Vic Schaefer's Airborne Jacket & German VPNs

Note from Eden: All content this week will be free to provide a preview of what to expect this season. A paywall will go up next week for a twice-weekly newsletter, costing $8 a month or $50 for the year. Thanks for reading Inbox-and-One!

Happy women’s college basketball season! AKA, the best time of the year. In honor of the 2025-26 slate, here are 2,026 things I’m excited to see this season. Kidding! That would be crazy, so I cut it down to ten. But just know that the actual list (you know, the one in my wild, obsessive brain) is basically infinite.

Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts growing as individuals and as a duo

Little sisters are born with an individuality complex. I’m the youngest of three girls, so I know this, personally. Now I look up to them and want to be like them, but there were moments growing up where I felt I had to differentiate myself. One of those was my college choice. They both went to the University of Colorado, so I was determined to go anywhere but there.

Now imagine that scenario, but the older sister in question is one of the best basketball players in the country. She’s three years older than you, so by default, she’s already done everything you want to do.

State championship? She did it first.

Top recruit? Her first.

Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year? She was first.

Choosing a college? She did that already.

That’s Sienna’s world. So no matter how much she loves Lauren (which she obviously does), following her to college was daunting. Especially since Sienna loved UCLA first. Lauren was originally at Stanford before transferring to Sienna’s dream school. That was enough to get her to question the decision to be a Bruin. Ultimately, she realized what most little sisters do – being together is a blessing, not a curse. So I’m excited to see Lauren and Sienna play and grow together. But I’m also excited to see them as individuals. They have different styles of play, different hobbies and different personalities. So let’s all refrain from constantly lumping them together.

Yes, they are the Betts sisters, but they are also Lauren and Sienna. 

MiLaysia Fulwiley’s new chapter

Everyone has the right to start over and try something new. That includes MiLaysia Fulwiley, who left South Carolina after two seasons for a fresh start at LSU. Leaving a dominant program like South Carolina is always going to be met with confusion and negative feedback from fans, but that was multiplied for Fulwiley, who was raised in Columbia (where SC is located).

A hometown kid choosing to transfer to a conference rival is never going to go over well. Add in the fact that LSU’s roster was already very guard-heavy with established players like Flau’jae Johnson, Mikayla Williams and Kailyn Gilbert, and the decision becomes even more difficult to understand. But ultimately, the only person who truly knows what she wants and needs is Fulwiley, so I’m inclined to trust her decision was the right one. And ultimately, if it wasn’t, she’s the one who will have to reckon with that, not the team or the fans she left behind.

The Sarah Strong era at UConn

What I’m about to say may sound hyperbolic, but it’s not: Sarah Strong will graduate as the best player to ever come out of UConn.

That’s a bold claim considering the caliber of players that have populated the Husky roster over the years, players like Diana Taurasi, Swin Cash, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers… the list goes on and on. But it’s one I will stand firm on.

Obviously we all knew Strong was talented when she came into college. She was the No. 1 recruit in the country and her mom is the legendary Allison Feaster. But, I knew Strong was at another level when I went to a UConn practice last preseason. Geno Auriemma told me that she was the most prepared freshman he’s ever coached. That means in 40 years, Strong stood out above all the others.

And when you watch her play it’s easy to see why.

There is a quiet confidence to Strong and an ease to everything she does. She can play every position on the court – on offense or defense. She can score at three levels, she can get to the rim off the bounce, she can rebound, she can defend, her IQ is off the charts. You get the picture. “Versatility” and “Sarah Strong” are synonyms at this point. 

Midmajor stars 

When it comes to talent, I do not discriminate. Midmajors matter too! Ballers are ballers, whether they play at UConn or a small school you’ve never heard of. If you’re new to the midmajor game, I’ve got you! Here’s a few players to watch this season:

Have someone you think deserves a shoutout? Let me know.

What are the girlies obsessed with?

I’m old. And before you get up in arms and say “30 isn’t old!” I know it isn’t. I don’t mean by age, I mean by spirit. I’m writing this in a bathrobe that looks like it belongs to a Victorian ghost. In college I only read World War I fiction. I drive slow as hell. You get it. So for that reason, I love to see what the college basketball girlies are interested in.

I remember last season when TikTok went down for like a day and a half, I was with UCLA. They were devastated. Janiah Barker was sadly recording videos while asking all of her teammates if they thought it would come back soon. The group even tried to use a German VPN in hopes of getting back on their favorite app.

