Top women’s basketball freshman guarantees Elite Eight trip for her SEC squad

One of the top freshmen in women’s college basketball didn’t waste any time making noise on her new campus.

Aaliyah Chavez — the MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic and Gatorade’s National High School Player of the Year — grabbed the microphone earlier this week at Oklahoma’s Class Kickoff, a pep rally of sorts for the Sooners’ incoming freshmen. And after hyping up the crowd full of her fellow classmates, she made a noteworthy declaration.

“Sweet 16 last year, but we going to the Elite Eight this year. I promise that. I promise that y’all,” Chavez said. “And I challenge all of you to be at every single home game. Every single one.“

“We going to the Elite Eight this year”: OU commit, No. 1 recruit in nation Aaliyah Chavez speaks at OU’s Class Kickoff Sunday night.#Sooners pic.twitter.com/2drQEz2XpP

— OU Daily Sports (@OUDailySports) August 25, 2025

Oklahoma has surged in recent years under coach Jennie Baranczyk — going to four straight NCAA Tournaments, winning two regular season conference titles and appearing in the Sweet 16 last season — but the Sooners haven’t advanced to an Elite Eight since 2010, back when they had three WNBA players in their starting lineup.

There’s reason for optimism in Norman though. The Sooners return their top three scorers — Raegan Beers, Peyton Verhulst and Sahara Williams — and brought in an impressive freshman class that is headlined by Chavez. For the returners, Beers is coming off a season where she averaged 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 63.3 percent from the floor, Verhulst posted career-bests in several stats last season, and Williams is coming off a summer where she featured for Team USA’s 3×3 squad.

And Chavez is being billed as one of, if not the best, rookies in the country. She scored more than 4,000 points in her high school career and had her pick of top programs to choose from, picking the Sooners over offers from South Carolina, LSU, UCLA and Texas.

With Chavez joining an already talented roster, Oklahoma going to the Elite Eight isn’t all that far-fetched.

Best fantasy football picks from each round

Good morning, good evening, and good day! The fantasy football season is nigh and we are suited up to battle in those fantasy trenches! Today I’ll take us through a half PPR, 12 team draft using ADP as my guide. I’ll give a target I like for the first ten rounds while discussing some strategy along the way.

Round 1

For the first round, I very much want to get a running back. Here we have the best to choose from, so it is hard to go wrong, but I do have my favorites.

Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons (ADP, 2)

Robinson left a little meat on the bone last season, as his workload increased after Week 6. He still had a great year despite the slow start, accumulating 1,887 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 61 receptions. He finished third in running back PPR fantasy points behind Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley. Those two are of course great picks, but Gibbs did see elevated usage when David Montgomery went down last season, which shot him over the top in fantasy at the end of the season, while Barkley touched the ball 482 times on the way to a Super Bowl ring. I’ll take Robinson here, who will continue to see huge usage, while Gibbs will need to continue his great per touch efficiency. Robinson also doesn’t have as much wear and tear on his body as Barkley, and we should expect the Eagles to throw a little more than they did in 2024.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders (ADP, 10)

Jeanty often goes around the first turn of your draft, which is where I like to get him if I have a draft position around 10-12. You’re taking a small leap of faith with a rookie, but even if he isn’t quite as good as what we’ve seen from him in college, we know he’s still going to get all the work he can handle. The Raiders should also be better with Geno Smith under center and Pete Carroll as head coach.

I want running backs over stud wide receivers in the first round due to the fact that there are a ton of good wide receivers with first round upside going in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. On the other hand, running backs who handle huge workloads both on the ground and through the air are hard to find that late.

Round 2

I’m still looking for a running back here, but at this point there’s a chance your league mates had the same idea and went heavy into the position and left you with a wide receiver you just can’t pass on. For this endeavor we’ll just stick with ADP though.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers (ADP, 14)

Jacobs was very good last season, finishing with 1,671 total yards and 16 touchdowns. Those numbers came after a slow start to the season and a game he only carried the ball six times in Week 18. The Packers will once again be run heavy, as they ran the ball the fifth-most in the league last year and they also just added Micah Parsons to their defense. The closer the games, the more chances Jacobs gets.

Jacobs isn’t as flashy as some other picks, but he led the league in forced missed tackles last season per PFF and also rated as the second-best receiving back. Add in Jaylen Reed’s Jones fracture and Marshawn Lloyd’s continued injury trouble and I don’t see how Jacobs isn’t the engine behind this offense once again.

