THE HOUSTON-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCENE IS RICH IN TRADITION. MAYBE THE RICHEST IN THE COUNTRY.

HOUSTON - It was a moment that Charli Collier was destined for.

The Dallas Wings chose Charli Collier of Texas and Finnish player Awak Kuier with the first two picks of the WNBA draft.

HOUSTON – Nancy Mulkey walking into the Cypress Woods High School gym is something that Virginia Flores vividly remembers.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO – One by one, South Carolina players walked through the confetti and climbed the ladder to cut down the net in the Alamodome. Zia Cooke scored 16 points and South Carolina used its stifling defense to advance to the Final Four for the third time, shutting down Texas for a 62-34 victory Tuesday night. Top-seeded South Carolina blocked 14 shots, nine by Laeticia Amihere, and held No. “It says they're locked in,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. South Carolina answered with a 3-pointer from Henderson to start the Gamecocks on the run that would put the game away.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)(AP) – Texas put the brakes on Maryland's high-octane offense and the Longhorns are rolling into the Elite Eight as the lowest seed still alive in the women's NCAA Tournament. Collier scored 10 points in the second half and her last basket in the fourth quarter pulled Texas even after Maryland had swung momentum with two baskets, including a 3-pointer. Chants of “Texas Fight” roared from the Texas fans at the Alamodome after the final buzzer. "They are not letting anybody in that huddle think about anything but win," Schaefer said. Miller scored 21 points to lead Maryland (26-3) but there was just no punch in the offense outside of her.

6 seed Texas, and had an emphatic response on the court to some derisive chants from the stands. Collier had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Longhorns in an 81-62 win over Bradley in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Monday night. And when some chants of “overrated!” were directed in the fourth quarter at the 6-foot-5 junior projected to be the No. After a layup, Warren missed a 3-pointer and Petree had another layup before a fast-break 3-pointer following a turnover by Warren. UP NEXTThe Longhorns play their second-round game on Wednesday against third-seeded UCLA or 14th-seeded Wyoming, who played later Monday night.

The WNBA and the Players' Association have agreed to an opt-in process for this season's draft, the league confirmed to The Associated Press, late Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)NEW YORK – The WNBA and the Players' Association have agreed to an opt-in process for this season's draft, the league confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday night. In the past, players who have run out of college eligibility are automatically entered into the draft. While this is a new situation in the WNBA, it’s unclear what the NCAA will do as far as allowing players to pull out of the draft. The NBA implemented similar rules, making players opt-in for the draft.