Written Work

Colorado lands fifth transfer in Boston’s Anete Adler

From Estonia to the Northeast to the Rocky Mountains, transfers have continued to find ways to Boulder.After a disappointing NCAA Tournament exit last month, head coach JR Payne has made her fifth portal addition to the Colorado Buffaloes, signing 6-foot-5 graduate transfer center Anete Adler from Boston University on Saturday.Adler is a well-rounded forward who can fit into numerous roles for the Buffs, averaging 15.4 points, six rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game last season, earnin...

Buffaloes land four-star quarterback Andre Adams

The Colorado Buffaloes and “Coach Prime” made major moves towards the future, with four-star commit Andre Adams. The 6-foot-2 quarterback from Antioch, Tennessee, is ranked as 247sports’ 15th-best quarterback in the class of 2027. While just a junior in high school, Adams threw for 3,418 yards and 35 touchdowns to only one interception. He also added 855 yards on the ground with 13 rushing touchdowns in the 2025-26 season.Adams is a dynamic threat who can make smart decisions while being elusive...

10 Portal Targets for the Colorado Buffaloes

Though she is sure to get looks from bigger programs with more resources, Crooks was the centerpiece to the Cyclones, and she’ll have to be the centerpiece to any team she joins. That might scare off those programs with established rosters who are a few additions from competing with UConn and UCLA for national titles. With so many pieces going out for Colorado, Crooks' addition could be a perfect opportunity for Payne to build around her for one year.Colorado has forwards Sophie Zadel and Jade C...

Colorado’s late comeback attempt falls short against No. 5 Florida

Despite recording more groundballs, having fewer turnovers and outshooting the Gators, Colorado’s depth failed to show up where Florida's did. Eight different Gators had goal contributions while their defense was led by sophomore goalkeeper Susan Radebaugh’s career-high 12 saves.“Things got away from us a little bit in that fourth quarter, but I thought the team came out here, we battled, we competed,” head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. “I think every single game, different people will step up...

Buffs fall in first round of NCAA Tournament

The No. 10-seed Colorado Buffaloes (22-12) fell to the No. 7-seed Illinois Fighting Illini (22-11) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, 66-57, ending their season.Colorado stayed within striking distance, but Illinois matched each score, preventing much momentum from building. Colorado led for parts of the first quarter, but didn’t after that frame, lacking an extra offensive gear.Even though Illinois was out-rebounded, it had more second-chance points than the Buffs, an area t...

Career performances power Buffs to win over UConn

A well-rounded performance saw two players reach new career highs in points and goals as the Colorado Buffaloes (6-2) defeated the UConn Huskies (3-5) 11-5 on Wednesday.Senior midfielder Lily Assini tied her career-high in goals and points, scoring four while adding two assists for the Buffs.Junior attackers Jamie Hill and Teagan Ryan both added two more for the Buffs in the 11-goal performance.Sophomore goalkeeper Elena Oh made nine saves on 14 shots, the sixth time this season the Buffs have l...

Too Close to Close It Out: The Buffs’ late-game management

This season, the Colorado Buffaloes have had five games decided by one possession and nine where the score was within six points. CU has won just three of them. In four of those games, the Buffs had the ball with under five seconds with a chance to tie or win the game, but they’re only 2-2 in those games. Head coach JR Payne has rolled out similar lineups in each instance, with Masogayo seeing the court in all four contests. The Buffs have leaned on her length and ability to draw contact in late...

Colorado drops nail-biter to No. 9 Michigan

Turns out momentum goes both ways. After shutting out Michigan in the third quarter to capture the lead, the Buffs suffered the same fate, spelling their demise in a top-15 matchup.Senior attacker Maddie Shoup had her fifth multi-goal game of the season with two and added an assist.Michigan midfielder Ava Class found the scoresheet first, but Kennedy got a great feed from Shoup for an emphatic goal to tie the game at 1-1.Things stayed quiet for large parts of the first quarter before senior atta...