Round 3

Round 3 is where you likely need to take a quarterback if you want one of the Top 4 of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, or Jalen Hurts. Those are the only QBs I’d take this early in the draft, as their rushing ability gives them a great floor to help with consistency, while their passing ability can give them huge spike weeks when added to their rushing stats. When you can get a player with floor AND upside advantages, you take him.

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders (ADP, 29)

There is a chance that Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson are available here, but ADP has them right at the end of round 2 for the most part. If they do last, I prefer Jackson in the third, but Daniels is right up there and I still feel great taking him here. Yes, we’re behind the 8-ball when it comes to wide receivers to start, but I still feel good about the middle round receivers in comparison to the running backs and quarterbacks.

Round 4

Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders (ADP, 43)

This isn’t best ball, so stacking isn’t imperative, but I still like it in redraft if it comes naturally, which it does here with the Daniels-McLaurin duo. McLaurin was WR7 in PPR leagues last season and is currently going as WR18 in ADP. There is concern he won’t hit 13 touchdowns again, as his previous high was seven his rookie year. The good news is that he also didn’t have Jayden Daniels as his QB in any of those seasons other than the one he caught 13 touchdowns! He’s still the No. 1 target, Daniels should continue to improve, and they have a Top 10 offensive line.

Round 5

George Pickens, WR, Cowboys (ADP, 60)

I love the receivers in the fifth round and I have trouble choosing between Xavier Worthy, Tetairoa McMillan, and George Pickens. If I could pick those three as my three starters, I’d be happy. But, I’m going to lean Pickens here because I see the most fantasy upside in Dallas’ offense. They are going to throw the ball as much or more than anyone in the league because they don’t have a running back they can rely on and their defense (now without Parsons) gives up big plays as their norm. I expect plenty of shootouts in Big D. You may be able to get Pickens in the sixth round, so if you can make it happen, I could see waiting, but I wanted to point out how much I like Pickens this season.

Round 6

Calvin Ridley, WR, Titans (ADP, 68)

Ridley has put up two 1,000 yard seasons since returning from his gambling suspension and he did so with some truly bad quarterback play. This season he gets Cam Ward as his quarterback and should be in line for a better statistical year, and more touchdown opportunities. Ward is unproven, but he is a very good deep ball passer, which should fit Ridley well.

Round 7

Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers (ADP, 81)

The 49ers let Deebo Samuel go this offseason, while Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a torn MCL and ACL. His return date is up in the air, but it looks like it could be around mid-season.The 49ers also have had terrible injury luck with receivers this offseason and Jauan Jenning is dealing with a calf issue while also trying to get a new contract. How hurt he really is, is unknown, but we know he hasn’t practiced and we’re getting very close to real games.

Pearsall had two big games to end last season after recovering from a gunshot wound early in the year. He should go into Week 1 as the No. 1 receiver and could hold onto that position all year in an always strong Kyle Shanahan offense

Round 8

Jordan Mason, RB, Vikings (ADP, 85)

The Vikings offense ranked ninth in total points last season with Sam Darnold as their quarterback. J.J. McCarthy will take over for Darnold, who signed a deal in Seattle, and I see no reason to believe he can’t be as good or better than him this season. Plus, the offensive line should be one of the best in the league after upgrading their interior this offseason. That all sets up well for Mason, who will share work with Aaron Jones in the backfield. Mason isn’t going to be an every down back, but he should be able to beat out Jones for early down work to start the season and be in line for plenty of scoring opportunities.

Round 9

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks (ADP, 98)

The Seahawks are going to run the ball a lot this season off of play-action under new OC Klint Kubiak. That should be helpful to Kenneth Walker and Charbonnet. Both backs have good fantasy upside when given the opportunity. Walker is that starter now, but injuries continue to be a concern, as he has dealt with a foot problem this preseason. There’s also been a fairly loud drumbeat for Charbonnet, who has looked good whenever he’s gotten more work due to a Walker injury. At worst, he’s a backup poised to be in the RB1 conversation if Walker misses time.

Round 10

Colston Loveland, TE, Bears (ADP, 116)

I like plenty of tight ends from the tenth round down, so grabbing Loveland here isn’t an imperative, but I do love his upside compared to others in this spot. He was an early first round pick by the Bears new head coach Ben Johnson this year. Johnson wanted to get more passing work toward the middle of the field for Caleb Williams and I expect Loveland will be key in that plan. The rookie wasn’t drafted to block, and should be used in the slot plenty. Plus, the Bears upgraded their offensive line this offseason enough to expect good protection without Loveland needing to chip linebackers. We’ve already seen Johnson turn rookie Sam LaPorta into a top fantasy tight end and Loveland appears to be an even better prospect.

