Cat Ariail received her PhD in history from the University of Miami in 2018, researching the intersection of race, gender, sexuality and nationalism in women's sports. She has contributed to Swish Appeal since 2019, and began running the site in 2023. When not digging into stories and stats from across women's basketball, she, literally, is digging in the dirt as a farm manager for a farm-to-table restaurant in northeast Georgia.
Around the NCAAW Weekly: UCLA slays South Carolina
The 43-game winning streak is snapped as the defending national champions go down. UCLA’s domination of South Carolina capped a week of consequential hoops from around women’s college basketball.
Preview: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 5 UCLA
The No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks go for their 44th-straight win against the No. 5-ranked UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles. Can the Bruins match the Gamecocks for the full 40 minutes?
This Week in Women’s Basketball: Prepare for draft drama?
Could the WNBA experience draft day drama? League scuttlebutt suggests presumptive No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers could force her way to an organization of her choice. Here’s more on Bueckers’ WNBA future, Caitlin Clark’s offseason and the WNBA coaching market.
Way-too-early Unrivaled power rankings
The rosters of Unrivaled’s six clubs have been revealed. Which one is the best? Here are our way-too-early power rankings.
3 reasons the WNBA Draft will remain one-and-NOT-done
While the prospect of college stars jumping early to the WNBA is quite juicy, don’t expect it to happen any time soon. The incentives for the WNBA and WNBPA, as well as college players themselves, explain why.
All-time Auriemma
On Wednesday, No. 2 UConn defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, giving head coach Geno Auriemma 1,217 wins, the most in NCAA basketball history.
Why Lynne Roberts is the Sparks’ new head coach
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Sparks announced that Lynne Roberts, head coach at the University of Utah for the past nine seasons, will be the team’s new head coach.
Can Dallas turn the Paige?
The Dallas Wings won the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes, securing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. What’s next for the organizaton?
Around the NCAAW Weekly: Geno on verge of all-time wins
A historic win for UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and scoring milestone for USC sophomore JuJu Watkins highlighted the past week’s NCAAW action.
Wings win No. 1 pick!
The Dallas Wings won the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery. Is UConn superstar Paige Bueckers destined for Dallas in April’s draft?