NCAA Basketball

Beyoncé Sent Dawn Staley Flowers For Winning The Women’s NCAA Championship After Watching The Gamecocks The Entire Tournament

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Dawn Staley NCAA Champion
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Did you know that Beyoncé is a hardcore South Carolina Gamecocks fan? Apparently, she watched and supported the Dawn Staley-coached team all the way through the NCAA Women’s basketball tournament with her family and enjoyed them so much, she sent Staley a bouquet of flowers to commemmorate the team’s historic, undefeated season and championship win. Staley shared “a video thank you” to Beyoncé as she showed off the gift — which included Cowboy Carter merchandise, naturally — and read the card.”If you know, you know,” she said.

To Coach Staley and the entire South Carolina Gamecocks,

Me and my family watched your games and cheered you on through the entire season. I am so proud of you.

All my love,

Beyoncé

Staley also shouted out all the family members, and noted, “I’ve been in the South for 16 years. I’m a little country too.”

The delightful moment is just one in an endless procession of moments that prove that women’s basketball has arrived this year — and one of the few in which a high-profile voice actually congratulated the winners of the tournament, rather than a certain player on the runners-up.

Beyoncé’s bouquets are well known in the music industry; she has sent them to Cowboy Carter collaborators like Mickey Guyton and Jack White and actresses like Sheryl Lee Ralph for her Abbott Elementary Emmy win, but this is first time she’s sent one to an athlete (she gave Serena Williams a special Gatorade commercial in 2022 upon her retirement, unless she got them and didn’t tell us!) or coach.

Travis Scott Was Praising Caitlin Clark Years Before Her National Fame, NBA Trainer Recalls

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NBA trainer Chris Brickley revealed on Instagram, last week, that Travis Scott was hip to Caitlin Clark’s talents on the basketball court long before most of the national media caught on. Brickley shared a text exchange he had with the rapper back in March 2021, in which Scott brought up Clark. “Man, Caitlin Clark has had a great college career but NOBODY was on her b4 my brodie @trvisXX [checkered flag emoji],” Brickley’s tweet read. “This was a text from March 24th, 2021 [two red exclamation emojis].” In the conversation, Scott wrote: “Caitlin Clark [six brain exploding emojis].”

Brickley posted the exchange before Clark and her Iowa teammates defeated UConn 71-69 on April 5 to advance to the National Championship game. They ended up falling to South Carolina in the title game on Sunday by a score of 87-75.

Read More: Lil Durk One-Ups Ice Cube’s Offer For Caitlin Clark With $10 Million Deal Of His Own

Caitlin Clark Speaks To The Media After Championship Loss

CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 07: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa. Hawkeyes reacts as she speaks to the media after losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2024 NCAA Women’s. Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. South Carolina beat Iowa 87-75. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Ahead of the National Championship, Clark spoke against the idea that her legacy was on the line. Instead, she wants to be remembered for changing women’s basketball. “I don’t want my legacy to be, ‘Oh, Caitlin won X amount of games’ or ‘Caitlin scored X amount of points,’” she said. “I hope it’s what I was able to do for the game of women’s basketball, I hope it is the young boys and young girls that are inspired to play this sport or dream to do whatever they want to do in their lives. To me, for it to come down to 40 minutes, and for me to validate myself within 40 minutes, I don’t think that’s a fair assessment.”

Travis Scott Praises Caitlin Clark

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Chris Joseph Brickley (@cbrickley603)

Check out Travis Scott’s resurfaced assessment of Clark’s game above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Travis Scott and Caitlin Clark on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Angel Reese In Tears While Describing Death Threats & Sexualization Since Winning National Title

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Tara VanDerveer Ties All-Time NCAA Coaching Wins Record

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Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer has tied the all-time NCAA coaching wins mark set by legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Win No. 1202 for VanDerveer came against Oregon, with the No. 8 Cardinal prevailing 88-63 despite losing star senior Cameron Brink in the first quarter. VanDerveer, who took over at Stanford in 1985, can make history and take the record for herself on January 21 against Oregon State. VanDerveer began her coaching career in 1978 at Idaho. She earned her 100th win in 1983 while coaching Ohio State. She hit 1000 wins in 2017.

“It’s a tribute to the great teams I’ve had, the great places I’ve worked. It’s been really exciting because so many people have reached out to me. It’s great for women’s basketball that there’s a lot of attention. I work at a great place, and I have so much support,” VanDerveer told the Pac-12 Network after the win. “Sometimes I can take it for granted because I see her every day. But she’s really been someone who’s changed the game. So it’s an honor to play for her. Every day, I learn something from her,” junior Kiki Iriafen told ESPN.

