Congregation, please stand up!
…because the new season is officially underway!
Greetings everyone! Yes, we are back after a nice long summer slummer. This will be a short (ahem, short-errrr) one today because I am currently on the road in Amherst, MA, for the season tip-off of my Massachusetts Minutewomen as they take on Marshall in the annual MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.
The Minutewomen are one of the rare programs that didn’t face much turnover from last season. Graduation took forward Megan Olbrys and guards Allie Palmieri and Lilly Ferguson, and those are tough losses. But the core of guards Yahmani McKayle, Ayanna Franks and Aiyanna Perkins give Coach Mike Lefler a foundation, and he built on it with a strong freshman and transfer class creating a skill-diverse squad that will challenge any opponent all season. Yes, I’m biased, but I try to be honest. Needless to say, I’m excited to start it all tonight. (More on our CoB’s latest project with the Minutewomen below.)
I also need to admit that I took a longer summer break than expected. After the tourney, I always need a little time to catch my breath and recharge. It is Madness, after all. I always planned on this being a (mostly) year-round publication, but with the WNBA being the main source of hoops action in the summer, I didn't want to just convert this to a WNBA-only publication. Still, we ended up with plenty to cover this summer. The NCAA has new rules (and lawsuits) regarding the transfer portal and NIL to start a whole new Law & Order spin-off. And, that is just LSU! The tournaments are expanding, both men’s and women’s sides! Add to it, the explosion of the women’s game with a fantastic WNBA season and the upcoming Unrivaled Season 3, to showcase many of our former collegiate friends on screens nationwide. I now have plans for expansion.
So, here it is: the official launch of CoB as a year-long (ok, 11mo) publication. I will still take my break after March as always, but will jump right back in the curtsied folding chair for summer. Thank you all for supporting me and this publication. Can’t wait to get this season tipped-off!
Go Defense!
What I did on my summer vacation: New Project!
Unsurprisingly, I took in the WNBA season at the Barclays Center to see my New York Liberty come within one reset timeout of a possible overtime frame in Game 2 of the second round of the playoffs. To say it ran a little short is an understatement. That said, we saw a fun season with many great storylines, including the rise of Olivia Miles (yup, you knew it was coming), the breakthrough of Sydney Taylor (UMass’s own), the Young Ho's of Washington (their self-proclaimed nickname, to be clear) and a Finals between two teams, neither of which had won it all before. If you are not watching the W, it’s time to start. Congrats Valkyries! Love that Lavender!
However, the rest of my time was devoted to a special project we are excited to say is ready to tip!
Introducing UMassketball!
UMassketball, a project about two years in the making, is a new online store featuring NIL products supporting the UMass Women’s Basketball program. It’s a collaboration between Church of Bracketology and the players to create unique products that support them through NIL.
We constantly hear stories about huge NIL payouts, even on the women’s side, there are a small number of players and programs in that discussion. As a volunteer for my alma mater, I was invited to join a committee looking for new opportunities for our teams, and that is where UMassketball was born.
This isn’t just an NIL product marketplace. The players are directly involved in ideating and creating their products from the start and a product only goes up once they are happy with it.
We are working with RAYGUN Customs as our fulfillment partner. They’ve been in the NIL space since the beginning. I found them when I got my “Happy Like Hannah” shirt when covering Hannah Stuelke for “Keeping Up With The Hannahs” and I’ve since traveled out to Iowa to meet with them and see their facility in person. They are wonderful, creative and fun to work with.
We’re starting with t-shirts and hoodies. The players get a cut of the sales directly, with some of the generic products supporting the program as a whole. This is an absolute labor of love for me, since it brings together some of my favorite things: design, t-shirt making, my alma mater, and women’s hoops.
Please check us out at UMassketball.com. We have our first drops up and many more in the works. If you wish to hear about new drops, please follow us on Instagram or email us at clubhouse@umassketball.com.
If you are a UMass alum, fan of the team, lover of college hoops, or an overall supporter of women’s sports, please support us and spread the word! Thank you!
Hannah Doing Hannah Things
While I’ve retired the “Keeping Up With The Hannahs” segment in the Higher Post with Hannah Stuelke’s graduation, we are still keeping up. That’s easy to do when half of the games yesterday featured Hannah Hidalgo.
In the first game of the season, she led the Fighting Iveys with a stat line worthy of a POY candidate: 32pts (11-19), 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. But, it’s her new role as team leader where she is taking that next step.
Last season, I talked about how Hannah looked tired. That Irish squad was not at the same level as previous seasons going into the tip, bringing many questions about Coach Niele Ivey’s recruiting and ability to keep a squad together. The Irish natives were getting restless after not getting past the second round of The Dance since taking over in 2020. Honestly, when you can’t get close to Final Four with Hannah, Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron, and Maddie Westbeld, those questions are worth asking.
Hannah had to do it all, and at times it looked like that little motor was showing some signs of strain. However, Coach Ivey challenged her to be the leader and not just solely carry the team. She shifted those gears, and it showed, as she led her team to knock off phenom Mikayla Blakes and the Vanderbilt Commodores to give Coach Ivey her first trip to the Elite Eight. Hannah wasn’t struggling. She was growing as a player and a leader. The adversity was less a struggle and more of an audition for all those WNBA GMs who might question whether she could lead a team. Those questions were answered.
This season brings new challenges for the self-proclaimed Pest from South Bend. Her new squad is young, but incredibly talented, featuring freshmen Jacy Abii and Jenica Lewis, alongside the debut of sophomore forward Leah Macy, who sat all last season due to a knee injury she suffered in her final year of high school. All three are McDonald’s All-Americans. Add fifth-year Princeton transfer guard Madison St. Rose, and these Irish are potent while inexperienced, and just ripe for some Hidalgoling tutelage. Hannah made many great plays in her 36 mins of play, but one of my favorites was the ‘football safety-like’ play to not only steal the ball but save it from going out of bounds.
She also had an HH-patented layup n’ tumble under the hoop, but this time faceplanting into the tv camera.
Hannah was back doing Hannah things. This season is going to be so fun!
Final Seconds!
We are here! The new season is upon us! So, what is to come from this publication this season?
A review of the new transfer/NIL cases and how Congress is trying to fix what the NCAA is afraid to take on.
Keeping Up With The Hannahs: Series Finale. It’s been a fun ride and I learned a bunch about how I watch games and fandom in general.
Deeper Dives into women’s sports and some of the culture wars (necessary and unnecessary) that are happening.
Roadtrips! There are so many awesome hoops arenas out there. I have been lucky to visit a few.
I’m also looking for folks who would like to join in. If you have the bug to share some ideas of this wonderful sport we all enjoy, the road to the Final Four starts now. Message me here!
That’s it for now. Go watch some games! Next post will be at the end of the week to preview the weekend’s snacks. We are in the cupcake feasting season, but there are some gems in there when you look. I will highlight them here!
Never Be Boring.