Missy Heidrick

Overland Park

National Columnists at The Next

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Articles

The Weekly Fast Break: Huskies take the crown

2 weeks ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

When the final buzzer of the national championship game rings through the arena, it means that the college basketball season is ending. Back in October 2024, we tried to predict who would be part of the story for the upcoming year in the women’s game. There were head coaches debuting at new schools and transfers who landed in new programs looking to start fresh.
The Weekly Fast Break: One final stop

3 weeks ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

If there is one thing that the NCAA Tournament teaches us each year, it is that with joy comes heartbreak. There are only four programs full of players, coaches and support staff that wake up today knowing their season continues. They will be constructing scouting reports, doing laundry and frantically packing for the next part of the journey. For everyone else, the reality of having your season and/or career be over is setting in.
The Weekly Fast Break: On to the Sweet 16

4 weeks ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

If you are like us here at The Weekly Fast Break, the best part of a having a night out for a fabulous dinner is when they present you with the menu for your last course — dessert. It is a magical list, filled with everything that can fulfill your sweet tooth, warm your insides or check the “night cap” box with a heavy pour. No matter what fits your fancy, the menu is set up to be a smashing success.
2025 NCAA Tournament

1 month ago | thenexthoops.com | Natalie Heavren |Missy Heidrick |Tee Baker |Rob Knox

Florida State will look to build on second-round exit next season Makayla Timpson: ‘We put our program back where [it] needed to be’The NCAA Tournament is giving us a monster Sweet 16, filled with newcomers, stars and excellent matchups. Who will prevail? Azzi Fudd will return next season as UConn’s undisputed leader Auriemma: ‘I’m as excited as anybody … to see what can happen’
Birmingham 3 Regional: A Texas two-step to the top seeds

1 month ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

There is a saying that “everything’s bigger in Texas,” and in one bracket of this year’s Big Dance, that is truly the case. From ten-gallon hats to whiskey glasses, the dance party is getting ready to start in the land of oil and cattle — welcome to the Birmingham 3 Regional of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today. Join todayAlready a member?
Birmingham Region 2: Gamecocks on edge, ready to defend

1 month ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

What happens when you blend six ranked teams, underdogs who captured automatic bids by winning their conference title and the 2024 national champion? You get a fantastic mix of everything we love about women’s college basketball – welcome to the Birmingham 2 Regional of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today. Join todayAlready a member?
The Weekly Fast Break: Fierce impact freshmen

1 month ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

When you walk the sidewalks of a college campus in the fall, it is hard not to figure out which students are freshmen. There are the ones that are speed walking to class because they do not want to walk in late and then you see the others that forgot to set an alarm and are not looking forward to being late.
The Weekly Fast Break: Welcome to the parity party

2 months ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

We have been waiting – some more patiently than others – for that magical word to join the lexicon of college basketball: parity. There are going to be the doubters that say there is no way we have gotten there, that the rich still just get richer, especially now in this new age of college athletics.
The Weekly Fast Break: Consistency matters

2 months ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

In life, and in sports, we seem to talk about consistency on almost a daily basis. Are we consistent in our exercise routine or in sitting down at the table during the week with our families for dinner? Are your toddlers brushing their teeth twice a day while your teenager makes her bed every morning? Are you the one in your family that consistently drives around on ‘empty,’ only to glide into the gas station with just a gallon or two to spare?
The Weekly Fast Break: Honoring royalty

2 months ago | thenexthoops.com | Missy Heidrick

The word “honor,” when used as a verb, is defined as regard with great respect. Throughout sports, we honor individuals for their accomplishments, teams for winning and organizations for setting the standard of success, on and off the court. During Black History Month, we honor trailblazers, advocates and activists who spoke truth to power when few were listening and led with their convictions through actions and words.