Sports
Inside the strategy of organizing an NFL locker room
MICHAEL PENIX JR. knew early on. It was last spring during voluntary organized team activities. The rookie quarterback had just gotten his locker assignment at the Atlanta Falcons facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
Directly to Penix’s right was veteran safety Jessie Bates III, an All-Pro who takes notes on two different iPads during film study.
Penix was the Falcons’ backup quarterback in 2024 and typically, in practice, would go up against the first-team defense, led by Bates. In one 11-on-11 period last spring, Penix saw Bates break on one of his passes even before the wide receiver.
After practice, while both were changing at their lockers, Penix leaned in and asked Bates what he saw on the play.
“He’s like, ‘I just saw the receiver looking that way, or a certain technique or the way that we were running the routes,’ and just small stuff like that,” Penix said. “Because when he’s back there lurking, he’s able to do whatever he wants. It is scary for a quarterback.”
It was a valuable learning experience for Penix, a welcome-to-the-league moment before he ever took a regular-season snap. Penix continued to pick Bates’ brain throughout the season, and Bates was more than willing to take the promising QB under his wing.
Later, Penix realized that his budding mentor-protégé relationship with Bates was, in part, orchestrated by the coaching staff.
“I feel like [there] might’ve been some thought into putting me next to him as far as whoever makes the locker room assignments,” Penix said. “So, definitely take advantage of that. Always asking him why he felt like he should have drove on a certain ball.”
There are very few things done by NFL coaching staffs without some form of intention. Locker room geography is something organizations consider, especially when it comes to where to place promising young players.
Penix wasn’t the only rookie quarterback adjacent to a brainy veteran safety last year — J.J. McCarthy was next to Harrison Smith in the Minnesota Vikings locker room. Philadelphia Eagles six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay requested his locker be next to then-rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell last season. In New England, No. 4 pick Will Campbell, an offensive tackle, is currently being mentored by Patriots locker neighbor Morgan Moses, an 11-year veteran at the same position. The Dallas Cowboys have strategically placed team leaders in the corners of the locker room going back to the Jason Garrett era.
“It happens a lot,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of intentional locker assignments. “Some of it’s public, some of it’s not.”
Morris, who has coached in the league on both sides of the ball since 2002, said part of finding the right fit is playing amateur psychologist, which he’s not fully comfortable doing. However, Morris did pair up rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and veteran cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. in the Falcons locker room this season. Morris was on the Atlanta staff in 2020 when Terrell was a rookie. Pearce has a quiet demeanor off the field like Terrell did then, Morris said, so the coach has paired them up in the locker room, as well.
“I hate to do that, because I’m not qualified,” Morris said of playing psychologist. “But I’m definitely good enough to pair people up.”
PUKA NACUA‘S LOCKER was placed next to that of Los Angeles Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein during Nacua’s record-breaking rookie season in 2023. Havenstein was one of the oldest, most-tenured players on the team and Nacua showed deference to the 6-foot-8 veteran.
“I was next to ‘Big Rob,’ and it wasn’t my duty to bring ‘Big Rob’ towels, but I always did,” Nacua said.
Rams All-Rookie defensive end Braden Fiske ended up near Havenstein the next year in the Rams’ new facility. He found himself rubbing elbows with Super Bowl winners Havenstein, quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee.
“Cooper was a big one last year that I would talk to,” Fiske said. “How did he make that jump in Year 2 of his career? What was something that elevated his game? And a lot of that was the diet. That’s a lot of what I implemented into my offseason. I was super fortunate to have those guys in my area of the locker room.”
That area, in fact, has become prime real estate. It even has a nickname. Rams players have dubbed it “The suburbs.”
“We have got a good group of vets over there,” Fiske said. “They’ve done their time. They’re living life lavish.”
Rams coach Sean McVay said he typically lets Brendan Burger, the team’s senior director of equipment, assign lockers, because “he’s got such a good feel.” McVay is not a believer in keeping the offensive players in one place and the defenders elsewhere.
“So much of the days are broken up where it’s offense-defense separate, and to just be able to create that natural interaction and appreciation for each other — not exclusive to just one side of the ball — that’s kind of what goes into it,” McVay said.
