The landscape of college athletics has changed dramatically, particularly in women’s basketball, with conferences realigning and teams shifting leagues. The shift of West Coast teams like UCLA and USC from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten has brought a mix of excitement and adjustment. On Monday’s episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, analyst and host Missy Heidrick is joined by Hall of Fame journalist Michelle Smith to dive into all things UCLA, USC, Cal and Stanford.
UCLA, currently ranked No. 1 and undefeated, has been one of the nation’s standout teams this season, with head coach Cori Close leading the charge. Michelle emphasizes how Close has done an excellent job of assembling a roster that blends experienced players like Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts with new talent from the transfer portal. At USC, players like JuJu Watkins and Rayah Marshall have been instrumental in maintaining the team’s high performance, and their ability to adapt to new environments has been crucial to their success.
Later on in the podcast, Michelle discusses Cal’s integration into the ACC. Head coach Charmin Smith has turned around the Cal women’s basketball program after a challenging period marked by COVID disruptions and injuries. She has utilized the transfer portal effectively, bringing in five grad transfers, including standout players like Lulu Twidale and Ioanna Krimili, to build a competitive team.
“This is the team that I knew she was capable of coaching,” Michelle notes, highlighting Cal’s current success as their best start in 12 years.
Elsewhere on the West Coast, Stanford is in a rebuilding phase under new head coach Kate Paye. “When they hit threes, they win, and when they don’t hit threes consistently, they struggle,” Michelle points out. Stanford has a promising future with a strong incoming recruiting class, but this year’s struggles may affect their chances of making the NCAA tournament for the first time in over three decades.