.
I had a business colleague who made fun of me for years for saying I was perturbed about something. Just returning the favor.
I would agree that losing to us might have softened them up. As for the future prospects of the two programs, that picture will have to take shape as we go along.
I'm less "concerned" about LSU after last night. No disrespect to Miss. State but that was a bad loss last night.
Actually, the SEC is becoming the loser in terms of the rankings. I see only two teams in the Top 25 and now only one of them will be in the Top 10. This league used to have some oomph.
I realize that's not the most important thing from our perspective, but in terms of our conference, it's embarrassing.
Solid points. I think the poster should have recognized how difficult it is to win in a hostile environment as well. Last year LSU only played one road game in front of a substantial crowd, in Columbia, and we know how that ended. They were not a big draw on the road. It wasn't until the championship game and Reese's antics that they became a "thing." Of course, we then have Reese and Flau'jae all over the media in the offseason. Then the transfers and the assembling of the dream team. They came into the season and asked for the smoke and they are getting it on the road. It's not easy to win in sold-out arenas, and Mulkey did nothing in her OCC scheduling to prepare her team for those kinds of games. And here we are...two SEC road losses to bubble teams.
All their SEC losses have been close. I don't think the weak OCC helped prepare them for end-game situations in conference play. But if she insists on playing those games, why not at least give her bench some experience? To be fair, Smith's injury and Poole's dismissal were huge losses. I don't know...the bench might be beyond salvaging at this point. I might start Pao and sub HVL in just to get something from the bench.
There goes KingWard being hyperbolic again. The SEC is 3rd in the NET, ahead of the ACC & the Big Ten. Charlie Creme has 8 SEC teams in the tournament (tied with the PAC-12) and two teams in his "Next Four Out." The conference also claims the last two national champions who just played a game in front of a huge television audience. The conference is not "embarrassing." C'mon, dog.
Cardoso did not struggle in the 1st half. We struggled WITHOUT HER on the court in the 1st half. Rewatch the game if you doubt me.
And she should not be "co" Player of the Week with anyone, but at least she was recognized.
Hyperbolic, a little. However look at the seeding
1,4,7,7,9,11,11,12. Very easily Gamecocks could be the only SEC team to make the second weekend.
Also this is a great look at LSU. The segment with HVL at 2:30 is pure hubris and comedy gold.