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Kings

The NBA is back, and on ring night, as confetti is prepared and banners await their ascension, the visiting Houston Rockets are walking into Paycom Center not merely as&nbsp; spectators watching the Oklahoma City Thunder raise their championship banner &ndash; but as worthy challengers.
This is no longer a young team simply hoping to develop. The Rockets are here with purpose, power, and one of the greatest scorers of all time leading the charge: Kevin Durant.
When Durant landed in Houston after that stunning trade this summer, it shifted the entire balance of the Western Conference. The message was clear: the Rockets are done waiting for their future. They want to win now, and their time is now.
For years, the Rockets have been stockpiling talent, banking on potential, and emphasizing growth. But after back-to-back seasons of competitiveness under Ime Udoka, the organization decided to accelerate. Durant&rsquo;s arrival changes everything &ndash; from the way Houston runs its offense to the expectations that now hang over the franchise.
Even without Fred VanVleet, who is sidelined with an injury, Houston remains loaded. Instead of patching the gap with another veteran guard, Udoka is doubling down on his young core &ndash; placing immense responsibility on Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun.
The Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun leap
Thompson, now entering his second season, will assume full-time point guard duties. It&rsquo;s a massive leap, but one Udoka and the front office have prepared him for. His athleticism, defensive instincts, and improving court vision make him the natural conductor of this evolving Rockets offense.
If Thompson is the engine, Alperen Sengun is the hub.
Fresh off a spectacular EuroBasket run where he dominated as Turkey&rsquo;s focal point, Sengun looks ready to translate that same control to the NBA stage. His ability to read defenses, pass from both the low and high post, and score efficiently makes him the centerpiece of Udoka&rsquo;s halfcourt schemes.
Much like Nikola Jokic in Denver, everything flows through him. The Rockets are embracing a more fluid, motion-based offense that allows Şeng&uuml;n to survey the floor, dictate movement, and create opportunities for Thompson, Durant, and Jabari Smith Jr.
In essence, Sengun has gone from being an intriguing young big to becoming Houston&rsquo;s offensive cornerstone.
And when paired with Durant &ndash; arguably the most adaptable superstar in basketball &ndash; the synergy could be special. Durant can play off-ball, spot up from midrange, or stretch defenses beyond the arc, allowing Sengun to orchestrate from the elbow area. When defenses collapse on Sengun, Durant punishes them. And if they crowd Durant, Sengun goes to work inside. It&rsquo;s a simple offense but one that is highly efficient and sustainable
Durant&rsquo;s impact: leadership and legacy
For Durant, Houston represents one more opportunity to define his legacy on his own terms.
He&rsquo;s joined superteams before, carried heavy expectations before, and heard the narratives that follow him. At 37, Durant is still elite, still driven, and now in a situation where his influence extends beyond scoring.
In Houston&rsquo;s locker room, he&rsquo;s the standard. His work ethic and professionalism have already rubbed off on the young core. Players like Thompson and Smith Jr. speak openly about the lessons they&rsquo;re learning from him &ndash; how to prepare, how to maintain focus, how to pick your spots on the floor. This team is talented, but Durant&rsquo;s presence gives them identity.
One of the biggest lineups ever assembled, and Reed Sheppard&rsquo;s moment
What&rsquo;s also fascinating about this Rockets team is how physically imposing they&rsquo;ve become. Udoka hinted during media day that Houston might deploy &ldquo;one of the biggest lineups in league history.&rdquo;
He wasn&rsquo;t exaggerating.
Houston has eight players with wingspans over seven feet, including Durant, Smith Jr., Sengun, Thompson, Steven Adams, Tari Eason, Tari Eason, and Josh Okogie.
Against the Thunder, the Rockets are expected to start Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Steven Adams &ndash; a massive group that blends size, versatility, and rim protection.
This lineup has the potential to suffocate teams defensively while overwhelming them on the boards. Amen can switch across multiple positions, Sengun and Adams anchor the paint, Smith Jr.&rsquo;s improved awareness allows Houston to maintain spacing even with a traditional center on the floor, and Durant is a sneaky good weakside rim protector.
With VanVleet out, rookie guard Reed Sheppard is set to play a more significant role than expected. Known for his high IQ and fearless shooting, Sheppard could provide the spacing and composure Houston needs from the second unit. In a team filled with stars and length, Sheppard&rsquo;s ability to shoot, defend, and make quick reads could make him the quiet X-factor early in the season.
<h3>&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;</h3>
All eyes will be on Oklahoma City on opening night. The Thunder will celebrate their first championship in franchise history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the squad will receive their championship rings, sending the crowd in euphoria.
But on the other side, the Rockets are coming to send a message.
They&rsquo;re not intimidated by the defending champions &ndash;&nbsp; they&rsquo;re motivated by them. Houston&rsquo;s front office watched OKC&rsquo;s rise closely: a young, homegrown team built around patience, culture, and development. Now, the Rockets believe they can write their own version of that story, except this time, with the added edge of experience and star power.
If there&rsquo;s ever a statement game to open a season, this is it.
Durant, returning to Oklahoma City where his career began, faces his former team in the most poetic of circumstances &ndash; ring night for the franchise he once led, but with him now wearing Rockets red. It&rsquo;s drama, nostalgia, and rivalry all wrapped into one.
For Houston, it&rsquo;s not just about spoiling a ceremony. It&rsquo;s about announcing themselves as legitimate title contenders. They&rsquo;ve gone all-in on the belief that their young core is ready and that Durant can still be the centerpiece of a championship run. For Ime Udoka, the challenge will be blending experience and youth, ego and development, discipline and creativity.
If it all clicks, Houston could find itself right in the thick of the title race. For a franchise that has waited years for relevance, that has rebuilt patiently and endured countless growing pains, this season is the start of something new.
And it begins under the bright lights in Oklahoma City, where the Rockets will take the floor not as dreamers, but as believers.

With Kevin Durant joining the Houston Rockets, their title expectations have never been higher: the Rockets are going all-in.

Rockets come in season with championship expectations with Kevin Durant

EuroBasket 2025 delivered another showcase of international basketball at the highest level. With elite NBA talent leading their countries and rising stars making names for themselves, the tournament gave fans plenty to chew on heading into the upcoming NBA season.
From Dennis Schroder&rsquo;s historic run with Germany to Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s continued development, several storylines stood out that could shape both international basketball and the league itself.
Here are the biggest takeaways from EuroBasket 2025:
<h3>Dennis Schroder&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame legacy case</h3>
Dennis Schroder may not always be mentioned among NBA stars, but in the international game, his resume is undeniable. After leading Germany to the FIBA World Cup title and winning the tournament MVP in 2023, Schroder added another jewel to his crown by winning EuroBasket 2025 MVP and carrying Germany to the top once again.
Schroder has become the face of German basketball alongside star forward Franz Wagner, pushing the program to unprecedented heights. When people discuss European powers, France and Spain usually dominate the conversation. Yet Germany now stands on its own, fueled by Schroder&rsquo;s relentless playmaking, clutch shot-making, and leadership. With a World Cup MVP and EuroBasket MVP on his resume, along with nearly a decade of steady NBA production, his case for the Basketball Hall of Fame is gaining traction.
<h3>Germany basketball at an all-time high</h3>
Germany&rsquo;s rise is more than just Schroder. This is a golden era for German basketball, with Franz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Daniel Theis playing key roles around their floor general. For years, the country was in the shadow of Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s greatness &ndash; and the question was whether Germany would ever have another era of prominence.
That question has been answered emphatically. Germany is now a top-tier international contender and has firmly cemented itself among the best programs in Europe aside from France. With the mix of veteran leadership and young stars, they are just starting to realize their prime potential.
<h3>Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s leap is no fluke</h3>
One of the most exciting developments at EuroBasket was Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s dominance for his country, Turkey. The 22-year-old center showcased a more polished offensive game, combining his already elite passing with improved scoring touch and confidence. His performances were not only encouraging for Turkey&rsquo;s future but also a preview of what could be a breakout NBA season with the Houston Rockets.
Sengun has steadily improved each year in the league, but EuroBasket offered a glimpse of a player who could make the leap to another level next season. Surrounded by newly acquired Kevin Durant, Houston&rsquo;s core and bolstered by international experience, Sengun is positioned to anchor the Rockets&rsquo; rise in the West. EuroBasket confirmed that his skillset isn&rsquo;t just flashy &ndash; it&rsquo;s sustainable at the highest levels of competition.
<h3>Lauri Markkanen shines for Finland &ndash; but what about Utah?</h3>
For the second straight international tournament, Lauri Markkanen looked like an absolute star. Finland made their deepest run ever &ndash; finishing 4th &ndash; and Markkanen&rsquo;s scoring, rebounding, and leadership were undeniable. He has blossomed into a true centerpiece on the world stage, a player who can carry a team offensively and give them a fighting chance against elite competition.
The irony, however, is that his NBA team, the Utah Jazz, has been in rebuilding mode. While Markkanen puts up All-Star numbers and shows he&rsquo;s capable of being a star on a playoff team, Utah appears to remain focused on the long game. The question now looms: how long can Markkanen stay patient? His EuroBasket dominance only reinforces that he may be better suited on a contending team where his talent could shine under brighter lights.
<h3>Giannis carries Greece to the bronze</h3>
If there was any doubt about Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s ability to elevate his national team, EuroBasket 2025 erased it. The two-time NBA MVP carried Greece to a bronze medal, delivering monster stat lines and putting the team on his back night after night. His dominance was a reminder of his ability to impose his will no matter the setting, regardless of the supporting cast around him.
For the Milwaukee Bucks, this is an encouraging sign. After another disappointing playoff exit in the NBA, Giannis&rsquo; hunger and determination were on full display. His international performance could very well foreshadow a massive season in Milwaukee, as the superstar looks to reclaim championship glory.
<h3>Slim Luka and Locked-In Jokic</h3>
Two of the NBA&rsquo;s brightest stars also made headlines in EuroBasket: Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Luka arrived in noticeably better shape, showcasing improved conditioning that allowed him to Doncic his brilliance deeper into games. Slovenia may not have gone all the way, but Doncic&rsquo;s playmaking and scoring kept them competitive throughout the tournament. A slimmer, sharper Luka spells trouble for the NBA, where conditioning has sometimes been his biggest critique.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic looked every bit the &ldquo;Batman&rdquo; of international basketball. The reigning NBA Finals MVP returned to Serbia&rsquo;s lineup and dominated, reminding everyone why he&rsquo;s widely considered the best player in the world. Jokic&rsquo;s effortless blend of scoring, passing, and rebounding carried over seamlessly, and Serbia looked formidable with him at the helm. Both players appear primed for another First Team All-NBA campaign.
<h3>The bigger picture</h3>
EuroBasket 2025 was a reminder of how international basketball continues to shape the NBA. Players like Schroder and Giannis showcased their ability to elevate entire nations, while rising stars like Sengun and Markkanen flashed the type of potential that can alter their NBA franchises&rsquo; trajectories. At the same time, household names like Luka and Jokic sharpened their tools ahead of another grueling NBA season.
As the league gears up for the 2025-26 campaign, these performances provide early hints at who could dominate in the months ahead. From Germany&rsquo;s rise to Giannis&rsquo; hunger and Sengun&rsquo;s growth, EuroBasket offered more than just a summer tournament &ndash; it was a preview of storylines that will define the NBA season.

