Kansas
UConn, Kansas State among five women’s college basketball games to watch this weekend
Women’s college basketball is finally back. Here’s 4 teams to watch
Women’s basketball is officially here, and there are 4 teams to track who could end South Carolina’s dominance.
Parity is growing in women’s college basketball every day, evidenced in part by so many good early season, non-conference matchups. These games also help increase parity.
The parity of women’s hoops is also evidenced by all the movement this week in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll. Stanford, Illinois and South Dakota State made their season debuts, while Baylor and Duke tumbled down the rankings (and in FSU, Creighton and Indiana’s case, completely out of the poll).
That means after a slate of ranked matchups this week, even crazier things could happen in next week’s poll. The more parity, the better (and even though the NCAA Tournament feels very far away right now — the more parity, the more entertaining March Madness will be).
With that in mind, here are five women’s games to watch this week:
Creighton at No. 11 Kansas State
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
The most under-covered player in women’s college hoops is Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee, a 6-foot-6 center who holds the NCAA single-game scoring record (61 points). Lee is a handful at both ends of the floor, and she’s got a lot around her including Tulsa transfer Temira Poindexter (19.0 ppg) and Missouri State transfer Taylor Kennedy (17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg). Meanwhile, Creighton did indeed fall to unranked South Dakota State last week, though Lauren Jensen (23 points) was the scoring machine expected. The Blue Jays tend to shoot a lot of 3s and the key to picking up a tough road win this week will be draining a lot of those attempts.
No. 2 UConn at No. 15 North Carolina
Friday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2
UConn coach Geno Auriemma will tie the all-time wins record with a victory against the Tar Heels, and you can bet Alyssa Ustby (10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and North Carolina would love nothing more than to spoil that party. Ustby and guard Lexi Donarski (15.0 ppg) will have their hands full with a healthy Paige Bueckers (17.5 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen (6.0 ppg, 6.0 apg). But keep an eye on UConn freshman Jana El Alfy, a 6-foot-5 freshman center from Cairo, Egypt, who is finally healthy and has come off the bench to give UConn some excellent minutes (11.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) early this season. She will be a difference maker.
No. 18 Louisville at No. 19 Kentucky
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, SECN+
This is a matchup of two of the best coached programs in the country, and an early look at Kentucky under first-year coach Kenny Brooks, who brought All-American guard Georgia Amoore (12.0 ppg, 9.0 apg) and center Clara Strack (18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) with him to Lexington. Jeff Walz’s group boasts one of the country’s most underappreciated post players in Olivia Cochran (12.3 ppg, 62 FG%) while freshman guard Tajianna Roberts (15.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) has shown why she was a five-rated prospect coming out of high school. This is one of the best rivalries in women’s hoops and with Kentucky hiring Brooks last offseason, it only got better.
No. 23 Stanford at Indiana
Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, FS1
Few people expected much of Stanford this season, as the Cardinal feature a new coach and almost entirely new roster. Picked to finish seventh in the ACC, Stanford thumped Gonzaga last week on the day its home floor was named Tara VanDerveer Court. But that’s not the most impressive thing about the Cardinal four games through the season — it’s the fact that Stanford is shooting a staggering 57.7% from 3. Sophomore forward Nunu Agara (19.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) does everything for the Cardinal and will be a handful for Indiana, which has dropped back-to-back games to Harvard (yes, Harvard) and Butler. Lilly Meister (12.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Sydney Parrish (11.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg) will be eager to put those losses behind them.
No. 10 NC State at TCU
Sunday, 3 p.m., ESPN
Hailey Van Lith’s TCU debut went about as well as it could have, as the super senior guard turned in a stat line of 21 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Now she’ll get to go up against one of the best defenses with Wolfpack guards Aziaha James (15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Saniya Rivers (7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) patrolling the perimeter. The difference maker could very well be seventh-year senior Sedona Prince (19.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.7 bpg), or maybe sophomore transfer Donovyn Hunter (8.5 ppg, 4.0 apg).