All of this was foreign to me, but it was such a beautiful example of girlhood, youth and what it means to be on a team. I love seeing players record TikTok dances with their teammates. I love seeing what trends they are following – last season it was bright pink blush, clear gloss and Y2K style dark lip liner. These are the things that keep them connected while also reminding me of what it was like hanging out with my teammates back in the day.

I only played basketball through high school, but the level of bonding was similar. We’d take four-hour bus rides over the Colorado mountains while performing our own renditions of High School Musical songs. I braided multiple teammates' hair before every game. We snuggled with pillow pets on the bus while secretly reading Cosmopolitan magazines and giggling in the back seats. There’s nothing like being on a team. And there’s also nothing like being young and finding yourself. Trends, apps, hobbies all contribute to that process, and it’s a blast to see these athletes discover things they love outside of basketball.

Is TCU legit?

On paper this team looks like a Final Four squad. But that’s the tricky thing about the transfer portal. You never know how players will mesh until they are actually on the court together. Last season coach Mark Campbell proved he can bring a team of portal players together quickly.

But can he do it again?

Olivia Miles is obviously a great place to start, and she’s not alone in the backcourt. Maddie Scherr, who started her career at Oregon when Campbell was an assistant, has one last chance to prove her talent. I see her having a Hailey Van Lith-esque redemption season. Donovyn Hunter is one of the smartest guards in the league and Taylor Bigby provides experience and a three-point threat. The Horned Frogs also boast the tallest roster in the NCAA with Clara Silva (6-7), Kennedy Basham (6-7), Emily Hunter (6-7) and Sarah Portlock (6-8). Then there is Marta Suarez (6-3), who while not as tall as the rest of the post cohort, has some of the best footwork I’ve ever seen.

Campbell has a lot to work with on this team. 

Can Notre Dame make it work with a rag-tag bunch?

On the other side of the Olivia Miles transfer is the school she left behind. Notre Dame experienced a mass exodus once Miles opted to transfer, leaving behind just two players who saw minutes last season: Hannah Hidalgo and Cassandre Prosper. They also return KK Bransford, who showed serious potential in her first two seasons before sitting out last season with an injury.

Niele Ivey wasn’t able to land any major players in the portal, instead filling out her roster with people who were role players at their previous schools, like seniors Vanessa De Jesus (Duke, 3.1 points and 12.4 minutes per game) and Gisela Sanchez (Kansas State, 4.2 points, 15.4 minutes per game). Her best get was Vanderbilt’s third-leading scorer, senior guard Iyana Moore, who averaged 12.4 points per game for the Commodores.

Ivey had to scramble to put together a roster, and this group feels that way. But, if they can put together a solid season with this rag-tag bunch, that will be one heck of a story. 

How quickly will Vic Schaefer throw his suit jacket in anger?

Schaefer wears a suit jacket for every game, and every game he ends up getting mad and taking it off in a rage. Sometimes he calmly sets it down, other times he flings it to the ground after his team really pisses him off. It’s one of my favorite things to monitor during Texas games. I admire Schaefer’s commitment to both the jacket and to finding the perfect moment to use it as a statement.

Can Stanford make a comeback?

Last season was a tough one for Stanford. After longtime coach Tara Vanderveer retired coinciding with the end of the Pac-12 conference, it felt like the Cardinal were at a crossroads. A new coach, a new conference and most importantly, a new era of college basketball. Stanford is well-established, so changes in coach and conference can be overcome.

It’s the transfer era that’s going to be a problem for Stanford. It’s proved difficult for the Cardinal to land players because of the academic institution’s restrictive and lengthy transfer process. Most players won’t even get in, and those who have a chance might not be willing to wait and see. If the Cardinal wants to get back to being one of the country’s top programs, it has to find a way to adapt. This season’s recruiting class, which includes three five-star recruits, is a good place to start. The academic rules won’t change, so Stanford is going to have to take the old school approach of landing – and keeping – top high school talent.

Which random team will win my heart? 

One of my favorite things about this sport is how it keeps me humble. Without fail, every season, someone surprises me. It’s always a team that I never expected and one I have zero connection with that somehow becomes my favorite program to watch.

Last season I had two: South Dakota State and Oklahoma State, who tragically met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I don’t know who it will be this season, but I can’t wait to find out.