Women's basketball links: UConn still #1 in AP poll, Bria Hartley, Chiney Ogwumike & Alyssa Thomas have big weekends

Starting to find our rhythm here at the beginning of the college basketball season, Tuesday seems like a pretty good day to do links.

James has been doing a great job keeping up with daily scores and a number of SB Nation's college sites have been covering their own school's team more closely than we can from afar. And for those interested in the WNBA Draft, we've just started up our 2014 draft prospect storystream. So check those out to get up to date if necessary.

The following are a few additional reads from around the web.

• Doug Feinberg of the AP reported that Cal is "free falling" after losing to George Washington and sliding to #17 in the AP poll, released yesterday. They were the only Top 25 team to lose to a non-top AP top 25 team. Read more >>>

• Rich Elliot of the Connecticut Post profiled the growth of UConn senior Bria Hartley, who is no longer hanging her head after poor performances: after "one of the worst games of her career offensively" against Maryland, she bounced back with a career-high on 10-for-20 shooting against Penn State on Sunday and was named AAC Player of the Week for her efforts. Read more >>>

• John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant reports that WNBA scouts are appreciating the talent of sophomore Breanna Stewart even as they're out watching top seniors like Hartley, teammate Stefanie Dolson, Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike, and Penn State's Maggie Lucas. Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault discussed not only her considerable athleticism and skill, but also her long-time work ethic and passion for the game. Read more >>>

• Nate Ritchey of the Altooney Mirror wrote after Penn State's loss to UConn that, "The whole fact that Penn State relies so heavily on one player to produce so much, is something that seperates the very good programs from the elite." Lucas shot 6-for-17 from the field on Sunday but did have a game-high 5 steals. Read more >>>

• Rick Eymer of the Palo Alto Weekly recapped Stanford's win over UC Davis that included a double-double from star Chiney Ogwumike, but also included this quote from coach Tara VanDerveer: "We have a lot of young players who, frankly, don't know what they are doing," VanDerveer said. "We have the players who, in five months, will help us." Read more >>>

• Mechelle Voepel of ESPN reports that Maryland coach Brenda Frese is most proud of Terrapins star and ACC Player of the Week Alyssa Thomas' leadership ability as a senior, but also notes that she has been working on some of the things that she learned from USA Basketball's mini-camp this summer to get ready for a future in the WNBA. Read more >>>

• Daniel Martin of CSN Baltimore reports that President Barack Obama left the Terrapins a few words of encouragement during a visit to their locker room while he was on campus on Sunday. And according to a tweet from Frese, First Lady Michelle Obama left a note as well. Read more >>>

Thanks @MichelleObama and family for the kind note in our locker room here at Maryland. Our team loved it! pic.twitter.com/T5jGvuzIlj

— Brenda Frese (@BrendaFrese) November 19, 2013

• Seattle Storm fan favorite Ashley Robinson tweeted that she tore her left Achilles heel last week and had surgery yesterday.

Hey y'all. Quick update from Korea. I tore my left Achilles this week. I am having surgery today. I'm sad but ok! #prayersUp #lifeofaballer

— ASHLEY KHRISTINA (@missarob43) November 18, 2013

• espnW is holding a vote for the most impactful women's sports athlete of 2013 with WNBA stars Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi being among the options. Read more >>>

• Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune reports on comedian Dave Chappelle's visit to Minneapolis, which has nothing to do with the NCAA or WNBA but was basketball related (and on the Minnesota Lynx's home floor to boot): he had a midnight basketball event complete with pancakes. Any Chappelle show fan should be able to appreciate that; if you're not a Chappelle fan, I highly recommend it. Read more >>>

If you have other links to share, feel free to drop them in the comments below or create a fanshot. If you have a longer commentary to make, write up a fanpost that you can share with the community.