Round 11 and beyond

A lot depends on how many bench spots you have, but no matter the number of spots, I much rather have upside players on my bench than consistent, low ceiling players. In redraft, you can always find replacements for bench players if your upside picks aren’t working out early on.

Some higher upside picks I like later in drafts — Josh Downs, Jaydon Blue, Bhayshul Tuten, Rashid Shaheed, Trey Benson, Marvin Mims, Darnell Mooney, Ray Davis, Ollie Gordon, Christian Kirk, Josh Palmer, Rashod Bateman, Chig Okonkwo, Woody Marks, Will Shipley, Isaac TeSlaa, Brashard Smith, and Jalen Coker.

With Loveland as my tight end, I’d feel fine grabbing another tight end that has a higher floor in case the rookie is a non-factor to start. There are plenty of cheap possibilities out there. Some of my favorites are Jake Ferguson, Dallas Goedert, and Brenton Strange.

As for D/STs and kickers, find matchups you like Week 1 and start streaming.

Overall, I want at least one stud running back, but preferably two. I also want one of the Top 4 quarterbacks. I won’t box myself in by reaching into the second round for QB though. If I miss out, I’m perfectly fine going after an upside fantasy QB like Justin Fields, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Trevor Lawrence.

The hottest Micah Parsons trade rumor comes from the funniest source imaginable

Micah Parsons’ status with the Cowboys has been the legendary off-field football drama of the Summer. It has everything: One of the league’s best players, a crotchety old owner, an agent with hurt feelings, and contractual issues. Dallas, in its eternal football wisdom, has dug its heels in over getting Parsons a new contract worthy of his ability, with Jerry Jones instead trying to circumvent the negotiation process by excluding an agent, then bemoaning the fact he got caught doing it.

Parsons is holding out, and has demanded a trade — saying he loves Dallas and the Cowboys, but ownership and management have made his situation untenable. It goes without saying that 31 teams would trip over themselves to make a deal for Parsons. It’s not often one of the best pass rushers in the NFL is available right before the season begins, and he’s the kind of impact player that could lift an established playoff team into Super Bowl contention.

Even knowing that, nobody expected the biggest source on a potential trade would be the Dallas-Fort Worth breast enlargement community.

So…the breast enhancement community is rather close knit. My DFW colleagues are texting the shit outta me right now saying the Micah Parsons to Green Bay deal is cemented and both Teams are playing it up for all the PR they can get.

Take it for what it’s worth, but the wives…

— Dr. Feelgood (@boobdoc01) August 28, 2025

The phrase “the breast enhancement community is rather close knit” is absolutely sending me, but the idea of Parsons to the Packers is an idea that has been floated around for some time now. As it stands Green Bay needs a high-tier, signature pass rusher with Rashawn Gary being their best option right now, and while he’s a great player, he’s not a double-digit sack artist like Parsons is.

Far be it from me to doubt the news-breaking credentials of a Twitter breast enlargement doctor called “Dr. Feelgood,” but looking through his account it’s very out of character to be sharing NFL news. In fact, most of Dr. Feelgood’s tweets center on promoting the cryptocurrency “Dust Burp,” which I wish was fake — but it’s very real, and he’s highly invested in trying to get people on board with his burping hippo memecoin.

$DBURP is going to be the next @bonk_fun success story!

Who in their right mind would think this cute little hippo couldn’t do it?! pic.twitter.com/YyQnpSwVR2

— Dr. Feelgood (@boobdoc01) August 21, 2025

“Dust Burp is going to be the next Bonk Fun.”

This makes me believe the Parsons rumor even more. Dr. Feelgood doesn’t have much to gain from sharing fake trade news about Micah heading to Green Bay, because every post that’s not about Dust Burp is a wasted opportunity that could be spent talking about Dust Burp.

There’s another wrinkle to this too. A now-deleted post on Reddit claimed something very similar at the same time as Dr. Feelgood, this time from inside the organization itself.

Obviously this should be met with scrutiny too, but Reddit users pointed out that u/gridirongamer has been on the Packers subreddit for 12 years, and never posted fake information either. When you have two people posting out of character stuff like this it shows there’s some smoke to this potential fire, and it has a lot of people buying into the idea that Parsons could be traded from the Cowboys to Packers before the season begins.

