The Guru NCAAW Report: Drexel Down Delaware Up in CAA; Heavy Local Slate Saturday; Staley New Deal Becomes Top Contract; Women’s Pro Unrivaled Launches

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

With the Big East and Ivy League action happening less on Friday nights in the conference phase of the season, things are less busy.

It is still a night occupied by the Coastal Athletic Association and thus two locals had games with split results on the road.

Drexel fell at league-leader North Carolina A&T 64-57 at the Corbett Sports Center in Greensboro while Delaware won at Hampton 79-69 at the Convocation Center in Virginia.

Nationally, the one game of note came out of the Big 12 where No. 10 TCU at home in Fort Worth beat No. 23 Utah 81-73.

In the Drexel game, which was close until near the end, gone to waste was a 33-point career-high performance by Amaris Baker for the Dragons (6-8, 2-2) that included five makes from deep. She also had four boards.

Graduate student and Holy Cross transfer Cara McCormack among her six was her 1,000th near game’s end.

The Aggies (9-7, 5-0) countered Baker with four players in double figures: 14 each from Jordyn Dorsey and Aja James, 12 from Paris Locke, and a double-double 11 points and boards from Chaniya Clark.

Drexel on Sunday completes the road trip at Hampton at 2 p.m. on FloSports.

That’s where Delaware (4-10, 1-3) got its first win since December 7, a span of four losses and two game cancellations caused by a limited roster hit by injuries.

Chloe Wilson picked up her 1,500th career point among her 12 on the night behind the 20 from Blue Hens leader Ella Wanzer, who shot 6-9 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Rebecca Demeke scored 16, reserve Michelle Ojo scored 14, and Tara Cousins scored 11 against the Pirates (4-12, 0-5) yet to gain a conference win.

The Blue Hens continue to Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C., on Sunday at 2 p.m. on FloSports.

In the Big 12, the Horned Frogs (19-1, 7-0) won their 10th straight since their only setback, a rout at nearby Dickies Arena last month by defending champion South Carolina, as LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith scored 24 points and Oregon transfer Sedona Prince scored 23 while Madison Conner scored 13 with six assists.

Gianna Kneepkens scored 26 with seven boards for the Utes (13-5, 4-3), while Matyson Wilke scored 14 and Reese Ross scored 11.

Both teams next play Wednesday, Utah back home in Salt Lake City hosting Kansas while TCU travels to No. 24 Oklahoma State.

Noteworthy:Staley’s New Deal Eclipses Auriemma for Top Women’s Collegiate Contract

South Carolina announced Dawn Staley’s new contract extension through 2029-30, approved by the Gamecocks board of trustees, starts at $4 million, includes a $500,000 signing bonus with an annual $250,000 escalator to compute an overall value of $25.25 million.

She was making $3.2 million behind UConn’s Geno Auriemma ($3.34 million) and LSU’s Kim Mulkey ($3.25 million).

The Associated Press citing the Charleston Post and Courier reported if Staley ended the deal before its conclusion, she would owe the university the full amount of the remaining contract with an exception if she became a head or assistant coach in the WNBA or NBA.

Coincidentally the timing indicates if so desired down the road Staley could return to her native Philadelphia and become an owner-coach of a future WNBA expansion team.

Unrivaled Launches

The new 3-on-3 women’s league founded by WNBA standouts and former UConn all-Americans Breena Stewart of the WNBA defending champion and Napheesa Collier of the runnerup Minnesota Lynx launched Friday night in Miami where it will play all its games the next two months.

The salaries are six figures designed so WNBA stars don’t have to play overseas in the winter.

TNT and TruTV are airing the games and one of the broadcasters is retired WNBA all-time great Lisa Leslie.

Looking Ahead

If Friday was devoid of local and national action, the next two days have plenty.

In the Ivy League Penn is at Cornell at 1 p.m. while Princeton is hosting Dartmouth at 2 p.m., both on ESPN+.

In the Atlantic 10 Saint Joseph’s is at UMass at noon while La Salle hosts George Mason at 2 p.m., also on ESPN+.

Villanova in the Big East is at St. John’s at 2 p.m. on FloSports while in the MAAC at 4 p.m. Marist is at Rider on ESPN+.

Temple looks to continue its hot start in The American hosting Charlotte at 2 p.m. on ESPN+ at the Liacouras Center.

In the Patriot League Lafayette at 2 p.m. is at Colgate while at 5 p.m. Lehigh is at Loyola, Md., both on ESPN+.

And in the Big Ten on Saturday Rutgers is at Michigan at noon on the Big Ten Network while on SundayPenn State hosts No. 9 Ohio State at 1 p.m.

Nationally on Saturday, in terms of the two MAAC frontrunners unbeaten in league play, Fairfield is at Canisius at 1 p.m. while Quinnipiac hosts Mount St. Mary’s at 2 p.m., both on ESPN+.

We’ll hold on Sunday nationals until the next report.