As a rookie, Nacua was also near cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, a veteran he used to go up against daily on the practice field.
“It’s always fun post-practice to come and be like, ‘Alright, what were you thinking right here when I lined up against you and I doubled up at the line of scrimmage and then you jab this way?'” Nacua said. “So having a [defensive back] next to you is something that you don’t really imagine in the locker room, but it’s also really fun because you have some great conversations.”
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have two players from the same position group sitting directly next to each other in any instance unless it’s the practice squad or when the roster is at 90 players.
“I put a lot of thought into it,” Shanahan said. “I like to mix everything up, because you’re always with your position groups, you’re always in rooms with ’em.
“Position groups are always going to be tight. You don’t get too many opportunities to cross over. You’re always competing on the field, sometimes fighting. So I think it’s important to mix everybody up.”
The Falcons were so happy with the Bates-Penix arrangement that they have rookie cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. next to three-time Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom this season.
“For Penix, it was more like, ‘This is what a pro looks like,'” Morris said. “I know you got [Kirk Cousins in the quarterback] room, but here’s another pro from the different side of the ball that you probably didn’t even know moved this way. And it’s just always things that you can do for people and that they can see to help them be the best version of themselves.”
McCarthy was sandwiched between Smith and wide receiver Justin Jefferson as a rookie last year in Minnesota. And professionalism is what stood out the most.
“Their day-to-day routine is something that is extremely beneficial,” McCarthy said. “Just being able to observe as a young guy is one of the biggest things for any young player coming into this league.
“So, I feel like building relationships with those guys is going to be something that I carry with me for the rest of my career.”
#49ers Trent Williams turned his locker into the VIP section 😂#ProBowlVote Trent Williams pic.twitter.com/2fdMXJqYrq
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) December 11, 2023
When Moses was a young player with Washington, his locker was near future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams‘. It wasn’t directly next to Williams’ — “he had three lockers!” Moses said — but it was close enough to pick up some tips and advice from the three-time first-team All-Pro. Now, Moses is paying it forward with Campbell and the Patriots.
“Not saying I’m at [Williams’] caliber, but the years I’ve been able to play, just being able to sit beside Will in the locker room and be able to talk over looks — we’ll pass the iPad back and forth, bounce questions,” Moses said. “That’s what you like because that brings camaraderie and brotherhood.”
THE COWBOYS HAVE been strategic about locker locations going back to Garrett’s tenure as coach in the 2010s. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb resides at a locker once held by tight end Jason Witten and guard Zack Martin. Offensive tackle Terence Steele is in a corner spot once held by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Cornerback C.J. Goodwin and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa are in corner lockers once occupied by offensive tackle Tyron Smith and linebacker Sean Lee, respectively. Running back Miles Sanders, a free agent signee, is now in the spot near the equipment room that backup quarterback Cooper Rush once held.
New Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer has added some of his own wrinkles, though, including putting pass rusher Micah Parsons near the middle of the room next to quarterback Dak Prescott‘s locker.
“Two of our best players, put them together,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s also other things we’re doing in there where guys are competing every day in different things that we’ve kind of put in there, but just they can challenge each other in a good way. … There’s a method to the madness.”
In some cases, players who have some leverage because of their standing on the team can make specific locker requests. Famously, Patriots legend Tom Brady requested the new star player he’d be throwing to — wide receiver Randy Moss — be next to him.
Slay petitioned that Mitchell be his neighbor last season, which ended in Mitchell being one of the best rookies in the league as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told Mitchell on draft night: “I want you to live next door to Slay. I want you to sleep next to Slay. That’s your guy.”
“We talk a lot about life, and he just gives me life lessons, and it translates onto the field,” Mitchell said in 2024. “During the games, I’m asking him what he’s seeing and what he thinks is coming up during the next series. I lean on him a lot.”
The Cincinnati Bengals recently shook things up in their locker room, switching the defensive line and offensive line areas. The offensive linemen are now closer to Joe Burrow and the other quarterbacks.
“Everybody walks past me when they come in, when they’re out,” Burrow said. “So, I’m saying hi to everybody. It’s been nice to have [offensive linemen Orlando Brown Jr.] and Ted [Karras] right there. Those are my guys.”
