Indiana Fever add three more players in WNBA Draft after taking Aliyah Boston and Grace Berger After the Indiana Fever selected South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston with the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history and IU’s Grace Berger with the seven overall pick the Fever took three more players for a five-player draft class for 2023. In the second and third rounds, Indiana opted for Guard Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State), Forward LaDazhia Williams (LSU) and Forward Victaria Saxton (South Carolina).
Taylor Mikesell – 2nd rd. – No. 13 overall pick- Guard – 5-11 – Ohio State-Mikesell (pronounced mike-SELL) capped her five-year college career with two seasons at Ohio State, earning All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2021-22 and 2022-23, as well as ranking in the top five in the nation in three-pointers made per game both seasons. The Massillon, Ohio native averaged 17.2 points per game in the 2022-23 season as Ohio State reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. Mikesell was a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as the nation’s best shooting guard in 2021-22 and a semifinalist in 2022-23.
LaDazhia Williams – 2nd rd. – No. 17 overall pick- Forward – 6-4 – LSU- LaDazhia (pronounced luh-DAY-jhuh) Williams helped LSU capture the first national championship in program history back on April 2. In the 102-85 win against Iowa, Williams finished with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes played for the Tigers. Williams played five collegiate seasons beginning at South Carolina and three years at Missouri before finishing her career with LSU. In 2022-23 in Baton Rouge, Williams started all 34 games played averaging 9.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor.
Victaria Saxton – 3rd rd. – No. 25 overall pick- Forward – 6-2 – South Carolina- Saxton joined Boston as integral players on the frontline for South Carolina teams that amassed three SEC Regular-Season championships, three SEC Tournament titles, three NCAA Final Four showings, including the 2022 National Championship. Saxton was a team captain for four years of her five-year career. In her career from 2018-23, Saxton recorded four double-doubles, 33 double-figure scoring games and 12 double-digit rebounding games. She started 105 of 166 career games played for the Gamecocks.
Two Indiana Natives selected in 2023 WNBA Draft
Two Indiana Natives were selected in the 2023 WNBA Draft in New York City Monday Night. Leigha Brown from Dekalb HS in Auburn Indiana and Kayana Traylor from Martinsville HS in Martinsville Indiana were two of 36 players selected in the WNBA Draft.
Brown was selected No. 15 overall in Monday night’s WNBA draft, going in the second round to the Atlanta Dream. Brown, who spent the last three seasons at Michigan after starting her college career with two years at Nebraska, was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention this past season, averaging 17.5 points per game and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 51.3% from the field. The 6-foot-1 guard also averaged 5.8 assists per game as U-M’s primary ballhandler, helping the Wolverines reach the NCAA tournament in all three of her seasons. It’s the second year in a row a Wolverine was picked 15th overall by Atlanta. In 2022, the Dream picked Naz Hillmon at that spot. Last season, Hillmon averaged 4.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes over 34 games (12 starts).
The Chicago Sky were without a first-round pick in the WNBA Draft, but they did take Virginia Tech shooting guard Kayana Traylor in the second round with 23rd overall pick. The 5-foot 9-inch Traylor who played at Purdue before transferring to Virginia Tech started 40 of 68 games for the Hokies in the last two seasons 29 last season alone. She has averaged 10.7 points a game and shot 33 percent from three-point range. The women’s Hokies basketball team made it to the Final Four last season but fell to eventual champion LSU.
Indiana University Field Hockey names team captains for 2023 season
The Indiana Field Hockey team selected the team captains for the 2023 season. Sydney Keld and Kennedy Reardon were voted to return as captains and Jemima Cookson was voted in as a new team captain, as well. All three players have been integral components to the team’s success in their time at Indiana. This will be Cookson’s first time as a team captain and Keld and Reardon’s second season in the role.
Reardon is the most experienced player on the team and is entering her fifth and final season with the Hoosiers this year, as she will use her extra year of eligibility. She has played in 70 career games for the Hoosiers, while tallying four goals. Keld enjoyed a breakout redshirt junior season in 2022 where she was a vital player for both Indiana’s offense and defense. She was tied for the most goals on the team with six while also recording three assists. Two of the goals were game-winners. She also had 12 defensive saves, which was the most by an individual player in Division I Field Hockey for the 2022 season. Cookson had her career-best season as a junior in 2022, she tied Keld in both goals (6) and assists (3). Twelve of her 17 shots taken were on goal. Against Bellarmine on Sept. 11, she had a career-best game where she notched three goals.
2023 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic HS Basketball parings announced
With a star-studded field on both the girls’ and boys’ sides, two great days of basketball are on tap for the 2023 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic on Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30 at the New Castle Fieldhouse in New Castle Indiana. The prestigious event, spotlighting the best in Indiana high school basketball, will be held for the 40th time for girls and it will be the 47th edition for the boys.