EuroBasket 2025 takeaways: Schröder’s MVP legacy, Sengun’s rise, Giannis’ bronze, Markkanen’s dilemma, and Luka & Jokic ready.

EuroBasket takeaways: Legacies cemented and the next chapter for NBA stars

Germany has claimed the EuroBasket 2025 crown, defeating Turkey 88-83 in a pulsating final to win the championship for the first time since 1993. Germany&rsquo;s victory caps off a perfect 9-0 run through the tournament, showcasing their dominance and chemistry.&nbsp;
The final was tightly contested from tip-off to the closing seconds. Turkey came out strong and led by six at halftime, riding the performances of Alperen Sengun and Cedi Osman.
Germany responded in the third quarter, stringing together runs and tightening up defensively. Isaac Bonga made several key plays in the fourth quarter, including a huge offensive rebound when Turkey seemed ready to pull away.&nbsp;
With under 20 seconds left, point guard Dennis Schroder drained a pull-up jumper, giving Germany a narrow lead. Schroder nailed two baskets in the clutch, highlighting his leadership and importance to the team. Turkey had a chance to reply, but Sengun&rsquo;s three-pointer in the final possession rimmed out. Germany then sealed the win with Schroder yet again, sinking two clutch free throws.
Schroder was named tournament MVP and was named to the all-star five &ndash; and with good reason &ndash; as he stepped up when it mattered most, especially in those final moments.&nbsp;
Sengun once again proved why he is among the best international bigs right now, filling the stat sheet and keeping Turkey in the game until the last few possessions.&nbsp;
Isaac Bonga was a difference-maker down the stretch for Germany, including hustle plays and defense, especially during Turkey&rsquo;s runs, while Franz Wagner did his usual scoring routine for Germany as he did all tournament long to earn his spot in the all-star five.
For Germany, this win is monumental. It&rsquo;s their second EuroBasket title ever and their first in 32 years. They now hold both the FIBA World Cup (2023) and EuroBasket as champion.
Turkey gets the silver, their first finals appearance since 2001. Though they came up short, their run &ndash; powered by Şeng&uuml;n&rsquo;s excellence &ndash; it boosts their status in European basketball as one of the perennial contenders for years to come.

Germany has claimed the EuroBasket 2025 crown, defeating Turkey 88-83 in a pulsating final to win the championship.

FIBA: Germany outlasts Turkey to win EuroBasket 2025 Final

Germany and Turkey will face off for the EuroBasket 2025 title after both nations continued their perfect runs, defeating Finland and Greece respectively in the semifinals in Riga.
Each team will enter the final with an 8-0 record, promising a high-stakes clash Sunday for continental supremacy. Germany seeks its second EuroBasket gold (first since 1993), while Turkey returns to the final for the first time since 2001. Meanwhile, Finland and Greece drop to the bronze-medal game, each chasing redemption.
🇩🇪 Germany outclasses Finland in tactical showdown
Germany flexed its championship form in a 98-86 semifinal win over a gutsy Finland squad. Point guard Dennis Schr&ouml;der was the linchpin, pouring in 26 points along with 12 assists, controlling tempo and creating mismatches. Franz Wagner added 22 points, many in the first half, helping Germany build a commanding lead before surviving Finland&rsquo;s late surge.&nbsp;
On the defensive end, Germany largely neutralized Lauri Markkanen, holding him to 16 points on poor shooting and limiting Finland&rsquo;s outside threat. This win not only snaps Finland&rsquo;s Cinderella streak but also confirms Germany&rsquo;s first EuroBasket final appearance in 20 years.
🇹🇷 Turkey Thrashes Greece Behind Osmani and Sengun
In the other semifinal, Turkey delivered a decisive 94-68 defeat of Greece, denying them a chance at a long-awaited return to the final. Ercan Osmani stole the show with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including six triples, while Alperen Sengun posted a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists).&nbsp;
Turkey established control early &ndash; building a sizable halftime lead &ndash; and never looked back. Key to the win was limiting Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored just 12 points and couldn&rsquo;t lift Greece&rsquo;s offensive rhythm. This triumph marks Turkey&rsquo;s first EuroBasket final since their silver medal run in 2001.

Germany and Turkey will face off for the EuroBasket 2025 title after both nations continued their perfect runs.

Undefeated Germany, Turkey set up EuroBasket 2025 Final after semifinal wins

The Final Four of EuroBasket 2025 is now set after Germany and Finland dispatched their respective opponents in the final two matchups of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 in Riga.&nbsp;
After an intense quarterfinal round, four teams have risen above everyone else &ndash; some expected, others making history. Germany solidified its status as one of Europe&rsquo;s elite, while Finland made a breakthrough by reaching the semis for the first time; while Greece and Turkey each leaned on star power and veteran leadership to return to the last four.
🇫🇮 Finland makes history
Finland&rsquo;s 93-79 win over Georgia not only secured a semifinal berth but also marked the first time the Finnish men&rsquo;s national team has made it this far in EuroBasket history.
Lauri Markkanen, who has been steadily building toward this moment, contributed 17 points and 6 rebounds along with 4 blocks, providing both offense and rim protection.&nbsp;
Meanwhile Mikael Jantunen led the scoring with 19 points including several crucial three-pointers that helped them pull away, especially early. Bench contributions were huge: Finland outscored Georgia&rsquo;s bench by a wide margin. Though Georgia made a push in the third quarter, Finland&rsquo;s ability to hit big shots and maintain composure down the stretch sealed their milestone.
🇩🇪 Germany survive Doncic masterclass
Germany, the defending FIBA World Cup champion, edged past Slovenia 99-91 in a thriller, in spite of a monumental 39-point performance from Luka Doncic.&nbsp;
Franz Wagner poured in 23 points, and Dennis Schr&ouml;der added a timely 7 assists and leadership down the stretch, helping Germany respond when the momentum could have swung Slovenia&rsquo;s way.&nbsp;
A dramatic half-court buzzer-beater by Tristan da Silva just before the end of the third quarter cut into Slovenia&rsquo;s lead and galvanized the German side. From there, Germany tightened defensively and controlled the pace in the fourth. With this win, Germany advances to face the underdog Finland, a matchup that promises contrast: experience vs. hunger.

The Final Four of EuroBasket 2025 is now set after Germany and Finland dispatched their respective opponents.

