#76: 3 Sophomores Showing Signs of Breaking Out

Plus my insanely talented friend, AUSL Draft, and more

I’ll never forget just how old they looked. 

As a freshman in high school, entering a new school, I was in awe of just how old the seniors looked.

Seventeen? Eighteen?

Babygirl, you are at least 35.

It’s always the perception that we have when we are younger, but it’s funny looking back now, because they were kids. Just babies.

But when you’re younger, it’s hard to see what things actually are.

And the same went for my aunt’s house in Kiski Area in western Pennsylvania

See, my aunt Ruthann’s house was a nice house. Even as I’m older now, the house was a really nice house. But when I was younger, it seemed like a mansion.

Part of the reason it felt that way is that they had a lovely fenced-in in-ground pool with a water slide.

That’s Richie Rich type shit, you know?

And there’s a specific memory that I have when I was younger — maybe 8 or 9? — where my cousin and aunt from Oregon came in to visit. 

We all met at my aunt’s house, and we had a grand old time.

My family was a mixed-bag of fandom. They were all Steelers fans, so I needed to be an Eagles fan (after a short stint as a Cowboys fan as a young kid, sue me). For college, they all were either Pitt fans or Penn State fans. 

I wanted to be different. I needed to be different.

I wanted to be like my cousin and my aunt who were the only members of the family not to live in the area. (Maybe it’s the reason I live in Georgia when everyone else lives in Pennsylvania? THERAPIST. APPOINTMENT, PLEASE!).

I knew that my aunt was an Oregon State fan, so I decided at a young age that I was going to be an Oregon Ducks fan.

That first year, during the visit at my aunt’s house, my aunt and I made a bet for the Civil War Game — the annual game between Oregon and Oregon State. The loser would buy the winner a hat.

As an 8-year-old (maybe 9), that was the biggest wager I ever made and could envision. 

Needless to say, Oregon won, and I got an Oregon hat in mail shortly after the new year. I loved it. I coveted it. It was my favorite hat.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

Akili Smith. Joey Harrington (MY GOAT). Marcus Mariota. Tyler Dorsey. Luke Ridnour. Luke Jackson. Jordan Bell. LaMichael James. The Black Mamba. Not Dillon Brooks. Aaron Brooks. Sabrina Ionescu. Nyara Sabally. Jaz Shelley. Satou Sabally. Royce Freeman. Justin Herbert. Christian Gonzalez. DeForest Buckner. Deja Kelly.

It was endless. I loved the Ducks, and I needed to see them in person.

I moved out to Oregon after college, and my lovely partner, Blayne, got me tickets to see the Ducks at Autzen Stadium against Wyoming. Marcus Mariota put on a show, and I can confirm that, in fact, it never rains at Autzen Stadium.

But the thing that I wasn’t able to do was see the Oregon basketball team in person.

It took moving to Georgia, two and a half years later, to do so.

I made the two-hour drive to Auburn yesterday to watch the Oregon Ducks (9-0) take on the Auburn Tigers (8-1).

Now, was it the same as seeing the Ionescu or Sabally-led teams? No, it wasn’t, but it was still the Oregon uniform. The kicks. And the ability to cover it from media row that young Michael was happy with.

And while my aunt passed away a few years ago at a young age, I know that she would be happy for me, too, keeping that piece of her going.

Now, did I come out because I wanted to watch my Ducks? Yes, I did, but I know how to be professional, dammit. 

Even if the parking attendant asked for proof that I was media since I was wearing jeans, a pair of A’ja Wilson shoes, and a W Bar t-shirt to cover the game.

But the reason I came out here was for two reasons:

1. I’m doing a piece with Mia Jacobs, a senior transfer from Fresno State, for Winsidr. 
2. I wanted to get eyes on Katie Fiso, a sophomore for the Ducks who is one of the players that has stood out to me early on this season.

In this space, we are going to dive in deeper on Fiso, as well as two other players, who are having breakout seasons across the Division I space.

(Please forgive any random typos, as I’m writing this on my iPad. It’s great, but it also loves to fuck with my spelling).

Please forgive me with this picture of this good boy that I saw at the game.

Katie Fiso (G - Oregon)

Fiso has quietly been on a roll to start the season for the Ducks. Entering Sunday, she had four point/assist double-doubles, leading the nation.

In fact, only one other player had multiple. That’s how good the sophomore has been for the Ducks.

Last year, she appeared in 25 games for the Ducks, playing around 8 minutes per game.

This year, she’s started all nine games for Oregon, averaging 13.6 points per game and 26.9 minutes per game. Her 7.9 assists per game are the fourth-most entering Sunday.

"She's been doing amazing. She's so young, but honestly, the feedback that she's been getting has been really encouraging," Jacobs told me after the game. "She's been one of our best people finding people, one of our best scorers, and out and about getting in the lanes and getting steals. She's a really an important player on the court."

