Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and so has another week of women’s college basketball. If you followed this column during the WNBA season, you know the drill. The same rules apply. In every column, I address questions about the women’s college basketball landscape, teams and individual players, while providing the best possible answers based on stats, game results, individual and team play, and gut feelings. Agree. Disagree. Discuss. That’s what makes talking about women’s college basketball so much fun. And if you’ve got questions you’d like me to address in the next column, drop them in the comments section.
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1. What makes South Carolina so good?
One week ago, No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 UConn faced off in one of the best early-season matchups of the year. The Gamecocks not only secured a decisive 73-57 win over the Huskies, they showed just how dominant and deep they are. Junior Aliyah Boston had one of her best games so far with 22 points and 15 rebounds, matching the total rebounds for UConn’s starting five. But Boston is only part of the equation.
South Carolina (7-0) has the best backcourt in the country in Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke, who average a combined 26 points per game along with a total of 19 steals. And coach Dawn Staley’s entire frontcourt is full of length and strength, which presents difficult matchups for opponents at every turn. Sophomore center Kamilla Cardoso also provides sufficient offense and defense (she has 11 total blocks on the season through seven games) off the bench along with a handful of other players. South Carolina wins by an average margin of 24.7 points and owns three victories against top 10 teams.
2. Which top 25 teams got back on track?
After losing to then-ranked No. 25 Texas on Nov. 14, then dropping a close game Friday to former No. 18 South Florida, Stanford bounced back on Saturday to topple then-No. 2 Maryland 86-67 in a dominant performance. The Cardinal also beat then-No. 4 Indiana on Thanksgiving. Currently ranked No. 4 with a 5-2 record, Stanford has almost two weeks to rest and refresh before its next game on Dec. 12 against Pacific.
No. 2 NC State has been on a six-game winning streak since it lost its first game of the season to South Carolina. Behind senior Elissa Cunane’s 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds, the Wolfpack knocked off Kansas State, Maryland and Washington State in their last three games by an average of 22.3 points. They go up against No. 6 Indiana on Thursday.
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No. 10 Louisville was upset by then-No. 22 Arizona at the start of the season but has since gone on a five-game winning streak. While the Cardinals haven’t played any ranked opponents during that stretch, they have a solid litmus test game coming up Thursday against undefeated No. 12 Michigan.
3. Which Top 25 teams skidded the most?
It’s safe to say that no top 25 team had a more difficult week than Maryland. After securing a close win against then-No. 6 Baylor 79-76, the Terps laid a goose egg with back-to-back losses against NC State and Stanford. And the games weren’t close — Maryland lost by an average of 18.5 points. Still, the Terrapins have time to turn things around. They don’t face another ranked opponent until Dec. 12. Unfortunately, it’s against South Carolina.
No. 18 Oregon dropped its last two games against the only ranked teams it has played this season. With an 80-63 loss to South Carolina and a 71-62 loss against South Florida, the Ducks will look to rebound against unranked UC Davis on Wednesday. Oregon isn’t scheduled to play another ranked opponent until January. Lucky Ducks.
UCLA went 1-2 last week and fell out of the AP Top 25, losing to Kent State and South Dakota State before pulling out a win against St. Johns. The Bruins have yet to play a ranked opponent and won’t get their first opportunity until they meet No. 2 UConn on Dec. 11.
4. Which ranked teams are rolling?
No. 7 Arizona (7-0) is proving that last season’s NCAA title run was no fluke. Despite a close call against Vanderbilt in the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands last week, the Wildcats won 48-46 on an acrobatic layup at the buzzer. Behind senior Cate Reese, Arizona looks to stay undefeated when they resume their schedule on Dec. 9 against North Dakota State.
No. 11 Tennessee (6-0) already has a couple of key wins against No. 13 South Florida and No. 15 Texas. Junior guard Jordan Horston is averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game, stepping up big time in senior Rae Burrell’s absence. The Lady Vols have Tennessee Tech on Wednesday and Virginia Tech on Sunday.
No. 12 Michigan (7-0) beat both then-No. 16 Oregon State and Mississippi State last week. Senior Naz Hilmon continues to show why she’s one of the top players in the nation, averaging 21.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. Michigan’s first Big Ten matchup comes on Dec. 9 against Wisconsin, but the Wolverines first have a must-see game against No. 10 Louisville on Thursday.
