<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> House Republicans unanimously called on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to reverse its controversial decision to allow trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports.
The new letter signed by all 75 House Republicans was sent on the first day of the NCAA&#8217;s annual convention, which takes place in Nashville.
&#8220;The hard work of female athletes is now in serious jeopardy. The NCAA’s 2010 rule change allowing men who decide to be women and displace real women in competitive sports has had devastating consequences,&#8221; read the letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker.
The NCAA oversees more than 500,000 college athletes at about 1,100 schools.
The letter outlines several concerns with trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports, including the physical safety of female athletes, lost victories, and lack of privacy in women&#8217;s locker rooms.
&#8220;Forcing women to compete against males in noncontact sports is unfair at best, but allowing them to compete in contact sports approaches abuse and creates opportunities for serious injury,&#8221; the Republicans wrote. &#8220;And when a man is given access to female locker rooms and bathrooms, it infringes on every woman’s reasonable expectation to the right of privacy and robs their dignity.&#8221;
The lawmakers called the idea &#8220;absurd&#8221; that men competing against women is &#8220;inclusive and safe.&#8221;
&#8220;The actions by the NCAA are humiliating and destructive to young women and the NCAA’s leaders should know and act better,&#8221; they said.
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The Republicans called on the collegiate sports governing body to &#8220;take bold action to protect women’s sports&#8221; during their convention this month.
The letter was spearheaded by House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett, who also on Tuesday filed a measure honoring Tennessee native and former college athlete Riley Gaines for her advocacy against men in women&#8217;s sports.
“Americans have spoken loud and clear on this issue, and they do not want men entering their daughters’ locker rooms or bathrooms, stealing their scholarship opportunities and robbing them of their records and hard-fought victories. We are hopeful the NCAA will do the right thing; Men have no place in women’s sports,” Garrett said in a statement.
Over the last few years, the country has seen fierce backlash to trans-identifying men competing with and against women.
Female athletes have spoken out about losing competitions to male competitors, their uncomfortable experiences being in a locker room with a male, and several have suffered devastating <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-student-athlete-seriously-injured-in-field-hockey-game-involving-male-player-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injuries</a> due to a male player.
Tennessee has passed several laws aimed at keeping males out of women&#8217;s sports at both the <a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/112/pub/pc0040.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">K-12</a> and <a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/112/pub/pc1005.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college</a> level.

Woman running outdoor.

Tennessee House Republicans Call On NCAA To Reverse Decision Allowing Men In Women’s Sports

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Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders slammed the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday after it snubbed two-way Colorado star football player Travis Hunter from its finalist list.
Hunter, who starts at both wide receiver and cornerback for the 8-3 Buffaloes, is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy heading into the final weeks before the winner is announced on December 14. The latest odds in betting markets have Hunter at -1,000 — giving him an implied 90.9% chance of winning the most prestigious award in college football, according to BetMGM. The award is given to the most valuable player in college football every year.
The <a href="https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2025-nfl-mock-draft-three-quarterbacks-go-in-the-top-10-shedeur-sanders-new-york-giants">projected</a> No. 1 NFL Draft pick for next year was named as a finalist for multiple awards on Tuesday, including the Maxwell Award (for best all-around player), Biletnikoff Award (for best wide receiver), Bednarik Award (for best defensive player), Hornung Award (for most versatile player) and Walter Camp Award (for most outstanding player).
However, it was the one award for which Hunter was not a finalist that upset Sanders — who starred in the NFL and MLB at the same time.
&#8220;How is Travis Hunter snubbed for the Jim Thorpe Award?&#8221; Sanders asked at a press conference. &#8220;You could have my award. You could have it back. Matter of fact, I’m gonna give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust. So Travis can have my Thorpe award because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is — I would say arguably but I don’t really think it’s an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.&#8221;
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&#8220;He rarely gets thrown at,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;He’s won a game for tackling for us. And he’s always on point. So if you bring up the statistics I don’t know how in the world is Travis Hunter not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. They just pretty much messed up all the integrity of the award, and he can have mine.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Coach Prime on Travis Hunter not being a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award:
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe. You can have my award, you can have it back. In fact i’m gonna give him mine” <a href="https://t.co/vHHUF24CzA">pic.twitter.com/vHHUF24CzA</a>
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNVR_Buffs/status/1861473018503143744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
If Hunter wins the Heisman Trophy, he will become only the second defensive player in history to win the award.
Michigan Wolverines cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 was the only defensive player to win the Heisman.
However, there is a key difference between Woodson and Hunter. Woodson only played situationally on offense and started on defense, whereas Hunter starts on both sides of the ball and plays nearly every play in the game outside of special teams.
During Woodson&#8217;s Heisman year, he intercepted seven passes and made 43 tackles on defense while catching 11 passes for 231 yards and a receiving touchdown on offense. He also had 1 rushing touchdown.
So far in 2024, Hunter has intercepted three passes and deflected breakups — despite rarely being thrown at — and had a game-winning forced fumble on the goal line against Baylor. On offense, Hunter has 82 catches for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.