Do locker assignments matter a great deal? Can they make the difference between winning and losing? Some players are skeptical. In a few cases, the dynamic can become toxic. New York Jets wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet had lockers next to one another in 1997 and they did not get along at all. They wouldn’t even acknowledge each other when both were doing media at the same time. Johnson, in his book, referred to Chrebet as the “team mascot” and later said comparing the two was like comparing “a flashlight to a star.”
“I think when you look that deep into it, you could always find good, bad or however you want to,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “At the end of the day, I still got to line up and play my defense as called.”
But that won’t stop coaching staffs from at least giving some thought to where players are situated in their locker rooms. The Falcons believe it has paid dividends when it comes to Penix. Bates became a big part of helping position Penix for the role he’s in now: Atlanta’s starting quarterback.
“I can break it down in so much detail,” Penix said of his and Bates’ conversations last year, “but I’ll be talking forever.”
Additional reporting by Todd Archer, Ben Baby, Sarah Barshop, Rich Cimini, Courtney Cronin, Mike DiRocco, John Keim, Tim McManus, Mike Reiss, Kevin Seifert, Nate Taylor, Katherine Terrell and Nick Wagoner.
With the regular season complete in the Power 4 conferences, Champ Week has arrived. Conference tournament titles will be decided in the next two weeks, and leagues will be handing out awards over that same period.
Player of the year in some conferences will be easy choices — UConn‘s Sarah Strong in the Big East and Richmond‘s Maggie Doogan in the Atlantic 10 look like locks — while other races are close calls, such as in the ACC and Summit League.
The same goes with projecting champions in each conference. In some cases, the No. 1 seeds will be clear favorites. In others it might be the hottest team or a potential Cinderella.
But what is the fun in waiting to find out? Let’s make some predictions on both conference champs and players of the year to whet the appetite for March.
America East Conference
Predicted champion: Vermont Catamounts
After battling Binghamton all season, Vermont pulled away over the final two weeks. That included a win over the Bearcats on Feb. 12 in Burlington. That’s where the rematch will take place should the two meet again in the conference tournament title game.
Player of the Year: Adrianna Smith, 6-0, senior, F, Maine Black Bears
The 2023 America East Player of the Year will leave Maine as one of the program’s most productive players of all time. She led the conference in scoring twice and in rebounding three times. This season Smith pulled off the rare triple, topping the America East in scoring, rebounds and assists.
American Conference
Predicted champion: Rice Owls
The Owls don’t have a player in the top 10 in the American in scoring or assists but cruised to the regular-season championship. They did it with defense, leading the nation in opponent 3-point rate. Hailey Adams was one of the conference’s best shot blockers and Victoria Flores was among the leaders in steals.
Player of the Year: Kennedy Fauntleroy, 5-7, senior, G, East Carolina Pirates
After a Big East Freshman of the Year season at Georgetown in 2023, Fauntleroy struggled in one season each at Oklahoma State and Arizona State before regaining her form at East Carolina. She reached career highs in points and assists and is leading the American in steals.
ASUN Conference
Predicted champion: Jacksonville Dolphins
After losing to Eastern Kentucky by 19 points in late January, Jacksonville has been chasing the Colonels. But now the Dolphins are the hotter team and will get to sleep in their own beds during an ASUN tournament played at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
Player of the Year: Priscilla Williams, 6-2, senior, G, Jacksonville Dolphins
The well-traveled and once highly recruited Williams found a home at Jacksonville the last two seasons. After stops at Syracuse, South Florida and Oregon, in her final collegiate season Williams led the ASUN in rebounding and ranked second in scoring.
Atlantic 10 Conference
Predicted champion: Richmond Spiders
Rhode Island was the A-10 front-runner most of the way, but preseason favorite Richmond beat the Rams by 26 points in the second-to-last game of the regular season. The Spiders are the league’s best shooting team, have the best player in Maggie Doogan and will be playing the conference tournament in nearby Henrico, Virginia.