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No 22. FGCU (7-0) is also undefeated with wins against Temple and LSU, which is ranked No. 40 by HerHoopStats.com. A late December game against Michigan State (No. 41) is definitely one to mark on the calendar. Junior Kierstan Bell currently leads the nation in scoring with 26.6 points per game.
5. Which unranked teams are rolling?
BYU is no longer unranked, but as a former unranked team last week they’ve rolled right into the Top 25 at No. 21. (The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings has ranked the Cougars all season in her ballot.) BYU (7-0) recently beat No. 25 Florida State and West Virginia, which was ranked at the time. Sophomore guard Shaylee Gonzales averages 18.9 points per game and is a consistent offensive threat, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. While BYU doesn’t have another ranked opponent on its regular-season schedule from here on out, there are still some tough matchups ahead.
Duke (6-0) got an early win over Alabama, and while it looks good on their resume, Thursday’s game against No. 9 Iowa will be a true test. An even tougher game against South Carolina looms on Dec. 12.
Other notables: Georgia (6-0), Colorado (6-0) and North Carolina (6-0).
6. Who is the best player in the country right now?
Looking at advanced stats, Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee is at the top of the list with 3.8 win shares and a player efficiency rating (PER) of 60.7 so far this season, according to HerHoopStats. The next best PER is Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley with 46.5. Lee, a junior, also ranks third nationally with 24.7 points per game, is tied for first with 25 total blocks, and is seventh overall with 11.3 rebounds per game. Hard to look at those numbers and put anyone above Lee.
7. Who are your top five teams?
- South Carolina
- UConn
- NC State
- Baylor
- Stanford
8. What matchups are you looking forward to the most this week?
There’s never a shortage of good women’s college basketball games to watch, but I’ve got my eye on a handful of key and intriguing games:
• No. 2 NC State at No. 6 Indiana, Thursday
• No. 12 Michigan at No. 10 Louisville, Thursday
• No. 9 Iowa at Duke, Thursday
• Kansas State at No. 1 South Carolina, Friday
• No. 24 Notre Dame at No. 2 UConn, Sunday
• No. 15 Texas at No. 17 Texas A&M, Sunday
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9. Any predictions?
I think Kansas State’s Lee will be able to give South Carolina fits, but she can’t beat the Gamecocks alone. The Wildcats will need balanced scoring and stout defense from the other starting four if they want to have a chance at upsetting the No. 1 team in the country. I think Michigan will remain undefeated against Louisville, and NC State gets the win over Indiana. As for the showdown in the Lone Star State, Texas A&M is primed for an upset against Texas.
Reader questions:
10. What’s up with Maryland?
Two losses in a row could cause fans to panic, but it’s not as bad as it may seem. The short-handed Terps lost two out of three games against very good ranked teams in NC State and Stanford, with their one win coming against Baylor. It was a tough stretch, but Maryland’s next three games against Miami, Rutgers and Purdue are winnable and can help the Terps get back on track before they’re scheduled to play South Carolina in mid-December.
11. Is an NCAA women’s basketball streaming pass possible?
While there’s no specific streaming service for NCAA women’s basketball, there are other options. I have an ESPN+ subscription, which allows me to watch games outside of my area (Buffalo, N.Y.) as well as those not showcased on regular ESPN programming. There’s usually a handful of games to watch every night featuring both ranked and unranked teams. I think for the cost and what is offered, it’s worth it if you want to be able to watch different matchups throughout the week.
12. When will the world stop sleeping on Michigan?
I don’t think anyone is sleeping on Michigan, there just hasn’t been a lot to say. Naz Hilmon (as expected) is having a great year so far as one of the top college players and WNBA prospects in the country. The Wolverines beat No. 23 Oregon State last week but haven’t been challenged since their overtime win at the start of the season against IUPUI, which was surprising. If they win their upcoming game against Louisville on Thursday, I think we’ll hear a lot more about Michigan than we have so far.
(Top photo of Ayoka Lee: Karl B. DeBlaker / AP)