Finland, Germany complete EuroBasket 2025 Final Four cast

As EuroBasket 2025 continues to unfold, the tournament is becoming a showcase of NBA pedigree in full force. Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are delivering superstar performances for Serbia, Slovenia, and Greece, while Alperen Sengun, Lauri Markkanen, and Germany&rsquo;s duo of Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner are emerging as breakout contributors in their own right.
Jokic &mdash; Serbia&rsquo;s All-Around Titan
On a mission to add EuroBasket gold to his illustrious resume, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has been nothing short of dominant. In Serbia&rsquo;s latest group-stage clash against Latvia, he poured in a career-best 39 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and tallied four assists &ndash; all while shooting a perfect free-throw performance and steering his country into the knockout phase with a 3&ndash;0 record.
With that feat, Jokic surpassed his previous personal best for Serbia at EuroBasket and now stands as the all-time Serbian scoring leader in tournament history. His consistent double-doubles &ndash; like 23 points and 19 rebounds against Portugal &ndash; underscore the blend of scoring, playmaking, and interior dominance that continue to separate him from the rest.
Doncic &mdash; Slovenia&rsquo;s High-Octane Maestro
Luka Doncic, known for theatrical individual brilliance, continues that trend in Poland. His historic 26-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist effort in a 17-point win over Belgium illustrated his ability to carry an entire country&rsquo;s offense despite roster limitations.
Earlier in the tournament, against Poland, Doncic posted a historic stat line of 34 points and 9 assists with 5 steals &ndash; a performance unmatched in EuroBasket history. Though Slovenia&rsquo;s group-stage position remains precarious, Doncic&rsquo;s heroics have not only kept them competitive but captivated fans worldwide.
Antetokounmpo &mdash; Greece&rsquo;s Freak of Nature
Giannis Antetokounmpo has conducted a masterclass in efficiency and power. In a crushing 94&ndash;53 victory over Georgia, he delivered 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in just 25 minutes &ndash; setting the tone early with relentless physicality and defensive pressure.
Already a tournament favorite, Giannis&rsquo;s presence makes Greece a legitimate medal threat, blending offensive ferocity with lockdown defense in ways only he can.
Emerging Stars &mdash; Markkanen, Sengun, Schroder &amp; Wagner
The NBA spotlight extends beyond to the younger stars, such as:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Lauri Markkanen (Finland) continues to live up to &ndash; and perhaps exceed &ndash; his high expectations. He dropped 43 points in just 23 minutes against Great Britain, following up with averages of 32.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, while posting a scorching 71% true shooting percentage through Finland's first three games.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Alperen Sengun (Turkey) has been like Jokic as an all-around wrecking ball for Turkey, and experts already regard Turkey as a dangerous group-stage rival largely thanks to his versatility and all-court prowess.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Germany enters the EuroBasket as one of the tournament favorites armed with veteran savvy and youthful skill. Led by Dennis Schroder alongside emerging talent Franz Wagner, Germany is aiming to win the regional meet especially after their World Cup triumph last 2023.</li>
</ul>
EuroBasket 2025 is affirming its role as not just a continental championship &ndash; but a global stage where basketball&rsquo;s biggest names meet national pride. Jokic is rewriting Serbian tournament lore with efficiency and versatility. Doncic remains an offensive force capable of nearly single-handedly carrying his team. Giannis, true to form, dominates physically and defensively. Meanwhile, Markkanen&rsquo;s scoring torridness, Sengun&rsquo;s rising versatility, and Germany&rsquo;s balanced duo present compelling storylines that could influence this tournament&rsquo;s elite trajectory.

As EuroBasket 2025 continues to unfold, the tournament is becoming a showcase of NBA pedigree in full force.

Jokic, Doncic, Antetokounmpo show out in EuroBasket

The stage is set for one of international basketball&rsquo;s premier events. The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tips off today, and a long list of NBA players will be trading their club jerseys for their national colors for this summer.
This year&rsquo;s competition features a loaded field of European stars, including MVPs, All-Stars, and young prospects eager to prove themselves on the continental stage. From Nikola Jokic anchoring Serbia to Giannis Antetokounmpo powering Greece and Luka Doncic leading Slovenia, some of the NBA&rsquo;s brightest names will headline what promises to be a thrilling tournament.
Here&rsquo;s a breakdown of the NBA talent set to suit up for EuroBasket 2025, followed by a guide on everything you need to know about the competition.
<h2>NBA players on EuroBasket rosters</h2>
Czechia &ndash; Vit Krejci (Hawks) Krejci gives Czechia size and versatility in the backcourt and frontcourt positions. While not a high-usage player in the NBA, he&rsquo;s expected to play a larger role as a two-way player for his national team.
Latvia &ndash; Kristaps Porzingis (Hawks) Porzingis remains the cornerstone for Latvia. His ability to stretch the floor as a big man will be critical in a team that thrives on perimeter shooting.
Portugal &ndash; Neemias Queta (Celtics) Queta will carry the banner for Portugal as their first true NBA-level player. His rim protection and rebounding presence as well as his inside scoring make him central to Portugal&rsquo;s chances of competing in a tough field.
Serbia &ndash; Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), Nikola Jovic (Heat), Tristan Vukcevic (Wizards) Serbia looks like a powerhouse. Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, is the ultimate centerpiece who can dominate games with scoring, passing, and rebounding. Bogdanovic adds elite shooting and experience, while Jovic and Vukcevic provide youth and depth to keep Serbia dangerous across all positions.
Turkey &ndash; Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Adem Bona (76ers) Sengun, one of the NBA&rsquo;s brightest young centers, will be Turkey&rsquo;s go-to option on offense. Bona, fresh off his rookie NBA campaign, brings athleticism and defensive intensity in the paint.
Finland &ndash; Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) Markkanen is Finland&rsquo;s unquestioned leader and most reliable scorer. After an All-Star leap in the NBA, he&rsquo;ll be expected to carry the Finnish offense against the continent&rsquo;s top teams.
Germany &ndash; Dennis Schroder (Kings), Franz Wagner (Magic), Tristan da Silva (Magic) The reigning World Cup champions return with Schroder orchestrating the offense and Wagner providing wing scoring and star power. Da Silva, fresh from his rookie year, adds another versatile forward to the mix for Germany.
Lithuania &ndash; Jonas Valanciunas (Nuggets) Valanciunas anchors Lithuania&rsquo;s traditional inside-out game. His physicality and rebounding remain vital, particularly against Europe&rsquo;s other elite big men.
Montenegro &ndash; Nikola Vucevic (Bulls) Vucevic is Montenegro&rsquo;s main offensive hub. His inside-out skill set gives them a consistent scoring option in a balanced lineup.
Sweden &ndash; Pelle Larsson (Heat) Larsson, fresh off his rookie season in the NBA, offers Sweden perimeter shooting and length on the wing. He&rsquo;ll have to play above his experience level to make a real impact.
Bosnia and Herzegovina &ndash; Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz) Nurkic provides size, toughness, and leadership. His interior presence will be Bosnia&rsquo;s best weapon against stronger rosters.
Georgia &ndash; Goga Bitadze (Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Raptors) Georgia has two NBA frontcourt players in Bitadze and Mamukelashvili. Both bring size, energy, and interior defense, giving Georgia a physical edge.
Greece &ndash; Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) The two-time NBA MVP returns as Greece&rsquo;s undisputed leader. Giannis&rsquo; all-around dominance makes Greece a perennial threat when he&rsquo;s on the floor.
Italy &ndash; Simone Fontecchio (Heat) Fontecchio, a reliable floor spacer and shooter, will take on a heavy scoring load for Italy.
Spain &ndash; Santi Aldama (Grizzlies) Aldama&rsquo;s versatility fits perfectly into Spain&rsquo;s balanced style of play. He can stretch defenses with his shooting while also rebounding effectively.
France &ndash; Guerschon Yabusele (Knicks), Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards) France boasts one of the deepest NBA contingents. Yabusele provides veteran stability, while Coulibaly, Risacher, and Sarr bring an injection of youth and athleticism. This blend of talent makes France a legitimate title contender.
Israel &ndash; Deni Avdija (Blazers) Avdija has steadily improved as a two-way forward in the NBA, and he&rsquo;ll now be Israel&rsquo;s top playmaker and scorer.
Slovenia &ndash; Luka Doncic (Lakers) Doncic headlines Slovenia as one of the most electrifying players in the world. He&rsquo;s capable of single-handedly carrying his country deep into the tournament, just as he has in previous years.
These eighteen NBA franchises will see their players in action. The Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards lead the way with three representatives each. The Nuggets, Jazz, and the Wizards have multiple players in the field, while even smaller-market teams like the Raptors and Trail Blazers will be represented.
<h2>Everything you need to know about EuroBasket 2025</h2>
The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket will feature 24 teams split into four groups of six. Each group will play a single round-robin, with the top four teams advancing to the knockout stages.
The knockout phase includes the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, a Third-Place Game, and the Final, ensuring plenty of high-stakes basketball.
Beyond continental bragging rights, EuroBasket also serves as a crucial stepping stone toward the 2027 FIBA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and global rankings. The competition has long been a proving ground where NBA players elevate their national teams while rising European prospects showcase their skills on a world stage.
With superstars like Jokic, Giannis, and Doncic leading the way, and promising youngsters like Risacher, Sarr, and Jovic making their mark, EuroBasket 2025 has the talent and storylines to deliver one of the most memorable editions in recent history.

