Lee has used this offseason to prepare her mind and body for what is to come as a Gamecock. Coming into the UPBasketball gym for the first time has been a game changer in the way that she approaches workouts. The gym’s advanced technology has allowed her to take a more strategic approach to her training, while the UPB community has become a place she proudly considers her basketball home. Lee’s eagerness to learn was evident throughout her work with Coach Veronica Barrot, who took the time to understand her player profile before tailoring training sessions to her specific strengths and areas for growth.

"When I played for the Saigon Heat, I was really happy because that league was very competitive and we got to travel all over Southeast Asia. My main role was off the ball, a three-and-D type of guy. Over the course of the season, I solidified myself into that role because I played good defense and did what the coaches asked," Cilia said.

“If I would have stayed in Sonoma and played more just out there, I feel like I would have had a different outcome. There are a lot of good players out there, but being able to get out to Marin, Oakland, and the city definitely opened up my books. It gave me opportunities to play against better competition, get seen by more people, and really test where my game was at,” Van Ewijk said.

“These guys have worked their whole lives for this moment. They’re this close to achieving their dream and you get to help them during that part of their journey,” Coach Packie Turner said.

“The choice to be mindful is the choice to just accept everything that’s going on. Mindfulness creates this space between the stimulus and the response. Creating that space is actually pure freedom because then you can choose how to respond,” Coach Ben said.

One of the biggest advantages of data analytics is the ability to identify overlooked talent. In the past, exposure often determined recruiting opportunities, with players needing to attend major tournaments or play for well known programs to gain attention. Now, recruiters can compare players through objective performance data regardless of where they play.

“It was kind of surprising. At first I didn’t even know if I was going to make the team, so becoming a starter was something I never expected. But I just kept going to every practice, working hard, and eventually everything started to click,” McCabe said.

“Basketball and any sport teaches kids skills they’ll need in the real world. It’s important to show kids that when they work on something consistently, they’ll always get better and that’s a great lesson to emphasize,” Coach Ruelas said.

Whether addressing gender equity, racial justice, or player rights, WNBA athletes have consistently been at the forefront of conversations that extend far beyond basketball. What is being displayed right now by the WNBA is proof of what happens when those with power invest in women’s sports. This is representation that the younger generation requires in order to continue its legacy. 

Junior Forward Maya Hernandez, Guard Mari Somvichian, and the LMU Lions have been building a winning program for years. This recent season, the Lions went on to deliver the best conference performance at 15-3 and 21-10 overall, tying the record for most wins in all of LMU women’s basketball history. Hernandez and Somvichian played a part  in the team’s nine game winning streak before the team had won the West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship for the first time since the 2003-2004 season against Oregon State in a 71-69 overtime (OT) win.

Davis is constantly evolving in how he teaches the game, bringing the same mindset he had as a player into every session. In the gym, he’s focused on clear communication, patience, and meeting athletes where they are, especially those still learning the fundamentals. He understands that development takes time and he is committed to creating an environment where players can build confidence, stay engaged, and improve with purpose. That commitment is fueled not only by his passion for the game, but also by his desire to keep learning and growing alongside the athletes he coaches.

One of the most important ideas tied to focus is the concept of being present. When focus drifts away from the present, mistakes tend to stack and players begin reacting to what just happened instead of what’s happening now. Instead of dwelling on a turnover, the focus shifts immediately getting back on defense, communicating, and staying engaged. This ability to refocus is what separates composed players from reactive ones. It’s not about avoiding mistakes, but about how quickly you can move on from them.

UC Irvine’s Hunter Hernandez capped off her collegiate career earning Big West Player of the Year honors, becoming the program’s single-season scoring leader, and joining the 1,000-point club. She finished her career with an impressive 1,477 points and 583 rebounds as she and the Anteaters finished first in the Big West with a 26–7 record. The Anteaters went on a 16-game winning streak, a stretch that defined their dominance and established them as one of the top teams in the conference. 

“Training at a young age does more than develop athletic ability. It helps build discipline, confidence, resilience, patience, and a strong work ethic during some of the most formative years of a child’s life. In the long run, those qualities impact far more than sports, shaping how young people approach challenges, growth, and life itself,” Coach Packie Turner emphasized.

“It was special. I think at the varsity level, I hadn't really experienced that kind of success or yet being able to win those consecutive games where you either survive and advance or you go home. Doing that with the team was super special and it really felt like we earned them. There’s no better way I could think of ending my last season here,” Braccia said.

“The first thing that I make sure to talk about is awareness, that’s where it all starts. For example, if I’m not good at my jump shot, it wouldn’t matter since I’m not aware of it or working to improve it. The goals for each week lets us know we are getting better every practice,” Ruelas said.

UPBasketball’s Kaela Stonebarger and the Mills High School Women’s Basketball Team were named the 2026 CIF Central Coast Section (CCS) Division III Girls Basketball Champions on Saturday. The Vikings took on the Santa Cruz Cardinals, a team they had an 1-1 record with this season, and won the title in a close game with a final score of 35-30. This victory named them back-to-back champions and gave them their third championship title in the last four seasons.

“The biggest challenge when I first started was understanding how to properly communicate the UPB brand to the world. All I knew is that I wanted every single post to have a purpose, whether that be pushing us into the algorithm, highlighting certain players or coaches, and more. I think the alignment of UPB’s values compared to who I am as a person lined up almost perfectly and that made figuring everything out along the way extremely easy,” Sangalang said.

The 75th NBA-All Star Weekend just wrapped up this weekend and it featured some of this year’s standout rookies including Tre Johnson, Derik Queen, Dylan Harper, and Alex Sarr. Coach Packie Turner who is responsible for leading WME pre-draft workouts, was joined by Harper, Queen, and Johnson in May of 2025 before the NBA Draft. About eight months later, these players brought an exceptional presence to their team, making them athletes you won’t want to miss as they continue to grow and evolve at the highest level of the game. 

 “I feel like I've grown so much from freshman year to now. My whole life was centered around basketball, I didn’t really care about anything else so it always affected me ten times more than I would’ve liked whenever I made a mistake. Now I’ve come to realize that I know I’m putting the work in and giving it everything that I have which is all that matters. This mindset has given me a lot of freedom this year and it’s nice to feel joy in that,” Bariteau said.