Player of the Year: Maggie Doogan, 6-2, senior, F, Richmond Spiders
Although her team hasn’t been as good as a year ago, Doogan has been better than her 2025 A-10 Player of the Year campaign. She won the scoring title going away and finished in the conference’s top five in seven major statistical categories. Not coincidentally, Doogan’s career corresponded with the best four-year run in program history.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Predicted champion: Duke Blue Devils
The recent loss at Clemson notwithstanding, Duke has been the ACC’s best team since conference play began. Core players Toby Fournier, Taina Mair, Ashlon Jackson and Delaney Thomas were a big part of the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament title a year ago. Duke was only one point better than Louisville in their one regular-season meeting, and the Blue Devils showed vulnerability against the Tigers, but they still should head to Duluth, Georgia, as the favorite.
Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6, junior, G, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Fournier has been outstanding in lifting Duke to the top of the conference, but Hidalgo’s excellence is just too difficult to overcome. She remains arguably the best two-way player in the country, leading the country in steals and topping the ACC in scoring by a wide margin.
0:25
Notre Dame hangs on at buzzer to upset No. 10 Louisville
Imari Berry uses the screen to get open then misses a potential game-tying shot as Louisville loses to Notre Dame.
Big 12 Conference
Predicted champion: TCU Horned Frogs
Mark Campbell has changed the program entirely with his up-tempo, pick-and-roll offense. With different personnel the results have been much the same: consecutive first-place Big 12 regular-season finishes. Last year Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince led the way. This year it’s Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez, and the Horned Frogs will be the favorite to also repeat as tournament champs.
Player of the Year: Olivia Miles, 5-10, senior, G, TCU Horned Frogs
After leaving Notre Dame and delaying her departure for the WNBA, Miles immediately looked at home in Fort Worth. With her court vision and improved deep shooting, she was the perfect point guard for Campbell’s system. She hit career highs in scoring and field goal percentage.
1:15
Baylor Bears vs. TCU Horned Frogs: Game Highlights
Baylor Bears vs. TCU Horned Frogs: Game Highlights
Big East Conference
Predicted champion: UConn Huskies
The 66-game winning streak against Big East opponents doesn’t seem likely to end at Mohegan Sun in the Big East tournament. UConn has beaten conference competition this season by an average of more than 40 points per game.
Player of the Year: Sarah Strong, 6-2, sophomore, F, UConn Huskies
UConn’s dominance starts with its overwhelming talent advantage over the rest of the conference, and that talent starts with Strong, the favorite to win national player of the year as well. She led the league in scoring, steals and field goal percentage and ranks in the top five of four other major categories, all while averaging fewer than 25 minutes per Big East game.
0:28
SVP breaks out wild stat over latest UConn undefeated season
Scott Van Pelt provides historical context after UConn finishes off its perfect 31-0 regular season.
Big Sky Conference
Predicted champion: Montana State Bobcats
The regular season was a two-team race between the Bobcats and Idaho. Montana State beat the Vandals by 30 points in the first meeting before losing the second in overtime. The Bobcats were also good enough to beat UNLV and Colorado in nonconference play.
Player of the Year: Taylee Chirrick, 5-11, sophomore, G, Montana State Bobcats
After winning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, Chirrick went to another level in her second season. Only Hannah Hidalgo averages more steals per game nationally. Chirrick has tripled her point production from a year ago, which saved the Montana State attack that lost the top three scorers from last season’s 30-win team.
Big South Conference
Predicted champion: High Point Panthers
After winning the league regular-season and tournament titles a year ago, the Panthers are one step away from another sweep. That would put High Point, with the stingiest defense in the Big South, into the NCAA tournament for the third time since 2021.
Player of the Year: Macy Spencer, 5-8, junior, G, High Point Panthers
Panthers coach Chelsea Banbury brought in two significant transfers in the offseason — Lexi Fleming from Bowling Green and Macy Spencer from UNLV. Fleming, who was a two-time all-MAC selection, had the better résumé, but when she went down with a knee injury four games into the season, Spencer became High Point’s top option. She delivered, leading the conference in scoring while making more than 38% of her 3-pointers.
Big Ten Conference
Predicted champion: UCLA Bruins
The Big Ten is deep and might have as many as 12 NCAA tournament teams. Yet none of them could touch the Bruins, whose road to the regular-season championship was never challenged. They won their Big Ten games by an average of more than 25 points. Losing the Big Ten tournament championship to USC Trojans a year ago still stings, and this veteran group will have that top of mind when they get to Indianapolis.