The stage is set for one of international basketball’s premier events. The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tips off today

NBA players set for action at 2025 FIBA EuroBasket

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

Spencer Davies speaks with Taqwa Pinero about his life journey and how he's preparing both the future and current hoop generations.

Taqwa Pinero's knowledge is its own currency, and he's paying it forward

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; LSU star forward Angel Reese sat in the back of an orange convertible Corvette, waving to thousands of fans lining the roadside &mdash; and also waving her hand in front of her face from time to time, repeating a gesture that caused a stir at the end of the national championship game.
The Tigers paraded across campus and into the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Wednesday night for ceremonies to honor their first NCAA women&rsquo;s national championship, captured Sunday with a 102-85 victory over Iowa in Dallas.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying not to cry,&rdquo; said coach Kim Mulkey, a Louisiana native who left behind the three-time national champion powerhouse she&rsquo;d built at Baylor two years ago to take over at LSU.
&ldquo;This is my home,&rdquo; she said, noting that her mother was in the arena.
Reese was not among the players who spoke at the event. But she has been outspoken on several topics this week.
She was unapologetic when questioned about waving her hand in front of her face while staring down Caitlin Clark during the game. Clark, The Associated Press Player of the Year, made a similar gesture to no one in particular during Iowa&rsquo;s victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight.
Reese also has said she would not accept an apology from First Lady Jill Biden for suggesting that both LSU and runner-up Iowa be invited to the White House. President Joe Biden did not follow through on that idea, inviting only LSU and men&rsquo;s national champion Connecticut.
LSU star guard Alexis Morris, an outgoing senior who aspires to play in the WNBA, was among the players who addressed the crowd inside the arena.
&ldquo;LSU, thank you. I appreciate your love, your unwavering support and for believing in us,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just want you all to know I love you with all my heart.&rdquo;
Mulkey, who won a national title as a player for Louisiana Tech, said it was her goal to win a national title with the flagship university of her home state. But she said she never put a timetable on that.
Holding up a page of notes from a preseason meeting with her players, Mulkey said, &ldquo;Nowhere on here does it say, &lsquo;Win a national championship.&rsquo;&rdquo;
She said the goals she&rsquo;d written down were to win 90% of nonconference games, finish in the top four of the SEC, win one game in the SEC Tournament and remain ranked in the AP Top 25 throughout the season.
She also told the team, &ldquo;If you will play defense and if you will rebound the ball, you may surprise yourself.&rdquo;
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was among the speakers following the parade.
&ldquo;Louisiana always had faith in you, but more importantly, you had faith in yourself and were smart enough not to listen to all the experts who said you didn&rsquo;t have a chance,&rdquo; Edwards told LSU&rsquo;s players.
As for Mulkey, Edwards said, &ldquo;We all knew she could do it, but what she has done to elevate this program and all of women&rsquo;s sports is truly remarkable.&rdquo;
Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome presented Mulkey with a key to the city.

The Tigers paraded across campus to honor their first NCAA women’s national championship.

LSU’s national championship women’s team honored with parade

First lady Jill Biden&rsquo;s walk-back of her suggestion that runner-up Iowa should join NCAA women&rsquo;s basketball champion LSU for a visit to the White House didn&rsquo;t sit well with Tigers star Angel Reese.
Prompted by a discussion of Biden&rsquo;s comments during her Wednesday appearance on &ldquo;The Paper Route Podcast,&rdquo; Reese said the Tigers should celebrate their title with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama rather than President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
Jill Biden, at an appearance in Denver on Monday, had praised Iowa&rsquo;s sportsmanship and congratulated both teams. She also said that as part of the longstanding tradition of having champions visit the White House, Iowa should come as well &ldquo;because they played such a good game.&rdquo;
The Tigers defeated Iowa 102-85 for the title in Dallas on Sunday.
Reese on Monday called Jill Biden&rsquo;s suggestion &ldquo;a joke.&rdquo;
Joe Biden invited LSU and men&rsquo;s champion Connecticut to the White House on Tuesday with no mention of Iowa. Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, said the first lady had meant no disrespect to LSU and that her comments were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not gonna lie to you, I don&rsquo;t accept the apology because of, you said what you said. I said what I said. And like, you can&rsquo;t go back on certain things that you say,&rdquo; Reese told podcast hosts Brandon Marshall and Ashley Nicole Moss.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I mean, you felt like they should&rsquo;ve came because of sportsmanship, right?&rdquo; Reese added. &ldquo;They can have that spotlight. We&rsquo;ll go to the Obamas. We&rsquo;ll see Michelle. We&rsquo;ll see Barack.&rdquo;
Some social media commenters noted the racial dynamics involved, saying that only winners should be rewarded with a White House visit and that hosting both teams would detract from the achievement by LSU&rsquo;s team, which is predominantly Black. The Iowa team is largely white. Others noted the important role of Black women in Democratic Party politics.
Following LSU&rsquo;s victory, coach Kim Mulkey said she would go to the White House if invited. Reese said Wednesday she was uncertain if she would go.
Reese faced criticism on social media for waving her hand in front of Iowa star Caitlin Clark&rsquo;s face while staring down Clark during the game. Clark, The Associated Press Player of the Year, made a similar gesture to no one in particular during Iowa&rsquo;s victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight.
Reese said she didn&rsquo;t think LSU, had it lost to Iowa, would have gotten the same praise from Jill Biden as the Hawkeyes did.
&ldquo;If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;I remember she made a comment about both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship. And I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Are you saying that because of what I did?&rsquo; Stuff like that, it bothers me because you are a woman at the end of the day. White, Black, it doesn&rsquo;t matter, you&rsquo;re a woman, you&rsquo;re supposed to be standing behind us before anything.&rdquo;

Reese on Monday called Jill Biden’s suggestion to invite Iowa to the White House “a joke.”

LSU’s Angel Reese on White House flap: ‘We’ll go to the Obamas’

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; First lady Jill Biden said Monday that she wants the defeated Iowa women&rsquo;s basketball team to be invited to the White House in addition to the national title winner Louisiana State University. She watched LSU&rsquo;s 102-85 victory over Iowa from the stands on Sunday night.
Biden, speaking at the Colorado state capital in Denver, praised Iowa&rsquo;s sportsmanship and congratulated both teams on their performance.
&ldquo;I know we&rsquo;ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But, you know, I&rsquo;m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.&rdquo;
The White House didn&rsquo;t immediately respond to a request for comment about whether President Joe Biden would also extend a White House invite to Iowa &mdash; and whether it would be a joint visit with LSU or a separate engagement.
Following LSU&rsquo;s victory, Tigers coach Kim Mulkey said she would go to the White House if the team was invited.
LSU star Angel Reese tweeted a link to a story on Jill Biden&rsquo;s remarks on Monday. &ldquo; A JOKE,&rdquo; she wrote, along with three rolling-on-floor-laughing emojis.
Reese &mdash; the Final Four&rsquo;s Most Outstanding Player &mdash; has gotten a lot of attention on social media during the past 24 hours, ever since she waved her hand in front of her face while staring down Iowa star Caitlin Clark in the final moments of LSU&rsquo;s win, then pointed toward her finger as if to say a ring was coming.&nbsp;
Clark set the record for points scored in an NCAA Tournament with 191 in six games. If she saw Reese&rsquo;s gestures, Clark didn&rsquo;t seem concerned about them.
Social media lit up in the aftermath, with some believing it was trash talk that&rsquo;s just part of the game while others condemned her for lacking grace in victory. Reese was unapologetic.
&ldquo;All year, I was critiqued about who I was,&rdquo; Reese said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t fit in a box that y&rsquo;all want me to be in. I&rsquo;m too hood. I&rsquo;m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y&rsquo;all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that&rsquo;s going to speak up on what they believe in. It&rsquo;s unapologetically you.&rdquo;
Reese is Black while Clark is white.
Clark, the scoring sensation who was the first with consecutive 40-point games in an NCAA Tournament, made a similar face-waving gesture to no one in particular during Iowa&rsquo;s Elite Eight victory over Louisville.
Iowa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the invitation.
In her remarks, Biden also marveled at how far women&rsquo;s sports in the U.S. have come since Title IX in 1972 gave women equal rights in sports at schools that receive federal funding.
&ldquo;It was so exciting, wasn&rsquo;t it,&rdquo; the first lady said. &ldquo;It was such a great game. I&rsquo;m old enough that I remember when we got Title IX. We fought so hard, right? We fought so hard. And look at where women&rsquo;s sports have come today.&rdquo;&nbsp;
___
AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Schuyler Dixon and Eric Olson contributed to this story.