Read More: Angel Reese Calls Out Barstool Sports For “Double Standards”

Caitlin Clark Continues To Make History

The 2023/24 season is shaping up to be a truly historic season for women’s collegiate basketball. Caitlin Clark, a star senior at Iowa, is barreling towards the all-time career scoring record for women’s basketball. At the time of writing, Clark sits in fourth in all-time scoring, with 3306 points. That puts her 222 points away from breaking the record set by Washington’s Kelsey Plum in 2017. Currently averaging 31 points a game, Clark will beat the record during a road game at Indiana on February 22.

However, will Clark declare for the WNBA, where she is the presumptive No. 1 draft pick? That remains to be seen. “I’m going to know when I need to know. I think it’s very similar to my college decision. It’s like I’m in the recruiting process again. It’s really not something I think about every day or let weigh on me. I’m focused on helping this team be the best they can be. The biggest thing is I’m just going to trust my gut. I’m not going to do a lot of research on what’s better. I’m going to trust my gut and go with that,” Clark before the season.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Immortalized In The Most Iowa Way Possible

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Grambling Women’s Basketball Team Wins Game By Record 141 Points

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Grambling University’s Women’s Basketball has set a new NCAA record for margin of victory, as they beat College of Biblical Studies 159-18. It surpassed the previous mark set by Savannah State’s 2018 155-26 victory over Wesleyan (Georgia). Eight members of Grambling’s squad reached double digits in the absolute trouncing of the Division II Christian college. The Lady Tigers opened the game on a 34-0 run and never looked back. The game was already well out of hand at halftime, with Grambling holding an 82-10.

Furthermore, Grambling also forced 57 turnovers and held CoBS to just 18.9% shooting. Grambling’s 159 points also set a school record. Of course, 159 is nowhere close to the NCAA record of 258. With the win, Grambling improved to 6-5 on the season.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Hits 3000 Career Points In Win Over Iowa State

Pistons Streak Ends At 28

Meanwhile, NBA history was made last week. With a 129-127 victory over the Toronto Raptors last Saturday night, the Detroit Pistons ended their historic losing streak at 28. Cade Cunningham had 30 points and 12 assists as the Pistons’ streak ended as the longest single-season streak in NBA history and tied for the all-time losing streak. “I feel amazing. We just kept battling. It’s been a long stretch, all these losses, but I’m just happy to be part of a group of guys who don’t quit,” Cunningham said following the win. Meanwhile, Pistons rejoiced on social media, noting they could finally redeem the Wingstop promotion that had been cruelly mocking them for 28 games.

Toronto, playing short-handed in the second game of a back-to-back scheduling decision, pushed the Pistons until the final whistle. Toronto was without franchise cornerstone O.G. Annuoby, who had been traded earlier in the day. However, the return, which included former third-overall pick RJ Barrett, was not available for the game against Detroit. “It was a very emotional day for everyone. I’m really proud of the energy our guys had, taking everything into account. I also don’t want to take anything away from what Detroit did. They played a really good game and hit some very, very timely shots,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said.

Read More: LeBron James Wants To Start Streaming

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Angel Reese Responds To Rumor That She Was Suspended Due To Low GPA

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Angel Reese had an amazing season last year with the LSU Tigers. Overall, she was able to go out and win the National Title with her teammates. Although there was a bit of controversy due to her on-court celebrations, many dismissed these criticisms as disingenuous. Subsequently, she got all sorts of NIL deals and some believe she is already making a few million despite being in college. She will be in the WNBA soon enough, and fans are excited for her future matchups with the likes of Caitlin Clark.

Unfortunately, Angel Reese has found herself at the center of a controversy with the Tigers. Firstly, her mom and Flau’Jae Johnson’s mom have been feuding on social media. It seemed as though Johnson’s mother was implying that Reese was doing poorly academically. Well, that was all brought to a head over the weekend as Reese didn’t play a recent game. Her head coach said she was still on the team but was absent for unknown reasons. Fans speculated that a low GPA is keeping her out of the lineup.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

Angel Reese Hits Back

In the tweet above from yesterday afternoon, Reese decided to respond to the noise. “Please don’t believe everything you read,” she wrote. It was a simple yet effective response that dispelled some of the rumors that are out there. However, the reason for her absence still remains unknown. It remains to be seen if LSU will ever divulge that information. For now, fans will be left to speculate on what happened. Either way, this is not the way LSU was hoping to start their season.

Hopefully, some clarity on this situation will be provided in the not-so-distant future. Let us know what you think of the ordeal, down below. Do you think Reese should come clean about what is happening? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on your favorite athletes.

