Oklahoma gets top women’s recruit

Oklahoma gets top women’s recruit

LUBBOCK, Texas — Aaliyah Chavez, the top-rated women’s basketball recruit in the county, committed to Oklahoma on Tuesday.

She made her announcement the day after the Sooners advanced to the women’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

Chavez, a 5-foot-11 point guard who recently led Lubbock Monterey High School to a Texas state championship, picked the Sooners over power programs South Carolina, Texas, LSU and her hometown university Texas Tech.

“I’m ready to give my all to make this my home and bring a national championship to the city of Norman,” Chavez said in a televised news conference from her high school campus.

Chavez is rated by ESPN HoopGurlz as the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the class of 2025. She was the Naismith and Gatorade national player of the year and a McDonald’s All-American. She averaged 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals as a senior. She scored nearly 4,800 points in her high school career.

Oklahoma has a legacy of success in the NCAA Tournament with 11 trips to the Sweet 16 and three Final Fours in 2002, 2009 and 2010. The No. 3 seed Sooners continue their March Madness run against No. 2 UConn on Saturday in Spokane, Washington.

UConn’s Fudd to return next season

STORRS, Conn. — Azzi Fudd is running it back one more time at Connecticut.

The Huskies’ sharpshooting guard announced Tuesday that she is returning for one more season.

Fudd made the announcement on her Instagram account, posting in part, “Hey Gampel, thanks for last night … see you next year.”

The 5-foot-11 Fudd is averaging 13.4 points this season for the Huskies, who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with a victory over South Dakota State on Monday night.

Fudd is shooting a career-best 45% from 3-point range this season. She has also posted highs in assists (53) and steals (36).

Wisconsin hires Pingeton as new coach

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has hired Robin Pingeton as its women’s basketball coach three weeks after she finished her 15-season tenure at Missouri.

Pingeton takes over for Marisa Moseley, who stepped down after going 47-75 in four seasons. Wisconsin went 13-17 this year for its 14th consecutive losing season.

“She has accomplished so much as a coach and has produced winners both on the court and in the classroom,” athletic director Chris McIntosh said of Pingeton in a statement. “Robin has Midwest roots and coaching experience and she and her family will fit right into our local community as well as our state.”

Pingeton went 250-218 at Missouri and reached four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2016-19. Missouri won at least 22 games each of those seasons.