First lady Jill Biden wants the defeated Iowa women’s basketball team to be invited to the White House in addition to champion LSU.

Jill Biden wants champions LSU — and Iowa — at White House

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kim Mulkey returned home to Louisiana wanting to bring LSU its first basketball championship. The Hall of Fame coach did just that in only her second year at the school.
Her Tigers used a record offensive performance to beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa 102-85 on Sunday and win the first basketball title, men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s, in school history.
&ldquo;I turn around and look at the Final Four banners (in the home arena), nowhere did it say national champion,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I came home to do.&rdquo;
The victory made Mulkey the first women&rsquo;s coach to win national titles at two different schools. She won three at Baylor before leaving for LSU two years ago.
&ldquo;Coaches coach a lifetime and this is the fourth time I&rsquo;ve been blessed,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;Never in the history of LSU basketball, men or women, has (anybody) ever played for a championship.&rdquo;
The feisty and flamboyantly dressed Mulkey, who wore a sparkly, golden, tiger-striped outfit, now has the third-most national titles behind Geno Auriemma&rsquo;s 11 and Pat Summitt&rsquo;s eight. Mulkey has never lost in a championship game.
&ldquo;My tears are tears of joy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for everybody back home in Louisiana.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LSU dropped 102 POINTS to win its first national title EVER 🐯🔥 <a href="https://t.co/H2ZPuGMj4p">pic.twitter.com/H2ZPuGMj4p</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1642649936503209985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Clark,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-caitlin-clark-player-of-year-ed943aa5f1e86a1bb04505497bd4c9b3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press national player of the year</a>, couldn&rsquo;t lead the Hawkeyes to their first national title despite one of the greatest individual performances in NCAA Tournament history. The junior finished with 30 points. She scored 40 in the semifinals to&nbsp;knock out unbeaten South Carolina&nbsp;one game after she had the&nbsp;first 40-point triple-double&nbsp;in NCAA history in the Elite Eight.
The dazzling guard set the NCAA record for points in a tournament, passing the 177 that Sheryl Swoopes scored in 1993 en route to leading Texas Tech to the title. Clark ended her tournament with 191.
The 102 points broke the previous high for a championship game, surpassing the 97 that Texas scored against Southern California in 1986.
&ldquo;So much for preaching defense and rebounding,&rdquo; Mulkey said, laughing.
Taking in the game was first lady Jill Biden, who sat in a suite above the court with tennis great Billie Jean King. Mulkey said she hadn&rsquo;t met the first lady yet but told the AP that if the team was invited to the White House, she&rsquo;d go.
Jasmine Carson scored 22 points, Alexis Morris added 21 and Angel Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds for LSU (34-2).
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no one-man show around here. When I go down, the next man is up,&rdquo; said Reese, who was honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. &ldquo;Every single time, every time I go out or Alexis goes out, everybody always comes to step up.&rdquo;
Trailing by 21 points early in the third quarter, Iowa started hitting from the outside to go on a 15-2 run, hitting four 3-pointers and converting a 3-point play to get within 65-57.
The Hawkeyes (31-7) trailed 73-64 with 1:03 left in the third quarter when Clark was called for a technical foul. She swatted the ball away on the floor after a foul call against a teammate. That counted as a personal foul for her, her fourth of the game.
&ldquo;I thought they called it very, very tight,&rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;Hit with a technical foul for throwing the ball under the basket &mdash; sometimes that&rsquo;s how things go.&rdquo;
Clark played the entire fourth quarter with four fouls but couldn&rsquo;t get the Hawkeyes much closer.
&ldquo;They really played well, they were ready to go. They did a great job. I&rsquo;m just so proud of my team,&rdquo; Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. &ldquo;This is brutal, it&rsquo;s really tough to walk out of that locker room today and not be able to coach Monika (Czinano) and McKenna (Warnock) again. I&rsquo;m very thankful for the season we had and don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from that.&rdquo;
After Katari Poole hit a 3-pointer in front of the LSU bench, Mulkey started weeping.
&ldquo;With about 1:30 to go, I couldn&rsquo;t hold it. I got very emotional,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not like me, but I knew we would hold on and win this game. I don&rsquo;t what it was, but I lost it. Very emotional and tears of joy. Don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s the mere fact that we&rsquo;re doing it in my second year back home or that I am back home.&rdquo;
A few seconds later after another LSU basket, Reese taunted Clark by putting her hand in front of her face with a &ldquo;you can&rsquo;t see me&rdquo; gesture and then pointed to her ring finger.
As the final seconds ticked off, Mulkey and Reese hugged, setting off a wild celebration by the Tigers.
The game was tight for the first 15 minutes before Carson got hot from the outside. She made all six of her shots in the second quarter, including four 3-pointers. After one of them, she threw her hands in the air, which Mulkey mimicked on the sidelines.
For good measure, the graduate student banked in a shot just before the halftime buzzer to give the Tigers a 59-42 lead at the break. It was the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-march-madness-lsu-champion-game-iowa-scoring-record-3553732a3f7c830a61337c2f22789496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most points ever in the first half</a>&nbsp;of a championship game, breaking the record held by Tennessee since 1998.
Before Sunday, Carson had gone scoreless in five of her seven postseason games in her career. She had 11 points in this NCAA Tournament before the finale.
&ldquo;I would definitely say this is the game of my life because I won a national championship on the biggest stage possible in college,&rdquo; Carson said. &ldquo;When I woke up, I just wanted to win &mdash; do anything my team needed in this game, whether it was defense, rebounding, supporting them. I scored tonight and that&rsquo;s what pushed us and got us momentum.&rdquo;

Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers used a record offensive performance to beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa 102-85 in the title game on Sunday.

LSU beats Iowa 102-85 to win first national championship

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had 18 rebounds and LSU returned to the women&rsquo;s Final Four for the first time in 15 years by beating Miami 54-42 on Sunday night, carrying a rapid rise under second-year coach Kim Mulkey straight to the sport&rsquo;s biggest stage.
Alexis Morris scored 21 points and Reese added 13 for the third-seeded Tigers (32-2), who asserted control of a grinding, defense-first game. LSU&rsquo;s length caused Miami problems even with Reese &mdash; an Associated Press first-team All-American &mdash; having a brutal shooting day, and the Tigers offset their offensive hiccups by dominating the glass.
LSU shot 30.2% and went 1 for 12 from 3-point range, including misses on its first nine attempts. But Miami was even worse from 3, missing all 15 tries.
The third-seeded Tigers finished with a 49-35 rebounding edge behind Reese, which led to a 15-3 edge in second-chance points &mdash; all desperately needed on a day with offensive rebounds readily available.
Mulkey is in her second season at LSU, bringing a resume with three NCAA titles from her time at Baylor along with some flamboyant sideline looks such as her shimmering silver jacket with white pants for this one. She had cautioned that the Tigers were overachieving when they&rsquo;re still strengthening a program for the long haul.
Maybe so, but they&rsquo;re ahead of schedule after pushing their way through the NCAA Tournament&rsquo;s Greenville 2 Region. The Tigers head to Dallas to face Ohio State or Virginia Tech in Friday&rsquo;s national semifinals. Reese, a Maryland transfer who has led Mulkey&rsquo;s team all year with her physical play, was named the region&rsquo;s most outstanding player.
When the horn sounded, Mulkey turned to her bench and leaned forward to put her hands on her knees as though in disbelief. Players soon began running to midcourt to celebrate &mdash; except for Morris running straight to the scorer&rsquo;s table and jumping on top of it.
Reese missed her first nine shots and didn&rsquo;t manage her first basket until early in the third quarter, finishing the day 3 for 15 from the field. But she went 7 of 10 from the free-throw line and contributed four assists, three steals and two blocks.
Jasmyne Roberts scored 22 points for ninth-seeded Miami (22-13), which had taken a wild ride here. The Hurricanes rallied from a huge deficit to beat Oklahoma State in the first round, stunned No. 1 seed Indiana on the road, then beat Villanova in Friday&rsquo;s Sweet 16 despite blowing a 21-point lead.
The last win set off an emotional on-court celebration for Katie Meier&rsquo;s bunch, which had played with toughness and athleticism to get to its first Elite Eight. The Hurricanes were trying to match the record for lowest-seeded team ever to reach a Final Four, set by Arkansas in 1998.
But the Hurricanes struggled from the start offensively, even as their defense kept them hanging around and leaving open opportunities to make a push.
Outside of Roberts &mdash; coming off a career-best 26 points against Villanova &mdash; seemingly no Hurricanes player could make a shot.
The Hurricanes shot 31.6% and plenty of their missed 3-pointers came off clean looks. Destiny Harden, who hit the shot to beat Indiana, scored three points on 0-for-9 shooting with seven missed 3s.
It was a disappointing conclusion to an incredible run for Miami, and the school fell short of making history twice in one day.
The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams were each playing Sunday to reach the program&rsquo;s first Final Four. The men pulled it off, beating Texas in Kansas City, Missouri. That game went final during the first quarter of the women&rsquo;s game &mdash; drawing cheers when the final play was shown on the arena scoreboards.
Miami battled, but couldn&rsquo;t complete the double.