Player of the Year: Lauren Betts, 6-7, senior, C, UCLA Bruins
The most dominant player on the most dominant team must be the front-runner — even if her numbers aren’t as good as her junior season after the additions of Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker to balance the offense. Ohio State‘s Jaloni Cambridge will provide a challenge, but Betts remains the Big Ten’s most intimidating force on both ends of the court.
Big West Conference
Predicted champion: UC Irvine Anteaters
This will be a wide-open race with four different teams having held the lead at one point in the season. The Anteaters have the highest NET ranking in the conference and have the best player among the contenders in Hunter Hernandez.
Player of the Year: Hannah Wickstrom, 5-10, sophomore, G, UC Riverside Highlanders
It’s not often the Player of the Year comes from a team in the bottom half of the conference standings, but Wickstrom has been that good. She is averaging nearly six points per game more in Big West games than her nearest competitor in the league.
Coastal Athletic Association
Predicted champion: Charleston Cougars
After winning 25 games for the first time in program history, the Cougars capped a successful three-year run with their first championship of any kind by capturing the CAA regular-season title. Charleston led wire-to-wire with the conference’s best offense and will be heavy favorites to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Player of the Year: Taryn Barbot, 5-10, junior, G, Charleston Cougars
That offense is led by Barbot, who is in line to win her second Player of the Year award in a row. She led the CAA in assists and averaged more than 19 points per game, nearly two points more than a year ago.
Conference USA
Predicted Champion: Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters
After losing their first conference game, the Lady Techsters went on a tear and never looked back. They had the CUSA title clinched with two weeks left in the regular season. The top offense in CUSA, Louisiana Tech is led by sophomore guard Paris Bradley but does it with balance. Four starters average double figures.
Player of the Year: Rhema Collins, 6-2, junior, G, Florida International Panthers
After transferring from Ole Miss, Collins helped take the Panthers from sixth place to second in CUSA. She heads to the final week of the regular season as a top-three scorer, rebounder, field goal shooter and shot blocker in the conference.
Horizon League
Predicted champion: Green Bay Phoenix
The Phoenix led the Horizon wire-to-wire on the way to their third regular-season title in four years and will be the heavy favorite to win their third consecutive tournament championship. Sharing the ball remains the cornerstone of the program, and Green Bay is fifth in the country in assist rate.
Player of the Year: Jenna Guyer, 6-2, senior, C, Green Bay Phoenix
It took four years for Guyer to become a starter, and she made the most of it. The most accurate 3-point shooter in the conference, Guyer was also top five in scoring and top 10 in rebounding. Before this season, Guyer had not averaged more than 6.9 points per game. This year she missed scoring in double figures only twice and was averaging nearly 15 points per game entering the weekend.
Ivy League
Predicted champion: Princeton Tigers
Unless third-place Harvard has something to say about it, the Tigers and Columbia seem destined to play for the Ivy Madness championship. If they do, the Lions will be trying to beat Princeton for a third time this season. That seems unlikely for teams so evenly matched.
Player of the Year: Riley Weiss, 5-10, Jr., G, Columbia Lions
A pure scorer and fearless shooter, Weiss had some of her biggest games of the season against Columbia’s best competition. She averaged 27.3 points in games against Kansas State, South Dakota State and North Carolina. But it was the 23 points in that second meeting against Princeton late in the season that should clinch this award.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Fairfield Stags
The Stags have won 64 of their last 66 games against MAAC opponents, which includes winning the last two conference tournaments. One of the two losses this season was to Quinnipiac, which Fairfield avenged on Valentine’s Day and might have to do again to win the tournament again.
Player of the Year: Kaety L’Amoreaux, 5-6, junior, G, Fairfield Stags
This is a two-player race between teammates. L’Amoreaux, who is the MAAC’s leader in scoring and assists, should beat out Meghan Andersen, the league’s top 3-point shooter and preseason favorite.
Mid-American Conference
Predicted champion: Miami (OH) RedHawks
Miami and Ball State have battled for MAC supremacy most of the season, but the Redhawks won both meetings by a combined 24 points. Tamar Singer had 25 points and eight steals in their most recent meeting. She could be the key again for Miami getting back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.