This matches up with a lot that our own Justis Mosqueda has heard about the Parsons situation, with his belief being that Jerry almost wants to punish Parsons by sending him out of the large Dallas market, and into the NFL’s smallest one. It’s his idea of the worst thing he could do as an owner, and Green Bay fits the bill.

Ultimately this feels really, really likely. There’s simply too many people and sources linking Parsons to Green Bay — but that doesn’t mean a deal is done. The Packers won’t trade for Parsons if he won’t sign an extension, and there’s a real chance Jerry Jones’ penchant for drama is leading him to tell people that he’s trading Parsons to the Packers, simply to elicit a response and put pressure on his star player to agree to his terms, lest he be sent to a small market.

Just remember: If this ends up happening we need to give credit to the Reddit user in Dallas, and buy some Dust Burp to help Dr. Feelgood’s portfolio.

Dawn Staley says she would have taken Knicks’ coaching job if offered

Dawn Staley was ready to be the head coach of the New York Knicks.

In an interview with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston on their “Post Moves” podcast, the South Carolina women’s basketball head coach confirmed she had a formal interview for the Knicks’ head coach vacancy earlier this summer and was interested in the position.

“If the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it,” Staley said. “It’s not just for me, it’s for women, for … to break open that. It’s the New York Knicks, and I’m from Philly, but it’s the freakin’ New York Knicks.”

Dawn Staley speaks on coaching in the NBA, saying “if the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/BnBGEskmNx

— Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston (@PostMovesShow) August 27, 2025

League sources told The Athletic that while Staley impressed during her conversation with team president Leon Rose and other members of the Knicks’ front office, she was not considered a finalist to fill the vacancy left when the team fired head coach Tom Thibodeau following the franchise’s first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The franchise hired Mike Brown, formerly the Sacramento Kings’ head coach, to replace Thibodeau.

During the conversation with Parker and Boston, Staley said she went into the interview with the Knicks’ brass with a series of questions of her own, primarily centered around the potential impact of hiring the first woman head coach in NBA history.

“Would I take any NBA job? No,” Staley said. “I will say this: The NBA has to be ready for a female head coach. You can’t just interview somebody and say, ‘We’re going to hire her.’ I probably lost the job by asking this question.”

“Well, I had a series of questions that I asked them,” she continued. “No. 1 was: Why was I in the candidate pool? I said, ‘Has the New York Knicks organization, in its history, ever had what you’re looking for? They wanted a team. They wanted inclusiveness with management, coaches and everyone. They wanted it to feel like a closely-knit franchise. The answer was really ‘no.’ If you don’t hire anyone different, how are you going to get that? That was No. 1.

“My other question was, ‘If you hired me as the first female coach, how would it impact your daily job?’ Because it would. It would. You’re going to get questions that you don’t have to be asked if you hire a male coach. There’s going to be the media, all this stuff you’ll have to deal with that you didn’t have to deal with and don’t have to deal with when you hire a male. That got them to thinking. That really got them to thinking. ‘Maybe she’s right.’ I felt the energy change after that.”

Staley signed a new contract with South Carolina in January that makes her the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball. The deal, which extends through the 2029-30 season, totals more than $25 million after signing bonuses and annual increases.

Staley’s interview was part of an unorthodox Knicks’ coaching search that ended with Brown’s hiring. Team decision-makers reached out to multiple NBA teams to inquire about their head coaches under contract, like Houston’s Ime Udoka, Dallas’ Jason Kidd and Chicago’s Billy Donovan. The Knicks also interviewed NBA assistant coaches like Minnesota’s Micah Nori and New Orleans’ James Borrego, as well as recently-fired head coaches like Taylor Jenkins and Brown.

More women than ever are joining NBA coaching staffs in high-ranking roles, but no woman has ever been the head coach of an NBA team.

In 2019, the Knicks, under a previous regime, hired Lisa Willis, a former WNBA player, as an assistant coach for their G League affiliate.

There are currently three women who serve as NBA assistant coaches: Jenny Boucek (Indiana Pacers), Brittni Dolandson (Atlanta Hawks) and Lindsey Harding (Los Angeles Lakers). In 2024, Harding, then the head coach of the Stockton Kings, became the first woman to be named coach of the year in the G League. Harding was the first woman to be the head coach of a G League team, and she worked under Anjali Ranadivé, the first female general manager in G League history.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

New York Knicks, South Carolina Gamecocks, NBA, Women’s College Basketball, Culture

2025 The Athletic Media Company