Alexis Morris scored 21 points and Reese added 13 for the Tigers, who asserted control of a grinding, defense-first game.

Reese, LSU women push past Miami 54-42 to reach Final Four

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) &mdash; LaDazhia Williams was determined to extend her career. Thanks to her best game of the season, her LSU teammates will get to keep playing, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not ready to home,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We already know where we want to go.&rdquo;
Williams and the third-seeded Tigers reached the Elite Eight for the first time in 15 years, holding off No. 2 seed Utah 66-63 on Friday night.
Williams had a season-high 24 points to boost LSU (31-2).
Alexis Morris, another fifth-year transfer like Williams, had 15 points. Her two foul shots with 10 seconds left put LSU ahead for good, 64-63. She later made two more free throws.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just hungry right now,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;I know we&rsquo;re fueled up and we&rsquo;re fired up. We&rsquo;re one game away from going to the Final Four.&rdquo;
Angel Reese added 17 points and 12 rebounds for her 31st double double of the season.
Coach Kim Mulkey&rsquo;s Tigers can reach their first Final Four since 2008 on Sunday night when they face No. 9 seed Miami to close the Greenville 2 Regional. The Hurricanes overcame fourth-seeded Villanova and the nation&rsquo;s leading scorer Maddy Siegrist 70-65 earlier at the Greenville 2 Regional.
&ldquo;I think we fought hard all four quarters,&rdquo; Reese said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been through so much from the beginning to the end, so I&rsquo;m just super happy for this team.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Not that there weren&rsquo;t some anxious moments at the end.
Down 64-63, the Utes had a chance to back in front, but Jenna Johnson &mdash; a near 75% foul shooter &mdash; missed both attempts with 4.7 seconds to go. Utah&rsquo;s Dasia Young had her hands on the rebound, but LSU&rsquo;s Sa&rsquo;Maya Smith took it away.
Morris made two more foul shots for a three-point lead. The Utes had a final chance, but Young&rsquo;s 3-point try from the left corner hit the side of the backboard as time expired.
Utah coach Lynne Roberts had her arm around Johnson on the bench after the misses.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;ll happen again if she gets that opportunity again, knowing her, the competitor she is,&rdquo; Roberts said.
LSU hadn&rsquo;t advance this far since reaching the Final Four 15 years ago. This is Mulkey&rsquo;s second season coaching the Tigers.
Williams, who played at South Carolina and Missouri before joining LSU, was dominant down low as she made 11 of 14 shots and finished a point shy of her career best.
Gianna Kneepkens led Utah (27-5) with 20 points. Alissa Pili, a second-team AP All-American, had 14 points, but took just eight shots as LSU denied her the ball. She fouled out in the final minute.
Reese, Poole and fellow LSU starter Flau&rsquo;jae Johnson fouled out in the final minutes.
BIG PICTURE
LSU: The Tigers are out for more and it starts against underdog Miami on Sunday. If Williams can continue her inside play to combine with All-American Reese, LSU will be tough to handle.
Utah: The Utes are coming off a season where they achieved big things, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2008 and 2009. Utah can be every bit as successful next season with Pili, just a junior, back to lead the way.
MULKEY&rsquo;S OUTFIT
Mulkey, known as a flamboyant dresser, had on a multi-colored jacket that appeared to include feathers on both sleeves. Mulkey said the designer was sending her another outfit to wear Sunday in the Elite Eight game. &ldquo;We told her this is probably her best (out) fit,&rdquo; Williams said.
SPECIAL GUEST
LSU football coach Brian Kelly took a break from the Tigers spring football workouts to cheer on his school&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s basketball team. Kelly sat in the front row across from the LSU bench, following the action intently in the tight contest. The football Tigers are coming off a 10-4 season where they won the SEC Western Division in Kelly&rsquo;s first season.
TOUGH SPOT 
Johnson had made 74.8% of her free throws on the season, though she had made just 5 of 11 in the two tournament wins against Gardner-Webb and Princeton. Her first free throw fell short of the rim, causing LSU fans to get even louder to up the intensity before her second shot, which rattled out.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think the noise so much affected me,&rdquo; Johnson said, her eyes welling with tears. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, maybe in my head a little bit from the first one. But I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The third-seeded Tigers reached the Elite Eight for the first time in 15 years, holding off No. 2 seed Utah 66-63 on Friday night.

March Madness: Morris, LSU women top Utah, into Elite Eight

The following is a press release from the Atlanta Hawks:
ATLANTA &ndash; The Atlanta Hawks today announced the team has signed guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to a contract extension, which begins with the 2023-24 season. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
In his third season with the Hawks, Bogdanovic is averaging 14.1 points on .437 shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. In 43 games (five starts), he is shooting a team-best .401 from three-point range. Bogdanovic is one of only 10 players in the NBA this season to be shooting over .400% from three-point territory, while attempting at least 6.5 triples per game. He has connected on three-or-more from behind the arc 20 times as a reserve this season (24 times total), one of only five bench players in the NBA to have at least 20 such games.
Over his three seasons in Atlanta, the 6-foot-6 guard has posted averages of 15.2 points on .445 shooting (.399 from three), 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29.2 minutes in 150 games. Bogdanovic&rsquo;s .399 clip from three is the sixth-highest mark from deep in the NBA over the past three seasons (min. 1,000 3FGA). He currently ranks 11th all-time for most three-pointers in Hawks history, knocking down 431 in his 150 games played.
In two postseason trips with the Hawks, he has averaged 14.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 assists in 32.0 minutes over 22 games (18 starts).
&ldquo;Bogi brings so many of the qualities we are looking for in a Hawks player. In addition to his elite shooting ability, he has the versatility to thrive as a starter or sixth man, and a competitiveness that is invaluable to our team and culture,&rdquo; General Manager Landry Fields said. &ldquo;We are excited that he will remain a key part of our team going forward.&rdquo;
Prior to signing with the Hawks in November 2020, the native of Belgrade, Serbia played three seasons in Sacramento and totaled 13.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 28.2 minutes (.434 FG%, .374 3FG%, .806 FT%) in 209 games (97 starts). He was awarded the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Challenge Most Valuable Player, competing for Team World.
Over his six seasons in the NBA, Bogdanovic has career averages of 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 28.6 minutes per game in 359 games (156 starts).
Originally the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by Phoenix, the 6-foot-6 Bogdanovic played internationally for Partizan (Serbia) and Fenerbahce (Turkey) before coming to the NBA.
&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35873955/hawks-bogdan-bogdanovic-agree-4-year-68-million-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, it is a four-year, $68 million contract extension.

In his third season with the Hawks, Bogdanovic is averaging 14.1 points on .437 shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Atlanta Hawks sign Bogdan Bogdanovic to multiyear contract extension