Player of the Year: Sisi Eleko, 6-2, senior, F, Eastern Michigan Eagles
Incredibly consistent, Eleko is close to averaging a double-double for the third straight season. She scored in double figures in every game this season and ranks in the top three in the MAC in scoring and rebounding for the second year in a row.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Howard Bison
Norfolk State has won the last three MEAC tournaments, all over Howard in the finals, and it might again come down to the Bison, who have the league’s best offense, and the Spartans, the MEAC’s top defensive team. But Norfolk State no longer has its core group or coach Larry Vickers, so this might be an opportunity for Howard to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022.
Player of the Year: Zennia Thomas, 6-2, senior, F, Howard Bison
After leaving Kentucky two years into her college career, Thomas has found a home at Howard and blossomed in her final season. She went from a third-team All-MEAC player a year ago to the conference’s best scorer and rebounder.
Missouri Valley Conference
Predicted champion: Murray State Racers
Last year Murray State ranked second in the country in scoring. This year it is 10th but has had a more successful season. The Racers pulled away from the pack in the MVC and will win the regular-season crown for the second straight year going away.
Player of the Year: Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, 6-2, junior, F, Murray State Racers
The Racers have been so dominant because they might have the two best players in the conference. Junior guard Halli Poock leads the conference in scoring and Currie-Jelks, who spent the last two seasons at Indiana, is right behind her. She is also second in rebounds and field goal percentage and is among the national leaders in double-doubles.
Mountain West Conference
Predicted champion: San Diego State Aztecs
After breaking UNLV ‘s three-year run on the conference tournament title last March, the Aztecs snapped the Lady Rebels’ streak of four regular-season championships this season. Coach Stacie Terry-Hutson, who has won more than 20 games for four years in a row, replaced two starters by hitting the transfer portal and produced the program’s most successful MWC season since 2013.
Player of the Year: Meadow Roland, 6-2, sophomore, F, UNLV Lady Rebels
After winning MWC Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year last season, Roland took her game to another level. UNLV didn’t have the regular season it wanted, but Roland might have exceeded expectations as one of the league’s best scorers and rebounders and its top rim protector.
Northeast Conference
Predicted champion: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Stephanie Gaitley is one of the best mid-major coaches of all time and has worked her magic at FDU. The Knights are bearing down on a second consecutive unbeaten league season. Sophomore guard Ava Renninger, the NEC’s assist leader, has been the backbone of that dominance.
Player of the Year: Kadidia Toure, 6-3, senior, F, Long Island University Sharks
Toure never averaged more than 5.7 points per game in three seasons at James Madison and Arizona State, but she blossomed with the Sharks. She leads the NEC in scoring and rebounding by significant margins with a week left in the regular season, and she helped Long Island to its best season in 14 years.
Ohio Valley Conference
Predicted champion: Western Illinois Leathernecks
Picked to finish second, the Leathernecks have been the front-runner in the OVC all season. And that came after one of the best mid-major players in the country, Raegan McCowan, went down with an elbow injury 10 games into the season. She might return for the stretch run, giving the Leathernecks a big boost in the tournament.
Player of the Year: Mia Nicastro, 6-2, senior, F, Western Illinois Leathernecks
Nicastro is the biggest reason why Western Illinois was able to survive the loss of McCowan. She led the conference in scoring, improving her scoring average by nearly 10 points per game. She ranked among the league leaders in rebounds and field goal percentage as well.
Patriot League
Predicted champion: Navy Mids
Three seasons ago Navy won one game. Now the Mids are the Patriot League regular-season champs for the first time since 2014. Offense led the way for the Mids, who led the conference in points and assists. The No. 1 seed in the conference tournament also means Navy will host every game it plays, and the Mids went 3-1 in the regular season against Army and Holy Cross, their chief competition.
Player of the Year: Zanai Barnett-Gay, 5-8, junior, G, Navy Mids
The turnaround in Annapolis has coincided with the arrival of Barnett-Gay. She led the Patriot in scoring and assists this season and has led the conference in steals all three years of her career.