Read More: Angel Reese Addresses Caitlin Clark Beef, Eyes Title Defense

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NCAA Women’s Basketball Season To Begin In Paris

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NCAA Women’s Basketball has undergone a meteoric rise in recent years. It has emerged as a premier product of the NCAA, especially in the age of NIL. Players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are now national celebrities. Viewing figures on ESPN for the Final Four and National Championship Game surpassed those of every NBA game on the network this season. Women’s basketball is what’s hot right now.

So how do you capitalize on it? With the world watching, what steps do you take to avoid a dip or plateau in interest? Players are staying in college longer thanks to the money, visibility, and networking they can achieve via NIL. That is something the NCAA, an organization that has often been slow to capitalize on trends in the past, cannot afford to pass them by. However, an announcement Wednesday indicates that the NCAA is taking proactive steps.

South Carolina To Face Notre Dame in France

In announcements made by the two schools, it was revealed that the 2023-24 women’s basketball season would open on November 6 with a showdown between South Carolina and Notre Dame. However, this matchup between two powerhouse programs will not take place in Columbia or South Bend. Instead, the two teams will face in Paris, France. It will be the first-ever NCAA basketball to be played in Paris. Previously, the NCAA has found modest success in staging its college football opener in Dublin, Ireland.

While it’s not an LSU-Iowa rematch, it does feature two exciting women’s basketball programs. 2021 National Champions South Carolina are in something of a transitionary period after the graduation of their vaunted 2019 recruiting class. 5 of those players were drafted into the WNBA earlier this week. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is discovering its new identity under fourth-year head coach Niele Ivey. A three-seed in last month’s March Madness, they fell in the Sweet Sixteen to two-seed Maryland. Both sides are likely to be preseason top-10 squads and strong seasons could see both emerge as title contenders. South Carolina has never beaten Notre Dame, currently sitting at an 0-3 record against the Irish. However, the event should be taken as a sign of things to come for collegiate women’s basketball.

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Caitlin Clark Supports Angel Reese Amid Trash Talk Drama

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Caitlin Clark became a bonafide star over this past weekend. The Iowa star dazzled fans with her play on the court and her trash-talk game. Trash talk has long been a part of athletics. It just so happens Clark is one of the best in her sport. However, if you’re known for being a trash talker, you have to be ready to get it back even worse. After LSU defeated Clark’s Hawkeyes in the National Championship, Tigers star Angel Reese did exactly that.

Reese signaled to Clark with the “You Can’t See Me” pose that was made famous by WWE star John Cena. A call back to Clark using the pose during Iowa’s victory over Louisville. Since the moment happened with Reese, folks have been choosing sides. Some believe that what Reese did was unprofessional and classless. While others believe that things like this are a part of the game. Clark reveals what side of the debate she stands on.

Caitlin Clark Wants Trash Talk In The Game

Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts towards Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Clark believes that moments like this are good for the game of basketball. In an interview with Outside The Lines, Clark said she sees nothing wrong with Reese’s actions. “Men have always had trash talk. … You should be able to play with that emotion. … That’s how every girl should continue to play,” Clark stated. The basketball star went even further, saying, “I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all.” That statement by Caitlin Clark should put the entire argument to rest.

Quite possibly, the greatest Final Four in women’s basketball history has been shadowed by nonsensical debates. If anything, the trash talk between players only brought more eyes and a spotlight on the players. However, these debates should take a back seat to the performances of these women. Do you feel that Reese’s celebration was a little too much? Or do you think that something like this does make the game fun? Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comment section below. For more of the latest news in sports, stay right here at HNHH.

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Drake Loses Out On Huge National Championship Game Bet

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Drake has always been someone who likes to place a friendly wager. However, the main difference between him and everyone else is that he has the money to go big. Whenever the artist takes to Instagram with a recent sports bet, you can be sure that it will be between the $250,000 and $1,000,000 range. Overall, it is always fun to watch, especially when you consider the Drake curse that has plagued numerous sports teams. More often than not, the legend finds himself losing a lot of money, but there is plenty more from where that came from.

Last night was the National Championship game for men’s basketball. For the most part, it was a very boring game between the University of Connecticut Huskies, and San Diego State University. UConn won the game by a final score of 76-59, and the game was never really close. Below, you can see that Drake made two bets on this game. He made one worth $250K, claiming that the Huskies would win by 6-10 points. Additionally, he wagered $100K that they would win by over 11. Ultimately, he was simply hedging his bets. Had he won the first bet, he would win over $1,000,000. For winning the second, he would get $230,000 which would more or less offset the losses of the first wager.

