Hi, friends. First off, I want to say THANK YOU for supporting Power Plays. We are in the midst of what is one of my biggest renewal cycles, and it absolutely is warming my heart how many of you are sticking around, even if it is only as a free subscriber, it is helping keep this dream alive!

As many of you know, I’m very lucky that my hometown and place of current residence, Greensboro, North Carolina, is the host of the ACC women’s basketball tournament. My plan for coverage this year was to do a running diary throughout that I published at the final buzzer on Sunday after a champion was crowned.

But then I wrote almost 4,000 words about the first two days, and decided to go ahead and publish the early-round reflections today! Honestly, I love the first couple of days, they are in many ways more high stakes than the latter rounds, because seasons — and, at times, careers — are literally on the line.

But first, a reminder that tomorrow night (Saturday, March 8) at 6:00pm ET I’ll be hosting a conversation with Susan Shackelford at Scuppernog Books in Greensboro, NC, to talk about the groundbreaking book she co-authored with Pamela Grundy, “Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball.”

This book was originally published in 2005, but last month, Shackelford and Grundy released a revised edition that includes the last 20 years of history-making moments in the sport!! It is a foundational text for all women’s basketball fans, and it’s such an honor to get to host this talk.

I realize I’m biased, but truly this is a must-attend event for anyone who happens to be in town for the ACC women’s basketball tournament. The semifinals are on Saturday at noon and 2:30pm ET, so there will be plenty of time to get from the Coliseum to the book store!

Okay, onto my diary from the first two days.

DAY ONE

Boston College knows what month it is!

The kick-off game of the ACC tournament on Wednesday, March 5, was between No. 12 Boston College and No. 13 Syracuse. And I’ll be honest: Halfway through it did not look like a good one! Syracuse led Boston College by 19 late in the second quarter, and 17 at the half, and Felicia Legette-Jack’s team looked to be cruising to the second round. I was planning to spend most of the second half catching up on my correspondence.

But then, Dontavia Waggoner and Teya Sidberry happened. Both players scored 10 points each in the third quarter, combining for 20 of Boston College’s 28 points; Syracuse as a team only scored 15. Still, the Orange led 72-66 with 3:29 remaining in the game, but only scored one more point the rest of the way. The Eagles ended the game on a 10-1 run, taking the lead for the first time in the game with a JaKayla Thompson jumper with 1:27 left.

Waggoner scored a career-high 32 points, with Sidberry adding 24 points of her own and a career-high 17 rebounds. Waggoner also had the CHASEDOWN BLOCK OF THE YEAR.

Seriously, WATCH THIS.

Power Plays

ACC diary, pt. 1: UNC survives, Clemson…

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