Southeastern Conference
Predicted Champion: South Carolina Gamecocks
The SEC tournament has been South Carolina’s domain under Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have won it nine times, including the last three. The growth of Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson and the leadership of Raven Johnson have helped this version of the Gamecocks overcome two significant preseason injuries and remain the top team in the country’s best conference.
Player of the Year: Mikayla Blakes, 5-8, sophomore, G, Vanderbilt Commodores
The top scorer in the country and on the short list for national player of the year, Blakes’ output is even better in SEC games and is the chief reason the Commodores are closing in on their best season in nearly 25 years.
1:17
Deciphering which SEC teams have best chance of advancing to Friday
The SEC Now crew picks the teams that they believe will have the most impactful performances in order to advance from Wednesday to Friday in the SEC Tournament.
Southern Conference
Predicted champion: Chattanooga Mocs
After replacing Shawn Poppie when he left for Clemson, it took Deandra Schirmer just two seasons to get the Lady Mocs back atop the SoCon. They have done it as the best shooting team in the conference and with just one senior playing a significant role.
Player of the Year: Caia Elisaldez, 5-5, junior, G, Chattanooga Mocs
Much of that shooting comes via the passing of Elisaldez. In the last two seasons she has produced some of the best assist numbers in school history. Along the way, Elisaldez leads the SoCon in scoring and minutes this season.
Southland Conference
Predicted champion: Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
McNeese dominated the regular season with one of the best defenses in the country. But the Ladyjacks have the SLC’s best offense and might just be hitting their stride since the return of Ashlyn Traylor-Walker, one of the conference’s best players who missed the first 18 games of the season. That gives SFA five players scoring in double figures.
Player of the Year: Charlotte O’Keefe, 6-3, senior, F, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
The second-leading rebounder in the country, O’Keefe also has started to score more late in the season. She’s the second-most-accurate field goal shooter and shot blocker in the SLC and shares the distinction as the league’s best two-way player with McNeese‘s Dakota Howard.
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Alabama A&M Bulldogs
Last season was the best in program history. This year was even better. The Bulldogs set a school record for conference wins and haven’t looked back after losing their SWAC opener to Mississippi Valley State in overtime. A 42-point win over second-place Alcorn State makes Alabama A&M the easy choice to be the favorite to win their first SWAC tournament.
Player of the Year: Kalia Walker, 5-5, graduate, G, Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs
A more efficient version of Walker emerged this season. She improved in nearly every statistical category and has been the catalyst behind the Bulldogs’ success for the last two seasons.
Summit League
Predicted champion: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
North Dakota State broke the Jackrabbits’ five-year hold on the regular-season championship, but South Dakota State won the most recent matchup and seem to be the better team heading to Sioux Falls for the conference tournament, which the Jackrabbits have won three years in a row and 11 times under coach Aaron Johnston.
Player of the Year: Brooklyn Meyer, 6-2, senior, F, South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Only twice all season did someone other than Meyer or North Dakota State’s Avery Koenen win Summit League Player of the Week. This might be the closest race in the country. Meyer was the slightly better scorer, more accurate shooter and shot blocker. Koenen averaged more rebounds and led her team to the regular-season championship. The deciding factor might be the most recent meeting: Meyer had 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Koenen had 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting.
Sun Belt Conference
Predicted champion: James Madison Dukes
The Dukes, the preseason favorite, suffered a pair of overtime losses early in the Sun Belt season and never fully recovered despite a hot finish to the regular season. JMU has one of the best players in the conference in fifth-year senior Peyton McDaniel, who probably won’t repeat as Player of the Year but is good enough to carry a team to a championship.
Player of the Year: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, 5-8, Sr., G, Marshall Thundering Herd
A solid three-year career at VCU turned into one outstanding season with Marshall. A slow start in nonconference play turned into an explosion once the SBC schedule began. Lewis-Eutsey scored 31 points in her first conference game and finished averaging over 21 points per game to lead the league. She also ranks seventh in the country in steals.
West Coast Conference
Predicted champion: Gonzaga Bulldogs
The WCC tournament should be wide open with as many of five teams capable of leaving Las Vegas with the title. Gonzaga is the highest rated among them in the NET and had the toughest nonconference schedule. Although, despite winning the regular-season title each of the previous three seasons, the Bulldogs haven’t won the WCC tournament since 2022.