Colorado v Colorado State

Deion Sanders To Give Travis Hunter His Thorpe Award After Hunter Gets Snubbed

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Football

The starting quarterback for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, announced late Tuesday night that he will not play any more games this season for the unbeaten Rebels, alleging that the program did not keep some of its &#8220;commitments.&#8221;
Matthew Sluka, who helped get UNLV to a 3-0 record and in the conversation for a playoff bid this season, shocked the sports world, writing in a statement posted to X, &#8220;I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in any additional games this season.&#8221; Sluka, who transferred from Holy Cross last season, did not mention specific promises that he says were not being fulfilled, but reports suggest that he was upset with UNLV over name, image, and likeness (NIL) guarantees that allow student-athletes to be paid by companies and third-party organizations.
&#8220;I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled,&#8221; Sluka added. &#8220;Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/oK5BDRpoxK">pic.twitter.com/oK5BDRpoxK</a>
&mdash; Matthew Sluka (@MatthewSluka) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewSluka/status/1838799758577799607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Later on Tuesday, ESPN college football Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg <a href="https://x.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1838948515113767100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Sluka&#8217;s father said his son&#8217;s agent &#8220;agreed to an NIL deal with the school back in February, never received payments despite requests and never asked for any adjustments to the original deal.&#8221; Sluka&#8217;s father added, &#8220;We have no idea what the hell happened.&#8221;
One of Sluka&#8217;s representatives, Marcus Cromartie, said that the quarterback was promised $100,000 if he transferred to UNLV, but none of that money was paid, <a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1838949768787096036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN Senior Writer Pete Thamel. Cromartie alleged that UNLV offered Sluka $3,000 per month for the next four months, which would amount to $88,000 less than what Cromartie said Sluka was initially promised.
Rob Sine, who runs Blueprint Sports — a company that manages UNLV&#8217;s collective — said that the collective never agreed to a $100,000 deal with Sluka, Yahoo Sports <a href="https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/1838975453262233881" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Sine added that the collective was working on a deal with Sluka that would pay him $3,000 per month before the quarterback announced his decision to quit playing.
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Jake Crain, the host of The Daily Wire&#8217;s &#8220;Crain &amp; Co.&#8221; podcast, said that people should wait for more information before rushing to pin the blame on either Sluka or UNLV.
&#8220;The whole Sluka situation sucks but there is a massive difference in: A) Not getting paid what you were promised before the season B) Asking for more money and quitting when you don’t get it. Need to find out which one it is,&#8221; Crain <a href="https://x.com/JakeCrain_/status/1838944098532614315" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Sluka&#8217;s decision to redshirt after just three games of UNLV&#8217;s season <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41430604/unlv-qb-matthew-sluka-no-longer-play-rebels-representations-were-not-upheld" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allows</a> the senior to keep his final year of eligibility, which means he could play a full season for a team next year. The quarterback was off to a good start in UNLV&#8217;s backfield, throwing for 318 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 286 yards and one touchdown.
The Rebels defeated a ranked Kansas team in week 3, moving them to their first 3-0 start since the 1984 season. With college football&#8217;s expanded playoffs going into effect this season, UNLV was considered a potential dark horse program that could sneak into the new 12-team format.
Sluka&#8217;s sudden departure has already affected <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/40159558/betting-buzz-latest-sports-betting-odds-updates-changes-line-moves-industry-intel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">betting odds</a> on UNLV in their next game against Fresno State. The Rebels were a 4.5-point favorite at the beginning of the week, but now Fresno State is listed as a 1-point favorite, according to ESPN BET.

Matthew Sluka

Starting College QB Quits Unbeaten Team, Alleges Promises ‘Were Not Upheld’

Starting College QB Quits Unbeaten Team, Alleges Promises 'Were Not Upheld'

Business

College sports

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Former USC running back and NFL star Reggie Bush is suing his alma mater, the Pac-12 Conference, and the NCAA over their use of his name, image, and likeness (NIL) during his college football career.
Bush filed a lawsuit alleging the three organizations were compensated handsomely for using Bush’s “significant popularity” to promote college football and the University of Southern California, ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40014492/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-returned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Bush’s legal team at McCathern Law issued <a href="https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/reggie-bush-sues-ncaa-usc-and-pac-12-for-profiting-from-uncompensated-use-of-name-image-and-likeness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press release</a> on Monday announcing the lawsuit.
“From the moment Reggie Bush joined USC, the NCAA, USC, and the Pac-12 Conference began capitalizing on his significant popularity. Revenue streams including lucrative TV contracts, merchandise sales, and extensive media rights have generated substantial profits for these organizations, all directly linked to Reggie Bush&#8217;s prominence,” the law firm said. “Despite this, Reggie Bush has not received any compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness. Even after Reggie transitioned to his successful NFL career, these entities continued to benefit financially from his reputation without any acknowledgment of his contribution.”
Evan Selik, who works at McCathern Law, said in the press release: “This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush; it’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”
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Bush won the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2005 but was forced to return it in 2010 due to sanctions imposed on USC, including allegations that Bush had received improper benefits as a student-athlete between 2003 and 2005, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reggie-bush-gets-his-heisman-trophy-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Bush tried to get his Heisman back, and the Heisman Trust said it would return the award if the NCAA would reinstate Bush’s record from his 2005 season, CBS Sports <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/reggie-bushs-2005-heisman-trophy-reinstated-as-former-usc-trojans-star-wins-long-battle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Last year, Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming the organization was wrong to say he had been involved in “pay-for-play arrangements.”
Bush&#8217;s Heisman trophy was finally returned to him in April, 14 years after he was first forced to give it up. The stated reason for the return was &#8220;fundamental changes in college athletics,&#8221; including rules that have allowed for “student athlete compensation,” which has become &#8220;an accepted practice and appears here to stay.&#8221;
Bush reacted to the return of his trophy by <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40014492/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-returned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> ESPN: “Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family. I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”
He played 11 seasons in the NFL, including stints with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills.

