The second half of the season is upon us. After the first two months provided women’s basketball fans with excitement, like Michigan’s near-upset of UConn and Audi Crooks’ monster numbers for Iowa State, there is more to come from now until March Madness.
Here are seven questions that will drive the second half of the season.
Will UConn go undefeated?
The Huskies came into the season as the favorites to win another title, and that still holds true. After wins over No. 20 Louisville, No. 6 Michigan, No. 26 USC and No. 11 Iowa, UConn heads into Big East play at 12-0. No one in conference can challenge Geno Auriemma’s squad, and a Jan. 19 game against No. 28 Notre Dame should be an easy victory. The only regular-season challenge left will come against No. 23 Tennessee on Feb. 1. The Vols upset UConn last season, marking the first time Tennessee topped UConn since the Candace Parker era. The Huskies should come away with a win, but with Tennessee’s chaotic defense and fast-paced play, anything can happen.
Led by 6-foot-2 sophomore Sarah Strong and 5-foot-10 senior Azzi Fudd, the Huskies have two of the best players in the country — and two Player of the Year candidates — on their side. That, plus the continued development of players like 6-foot-2 freshman Blanca Quiñonez, make a deep tournament run almost a given and another title a serious possibility.
Speaking of Sarah Strong, can anyone challenge her for POY?
There are other candidates, including Strong’s teammate, Fudd, but none have the skillset and resume of Strong. She’s averaging 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 59 percent from the field, 37 percent from three and 86 percent from the free-throw line. No one in the country impacts as many facets of the game as Strong. Unless something wildly unexpected happens, Strong should run away with the award.
Her biggest challenger at the moment is Crooks, who is averaging an NCAA-leading 28.9 points per game for the undefeated Cyclones.
Can anyone stop Audi Crooks?
Speaking of Iowa State’s 6-foot-3 junior center, no one in the country has had an answer for her yet (her season low came in an 84-73 win over Marquette, where Crooks still finished with 18 points). She has tallied 30 points twice and more than 40 points three times. The 18-point game was one of two contests in which she scored less than 20 points. With her strength, footwork and newly-added fadeaway jumper, Crooks has become nearly impossible to slow down. With no Big 12 centers up to the task, we may have to wait until March to see Crooks truly challenged.
Can UCLA continue its balanced scoring?
UCLA’s 82-75 win over Ohio State on Sunday is the perfect example of how this team has performed all season. Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jacques, Gianna Kneepkens and Kiki Rice all scored in double-figures. The four are all averaging 14 or more points per game, and Angela Dugalić is scoring 10.5 off the bench — a stark contrast to last season, when Betts scored 20 points a game, Rice averaged 12.8 and no one else hit double-figures. Coach Cori Close has been adamant about her team finding offense outside of Betts, who was relied on too heavily last year. This kind of production makes UCLA hard to stop. In fact, in their lone loss of the season, a 76-65 loss against Texas, Betts, Jaquez and Dugalić were held to single digits.
Who is the best of the freshmen?
USC’s Jazzy Davidson came into the year as ESPN’s No.1 freshman, but it was a close race, with Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez and UCLA’s Sienna Betts right behind. Betts was injured until just three games ago, so the second half of the season will give us a real look at which of the three is the most impactful.
But the trio aren’t the only freshmen making noise. UConn’s Quiñonez, Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, LSU’s Grace Knox, Vandy’s Aubrey Galvan and Gonzaga’s Lauren Whittaker have all been impact players. Whittaker, a 6-foot-3 forward, is leading all freshmen in scoring with 19.5 points per game.
Is TCU legit?
The Horned Frogs are undefeated at 13-0, with flashy performances from point guard Olivia Miles, who has three triple-doubles this season, and forward Marta Suarez, who is averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game. But TCU is yet to face a true challenge. The Horned Frogs secured their best win of the season in November, when they defeated then-No. 10 NC State 69-59, but the Wolfpack have since fallen out of the top 25.
Junior guard Donovan Hunter is also having the best scoring season of her career, averaging 13.5 points per game (up from 5.9 last year). At center, 6-foot-7 sophomore Clara Silva is also coming into her own, with 10 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. TCU certainly appears to have the roster necessary for a deep tournament run, but Big 12 play should provide more clarity.
How will Alicia Tournebize impact South Carolina?
Dawn Staley is always ahead of the curve in women’s college basketball, something she has proven once again with the signing of 6-foot-7 forward Tournebize from France. Players joining mid-season is nothing new, but she is one of the first to be playing professionally before doing so. Tournebize will join the Gamecocks in January.
South Carolina has been without its signature depth this season, but Tournebize will change that at the post position, making an impact on both ends of the floor.
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