College Hoops Highlights: Senior Watch, Oklahoma City Region
With the WNBA Draft just three weeks away, we’re locked into the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament with eyes focused on seniors that are making the most of their last dance.
Here’s a deeper look at the Oklahoma City Region.
Notre Dame
National Player of the Year candidate Jewell Loyd will be the star of this show as Notre Dame prepares to face Stanford in what will the Fighting Irish’s sixth consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen. As spectacular as Loyd has been this season, in order for Notre Dame to advance, it will need a strong showing from its supporting cast. Senior Madison Cable has been somewhat quiet of late, but is due for a breakout game. In what will be her last NCAA Tournament, this 3-point shooting specialist will be looking to provide an extra spark off the bench to help push her team to the next round.
Stanford
We’ve seen some incredible highs and some unexpected lows from the Cardinal who have been on quite the roller coaster this season. The same team responsible for the only blemish on UConn’s record, is also the same team that barely escaped with a win over Cal State Northridge in the opening round of tournament play. When trying to figure out what comes next for the Cardinal, we are all left scratching our heads. One thing is for sure, though. If they are to advance into the next round of play, they will need their senior point guard, Amber Orrange, to be on top of her game. Orrange is coming off a 24-point performance on Sunday and has been the one constant for the team throughout the season. Most recently, the timely efforts of fellow senior Taylor Greenfield have provided the extra boost that the Cardinal have been looking for.
Iowa
The walking triple-double that is senior point guard Samantha Logic will be the key to the Hawkeyes formula for success in their matchup against Baylor on Friday. As her stats indicate, Logic impacts the game in so many ways — she doesn’t have to score to influence the game. In fact, it’s Logic’s ability to facilitate and distribute the ball to fellow seniors Melissa Dixon and Bethany Doolittle that makes the balanced scoring attack of the Hawkeyes so dangerous. If Logic isn’t scoring, she is dishing to Dixon, who does damage from behind the arc, or to Doolittle, who does all the dirty work inside for Iowa.
Baylor
Kim Mulkey’s Baylor Bears are making their seventh straight appearance in the Sweet Sixteen and will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday. The Bears have been paced by the undersized, yet fierce rebounding force that is Nina Davis. Alongside Davis stands 6-foot-4 senior Sune Agbuke, who adds muscle and a bit or reinforcement inside. Agbuke is playing with a sence of urgency in her last dance and has picked up her rebounding efforts of late, with 12 rebounds against Arkansas on Sunday. Baylor will need Agbuke to continue this type of effort as it looks to advance.