Reggie Bush

Former NFL Star Reggie Bush Sues USC, Pac-12, And NCAA Over Name, Image, Likeness Exploitation

Courts

Pac 12

Former collegiate swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> tore into Georgia Tech President, Dr. Angel Cabrera, for failing to intervene when it became clear that the NCAA was going to allow a biological male to not only compete against the females, but to have full access to their locker rooms while they were changing as well.
Gaines spoke on Tuesday before the Georgia General Assembly’s Special Committee on Protecting Women’s Sports, where she called Cabrera out for allowing trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas to compete against and change alongside the women who had worked their entire lives to get to the NCAA championship. Prior to her appearance, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/riley-gaines-rips-georgia-tech-president-remarks-lawmakers-why-didnt-you-protect-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> obtained a copy of her prepared remarks.
&#8220;Dr. Cabrera, you knew that a 6’4&#8243; fully intact man was coming to compete against me, my teammates, and my competitors in the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming &amp; Diving National Championships. Do you have a daughter? You could have stopped it, you could have at least said, ‘not here, not on the campus of Georgia Tech University,’ but you did not,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;You had the chance at the outset to bring a sane, rational, science-based perspective to the protection of women’s sport, but you looked the other way, and you did nothing. Why didn’t you intervene? The scientific evidence for immense male performance advantages in sport is overwhelming — I don&#8217;t have to explain that to you or this committee, but you ignored the science to the harm of women.&#8221;
Gaines went on to say that officials had known Thomas, still a fully-intact male, would be changing in close proximity to the women — and that they would have no ability to escape the situation.
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&#8220;This was intentional, premeditated, sexual harassment, and it happened right here, in the capitol city of the State of Georgia, just a few blocks away the grounds of Georgia Tech University,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;Because you did nothing, that man walked into the women’s locker room at your university and saw me undressed down to nothing. I did not even know he had access to the women’s locker room until I heard a man’s voice and turned around and saw him a few feet in front of me, and I was unclothed. You allowed college women to be traumatized on your campus in this way. Why didn’t you protect me? Why didn’t you protect us?&#8221;
Gaines called on Cabrera to respond, saying that the Georgia Tech President could &#8220;redeem&#8221; himself by speaking up now, adding, &#8220;Thousands of women across this country and hundreds of girls who dream of swimming for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and more broadly who dream of competing in sports at all look forward to your response.&#8221;

2024 Folds Of Honor Tennessee Rock N’ Jock Celebrity Softball Game

‘Why Didn’t You Protect Us?’ Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

'Why Didn't You Protect Us?' Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

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Riley Gaines

Swimming

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Former NFL player <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reggie-bush-wants-his-heisman-trophy-back-after-ncaa-changes-policy-allowing-student-athletes-to-benefit-from-their-name-image-and-likeness">Reggie Bush</a> has his Heisman Trophy back following “fundamental changes in college athletics” after he forfeited it 14 years ago due to NCAA sanctions at the time for the University of Southern California.
On Wednesday, the Heisman Trust officially reinstated the former USC star’s 2005 Heisman Trophy, along with sending a replica to USC, <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40014492/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-returned">ESPN</a> reported.
Bush will also now be invited to participate in all Heisman Trophy ceremonies starting this year. In 2010, Bush gave up his famed trophy due to sanctions against the university, which included that Bush had received <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/reggie-bushs-2005-heisman-trophy-reinstated-as-former-usc-trojans-star-wins-long-battle/">improper benefits</a> while he was a student-athlete between 2003 and 2005.
“Welcome Home! We are reinstating the 2005 Heisman Trophy to the University of Southern California’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ReggieBush">Reggie Bush</a>!” the <a href="https://x.com/HeismanTrophy/status/1783139051849085118">post</a> from the official page for the Heisman Trophy read.
“In 2005, Bush gained more than 2000 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 touchdowns,” it added. “He received 784 first-place votes, the fifth-most in Heisman Trophy history, while leading<a href="https://twitter.com/uscfb"> USCFB</a> to a national title berth. Welcome back to the Heisman Family, Reggie!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welcome Home!
We are reinstating the 2005 Heisman Trophy to the University of Southern California’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ReggieBush?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ReggieBush</a>!
In 2005, Bush gained more than 2000 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 touchdowns. He received 784 first-place votes, the fifth-most in Heisman Trophy history, while… <a href="https://t.co/34oCD7P8CY">pic.twitter.com/34oCD7P8CY</a>
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeismanTrophy/status/1783139051849085118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
Bush also reacted to the news and told <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40014492/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-returned">ESPN</a> in a statement, &#8220;Personally, I&#8217;m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I&#8217;m honored to return to the Heisman family. I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.&#8221;
President of the Heisman Trophy Trust, Michael Comerford, said that &#8220;we are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments.”
&#8220;We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the trophy for Reggie,” he added. “We are so happy to welcome him back.&#8221;
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The decision from the Heisman Trust came after it said it underwent a &#8220;deliberative process&#8221; to monitor what it called the &#8220;fundamental changes in college athletics&#8221; in which rules that have allowed &#8220;student athlete compensation&#8221; to become &#8220;an accepted practice&#8221; appear &#8220;here to stay,” ESPN noted.
In 2021, NCAA rules changed to allow athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-ncaa-policy-allows-student-athletes-to-benefit-from-their-name-image-and-likeness">reported</a>.
Following the change in rules, professional football players threw their support behind Bush to get his 2005 trophy back. One such athlete was former Texas A&amp;M star Johnny Manziel.
On Wednesday, Manziel took to social media and <a href="https://x.com/JManziel2/status/1783127654599991675">wrote</a>, “Thank you to the Heisman Trophy for doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold.”
“There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie simply because of the kind of human being he is,” he added. “I look forward to being on that stage with you this December Reggie Bush you deserve it.”