Player of the Year: Lauren Whittaker, 6-3, freshman, F, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Last year the Zags had the WCC Freshman of the Year in Allie Turner. This year they will do one better with Whittaker, who should win both Freshman and Player of the Year. Whittaker tops all freshmen nationally in double-doubles and leads the WCC in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
Western Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: California Baptist Lancers
Abilene Christian and Southern Utah are right behind, but the Lancers have led the WAC for most of the last two months. The tournament will be highly competitive, but Cal Baptist has the most balanced offense in the conference with five players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Lauren Olsen.
Player of the Year: Payton Hull, 5-10, Jr., G, Abilene Christian Wildcats
The Wildcats have been chasing Cal Baptist all season and lost to the Lancers in their first meeting, but Hull has been the front-runner for Player of the Year from the start. The preseason pick is on the verge of repeating as the league’s scoring champ. This year, she added steals leader to the résumé as well.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lindsey Heaps had a goal and an assist, and Jaedyn Shaw also scored to propel the United States to a sixth straight shutout victory with a 2-0 win over Argentina in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday.
The U.S. has outscored opponents 27-1 over its past seven games. Coach Emma Hayes’ squad hasn’t lost since falling 2-1 to Portugal in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 23.
Heaps scored from the top of the box in the 19th minute. Emma Sears worked the ball out of the left corner and into the box, then passed to a wide-open Heaps, who converted with her left foot. It was her 39th international goal, the most on the current U.S. roster.
Shaw found the back of the net from the top left corner of the box. Her right-footed shot curved toward the left post and into the net for her 10th international goal.
After Shaw scored, Lilly Reale was treated for a right leg injury and replaced by Emily Fox.
During stoppage time, Argentina’s Milagros Martín was assessed a yellow card for shoving Trinity Rodman in the back after she came on as a second-half substitute. Rodman was treated on the field in second-half stoppage time and did not return for the final minutes of the match.
The U.S. dominated possession, holding the ball 67.7% of the time. The Americans had three shots on target, while Argentina had just one on target against U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.
The SheBelieves Cup — a four-team round-robin that also includes Canada and Colombia — moves to Columbus, Ohio, on March 4, when the Americans will take on Canada. The Canadians beat Colombia 4-1 earlier Sunday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
KUALA LUMPUR: Riyadh’s King Fahd Sport City Stadium will host the opening and closing matches of next year´s Asian Cup, officials announced Monday, the football showpiece seen as a precursor for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was awarded the World Cup but will first host the Asian Cup from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
“The King Fahd Sports City Stadium… will provide the backdrop for both the eagerly anticipated Final as well as the opening match, featuring hosts and three-time Asian champions Saudi Arabia,” the AFC said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur.
The 70,000-plus venue in Riyadh will also host four group stage battles, a round of 16 tie and a quarter-final match before the final in early February, the AFC added.
Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece.
Asian Cup matches will also be played in Jeddah and Al Khobar.
Match pairings and kick-off times will be confirmed at the AFC’s final draw on April 11 in Riyadh, the AFC said.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, staged and won the Asian Cup two years ago.
The tournament was supposed to take place in China in 2023, but was moved out of the country because of the country’s Covid policies at the time.
Limited flights leave UAE while disruption continues amid Iran strikes
Brad Falchuk describes impactful conversation with Eric Dane for “Famous Last Words”
Apple’s Price-Friendly iPhone 17e Gets a MagSafe Upgrade
-
Politics1 week agoPakistan carries out precision strikes on seven militant hideouts in Afghanistan
-
Tech1 week agoThese Cheap Noise-Cancelling Sony Headphones Are Even Cheaper Right Now
-
Entertainment1 week agoViral monkey Punch makes IKEA toy global sensation: Here’s what it costs
-
Sports1 week agoKansas’ Darryn Peterson misses most of 2nd half with cramping
-
Sports1 week ago
Mike Eruzione and the ‘Miracle on Ice’ team are looking for some company
-
Business6 days agoHouseholds set for lower energy bills amid price cap shake-up
-
Politics1 week agoTrump says he will raise US global tariff rate from 10% to 15%, following court ruling
-
Entertainment1 week agoTalking minerals and megawatts