Let&rsquo;s go ahead and put Denver and Sacramento into the Western Conference playoffs. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine Memphis and Phoenix falling out of the mix, even with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morant-checks-into-counseling-program-no-timetable-to-rejoin-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ja Morant away from the Grizzlies</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-kevin-durant-expected-to-miss-23-weeks-with-sprained-ankle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Durant still not able to make his home debut for the Suns</a>&nbsp;because of ankle trouble. Put them on the bracket as well.
And from there, it&rsquo;s anyone&rsquo;s guess.
The West is an absolute mess, and the middle of the pack &mdash; the race for the last two guaranteed playoff spots and the four berths into the play-in tournament &mdash; is as muddled and murky as possible.
&ldquo;Hope,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said, &ldquo;is a good motivator.&rdquo;
True. There&rsquo;s plenty of hope still out there, too.
The West has, more often than not in recent years, been the power-broker side of the NBA. Not this year. The shinier records are at the top of the Eastern Conference, which is on pace to finish with three of the best four records this season &mdash; something that hasn&rsquo;t happened since 2008-09.
The West has become a logjam this year, and the standings change almost nightly. A single win or loss can change everything: Utah was ninth in the West entering Monday, and a&nbsp;four-point loss at Miami left the Jazz tumbling three spots to 12th. The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, went from 11th to ninth &mdash; from out of the play-in to back in &mdash; without even playing.
Defending champion&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-warriors-thompson-curry-booker-9cd92497df68da54f0225b275cb4c264">Golden State beat Phoenix</a>&nbsp;and went from sixth to fifth. After the Warriors, it&rsquo;s the Los Angeles Clippers in sixth, Minnesota seventh, Dallas eighth, the Lakers ninth, New Orleans 10th, Oklahoma City 11th and the Jazz 12th.
Put another way, 2.5 games separated the fifth-place Warriors from the 11th-place Thunder. Only 4.5 games separated the Warriors from the 13th-place Portland Trail Blazers. It&rsquo;s hard to envision a scenario, given how tight the standings are right now, where at least some West races for seeding don&rsquo;t go down to the final day.
&ldquo;No one&rsquo;s really out of it right now, at this point in the Western Conference,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a couple teams that have fallen, I guess, out of the race, but 5 through 13 are so tight that every team is competing each night with that hope of like, &lsquo;Hey, if you string a few together, you can really vault in the standings.&rsquo; We&rsquo;d all be lying if we say we don&rsquo;t check the standings. We definitely do, but it can be a little distracting.&rdquo;
This is exactly what the NBA wanted when it added the play-in tournament &mdash; intrigue all the way to the end of the season. Only the top six teams in each conference are guaranteed playoff spots when the regular season ends on April 9; the next four from the East and West go to a play-in tournament to decide the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds on the respective brackets.
Only three teams &mdash; Houston, San Antonio and Detroit &mdash; have been eliminated. Charlotte isn&rsquo;t too far away from joining that trio. Everyone else still has a legitimate chance, at least at the play-in.
&ldquo;You do have to embrace the competition,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re dreaming about things in the middle of the summer, this is what you want. You want games with incredible pressure and context. You don&rsquo;t want games to have no meaning, to play for lottery balls. You want to have this kind of context. And you want to see what this competition can bring out of you.&rdquo;
Teams will find out, whether they want to know or not.
There are no fewer than 24 matchups the rest of the way that will pit those teams vying for spots 5 through 8 on the West bracket against one another, meaning those nights could lead to a big swing in the standings.
It also might come down to which teams get somebody back in time to help the cause.
The Lakers may get LeBron James back at some point. The Warriors aren&rsquo;t sure when Andrew Wiggins &mdash; out for personal reasons &mdash; could return, or if he will. The Mavericks are dealing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both having injuries. The Timberwolves hope Karl-Anthony Towns is close to a return from a calf injury. The Pelicans have remained in the race despite not having Zion Williamson, which they&rsquo;re probably used to by now.
Buckle up. Denver might not get caught atop the West. The trio of Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia will finish 1-2-3 in the East in some order. But everything else is pretty much up for grabs, especially in the super-cluttered West.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny what a couple of wins can do right now,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.

All but two West teams are fighting for a playoff spot. Only 2.5 games separate the 5th-place Warriors from the 11th-place Thunder.

Earning a Play-In spot in the Western Conference won't be easy

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Keegan Murray had a career-high 30 points and set a franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers to help the Sacramento Kings snap a two-game skid with a 140-120 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
The fourth overall pick in last year&rsquo;s NBA draft, Murray shot 8 for 12 from beyond the arc on a night when the Kings made 21 3-pointers. The previous team mark for 3s by a rookie was set by Ricky Berry with seven in 1989.
Murray went 1 for 16 on 3-pointers over his past three games.
&ldquo;Nothing changed there except the ball going in,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;I just found a rhythm and when you see the ball going in early, it helps a lot.&rdquo;
Sacramento coach Mike Brown was pleased to see Murray break out of what he called a &ldquo;mini-slump.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We just think he&rsquo;s that good of a shooter and he&rsquo;s capable,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Now, I&rsquo;m not saying he&rsquo;s going to go 8 for 12 every night, but we&rsquo;ve seen Keegan shooting the ball at a high high level this year and so it&rsquo;s not surprising when it happens.&rdquo;
Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in the first of consecutive games between the teams.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 16 points and eight assists for Sacramento after missing two games for the birth of his son, named Reign.
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s huge to have somebody like that out and it&rsquo;s good to have him back,&rdquo; Monk said.
Jalen Green had 27 points for the Rockets, who dropped their third straight.
An angry Stephen Silas lamented his team&rsquo;s defensive play.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not giving the effort on the defensive end,&rdquo; the Houston coach said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not getting after it like they&rsquo;re supposed to.&rdquo;
The Kings led by 12 with about eight minutes remaining before using a 10-2 run to push it to 117-97 midway through the fourth quarter. Monk started that stretch with two free throws and ended it with back-to-back 3s.
Eric Gordon made a basket for Houston after that, but Monk hit another 3 to make it 120-99.
The Kings were up by 12 after a layup by Kevin Huerter with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Houston then used a 14-7 run to get within 81-76 midway through the period.
Gordon hit two 3-pointers in that span and Jabari Smith Jr. had a 3 and a dunk to help the Rockets close the gap.
But Murray made consecutive 3-pointers to start a 9-4 run, capped by a third 3 from him, to push the lead to 90-80 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third.
A layup by Green got Houston within six with less than a minute left in the third but the Kings scored the last five points of the quarter, with a 3 from Monk, to take a 99-88 lead into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Kings: Kevin Huerter had 16 points. Trey Lyles added 14 off the bench. ... Sacramento shot 58.4% from the field.
Rockets: Kevin Porter Jr. missed his 13th consecutive game with a left big toe injury. Silas said Porter is struggling with the injury and it&rsquo;s unclear when he&rsquo;ll return. &hellip; Kenyon Martin Jr. had 18 points and eight rebounds. Gordon scored 16. ... Alperen Sengun had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
THINKING OF HOME
Sengun, who is from Turkey, said it was tough to concentrate on the game&nbsp;after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 4,000 people in Turkey and Syria&nbsp;on Monday.
He said his family lives far from where the earthquake hit and they were OK, but he worried about many others in the country.
&ldquo;Of course I was thinking about all of my country today all day,&rdquo; Sengun said. &ldquo;But I know I have a job over here.&rdquo;
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Keegan Murray had a career-high 30 points to help the Sacramento Kings earn a 140-120 win over the Houston Rockets.

Murray hits eight 3-pointers as Kings beat Rockets 140-120

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; LSU guard Alexis Morris showcased her speed, shooting touch and veteran savvy, punishing Tennessee for its apparent preoccupation with dominant Tigers post player Angel Reese.
Morris scored a career-high 31 points, stirring a raucous sellout crowd with a series of clutch transition layups in the fourth quarter, and third-ranked LSU remained unbeaten with a 76-68 victory over Tennessee on Monday night.
&ldquo;I had to be the player to stay poised because I&rsquo;m experienced. I&rsquo;ve been here before,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;I got my first few transition buckets and was like, &lsquo;OK, this is pretty easy. I might as well use it to my advantage.&rsquo; And that&rsquo;s what I did tonight, push it in transition and put the pressure on them.&rdquo;
Reese had 18 points and 17 rebounds for her program-record 21st straight double-double for LSU (21-0, 9-0 SEC). Reese&rsquo;s highlights included a transition layup while being fouled during a pivotal 11-0 run after the Lady Vols had pulled as close as 53-52 in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Walker scored 19 points and Rickea Jackson added 17 for Tennessee (16-8, 8-1), which has lost two straight, albeit to two top-five teams (No. 5 UConn being the other).
Jordan Horston scored 11 for Tennessee, which nearly rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half before the Tigers&rsquo; final surge kept the Lady Vols at arm&rsquo;s length in the final minutes.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was competitive &mdash; got away from us there in the second half,&rdquo; Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said. &ldquo;Obviously, Alexis Morris made some really, really tough shots and put up a lot of points.&rdquo;
Reese was held to just four points and four rebounds in the first half, when she was trying to avoid foul trouble. She ramped up her aggression after that.
&ldquo;With her, it&rsquo;s really difficult to keep her completely off the boards,&rdquo; Harper said. &ldquo;With her length and her strength, she just has position early, and it&rsquo;s really difficult because she has such a knack for the ball.&rdquo;
LSU led by as many as nine in the first half after Last-Tear Poa&rsquo;s 3 made it 32-23 late in the second quarter.
Tennessee closed to 34-31 after Jackson scored inside to open the second half. But 3s by Jasmine Carson and Morris helped LSU start to pull away again. Morris&rsquo; free throws ignited an 8-0 run, capped by Reese&rsquo;s driving layup that made it 48-34 in the middle of the third quarter.
Tennessee went more than four minutes without scoring before Jackson&rsquo;s layup made it 48-36.
Tennessee then began defending the entire length of the court. That disrupted the Tigers, who did not hit a field goal for the last 5:45 of the third, allowing Tennessee to pull to 50-47 on Puckett&rsquo;s 3 in the final minute of the period.
The Vols were as close as 53-52 after Jackson&rsquo;s free throw, but Morris responded with a driving leaner while being fouled for a three-point play. Soon after, Reese converted a steal into a transition layup as she was fouled. Morris then scored twice more in transition, sending the crowd, and LSU coach Kim Mulkey, into a triumphant frenzy.
&ldquo;Everybody in the SEC picked Tennessee to finish ahead of us,&rdquo; Mulkey noted. &ldquo;If I&rsquo;m a competitor, I take that as a challenge.&rdquo;
FULL HOUSE
The crowd of 15,157 was the largest since a 2005 renovation of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Mulkey called the atmosphere in the arena &ldquo;everything young people need to experience in college.&rdquo;
Added Reese, a Maryland transfer, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been a part of this type of environment. ... To come to a school where they support women&rsquo;s basketball, sometimes even more than the men, is amazing and you don&rsquo;t see that very often.&rdquo;
Harper said it was so loud at times that &ldquo;it was really difficult to communicate with our team&rdquo; while the ball was in play.
&ldquo;Sometimes,&rdquo; Haper added, &ldquo;it was hard to even communicate in the huddle.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Lady Vols continued to be a victim of their difficult schedule. They now have a half-dozen losses against ranked teams and most of those losing margins were single digits. ... Tennessee shot 8 of 19 from 3-point range to keep the game close, but were outperformed inside in the second half.
LSU: Led for all but a few minutes and always had a response for each Tennessee push. LSU outrebounded Tennessee 45-38, outscored the Lady Vols in the paint 38-30 and scored 23 points at the foul line to Tennessee&rsquo;s six.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: Hosts Mississippi on Thursday.
LSU: Hosts Georgia on Thursday.