Colorado gets game stolen, falls to West Virginia in Big 12 Semifinals

Is this déjà vu? The Buffaloes had a win slip from their fingertips with under five seconds, as Jade Masogayo had a Big 12 championship opportunity stolen from under her. A heartbreaking result for the Colorado Buffaloes (22-12, 11-7 Big 12), who saw chaos in the last minute not go in their favor, falling to the 2-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers (26-6, 14-4 Big 12), 48-47.Junior guard Zyanna Walker led all scorers with 16 points, her sixth game tallying double-digit points in her last seven co...

Colorado defense shines, defeats Baylor in Big 12 quarterfinals

The Colorado Buffaloes (22-10, 11-7 Big 12) all but locked up an NCAA tournament spot headed into their Big 12 quarterfinals matchup with the 3-seeded Baylor Bears (24-8, 13-5 Big 12). After an ugly win in their second round match against Kansas, the Buffs’ 62-53 win was a much smoother ride to their first Big 12 tournament semifinals appearance since 2003.Junior guard Desiree Wooten recorded her third 20-point performance of the season and was a hot hand shooting from beyond the perimeter, hitt...

Does the Big 12’s new court offer a competitive advantage for teams without a bye?

In a press release, the Big 12 noted that the floor had been “vetted at the highest levels,” citing its use in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, as well as in EuroLeague professional games. It said that the court will “[enable] real-time branding, in-game activations, and data-driven visuals that seamlessly adapt across basketball and other sports without compromising performance, durability, or student-athlete safety.”On Wednesday, the 3-point and half-court lines were black, difficult to see on the...

Colorado bounces back on the road, defeats Army

After their comeback attempt fell short against Stony Brook, the No. 15 Colorado Buffaloes (4-1) struck early and struck often to cruise to a potent 13-6 win over No. 19 Army West Point (3-2) Sunday.
The Buffaloes won more ground balls, had more draw controls, forced more turnovers and took more shots en route to their win.
Junior attacker Jaimey Hill tied her career-high three goals in her second career hat trick.
Senior midfielder Lily Assini guided two balls to the back of the net while distr...

Colorado fends off Jayhawks, reaches Big 12 Quarterfinals

Five Buffs got called for fouls in the first quarter, forcing them to go to the bench early and often.Nine different Buffaloes scored points in a well-rounded effort that had Colorado get back to its identity. The Buffs outrebounded Kansas 39-25 overall, and won the offensive boards 15-10.Colorado did everything it needed defensively to stop the Jayhawks, limiting them to just 18 percent shooting. Kansas made its first 3-point attempt, but went 0-for-8 from deep over the next 35 minutes.Kansas f...

Colorado takes on Kansas to begin Big 12 tournament

Kansas controlled the Knights for the entire game, even without its star guard, junior S’Mya Nichols, performing particularly well. Nichols shot just 17% from the field, well shy of her 41.4% season average, but still made her impact felt with a team-leading four assists.Freshman forward Jaliya Davis was there to pick up the slack in her third career double-double, recording 10 points and 11 rebounds while adding three assists.The Buffs found success by limiting Kansas’s 3-point offense to just...

JR Payne extends contract with Colorado through 2031

The House of Payne will stay standing, as the University of Colorado Boulder extended head coach JR Payne’s contract on Wednesday.Payne is in her 10th season as women’s basketball head coach and will remain so for at least another five years, through the 2031 season, by unanimous vote of the CU Board of Regents. Payne has led her team to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in two of her last three seasons, including five consecutive 20-win seasons, a streak that is only surpassed by Ceal Barry's run of six 2...

Wooten’s career-highs go for naught as Colorado collapses during fourth quarter

The Colorado Buffaloes (20-10, 11-7 Big 12) fell into their old ways, completely collapsing in the fourth quarter, spoiling a career night for junior guard Desiree Wooten.For the first time in six games, the Buffaloes were out-rebounded by their opponents, losing the boards 38-35. Wooten hit on two more 3-pointers to cap off a nine-point first quarter as the Buffs trailed 20-16 to start the second.A quick 6-0 run in the final 40 seconds included a buzzer-beating Wooten 3 to set a new career-high...

