Roundup: UCLA and Arizona will have their Olympic team softball stars next season
Coming up on what would have been the final weekend of the Pac-12 softball season, the Bruins received some stellar news for next season. UCLA will have Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles both back for the 2021 season, the two announced Thursday. Since the 2020 season won't have an NCAA softball champion, they'll have the chance to defend their national title and compete for a gold medal in Tokyo — all within a matter of months.
Arizona, too, will have a boost next softball season. Dejah Mulipola is also returning for the 2021 campaign, as she will compete for Arizona before joining the USA National Team for the 2021 Olympics.
ASU made a major basketball announcement this week: The Sun Devils have scheduled a home-and-home men's basketball series with SDSU. The Aztecs, of course, were a top-five team for much of the 2019-20 season and figured to make a deep run in this year's NCAA Tournament. ASU will host SDSU this December.
The Buffs put together a sweet reel showcasing their top highlights from the 2019-20 men's basketball season. No doubt that upset win over Oregon still has Boulder buzzing.
Check out this awesome feature on single mom Shan McClain and the experience she's shared with her sons: USC football players Abdul-Malik McClain and Munir McClain.
Kudos to former women's volleyball standouts Brianna Doehrmann and Berkeley Oblad for signing professional contracts in Europe. Read more on their accomplishments and time since playing in Salt Lake City via the Desert News.
The OSU women’s basketball team picked up the prestigious Pac-12 Sportsmanship Award this week for its actions comforting rival Oregon student-athletes after the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Catch Aleah Goodman and Maddie Washington talking about the moment on Pac-12 Playlist.
Cal football is hosing its “Virtual Fan Fest” on Saturday, where fans can get an inside look into the Golden Bears via Facebook Live. Among the attendees will be the Cal Band, offensive coaches Burl Toler III and Angus McClure, Cal AD Jim Knowlton and Pac-12 Networks’ very own Yogi Roth. After the event, catch a replay of Cal’s 2003 win over USC on Pac-12 Network.
Spokesman-Review beat writer Theo Lawson chronicled the journey of Cougars receiver Renard Bell as multiple members of his family dealt with COVID-19 infections recently. The story has a happy ending, as Bell’s grandmother Maxine Williams fully recovered from the virus.
The Seattle Times’ Mike Vorel penned a playful feature on UW’s live mascot, Dubs, last weekend. Click in for everything from cute puppy pics to tales of stuffed duck destruction from the most adorable member of the Dawg Pack.
Anna Wilson and Shannon Coffee chimed into the conversation as the conference honored Stanford women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of her hiring to lead the program. Check out some of their hilarious “Taraisms” below.
The Ducks announced the return of softball seniors Haley Cruse and Samaria Diaz on Thursday after their final seasons were canceled. The duo also joined Brooke Yanez in earning second and third-team honors on Softball America’s All-American teams this week.