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
Kansas
Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.
According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.
Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.
On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
No further information has been released.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Deadly 4-car crash kills 2 people, injures others in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A crash near a busy highway killed two people and injured two others.
Emergency crews responded to the crash at U.S. 71 Highway and Meyer Boulevard around 12:40 p.m. on Monday, March 2.
When crews arrived they determined four cars were involved in the crash.
Police are investigating how the crash happened.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Homegrown Jayhawk stars ready to shine at Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) – As Kansas women’s basketball prepares to enter the postseason at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, they’ll be led by two Overland Park natives who have been two of the most electrifying players to watch in the country this year.
Junior guard S’Mya Nichols and freshman forward Jaliya Davis have played integral roles in the recent growth of the program. Both cite the desire to help grow the Jayhawks into something special as reasons for committing there.
“Where we wanted to take Kansas women’s basketball, I wanted to be a part of that growing evolution,” Nichols told KCTV5.
“We [my family] were also really big Jayhawk fans. We came to a lot of games,” Davis said about her childhood.
The two were both 5-star recruits in high school, and their commitments marked historic recruiting victories for the KU women’s basketball program.
First came Nichols in the Class of 2023, picking KU over Tennessee and Oklahoma.
“I genuinely wanted to go to Kansas,” she said.
Then Davis became the highest-rated player to ever commit to KU as part of the Class of 2025.
“When you go back to S’Mya Nichols being a local, Kansas City, Overland Park product, a nationally respected player, Jaliya was really the next one that was very important for the Jayhawks to keep home,” said head coach Brandon Schneider.
Now as a junior, Nichols has established herself as one of the most consistent scorers and physical guards in the nation.
But it’s the Shawnee Mission West’s alum’s leadership that defines her legacy in Lawrence.
“The team leader, the quarterback,” Coach Schneider described Nichols. “I think oftentimes the player that everybody looks up to off the court.”
“I mean it means everything. Knowing that I’m important to the team, and that they see me as that as well,” said Nichols with a smile.
Both Nichols and Davis were recruited by the Jayhawks for years, going all the way back to seventh grade.
“Well, we offered her in middle school,’ Coach Schneider said with a laugh about Davis.
“Oh he put in a lot of work,” laughed Davis. “I mean, obviously, seventh grade, that’s a long time.”
It was that dedication from Coach Schneider that led her to choose the Jayhawks over Texas, South Carolina, Baylor, and Oklahoma – where he dad played ball.
“I think it really was the relationship we had and grew. He was always there, every single one of my games,” Davis said about Schneider.
After just one practice as teammates, Nichols voiced a big belief about Davis into existence – and it’s probably going to come true.
“I saw her first practice, and I sent her a text, and I’m like ‘I think you can win Freshman of the Year’, and I still stand by that,”
Davis is averaging 21.0 points per game, and has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for eight weeks in a row. That sets a power conference all-time record.
“I think it’s really cool. I mean obviously it’s a team effort, they’re always looking for me,” Davis said about her historic accomplishment.
“Just a phenomenal stretch of basketball for her, and so well deserving,” said Coach Schneider.
Now these two homegrown stars are at the forefront of a late-season push to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Right now, CBS Sports bracketology has them as a ‘First Four Out’ team.
But a few wins in the Big 12 Tournament could certainly help seal their invite to the big dance.
“Obviously we’re not in the position that we were hoping to be in, but I think we can make the most out of it, and get to where we want to be,” Davis said about the opportunity at hand in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
The Overland Park kids are especially fired up about starting the postseason in their own backyard.
“I have a big support system. So I bet my family will take a big chunk of that area during that tournament,” Davis laughed.
“I remember being younger, and the College Basketball Experience is right next door. So I felt like at one moment that was the big stage, when I got to play my little AAU tournaments in there. And then all of a sudden I’m literally in T-Mobile Center on the actual big stage, so it’s pretty cool,” said Nichols.
The Jayhawks are the 11-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and will face 14-seed UCF in the first round on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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