Drake Still Got Some Money Back

In the end, Drake came out as a loser in the situation. With the Huskies winning by 17, he consequently lost his very first bet. Moreover, he ended up hitting on the second bet. This means he ended the night with less money than he started. It may be unfortunate, but Drake is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, so he won’t be hurting too much. Besides, the Huskies overcame the curse. They were dominant all night long, and by the end of it all, they got to take down the nets.

Subsequently, it will be interesting to see what bets Drake will make in the future. Of course, the NBA playoffs are on the horizon, which is the perfect occasion to make some wagers. Furthermore, the NHL playoffs are also on the horizon, and we’re sure he will be watching the Toronto Maple Leafs, very intently. Let us know what you thought of the title game, in the comments below.

LeBron James Co-Signs Angel Reese Celebration

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LeBron James was one of the many fans watching the Women’s Final Four this weekend. This past weekend was dominated by women’s basketball and for good reason. So many storylines were fun and digestible to viewers. Who could stop the dominance of South Carolina? Is Caitlin Clark really her? Would LSU and their flamboyantly dressed coach cut down the nets? There were so many storylines, along with so many characters, that created enticing stories.

However, in the end, it was Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers that cut down the nets. The Tigers dominated Iowa from the opening tip on Sunday. The Tigers left no questions unanswered with the 102-85 victory. Sadly, the dominant performance has taken second fiddle to a story that gained traction at the end of the game. LSU star Angel Reese decided to give Caitlin Clark a little taste of her own medicine. Clark blossomed into a star during the tournament with her unabashed personality. Clark was unafraid to talk trash and maybe let her opponents know her true feelings with a few simple gestures.

LeBron James Is Team Reese

Clark celebrated her dominant performance over Louisville in the Final Four by showing the Cardinals they couldn’t see her. For anyone to even suggest that what Reese did was wrong really doesn’t understand sports. The best trash talkers in sports always get it right back during a loss. Clark’s situation is just another example of being able to handle what you dish out. While Clark didn’t publicly say she was mad at the actions by Reese. Many in the social media world were irate with Reese’s actions. However, this seems like a simple case of athletes having fun during tough competition. Something that LeBron James knows all too well. James’ support didn’t go unnoticed, as many are in support of Reese and her team.

If you don’t like what Angel Reese did during the National Championship, then stop her from winning. Reese went on to win the MVP of the Final Four, and deservedly so. Clark has nothing to hang her head about, either. Iowa’s star was a huge reason people tuned in this weekend. If anything, fans should praise both Iowa and LSU for bringing the heat and excitement to a sport that’s been quietly dominating for a few years. This weekend put Women’s college basketball on the map. With stars like Clark and Reese, the sport is in good hands. What are your opinions on Reese’s celebration? Did she go too far? Or is this a complete joke that it’s even a story? Let us know in the comment section below. For the latest in the sports world, stay with us at HNHH.

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LeBron James Expresses Immense Pride Over Bronny’s Senior Accomplishments

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If you are a basketball fan, then you know just how much LeBron James means to the sport. Overall, he is one of the two greatest players of all time. While he may not be above Michael Jordan, there is certainly no one other than MJ who could be placed above him. Although, it should be noted that James is entering the last stages of his career. This is his 20th season in the NBA, and one can imagine that he will want to call it quits soon. He is about to turn 40 years old in about two years, which is the peak of middle age. However, as everyone knows, he wants to play at least one season with Bronny.

Bronny James Jr. just wrapped up his final year of High School. He spent four years at Sierra Canyon, and subsequently, he is set to go to the NCAA. At this point, Bronny has yet to make a decision on where he wants to go. That said, there are plenty of great options available to him, such as USC, Ohio State, and Oregon. Firstly, Bronny will have to compete in the McDonald’s All-American game which takes place this week. LeBron James will be watching intently, and all of the pride in the world will be on his face.

LeBron James Praises Bronny

We know this because LeBron is always eager to share the accomplishments of his children. James is one of the best dad’s in the world, and you can’t help but love him for it. In the Instagram post above, James even showed off Bronny’s senior mixtape. Moreover, he offered some words of encouragement that will certainly go a long way. “Senior SZN was a flat out,” LeBron James wrote. “Extremely proud of you kid! Only the beginning. More work to do! The journey continues. Let’s Get It!”

At this point, it seems like a given that Bronny will end up making it to the NBA. How could he not? He has the talent and the two-way prowess to attract teams. Additionally, whoever drafts him will also end up with LeBron James on the roster. It is a two-for-one deal that is hard to pass up. Stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world.