3 reasons you should be paying attention to Pa. women’s college basketball right now

From improbable comebacks, to dominant players destined for the WNBA, to exciting rookies, Pennsylvania’s women’s college basketball teams have been giving fans plenty to cheer about so far this season.

Sure, it would be great to finally have a WNBA team in Pennsylvania.

But the women’s college basketball teams of the Keystone State have given us plenty of reasons to watch so far in the 2024-25 season. Here’s three:

Big wins

This season has seen improbable comebacks and history-making wins.

The Bucknell Bisons made some history Nov. 23 in a 51-36 win over previously undefeated Youngstown State. The 36 points the Bisons allowed was the fewest yielded by the team since a 68-31 win over Saint Francis University on Dec. 1, 2021. You can watch highlights here.

For the first time in nearly 13 years, the Penn State Lady Lions secured a victory against an Associated Press top 10 opponent in a thrilling 62-59 upset of the Ohio State Buckeyes last Sunday

And Pitt made history on Jan. 12  by staging the largest regulation comeback win in NCAA women’s basketball history in its 72-59 win over Southern Methodist University. Watch video of head coach Tory Verdi’s emotional post-game speech, along with game highlights, here. 

Duquesne’s Megan McConnell

Though they’re middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10 standings, the Dukes are 13-6 overall and an exciting team to watch, led by senior guard and Pittsburgh native Megan McConnell.

For the second consecutive season, McConnell was named to the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist, the only A-10 player on the list this season. She’s lived up to the expectations as one of the top players in the conference, leading the A-10 in points per game (19) and assists (5.5). McConnell also leads the Dukes in just about every offensive and defensive category.

It’s a safe bet we’ll be seeing McConnell playing in the WNBA next season.

Exciting rookies

The A-10 features some exciting freshmen this season, a class headlined by Duquesne’s Mackenzie Blackford.

Following an outstanding week in which she played a pivotal role in Duquesne’s first two conference wins of the season, the freshman guard was named A-10 Rookie of the Week on Jan. 13

In those two victories, Blackford averaged 16.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting an impressive 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the field and 60 percent (9-of-15) from three-point range.

Overall on the season, Blackford is averaging 7.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. Blackford has recorded three consecutive double-digit scoring performances and ranks second on the team in total three-pointers made (32). She is also excelling on defense, ranking second on the team in steals per game and fourth in total takeaways (17).

At the other end of the state, Katie Collins, one of the most highly touted women’s college basketball players Pennsylvania has seen in quite some time, is off to a great start in her freshman year for the University of Pennsylvania.

Two games into her college career, the forward from New Jersey earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. In her third game, she registered the first double-double of her career by scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds.

Collins leads the Quakers in rebounds, steals, and blocked shots, and is second on the team in minutes.