Reggie Bush Gets His Heisman Trophy Back

Women&#8217;s basketball star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/caitlin-clark">Caitlin Clark</a> has reportedly landed a historic shoe contract with Nike.
Clark is in line to sign an eight-year deal after the shoe company offered the women’s basketball star $28 million and a signature shoe, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/caitlin-clark-nike-deal-415ee8ec?st=jt8jyb6zzw9snx3&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported.
Negotiations between Clark and athletic companies such as Puma, Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas began in February and reportedly got pretty intense, according to the outlet. Reps for Clark from Excel Sports Management allegedly made it clear they weren&#8217;t taking offers that amounted to less than $3 million a year.
Puma reportedly thought that request was too high and walked away from negotiations. The brand already has a deal with Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, which includes her own signature shoe.
At the time, Clark had yet to announce her plans to enter the WNBA draft and several companies reportedly made their offer based on her remaining at the University of Iowa and playing for the Hawkeyes one more year.
“She played herself into a position where it wasn’t even contingent on staying in college,” someone familiar with the deals told the outlet. “People just wanted her.”
The WSJ noted that some shoe executives were surprised by how well-prepared Clark and her reps were during a Zoom call.
 Adidas offered the basketball star $6 million over four years, but with the offer being so far off the mark, that left Under Armour, who came in with a $16 million offer over four years and her own signature shoe, WSJ noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In just one hour, Fanatics has completely sold out of Caitlin Clark&#8217;s Fever jersey in sizes XS, M, L, XL, and XXL, per <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrovell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@darrenrovell</a> <a href="https://t.co/KPzpckeQgh">pic.twitter.com/KPzpckeQgh</a>
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1780060114185064590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
However, Nike&#8217;s offer would be record-setting for women&#8217;s basketball, giving Clark another shot at breaking a record, WSJ noted.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-star-paul-pierce-was-only-impressed-by-caitlin-clark-after-she-beat-a-bunch-of-black-girls">Clark</a> recently set a new record when she went <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/39951045/indiana-fever-select-iowa-caitlin-clark-top-pick-2024-wnba-draft">number one</a> overall in the 2024 WNBA draft to the Indiana Fever, and afterward her new jersey shot to the top of Fanatics — the official online retailer for the league, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/04/16/caitlin-clark-indiana-fever-jersey-history-fanatics-wnba/">TMZ</a> reported.
The sports site said it put up preorders for her No. 22 jersey — which sold out and has become the top-selling draft pick jersey in the company’s history across all sports, the outlet noted.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caitlin-clark-breaks-ncaa-scoring-record-set-by-pistol-pete-maravich">Clark</a> previously became the top scorer in NCAA basketball history.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caitlin-clark-breaks-record-for-jersey-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Clark Breaks Record For Jersey Sales</a>

Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark Lands Historic Shoe Contract: Report

Basketball

Iowa

Nike

WNBA

NCAA basketball superstar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-star-paul-pierce-was-only-impressed-by-caitlin-clark-after-she-beat-a-bunch-of-black-girls">Caitlin Clark</a> has set a new record, giving her the top top-selling jersey ever for a draft pick across all sports.
On Monday, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star went <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/39951045/indiana-fever-select-iowa-caitlin-clark-top-pick-2024-wnba-draft">number one</a> in overall picks in the 2024 WNBA draft to the Indiana Fever — and shortly afterward, her new jersey shot to the top of Fanatics — the official online retailer for the league, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/04/16/caitlin-clark-indiana-fever-jersey-history-fanatics-wnba/">TMZ</a> reported.
The sports site said it put up preorders for her No. 22 jersey and they not only sold out, but her WNBA jersey is now the top-selling draft pick in the company&#8217;s history across all sports, the outlet noted.
A jersey sales record is just one more accomplishment for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caitlin-clark-breaks-ncaa-scoring-record-set-by-pistol-pete-maravich">Clark</a>, the former NCAA star who became the top scorer in both women and men’s college basketball history, the outlet noted.
After being drafted, Clark spoke to “<a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1780211259213762707" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good Morning America</a>” about how she’s ready for the pros.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In just one hour, Fanatics has completely sold out of Caitlin Clark&#8217;s Fever jersey in sizes XS, M, L, XL, and XXL, per <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrovell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@darrenrovell</a> <a href="https://t.co/KPzpckeQgh">pic.twitter.com/KPzpckeQgh</a>
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1780060114185064590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I always believed in myself,&#8221; Clark said. &#8220;Also I worked really hard for it. I think that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m really proud of is like, I earned it. I deserve it. Nothing was ever given to me. More than anything just believe in myself.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m trying to take to the next level,” she added.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/39951045/indiana-fever-select-iowa-caitlin-clark-top-pick-2024-wnba-draft">ESPN</a> after being drafted, Clark noted how excited she is for the new challenge of playing in the WNBA, as she gets ready to join last year&#8217;s No. 1 overall pick, Aliyah Boston.
&#8220;For myself, I can&#8217;t imagine a more perfect fit, a better place for me to start my professional career, an organization that really just believes in women&#8217;s basketball and wants to do everything the right way,” Clark said. “So I couldn&#8217;t be more excited to get there.&#8221;
&#8220;Going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world. My point guard eyes just light up at that,&#8221; she added of Boston. &#8220;My biggest job is I&#8217;m just feeding Aliyah the ball every single day. That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m going to do. I&#8217;m going to be in there and be like, go make a layup. She&#8217;s going to make my life easy.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m 22 years old, and I don&#8217;t have all the answers in the world,&#8221; Clark continued. &#8220;This is something new to me &#8230; That&#8217;s something I&#8217;m excited for. But having those type of people around me to lean on and ask questions, or when things get hard, to be there for me.&#8221;