What’s most fun to watch about Fido’s game is not only her ability to create for her teammates, but also her ability to slash to the rim to find her shot. It’s weird to find a guard that doesn’t live behind the three-point line. But Fiso doesn’t even visit there. (I write this line as she literally hits her first three of the season in front of me).

There’s still a lot of growth that we need to see with Fiso throughout the rest of her career. She attempts to make the risky pass too often, but it’s also what makes her, her. Going for the big play, having the memory of a goldfish, and leading Oregon as a true point guard with unlimited potential.

Sound like someone from the past?

Jordan Lee (G - Texas)

Last year’s Elite Eight was fun to be at. I especially enjoyed watching Texas in person. Rori Harmon is such a great college hooper with an IQ to rival any other guard in the nation.

Madison Booker is going to be a problem at the next level. She can create her own shot, create a mismatch, and owns the lower block.

But a player who stood out to me was Jordan Lee. I noticed her ability to defend at an ultra-high level across the perimeter, with the ability to be a disrupter in the passing lanes.

I just needed to see more from her offensively.

And by George, I think she’s done it.

Texas put on a show last week, taking down UCLA and South Carolina without three key players.

And while Harmon and Booker got theirs — including the amazing game-winning bucket from Harmon — but the player who stood out to me the most was Lee. Lee just seems so much more confident this year, especially on the offensive end.

This year, Lee is looking for her own shot more, not showing the hesitation when she has space to let it fly.

Check out this highlight reel for reference.

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Last year, Lee wouldn’t have taken these looks.

And Lee played last year. Don’t get that confused. She played nearly 20 minutes per game, but the growth that we’ve seen her take offensively, especially, can be seen.

Lee is draft eligible in 2028, and if you were mocking that draft today, she’d be a top-10 pick. While she won’t overtake Joyce Edwards, Mikayla Blakes, or Sarah Strong, if Lee continues her ascent, she could be looking at a top-five consensus projection as that draft nears. 

Marta Suárez (F - TCU)

Hailey Van Lith guided the Horned Frogs to an Elite Eight appearance, and the question was how would Mark Campbell follow up that success with the departure of HVL and S*d*n* Pr*nc*?

Well, by attacking the transfer portal again, of course.

While it was Olivia Miles who was the biggest surprise — and player in the transfer portal — that TCU landed, we also can’t ignore the impact that Marta Suárez has had on TCU so far.

Suárez, a transfer from California, started all 32 games as a freshman last year for Cal, but her star is even brighter in the, well, Lone Star State.

Suárez is shooting 54 percent from the field and an insane 43.4 percent from behind the arc. 

While her turnover numbers (2.4 per game) still leave a ton to be desired, it’s worth mentioning that her 4.2 turnovers per game mark was in the 1st percentile last year.

That’s … growth, especially highlighted by overall turnover rate, where Suárez has improved from 25.8 percent to 13.8 percent.

Suárez was just named the Big 12 Player of the Week. It won’t be the last nod that she gets as the arrow continues to point up for her.

My Talented Friend

Look at her! Look at my beautiful friend Sarah who was just highlighted by Cleveland Magazine.

If you are new here, Sarah is one of the kindest people that I know, and she was my neighbor when I lived in Cleveland.

She's also one of the most talented artists that I know, and this year, she helped the Cleveland Public Library celebrate its 100th anniversary with making a gingerbread replica of the building.

She's so fucking cool.

Before, she did replica's of 4th Street, Terminal Tower, and the West Side Market. I'm still begging her to do a replica of Progressive Field.

Maybe next year.

She's going to be mad that I highlighted her. I don't care. She deserves all of the recognition.

AUSL Expansion Draft

The AUSL Expansion Draft is tonight. There are two new teams joining the AUSL in its second year – Cascade and Oklahoma City – and the existing teams from last year will get to protect five players.

Here is who each team is protecting:

Bandits: Erin Coffel (IF), Lexi Kilfoyl (P), Taylor McQuillin (P), Skylar Wallace (IF), Morgan Zerkle (OF)

Blaze: Ana Gold (IF), Baylee Klingler (IF), Kayla Kowalik (U), Aubrey Leach (IF), Keilani Ricketts (P)

Talons: Georgina Corrick (P), Megan Faraimo (P), Hannah Flippen (IF), Montana Fouts (P), Sharlize Palacios (C)

Volts: Rachel Garcia (P), Amanda Lorenz (OF), Tiare Jennings (OF), Dejah Mulipola (C), Mia Scott (U)

The players who aren't picked during the expansion draft will be returned to their original team.

Until Next Time

We'll be back in this space on Friday after taking last weekend off for the holidays.

Be kind to yourself this week. I love you awesome nerds.