Alexis Morris scored a career-high 31 points, stirring a raucous sellout crowd with a series of clutch layups in the fourth quarter.

Morris’ career-high 31 lifts No, 3 LSU over Tennessee, 76-68

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored 17 points, Aliyah Boston had the 61st double-double of her career and defending national champion No. 1 South Carolina opened with a dominating 101-31 victory over East Tennessee State on Monday night.
Boston finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.
The Gamecocks celebrated their 2022 NCAA Tournament title with championship rings and a banner unfurled in the arena rafters to the cheers of a boisterous, happy crowd at Colonial Life Arena.
South Carolina held its opponent to 4-of-28 shooting in the first two quarters. ETSU missed 15 straight shots during one stretch.
East Tennessee&rsquo;s Jiselle Thomas, a first-year transfer from Temple, led East Tennessee with seven points on 2-of-20 shooting.
NO. 2 STANFORD 86, SAN DIEGO STATE 48
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kiki Iriafen had a team-leading 16 points and six rebounds, sending Stanford past San Diego State to open the season.
Iriafen was one of four players who had double-digit points for the Cardinal, including Elena Bosgana (15 points), Cameron Brink (13) and Indya Nivar (13). Alex Crain and Meghan Fiso each had nine points for the Aztecs, who were held to 31.6% shooting (18 of 57) by the Cardinal defense.
NO. 4 IOWA 87, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY 34
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark scored 20 points as Iowa opened the season with a win over Southern.
Clark, a junior guard who was a unanimous Associated Press preseason All-American, shook off a couple of early injuries to finish with a 6 of 10 shooting night.
Iowa center Monika Czinano, back for a fifth season after leading the nation in field-goal percentage the last two seasons, scored 10 points on 3 of 4 shooting.
Amani McWain led Southern with eight points.
NO. 7 LOUISVILLE 87, CINCINNATI 68
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Hailey Van Lith scored 28 points to lead Louisville to a victory over Cincinnati in the season opener for both teams.
The Cardinals broke the game open with a 15-0 first-quarter run and led 46-25 in the final minute of the first half. The Cardinals shot 51.7% and outrebounded the Bearcats 39-27.
Sophomore Braylyn Milton led the Bearcats with a career-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Milton was perfect on five 3-point shots. Mya Jackson and A&rsquo;riel Jackson added 12 points apiece.
NO. 8 IOWA STATE 87, CLEVELAND STATE 54
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Ashley Joens had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Iowa State opened the season with a victory against Cleveland State.
Joens, a preseason All-American, nearly recorded a double-double in the first half with 24 points and nine boards. She has 50 career double-doubles.
Stephanie Soares added 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for the Cyclones. Gabriella Smith led Cleveland State with 16 points and Brittni Moore added nine.
NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 88, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 48
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles had 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals to help No. 9 Notre Dame rout Northern Illinois.
Transfer post players Kylee Watson (Oregon) and Lauren Ebo (Texas) made their Notre Dame debuts. Watson started and scored nine points, while Ebo added 10 points off the bench.
Janae Poisson led NIU in scoring with 14 points.
NO. 10 NC STATE 82, QUINNIPIAC 45
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jada Boyd scored 14 points as North Carolina State led wire-to-wire in a season-opening victory over Quinnipiac.
Boyd shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The junior forward also had five rebounds, a block and two steals in just 20 minutes of play. Quinnipiac was led by Cur&rsquo;Tiera Haywood&rsquo;s eight points and five rebounds. Jackie Grisdale also had eight points for the Bobcats.
NO. 13 VIRGINIA TECH 101, MOUNT ST. MARY&rsquo;S 45
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Cayla King made a school record nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points, All-American Elizabeth Kitley added 17 points and Virginia Tech rolled over Mount St. Mary in both teams&rsquo; season opener.
Virginia Tech never trailed thanks to King&rsquo;s opening 3-pointer and after Mount St. Mary&rsquo;s answered with a basket the Hokies reeled off 20 straight.
Michaela Harrison scored 15 points for Mount St. Mary&rsquo;s, which shot 27% and was outrebounded 45-23.
NO. 15 OKLAHOMA 105, ORAL ROBERTS 94
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 19 points, Skylar Vann added 18 and Oklahoma opened the season with a win over Oral Roberts.
The Sooners finished at 47.6% shooting after hitting 60% of their shots in the first half.
Oral Roberts outscored Oklahoma 24-6 in the final 5:18 to get the margin down to 11. Tirzah Moore scored 25 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
NO. 16 LSU 125, BELLARMINE 50
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese scored 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds in her debut with LSU and the Tigers coasted past Bellarmine in the season opener.
The transfer from Maryland, where she was an All-American, had 14 points in the first quarter when the Tigers took a 31-8 lead and went on to a school record for points in a game.
West Virginia transfer Jasmine Carson added 17 points and Alexis Morris 16 for LSU, which returned only one starter (Morris) and five players from Kim Mulkey&rsquo;s first team, which had the greatest turnaround by a first-year coach in Southeastern Conference history.
Hayley Harrison scored 19 points for the Knights.
NO. 17 MARYLAND 88, GEORGE MASON 51
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) &mdash; Abby Meyers scored 19 points in her debut for Maryland as the retooled Terrapins defeated George Mason.
Meyers, an AP honorable mention All-American at Princeton and one of nine new Terrapins, made 5 of 6 from 3-point range.
Taylor Jameson scored 15 points for George Mason, which was 5 of 22 from 3-point range and had 18 turnovers.
NO. 18 BAYLOR 88, LAMAR 50
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash;Jaden Owens had a career-high 12 assists to go with 11 points for her first career double-double and Baylor pulled away for a season-opening win over Lamar.
Missouri transfer Aijha Blackwell and freshman Bella Fontleroy both added 17 points for the Bears, who used a 7-0 run early in the second quarter and a 9-0 late to go up 47-31 at halftime.
Lamar shot 32% in the second half and finished just 3 of 12 behind the 3-point line. Akasha Davis led the Cardinals with 13 points and eight rebounds.
NO. 20 OREGON 100, NORTHWESTERN 57
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Freshman Grace VanSlooten scored 20 points and Oregon downed Northwestern for the Ducks&rsquo; 10th straight season-opening win, and ninth straight under coach Kelly Graves.
Jennah Isai added 17 for the Ducks, who went 20-12 overall last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round to Belmont.
Caileigh Walsh had 15 points and six rebounds for Northwestern, which went 17-12 last season.
NO. 21 CREIGHTON 73, NO. 23 SOUTH DAKTA STATE 64
BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Jensen scored 17 of her 30 points in the fourth quarter and Creighton pulled away from South Dakota State in the only Top 25 matchup on the opening day of the season.
Creighton, the surprise team of the NCAA Tournament last year when they beat No. 8 Iowa and No. 10 Iowa State, made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter.
Myah Selland scored 22 points to lead South Dakota State, which won the WNIT last season.
NO. 22 NEBRASKA 100, OMAHA 36
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Isabelle Bourne had 21 points and nine rebounds, leading Nebraska to the runaway victory in its season opener.
Allison Weidner added 19 points and nine rebounds, and South Dakota transfer Maddy Krull had 18 points with four 3-pointers. Alexis Markowski had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cornhuskers.
Elena Pilakouta had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks.
NO. 24 PRINCETON 67, TEMPLE 49
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Ellie Mitchell added 12 points and 15 boards, and Princeton defeated Temple to spoil the debut of Owls coach Diane Richardson.
Princeton won its 16th straight regular-season game dating to last season. Prior to the game, the Tigers honored its 2021-22 campaign with a banner unveiling and ring ceremony. The Tigers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament, upending Kentucky in the first round.
Jasha Clinton scored 15 points and Tiarra East had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Temple, which was just 18-of-62 shooting.

Opening night for women's college hoops was highlighted by Aliyah Boston and the defending-champion South Carolina Gamecocks.