March.
All one has to do is say that one very word to a basketball aficionado and said fan immediately gets hearts in their eyes.
The Madness is once again upon us. The Power Five conferences – Big East, ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 all have crowned conference champions. Now, those champions – along with a host of other teams now are patiently awaiting where they will be beginning their respective runs through the tournament.
With South Carolina and UCLA winning the SEC and Big Ten, respectively, both the Gamecocks and Bruins appear to be locks for No. 1 seeds. USC and Texas have strong cases for No. 1 seeds as well. If the Gamecocks, Bruins, Trojans and Longhorns are indeed No. 1 seeds, one can expect the two SEC teams to be part of the Birmingham regionals with Southern Cal and UCLA taking part in one of the two regionals in Spokane.
UConn could be a wild card when thinking about possible overall one seeds.
One of the enduring stories of March Madness is potential upsets which are becoming more and more common in the women’s game as they have been for eons on the men’s side. Another story is how WNBA prospects could take a huge step in improving their draft position.
Without further ado, here are five we are looking at will real opportunities to do just that.
Te-Hina Paopao
The former Oregon Duck-turned South Carolina Gamecock has taken her career – and her profile – to the next level with the garnet and black.
South Carolina has had games where it has not looked like a Dawn Staley-coached South Carolina team. The Gamecocks appear to be playing their best basketball at the right time – on the eve of March Madness.
South Carolina was successful in claiming yet another SEC championship. We saw what a strong tournament performance did last season for Kamilla Cardoso. Paopao has been tabbed by many mocks as a possible late first round pick. Perhaps a Cardoso-esque run for Paopao could move her into the middle of that first round.
Rori Harmon
Harmon is currently the third-leading scorer on this year’s Texas rendition at just under 10 points a game.
Given she is a senior, Harmon will surely want to make her final go-round through the NCAA tournament a memorable one before she calls it a career sporting Texas’ signature burnt orange.
We will know what Texas’ bracket looks like this coming weekend but if the Longhorns are indeed a No. 1 overall seed in one of those Birmingham regions, Texas will be a popular pick by many to possibly advance to the Final Four – and possibly a fourth get-together with the Gamecocks.
Hailey Van Lith
Van Lith has been turned into somewhat of a meme among women’s basketball fans. This has not only for how she has been defended by top-tier talents from other teams but also for being a journeywoman.
Her odyssey through the women’s basketball ranks has seen her play at Louisville, LSU and – now – TCU. We sometimes forget that Van Lith is an Olympian who did win a bronze medal with last year’s USA Basketball 3×3 team at the Olympics.
The Horned Frogs will be entering this season’s tournament as Big 12 champions following its win over Baylor. Van Lith’s list of accomplishments has included conference Player of the Year, conference Newcomer of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 tournament.
Some mocks have her as a mid-third round pick. Others in the late second round.
Janiah Barker
Speaking of prospects with international experience, the same applies to Barker as she once played on USA Basketball’s U16 team in 2019.
Her college career has spanned Texas A&M and now UCLA after being recruited from the national prep powerhouse that is Montverde Academy in Florida.
Barker has mostly played off the bench for what is a stacked UCLA team but she has especially helped the Bruins in terms of rebounding. Following the Bruins’ win over USC in the Big Ten tournament, UCLA is a virtual lock for a No. 1 seed. They will get a favorable bracket that may have them in position to meet up with USC again in the Final Four.
At least one mock as Barker as a mid-second round pick to the Atlanta Dream. It would be a natural fit since Barker is a native of Marietta.
Diamond Johnson
HBCUs obviously do not receive the same attention that Power 5 schools receive – and it is why Norfolk State has a prospect that is completely flying under the radar.
That name is Diamond Johnson. After previous stints with NC State and Rutgers, Johnson appears to have found her footing sporting the green and gold of the Spartans.
Johnson is averaging 19.2 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists – and has Norfolk State in prime position to win the MEAC Tournament. Not to mention – Johnson is from Philadelphia. It is an area that knows something about producing WNBA talent either from the high school or collegiate realms. Ask Dawn Staley. Ask Natasha Cloud. Ask Kahleah Copper. Ask Maddy Siegrist.