Ohio State v Iowa

Caitlin Clark Breaks Record For Jersey Sales

Welcome to eclipse day 2024, everyone. By the time you read this, the eclipse will likely have already happened. Which presumably means that a large portion of my audience will be raptured, because from what I understand, based on my research on Twitter, the rapture is scheduled for today as well. If you’re reading this, it means that you, like me, have been left behind to walk the Earth and await your eternal destruction. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that you still get to watch the premier of my new show “JUDGED” tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. EST. You may not be in the mood for judgment related shows, given the circumstance, but you might as well watch it anyway.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/judged-by-matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: &#8216;JUDGED by Matt Walsh&#8217; on DailyWire+</a></h4>
Now, for today’s topic. Dawn Staley is the head coach of the NCAA champion South Carolina Gamecocks, a gold medal Olympian several times over, and a Hall of Famer who&#8217;s widely considered one of the best players in the history of the WNBA, as low as that bar might be. This is a resume that sports journalists describe as &#8220;historic.&#8221; She&#8217;s supposedly a basketball icon, a role model, and one of the greatest coaches alive.
What&#8217;s often left unsaid, even though everyone knows it&#8217;s true, is that Dawn Staley&#8217;s resume would have looked a lot different if she had been forced to compete against men at any point in her career. If it weren&#8217;t for Title IX and the creation of exclusive sports leagues that barred men from competing, Dawn Staley would probably be selling insurance or conducting tedious DEI workshops somewhere. Instead, she&#8217;s a multimillionaire, and you&#8217;re instructed to think she&#8217;s an impressive person.
All this is to say, if anyone should be an evangelist for women-only sports leagues, Dawn Staley fits the bill. Without these leagues, Staley would have precisely zero professional accomplishments to speak of. But Leftism is an ideology that necessarily involves a lot of ladder-pulling. Once they get to the top, it&#8217;s vital for Leftists to deny that they received any kind of special help based on their &#8220;identity&#8221; along the way. 
We see this all the time, from Elizabeth Warren to Kamala Harris. And the other day, in a comical press conference ahead of the NCAA national championship, we saw it from Dawn Staley.
A reporter from OutKick asked Staley a simple question. He wanted to know what she thought about the idea of men competing against women in sports, particularly in college basketball. Here&#8217;s how Staley responded:
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South Carolina women’s coach <a href="https://twitter.com/dawnstaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dawnstaley</a> says men pretending to be women should be able to play women’s basketball. Great question by <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDanZak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealDanZak</a>. This is what real reporters are supposed to do. Ask real questions, get real answers. <a href="https://t.co/Kf9WKk6ylm">pic.twitter.com/Kf9WKk6ylm</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1776643372444156308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The first thing you notice about that reply is how nervous Dawn Staley is. She takes a big gulp of water, drawing laughter from some of the other reporters. Then she says, &#8220;Damn, you got deep on me” — even though it’s really not a deep question at all. She stutters for a few more seconds until she finally delivers maybe the least grammatical sentence she possibly could have: &#8220;I&#8217;m under the opinion of, if you&#8217;re a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play.&#8221; 
I’m not sure what “vice versa” refers to in that sentence. If you’re a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa. So if you’re a woman and you want to play sports, or if you’re a sport and you want to play women? Is that what she’s saying? 
Incoherence aside, if Dawn Staley actually believed what she was saying, then there would be no nervousness whatsoever. She would confidently tell the reporter that yes, she has no problem with men competing against her all-women&#8217;s team. She would demand that the Olympics and the NCAA change their current policy on trans-identifying athletes, which sets sets some arbitrary testosterone threshold that prevents many men from competing. There would be no need for any of the stalling or stammering.
But Staley did stall and stammer, because she doesn&#8217;t believe a word of what she just said. That&#8217;s why her answer makes no sense. She lumps &#8220;women&#8221; and &#8220;people who consider themselves women&#8221; into the same category. But in doing so, she&#8217;s acknowledging that they are indeed different categories. Actual women don&#8217;t &#8220;consider themselves women.&#8221; They&#8217;re just women. If you feel the need to add the &#8220;consider themselves&#8221; qualifier, then you obviously recognize that they are not women. There&#8217;s something very different about them — something that we recognized for all of recorded human history until about 15 minutes ago, which is why Dawn Staley had the career she did.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1342-prominent-women-s-basketball-coaches-are-too-cowardly-to-defend-the-existence-of-women-s-sports-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
But Dawn Staley doesn&#8217;t want to admit this anymore. At the end of her answer, she suggests she&#8217;s being brave, because she&#8217;s going to anger all the Right-wing &#8220;barnstormers&#8221; on social media, whoever they are. But it&#8217;s not hard to see what she&#8217;s actually worried about. Staley knows that the NCAA has already said that it, &#8220;firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.&#8221; She knows the NCAA has already bent the knee to activist groups like GLAAD. And she&#8217;s aware that the NCAA is now being sued for Title IX violations by female athletes like Riley Gaines for allowing men to compete against them. On top of that, the University of South Carolina has trans pride flags all over its website. So if she affirmed that biology is real, there&#8217;s a good chance she&#8217;d be fired, or at least lose her status as America&#8217;s favorite female coach. She knows exactly where she&#8217;s supposed to stand on this issue.
