Head coach Marlene Stollings came to Texas Tech in 2018, along with assistant Nikita Lowry Dawkins. They're both out now, after USA Today published allegations of physical, mental and verbal abuse.
The Oregon star spoke with deep respect for Gianna's game. "She had a fadeaway better than mine," she said. "If I represented the present of the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it."
The Lady Bears held off the Fighting Irish by a single point, 82-81, Sunday night to seal their third national title. The last time Baylor clinched the title was in 2012 against Notre Dame.
With 0.1 seconds left on the clock, guard Arike Ogunbowale hit a 3-pointer to give Notre Dame the NCAA championship over Mississippi State 61-58 Sunday night in Columbus, Ohio.
The Huskies are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and are aiming for their 12th national championship. The other No. 1 seeds are Notre Dame, Louisville and Mississippi State.
The University of Connecticut women came into the semifinal riding a 111-game winning streak, including a 60-point beating of Mississippi State in last year's tourney. Friday, that all was wiped away.
With the 63-53 victory over Notre Dame, coach Geno Auriemma collects his tenth championship ring since 1995 — a streak of dominance few teams or coaches in any sport can compete with.