2023 Girls’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic-New Castle Fieldhouse – Friday, December 29, 2023.
11am Columbia City vs Indian Creek
to follow Lake Central vs Jennings County
6pm Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game
2023 Boys’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic-New Castle Fieldhouse – Saturday, December 30, 2023.
11am Kokomo vs Crispus Attucks
to follow Brownstown Central vs Brownsburg
6pm Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game
Selecting from the best teams in the state, the girls’ tournament has included 20 teams that went on to win a state championship (including 2023 4A State Champion) that season, including 13 class champions and eight class runner-up teams in the past 20 years. On the boys’ side, 19 participating teams have gone on to win their state championship (including the 2023 3A and 4A State Champions) with six more finishing as state runner-up that season. Tickets for the tournaments will be available through participating schools and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in the 2023-24 school year.
12 of the past 15 Miss Basketball winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright, Stephanie Mavunga, Whitney Jennings, Ali Patberg, Jackie Young, Karissa McLaughlin, Amy Dilk, Jorie Allen and Ayanna Patterson) have had the honor to play in the Classic. 13 women to have played in the Classic were named McDonald’s All-Americans and 12 Girls Classic alums have played in the WNBA.
Girls legends who have played in the Classic include Stephanie White, Katie Gearlds, Shanna Zolman, Skylar Diggins, Jackie Young, Katie Douglas, Kristen Spolyar, Lisa Shepherd, Abby Conklin, April McDivitt, Kelly Faris, Jennifer Jacoby, Jodie Whitaker, Shrya Ely, Tiffany Gooden and Ali Patberg, among others.
33 men who went on to win the Indiana Mr. Basketball award have participated in the Boys Classic, including 14 of the last 18 award winners (Luke Zeller, Greg Oden, Tyler Zeller, Jordan Hulls, Cody Zeller, Gary Harris, Zak Irvin, Trey Lyles, Kyle Guy, Romeo Langford, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Anthony Leal and Caleb Furst). 26 men to have played in the Classic have been named McDonald’s All-Americans, while 19 have been NBA Draft picks. Legends to have competed in the Boys Classic include Damon Bailey, Steve Alford, Glenn Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Eric Montross, Sean May, Delray Brooks, Tom Coverdale, Troy Lewis, Woody Austin, Josh McRoberts, Gary Harris, Luke, Tyler and Cody Zeller, Trey Lyles, Kyle Guy, Romeo Langford, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, among others. Including entrants in the 2023 Classic, the event has included 100 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 110 different IHSAA-member boys programs in tournament history.
Indiana Born Haley and Hanna Cavinder announce the end of their College Basketball Career’s
Twins Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder of the Miami Hurricanes have been through it all together, from their basketball journeys to navigating profound fame amid the new NIL landscape in college sports. That’s why, when it came time to decide whether to use the fifth year of collegiate eligibility that was granted to athletes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they ultimately decided to go out as they came in together.
The 22-year-old twins who were born in South Bend Indiana and grew up in Gilbert Arizona helped Miami’s magical run to the Elite Eight last month as a No. 9 seed and are among the biggest beneficiaries of recent rules and legislation allowing college athletes to profit from name, image and likeness deals, have decided to forgo their extra year of eligibility to pursue life after basketball. They made the announcement Tuesday on social media. Haley said that she anticipated throughout this year that she’d come back for a fifth season, but after it became clear that Hanna was ready to move on, Haley ultimately realized she didn’t want to play without her twin.
The 5-foot-6 twins, who burst into the national spotlight by building massive followings on TikTok and other social media platforms during the pandemic, spent their first three seasons in college at Fresno State before opting to transfer to Miami ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. At that point, they were already top-five in NIL earnings for women’s sports and in the top 10 across all sports, according to NIL marketplace Opendorse, through deals with WWE, Champs Sports, LifeWallet and more. Their brand centered around athletics/basketball, health/wellness and fashion. The Cavinders transferred to Miami with hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament, and the Hurricanes shocked No. 1 seed Indiana in the second round and sent home Villanova and star Maddy Siegrist in the Sweet 16. Miami ultimately fell to eventual national champion LSU in the Greenville 2 regional final, concluding the season 22-13.
Haley, who started all 35 games for the Hurricanes, averaged a team-best 12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30.9 minutes per game, joining teammate Destiny Harden as All-ACC second-team selections. Hanna averaged 3.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes off the bench. The Cavinders plan to remain in Florida. And while they’ll no longer be in the college athletics arena, they intend to still work with their sponsors while exploring opportunities with new ones and looking into business ventures surrounding their passions. They even have a deal with a new media company that’ll be announced soon. Sharing their experiences and lessons learned with the next generation of college athletes is of interest, too. The college landscape they leave behind is one forever changed by NIL, and the Cavinders showed one way to make the most of it while on campus and beyond, especially as female athletes in an era when women’s sports are on a meteoric rise.
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