And indeed, with her answer, Dawn Staley predictably received a bunch of fawning headlines from Left-wing activists. GLAAD posted a thank-you note and declared that Staley is the &#8220;best in the business.&#8221; Pink News declared that Staley&#8217;s response was &#8220;legendary.&#8221; The Advocate called her &#8220;transformative.&#8221; 
By contrast, here&#8217;s how supposedly conservative media outlets responded. Fox News ran this headline: &#8220;South Carolina&#8217;s Dawn Staley draws strong reactions over remarks about trans participation in women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
At this rate, Dawn Staley could announce a roster of 5 men next year, and Fox News would applaud her. Maybe that&#8217;s the plan. In any event, this is the dynamic that weak people like Staley respond to. She knows she’ll be applauded for saying the opposite of what she knows is true. And she would be condemned, or worse, if she said what was actually true.
In that respect, she wasn&#8217;t alone. Iowa&#8217;s coach, Lisa Bluder, took a similar approach. Here was her response to the same question from the same reporter:
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Here&#39;s the video and transcript of Bluder&#39;s response:
&quot;I understand it&#39;s a topic that people are interested in. But today my focus is on the game tomorrow, my players &#8230; and that&#39;s what I want to be here to talk about. But I know it&#39;s an important issue for another time.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TRJuAONvPr">pic.twitter.com/TRJuAONvPr</a>
&mdash; Lindsay Gibbs (@linzsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/linzsports/status/1776686403969040851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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This is an answer that&#8217;s worse in some ways than Staley&#8217;s. At least Dawn Staley said something, as insane as it was. Lisa Bluder is too afraid to even do that. She says she&#8217;s focused on the big game. But if men could compete against women in college basketball, then there would be no big game. All women&#8217;s sports would cease to exist.
Both of these coaches know that, if they had to compete against any of the top-ranked men&#8217;s teams, or any of the men&#8217;s teams at all, then they&#8217;d be destroyed. But somehow that doesn&#8217;t concern Dawn Staley or Lisa Bluder. They can&#8217;t bring themselves to say the obvious. So the nonsense continues.
There&#8217;s a lot of that going around lately, as you may have noticed. 
A few days ago the reporter Jonathan Choe broke the story that in Seattle, a mentally imbalanced man with comically enhanced breasts has been working as a public defender for several years. If you remember the Canadian wood shop teacher with the size-Z prosthetic chest, it&#8217;s a bit like that, except in a courtroom instead of a high school. And this guy is 70-years-old. Watch:
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Due to popular demand, I&#39;m posting the extended cut of my interview with public defender Stephanie Mueller. The transgender attorney is representing one of the far-left activists charged with disrupting a council meeting in February. Otherwise, this is Seattle. What&#39;s the big… <a href="https://t.co/rYo4nrj9Wu">https://t.co/rYo4nrj9Wu</a> <a href="https://t.co/fuTP4qObvu">pic.twitter.com/fuTP4qObvu</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/choeshow/status/1776129318957318327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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So, just because the guy is 8 and a half feet tall and has a voice deeper than James Earl Jones apparently, it hasn’t stopped him from trying to be a woman. Now just imagine this for a moment. Imagine you show up to court to meet your public defender. Naturally, you&#8217;re going to have low expectations. You get what you pay for, and all that. And then this guy shows up, like a character out of &#8220;Portlandia.&#8221; How would you respond? How would the judge respond?
Apparently, in this case, everyone just acted like this was normal. The defendants didn&#8217;t have an issue with it. And that&#8217;s not entirely surprising, since they&#8217;re Left-wing activists in Seattle accused of interrupting a city council meeting to yell something. They probably requested the trans lawyer, which might not be a bad strategy in a Seattle court. After all, you have to win your case if a trans lawyer is representing you. Otherwise it would be transphobic.
Needless to say, the judge had no issue with this, either. A man shows up with skin-tight leather pants, boots, and fake eyelashes — not exactly courtroom-appropriate attire — and the judge doesn&#8217;t say a word about it. Of course, ironically, if he had actually been a woman, there would likely be an issue. Even in Seattle, courtrooms aren&#8217;t burlesque shows. It would be frowned upon for a woman to come dressed like some sort of cartoonish hooker. But because this guy says he&#8217;s transgender, it’s magically acceptable.
I&#8217;ve mentioned the Rebel News reporter David Menzies in the past. A few months ago, he was the only journalist in all of Canada to report on the fact that a 50-year-old man was allowed to compete against teenage girls in various competitions throughout the country. For reporting like that, Menzies has been arrested multiple times by the Canadian government. Just this weekend, he was assaulted and arrested again by police, for covering pro-Hamas protests in Toronto. It&#8217;s all on video. But Menzies persists anyway.
It&#8217;s quite a contrast with what we&#8217;ve seen this week in this country, which is story after story of cowardice. Think about it: If there was ever a weekend for women&#8217;s sports to have its &#8220;moment,&#8221; it was this one. Instead, the coaches of the top two teams declared at a press conference that they don&#8217;t even know what women are. They also made it very clear, from their ambivalence, that they don&#8217;t really care if women&#8217;s sports stick around anymore. They’ll probably change their mind when the money dries up. When they lose their jobs and are made irrelevant. But it requires some foresight to see that, and courage to speak up about it. Sadly, those two things are in short supply.