Colorado suffers its first loss to No. 18 Stony Brook

Defense stood strong as the No. 15 Colorado Buffaloes (3-1) nearly had their comeback attempt realized, but fell 9-7 to the No. 18 Stony Brook Seawolves (3-0) Thursday.Senior attacker Maddie Shoup, junior attacker Teagan Ryan and senior midfielder Lily Assini all had two goals each, while freshman attacker Rowan Edson added a goal of her own to account for the Buffaloes' seven goals. Oh was electric in the first frame, making five saves on six shots while the only goal she let in was by junior m...

Do the Math: Big 12 tournament seeding scenarios

The Big 12 provides once again. A chaotic year that saw its fair share of parity could have as many as nine of its 16 teams finish with double-digit wins in the conference. With the Big 12 Tournament less than a week away and only eight conference games left to be played this weekend, how the tournament shapes up could help Colorado boost their resume or keep it on the outside looking in.Making things simple, TCU is the one seed, no matter how the TCU vs. Baylor game shakes up. If both Baylor an...

How losing to Utah impacts Colorado’s March Outlook

The Colorado Buffaloes (20-9, 11-6 Big 12) picked up their first loss in their past six games to the Utah Utes (18-11, 9-8 Big 12), 67-64 last night. While taking a hit with a loss to another team on the bubble, their March hopes are still alive.Bracketology sites like ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and NCAA Writers have Colorado as one of the last teams to get an at-large bid, while Utah sits on the outside looking in. The Buffs are sure to take a hit after a quadrant two loss, only their...

Third top-20 win shows flashes of Buffs’ identity

Payne has spoken to the identity of her team as “fearless.” And in the midst of winning eight of their last nine contests, including five straight, the Buffaloes have finally brought it from paper and words to actions and plays.Even though the Buffs have a bottom-third point-per-game average and bottom-half shooting percentage in the Big 12, they’ve found ways to outscore their opponents game in and game out. They’ve done that through staying aggressive on the boards and shifty guard play.Even t...

Third top-20 win shows flashes of Buffs’ identity

Payne has spoken to the identity of her team as “fearless.” And in the midst of winning eight of their last nine contests, including five straight, the Buffaloes have finally brought it from paper and words to actions and plays.Even though the Buffs have a bottom-third point-per-game average and bottom-half shooting percentage in the Big 12, they’ve found ways to outscore their opponents game in and game out. They’ve done that through staying aggressive on the boards and shifty guard play.Even t...

Colorado earns commanding win over Towson

From first draw to final whistle, the Colorado Buffaloes (3-0) controlled the net, draw and score en route to a dominant 17-5 win over the Towson Tigers (1-4) on Saturday.Junior attacker Teagan Ryan found the back of the net six times on just seven shots, doubling her previous career high of three goals. “Despite the score today, there were a lot of areas I think we could have done better in,” coach Ann Elliot Whidden said. “If we want to be great, not just a good team, we got to be able to unde...

Colorado escapes Arizona, wins fourth straight

It might not have been pretty, but the Colorado Buffaloes (19-8, Big 12 10-5) pulled out a neck-and-neck win against the Arizona Wildcats (11-15, Big 12 2-13), winning 78-70 while seemingly exercising their fourth-quarter demons. The Buffs shot 55% from the field, their second-highest mark of the season, led by senior forward Anaëlle Dutat, who scored a career-high 20 points and brought down six boards.Both teams went back-and-forth in the first quarter while Wildcat guard Sumayah Sugapong went...

Buffs beat Sun Devils behind Sebastian Rancik's double-double

With seven games left in their regular season, Colorado men’s basketball has surpassed last season’s Big 12 win total. 
Led by junior guard Barrington Hargress and freshman guard Isaiah Johnson, the Colorado Buffaloes (14-10, 4-7 Big 12 ) swept the season series against the Arizona State Sun Devils (12-12, 3-8 Big 12 ), 78-70. 
After not being able to grab a single rebound against Baylor in his last game, sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik brought down 11 boards in his first career double-double...
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