It’s time for another episode of the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast. In this episode, host Natalie Heavren is joined by The Next’s Pac-12 reporter Michelle Smith to discuss all things Pac-12 through the first month of the 2022-23 season. They discuss Arizona (before the shocking upset Thursday night) and what teams could be the second-best team in the conference with Stanford being the clear No. 1.
Michelle on USC and why they are an intriguing team early this season even if they aren’t in conversation for the No. 2 spot:
I voted for USC in the poll this week, by the way, because they’re 8-0 … they look pretty good. And they’re another team that I’m waiting for them to play [a quality opponent] so that I can get a little better barometer of where they stand and how they’ll roll into conference [play.] I think they’re one of those teams that could come in with a really good record and the struggle quickly … but Lindsay Gottlieb’s a good coach and she’s got some good players.
Michelle on Cameron Brink and her great start to the season:
Cameron Brink … she’s stepping out beyond the three-point line, she’s really expanding her game. I think that that the story with [Brink] is what it always is: If she can stay on the floor, she’s one of the best players in the country. I thought her game against South Carolina, was spectacular, even though they lost that game. I think she showed her [skills] really, really well in that game.
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