North Carolina State v South Carolina

Prominent Women’s Basketball Coaches Are Too Cowardly To Defend The Existence Of Women’s Sports

Prominent Women's Basketball Coaches Are Too Cowardly To Defend The Existence Of Women's Sports

College basketball

Matt Walsh

Readers Pass

Women's Basketball

Dawn Staley, the head coach of the undefeated South Carolina women&#8217;s basketball team, said on Saturday that trans-identifying players should be allowed to participate against women as long as they &#8220;consider&#8221; themselves to be &#8220;a woman.&#8221;
Staley made her comments on men competing in women&#8217;s sports following the Gamecocks&#8217; blowout win in the Final Four over NC State. Asked by Outkick reporter Dan Zaksheske to explain her position on &#8220;the inclusion of transgender athletes, biological males, in women&#8217;s sports,&#8221; the coach struggled to come up with an answer before saying she supports men competing against women.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a woman, you should play; if you consider yourself a woman, and you want to play sports, or vice-versa, you should be able to play,&#8221; Staley said. &#8220;That&#8217;s my opinion.&#8221;
Zaksheske asked her to clarify if she believes trans-identifying men should be able to compete against women.
&#8220;That&#8217;s the question you want to ask, so I&#8217;ll give you that: Yes. Yes,&#8221; she responded. &#8220;So now the barnstorm of people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I&#8217;m ok with that.&#8221;
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I asked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley if she supports transgender women (biological males) playing women&#39;s college basketball. 
&quot;If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SEQCsNiFvm">pic.twitter.com/SEQCsNiFvm</a>
&mdash; Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDanZak/status/1776641070425678157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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South Carolina&#8217;s win against NC State on Friday puts them in the national championship game, where they will face Iowa and star player Caitlyn Clark, who defeated UConn in a nail-biter. Staley&#8217;s team is currently 37-0 on the season and has breezed through the NCAA tournament. Staley has coached at South Carolina since 2008 and has won two national championships while reaching six Final Fours. The national championship game is on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Staley&#8217;s comments have sparked backlash online, including from prominent women&#8217;s sports activist Riley Gaines. The former collegiate swimmer, who has been outspoken about the dangers and inherent unfairness of biological males participating in females&#8217; sports, posted the video of Staley and cited The Daily Wire-produced satirical comedy film &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/lady-ballers">Lady Ballers</a>,&#8221; which was released in 2023 and lampoons men competing in women&#8217;s sports, specifically men competing against women in basketball.
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Lady ballers assemble! <a href="https://t.co/EP0bxt4rv6">https://t.co/EP0bxt4rv6</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1776677402187587764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
Gaines had a cameo appearance in the film, which starred several Daily Wire personalities, including the company&#8217;s co-CEO and co-founder Jeremy Boreing and Daily Wire hosts Jake Crain, Blain Crain and David Cone.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
While the controversy surrounding men playing in women&#8217;s sports has yet to directly affect Division I women&#8217;s college basketball, there have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-men-who-have-dominated-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numerous instances</a> of men competing in sports against females and beating them in recent months. Earlier this year, multiple trans-identifying athletes took the floor with women in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-identifying-volleyball-players-take-over-womens-college-game-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college volleyball match</a> in Ontario, Canada.
At Nazareth University in New York, trans-identifying track athlete Sadie Schreiner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-collegiate-sprinter-switches-to-womens-team-breaks-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set a new school record</a> in the 300m dash in December, clocking in at 41.80 seconds, which was also good for first place in the race. Schreiner reportedly competed in the same track event a year before as a male and finished in 19th place in the 100m dash.
Men competing in women&#8217;s sports became a major issue in 2022 when UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, who previously competed as a male before identifying as a female, won a national championship title in the 500-yard freestyle over standout Virginia swimmer Emma Weyant.
The <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2022/1/28/transgender-student-athlete-eligibility-review-procedures.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA allows</a> men to compete in women&#8217;s sports as long as they submit an &#8220;NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Eligibility Review Form&#8221; and have a &#8220;testosterone level that is within the allowable levels for the sport in which the student-athlete plans to compete.&#8221;

Dawn Staley

Coach Of Top Women’s College Basketball Team Says Men Should Play Against Females ‘If You Consider Yourself A Woman’

Coach Of Top Women's College Basketball Team Says Men Should Play Against Females 'If You Consider Yourself A Woman'

South Carolina

Women's sports

March Madness quite possibly offers the greatest postseason experience available to sports fans today. In fact, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crain &amp; Company&#8217;s</a>&#8221; Jake Crain goes so far as to say that it is, in fact, the greatest. Unlike other sports, the tournament layout allows for incredible underdog/longshot stories and this year is no exception.
This year’s Final Four consists of some expected teams, including two number one seeds in Purdue and returning champion UConn, a number four seed in Alabama, and is rounded out with the Cinderella 11 seed, North Carolina State — the most unexpected teams to be in this position.
To understand how NC State elbowed its way into this year’s NCAA Final Four, we have to go back a few weeks in the season. NC State plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a basketball division traditionally dominated by blue bloods like UNC and Duke. When the ACC Tournament rolled around at the end of the regular season, the Wolfpack were on a four-game losing streak and head coach Kevin Keatts was in the hot seat.
<div id="attachment_719593" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719593" class="size-large wp-image-719593" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2107862211-864x576.jpg" alt="PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Head coach Kevin Keatts of the North Carolina State Wolfpack looks on during the first half of a game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2107862211-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2107862211-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2107862211-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2107862211.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joe Sargent/Getty Images</div>
Keatts tenure had been lackluster, with many fans and boosters calling for his head after this season. NC State’s program had a mediocre ceiling that few believed would ever be broken. They hadn’t won an ACC Championship title in 37 years.
Keatts and NC State needed to win their conference tournament to even get into the NCAA tournament and no one believed it would happen. Not only would they have to win out, but they’d have to face Duke and UNC, two storied programs that have plagued the Tobacco Road rivalry.
The Wolfpack went on to win five straight, including a buzzer-beater three that pushed the UVA game into double overtime.
Coach Kevin Keatts not only secured his job, he earned some <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/acc/2024/04/01/kevin-keatts-bonuses-nc-state-final-four/73163196007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sizable bonuses</a>:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">ACC Championship title: A $400,000 pay increase, a $100,000 bonus, and a 2-year contract extension through April 2030.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">An additional $25,000 bonus for the team’s first victory in the tournament, and $50,000 for each of the next three for a total of $175,000.</li>
</ul>
NC State’s current run as an 11 seed feels a lot like history repeating itself.
Every Wolfpack fan, and likely every college basketball fan, knows the infamous story of the 1983 team and their epic tournament run to win the National Championship under head coach Jim Valvano. The 1983 season was an unbelievable tale of determination and more famously, “never giv[ing] up.”
For those unfamiliar, back in 1983, NC State needed to win an ACC Championship title to get into the NCAA tournament. Sound familiar? They started as a number 6 seed and made their way to the championship game where they faced off against the heavily favored Houston Cougars — who had future Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Thanks to a buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles after a missed desperation shot, NC State and coach Valvano defied the odds and pulled off a tremendous upset. That 1983 run gave birth to more than a winning standard, it became a way to see the world and the things around you.
It inspired the infamous “Jimmy V Speech” delivered on March 4, 1993, at the ESPYs and created a culture that continues to invigorate not only Wolfpack fans, but sports fans in general.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jim&#039;s 1993 ESPY Speech" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HuoVM9nm42E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Once again, NC State has given the country something to believe in. Not only has this team re-ignited its fan base, but it has also given the country new heroes and underdogs who inspire them.
One of those heroes, DJ Burns Jr., has played a critical role in the Wolfpack’s success. Burns has proven to be a force on the court, has a contagious personality, and he’s an outright likable guy. Burns has brought a popularity to the team that it hasn’t seen in years.
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Show this to anyone who says men’s college basketball is dead and has no superstars.
This is the line outside of an APPLEBEES! 
Final Four Fever has hit Raleigh. <a href="https://t.co/cB37nNH0rf">pic.twitter.com/cB37nNH0rf</a>
&mdash; Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) <a href="https://twitter.com/mid_madness/status/1775531240520597798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Burns started his career in the SEC at Tennessee, transferred to Winthrop back in his home state of South Carolina, and finally landed at NC State for the 2022/2023 season. Burns made an immediate impact, but his star really started to rise during the postseason.
He stands at 6’9,” weighs 275 pounds, and after his performance this year he could arguably have a successful career in the NFL. In fact, several reporters have received communications from NFL teams with potential interest in adding Burns as an offensive tackle.
<div id="attachment_719595" style="width: 865px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719595" class="size-large wp-image-719595" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2128465980-855x576.jpg" alt="DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 31: DJ Burns Jr. #30 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack controls the ball as Ryan Young #15 of the Duke Blue Devils defends in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)" width="855" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2128465980-855x576.jpg 855w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2128465980-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2128465980-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2128465980.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" />Carmen Mandato/Getty Images</div>
Against all odds, and 14 regular season losses, this team has continued its incredible postseason run with nine consecutive wins. The Wolfpack will now face off against another Goliath opponent in No. 1 Purdue this Saturday, perhaps the most difficult opponent they’ve faced yet. Purdue’s Zach Edey, standing at 7’4”, has become a standout in his own right, dominating this year’s tournament. The Burns-Edey match up makes this game a must-watch “battle of the bigs.”
NC State faces Purdue on Saturday, April 6, at 6:09 pm ET at The Phoenix Convention Center.
Current head coach Kevin Keatts and this NC State team have done something that hasn’t been done since 1983. It’s a run for the ages and a story of a lifetime. The spirit of that team can be felt in this year’s tournament and has given fans something to celebrate — a true Cinderella story that transcends wins and losses.
Go Pack.

