Graham Hays Archive

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espnW.com

Graham Hays covers college sports for espnW, including softball and soccer. Hays began with ESPN in 1999.

Hays: May boosts Texas A&M in Week 6 power rankings
Texas A&M stands at No. 4 in the latest power rankings, but will the Aggies falter with a tough stretch of SEC games on the horizon?
Mar 19 12:24 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: The secrets of Geno's success
He never lets up and is often let down. Geno Auriemma's constant pursuit of perfection is UConn's driving force.
Mar 19 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Fighting Irish face tough road to Final Four
Which No. 1 has the toughest road to New Orleans? The Fighting Irish have to travel to Iowa and would play the second round in Norfolk, Va.
Mar 18 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Supporting cast comes up big for Delaware
Delaware, with star Elena Delle Donne, is more than a one-woman team. Trumae Lucas proved that with a drive to the basket two subsequent free throws in the last minute to give the Blue Hens their final lead and the CAA title.
Mar 17 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Drexel out to stop Delaware in CAA final
No team in the CAA has been able to beat Delaware and Elena Delle Donne the past two seasons. Drexel and guard Hollie Mershon get another shot Sunday with an NCAA tournament bid on the line.
Mar 16 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Delaware's other
comeback story Hays: Delaware's other
Elena Delle Donne is always going to bear the weight of Delaware's postseason hopes on her shoulders, but it helps to have point guard Kayla Miller -- who's finally healthy after back problems nearly ended her career -- by her side.
Mar 14 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Diggins leads Irish to Big East tourney title
With Skylar Diggins leading the way, Natalie Achonwa hitting the game winner and Kayla McBride pouring in points, Notre Dame's third victory of the season over UConn clinched the Irish their first Big East tournament title.
Mar 12 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Arizona State set for serious test
Alabama stumbled in its first true test and dropped to No. 5 in the power rankings. Will No. 2 Arizona State avoid a similar fate with its first games away from home?
Mar 12 1:18 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Conley's roller-coaster ride winding down at Alabama
Alabama's Courtney Conley has played a big role in the Crimson Tide's success during her collegiate career and is leaving her own mark on the program -- without the glitz and glamour.
Mar 12 2:22 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Both Irish, Huskies could claim underdog role
Exactly which team is the underdog in Tuesday's Big East final? Yes, UConn has lost six of its last seven to Notre Dame. But the Irish have never won the conference tournament, going 0-for-6 against the Huskies in championship games.
Mar 11 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Mingo, Purdue are back ... is the Big Ten?
Illness and injury kept Drey Mingo off the court for two years. Sunday, she led Purdue to the Big Ten tournament title against Michigan State, the most recent team from the conference to reach the Final Four -- in 2005.
Mar 10 11:23 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Purdue, MSU have will, way to Big Ten final
Purdue played the aggressor in its mild upset of Nebraska, while Michigan State's defense smothered Penn State to knock off the top seed.
Mar 10 3:07 AM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Michigan's Thompson turns passion into starting spot
Someday, Kate Thompson will be a doctor. But while medicine is her ambition, basketball is her passion. And she has turned her senior season into something to remember.
Mar 7 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Jordan Mowatt recruits big sister as coach
Taryne Mowatt made a name for herself as a college softball player. Now, she's sitting in the dugout, coaching her kid sister Jordan at Cal Baptist.
Mar 6 2:58 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Oklahoma holds atop power rankings
Oklahoma may have lost its perfect record, but not its place atop the power rankings. Alabama faithful, take heart, the Crimson Tide have plenty of time to prove their might.
Mar 5 11:15 AM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: McGraw, Diggins make for perfect pairing
As much as Skylar Diggins proved she was ready for a coach like Muffet McGraw, the Notre Dame boss also was ready to trust her star player with her team.
Mar 4 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Delle Donne shines in and out of spotlight
We rarely get to see Elena Delle Donne play. But spotlight or not, the Delaware star's story and game are as good as it gets.
Mar 4 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Diggins, triple-OT thriller one for the ages
It was the kind of game worthy of settling a championship, worthy of a capacity crowd and worthy of national audience. It was a game worthy of Skylar Diggins doing what she does best.
Mar 4 | By Graham Hays
Hays' weekend wrap: Nebraska-Omaha seniors make most of moment
For all but one team, the season will end at some point this month or in early April. Nebraska-Omaha already has exited. Now let's see what the rest of the country does.
Mar 3 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Dayton riding record-setting season
After graduating seven seniors, this should have been a rebuilding season. Instead, Dayton is one win away from the program's first Atlantic 10 regular-season title and a perfect league season.
Mar 1 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Alabama coach Murphy can trace softball roots to Iowa
Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy's family gatherings as a youth in Iowa always included a bat and ball.
Mar 12 8:41 AM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: UCLA, LSU join the club
After their performances at a star-studded Mary Nutter Classic, UCLA and LSU jump into the espnW NCAA softball rankings for the first time, while Oklahoma remains a dominant No. 1.
Feb 26 1:58 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays' weekend wrap: South Florida surging
Twins Andrea and Andrell Smith are making sure South Florida's season lasts as long as possible.
Feb 24 | By Graham Hays
Hays: Oklahoma, Alabama still lead the way
There wasn't much shakeup on the field or in the softball power rankings this past weekend, but a big tournament is on tap and could cost some top teams their undefeated records.
Feb 19 9:40 PM ET | By Graham Hays
Hays: Sims, Baylor overcome Mosqueda-Lewis, UConn
Baylor's Odyssey Sims struggled through one of her worst offensive nights -- and won. UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis made a strong case as an All-American -- and lost. It was that kind of night at the XL Center, where two halves told two distinctly different stories.
Feb 18 | By Graham Hays

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