NC State v Duke

Will History Repeat Itself? NC State’s Amazing Race To The Final Four

March Madness

North Carolina State

Purdue University

Former NBA star Paul Pierce said he was only impressed by University of Iowa Hawkeyes female basketball star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caitlin-clark-breaks-ncaa-scoring-record-set-by-pistol-pete-maravich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Clark</a> after she &#8220;beat a bunch of black girls&#8221; on the court on Monday in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women&#8217;s Basketball Tournament in Albany, New York.
On Tuesday, Fox Sports &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1775181311113634300?s=20">Undisputed Live</a>&#8220; hosts Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson were discussing Iowa&#8217;s 94-87 victory over the LSU Tigers (Louisiana State University) with the former NBA star, who said he was shocked by Clark&#8217;s performance in the 2024 March Madness round held at MVP Arena.
&#8220;We saw a white girl in Iowa do it to a bunch of black girls,&#8221; Pierce told the hosts. &#8220;That gained my respect. That gained my respect. Like, oh she didn&#8217;t do this to some other white girls over here in Colorado, or wherever.&#8221;
&#8220;She [Clark] did it to some girls from LSU, who we thought was some dogs, [the]defending (2023) champs,&#8221; he added. &#8220;She put them on her knee and spanked them. I didn&#8217;t expect that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We saw a white girl in Iowa do it to a bunch of Black girls. That gained my respect&#8230;I didn&#8217;t expect that.&#8221; &#8211; Paul Pierce <a href="https://t.co/StyugFiG67">pic.twitter.com/StyugFiG67</a>
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1775181311113634300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
Clark&#8217;s numbers after the matchup were incredibly impressive: she scored a total of 41 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists during the game that advanced the Hawkeyes to the Final Four. 
It is the first time in Iowa&#8217;s history that the Hawkeyes have gone back-to-back seasons to the Final Four. Last year, the <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-women/d1/live-updates-no-2-iowa-vs-no-3-lsu-national-championship-game">championship</a> game came down to the #3 Tigers beating out #2 Hawkeyes 102-85, a first in the Tigers program history, the <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-women/d1/live-updates-no-2-iowa-vs-no-3-lsu-national-championship-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA</a> noted.
&#8220;To get back here is really hard,&#8221; Clark told the press after the game. &#8220;This region was loaded with so much talent. Job&#8217;s not finished.&#8221;
The comments on the sports channel seemed to echo those of other players in the sports world who commented online about Iowa&#8217;s victory, <a href="https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39854377/lsu-iowa-caitlin-clark-angel-reese-elite-eight-march-madness-ncaa-tournament">ESPN</a> noted.
&#8220;Bruhhhh Caitlyn [sic] Clark can&#8217;t be guarded !!!!!&#8221; San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuels <a href="https://x.com/19problemz/status/1774966515206644212?s=20">wrote</a> on X.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive star Chris Jones <a href="https://twitter.com/StoneColdJones/status/1774970341233655986">added</a>, &#8220;The women&#8217;s basketball games are more exciting than the men.&#8221;
The Tennessee Titans&#8217; Calvin Ridley <a href="https://twitter.com/CalvinRidley1/status/1774966544625197140">wrote</a>, &#8220;[Damn] she good,&#8221; in reference to Clark.
On Friday, the Hawkeyes travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to play the Connecticut Huskies in the Final Four round of the NCAA tournament. 
&nbsp;

Hawkeyes

Former NBA Star Paul Pierce Was Only Impressed By Caitlin Clark After She ‘Beat A Bunch Of Black Girls’

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