The Sweet Sixteen took a blow when USC star JuJu Watkins tore her ACL in a round-of-32 game against Mississippi State, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t exciting games on the docket.
UCLA coach Cori Close said it best: “JuJu will come back better and stronger. She is such a fighter. She will be ready. That being said, I feel like it’s time for people around the country to really step up and see some of the other amazing players who are ready to shine.”
So without further ado, let’s shine a light on the teams and players who will be fighting for spots in the Elite Eight.
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke, Friday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous games between these squads have been a grind. When UNC won their January 9th meeting 53-46 in overtime, both teams combined to shoot 27 percent from the field, while committing 47 turnovers. Duke and UNC have each other’s playbooks, personnel and styles committed to memory at this point, so don’t expect anything different this time around. It won’t be pretty, but that’s how Duke likes it. The Blue Devils are one of the country’s top defensive teams, forcing 20.7 turnovers per game and scoring 17.6 percent of their points on the fastbreak. Sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa has been particularly impressive in recent games as her offensive game starts catching up with the defensive skills she’s had all along. Okananwa struggled in both of Duke’s games against UNC this season, but I expect that to change on Friday.
Our Pick: Duke
No.1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Maryland, Friday, 5 p.m., ESPN
Maryland’s senior point guard Shyanne Sellers has faced off with South Carolina every season with the same results. Maryland hasn’t defeated South Carolina in the last four seasons, including a 2023 Elite Eight loss to the Gamecocks when Aliyah Boston was a senior. Depth has been a strength for South Carolina in each of those seasons and the same is true this year. Meanwhile, Maryland has struggled with injuries throughout the season, losing backup point guard Bri McDaniel to an ACL tear in January. Maryland is also coming off the exhaustion of a double-overtime win over Alabama. Ultimately, South Carolina has too many weapons that will all have relatively fresh legs for the Sweet Sixteen.
Our Pick: South Carolina
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 2 NC State, Friday 7:30 p.m. ESPN
There will be a lot of star power on the court between LSU and NC State. For the Tigers, Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikayla Williams are all future WNBA players, and for NC State, the same is true for Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks. This game will come down to the paint. Morrow is a rebounding machine and sophomore Sa’Myah Smith has developed into a viable second option for the Tigers. NC State’s posts are inexperienced and less-skilled than LSU. If they can keep the Tigers in check in the paint, then the guards have the chance to go off on offense and win this game. If not, LSU runs away with it.
Our Pick: LSU
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 5 Ole Miss, Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN
Can anyone stop Lauren Betts? That’s the question in this game and really in every UCLA contest going forward. It’s going to take an excellent defensive gameplan from Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, but it’s not impossible for the Rebels. Junior forward Christeen Iwuala, who actually transferred in from UCLA, will be the primary defender on Betts, but she can’t handle Betts one-on-one. Ole Miss’ best bet is to apply pressure to UCLA’s guards and make entry passes more difficult. If Betts can’t get the ball, she can’t score, or find open shooters. Ole Miss has long, athletic defenders, so the Rebels are better equipped than most to handle this assignment. But, I trust Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez to take care of the ball. Plus, Rice can get to the rim off the bounce, which should open things up for Betts.
Our Pick: UCLA
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 TCU, Saturday, 1 p.m. ABC
Notre Dame lost to TCU earlier in the season and had a rocky end to their conference slate, losing to Duke in the ACC Tournament. But the Notre Dame team that demolished Michigan 76-55 in the second round is not the same team that lost to TCU and Duke. The Fighting Irish are having fun, sharing the ball and dominating once again. In that matchup, Liatu King, Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron all scored in double-figures. The Irish have plenty of scoring prowess, but they will need to find a way to limit TCU’s 6-foot-7 center Sedona Prince, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds in their first matchup. That game happened in November, and since then, Kate Koval has improved and both Liza Karlen and Maddy Westbeld have returned. Prince will have a size advantage, but defense by committee should do the trick, and the Irish guards can handle the rest.
Our Pick: Notre Dame
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Tennessee, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Texas and Tennessee also played one this season, during an SEC matchup. Vols coach Kim Caldwell wasn’t with the team after giving birth to her son, but Tennessee still gave the Longhorns trouble, losing by just four points. Tennessee shot the ball well from long range, making nine three-pointers, which is key to their gameplan. But, the second aspect of their attack is creating turnovers, and the Longhorns took good care of the ball, only committing 12 miscues. Tennessee opponents typically make 22.4 turnovers per game. The big difference in this game will be Madison Booker, who is a matchup problem for any team with her length and ability to score in the midrange. Texas also has experienced guards in seniors Rori Harmon and Shay Holle, who should be ready to handle the Tennessee pressure.
Our pick: Texas
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 UConn, Saturday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
No one is playing better basketball than UConn right now. Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong make up one of the most talented trios in basketball and as a team, UConn defends at a high level. Strong will be a mismatch because of her ability to play like a guard with the size and strength of a post, and Fudd has never looked more healthy or comfortable on the court in her injury-riddled career. For Oklahoma, the challenge is to limit one or two of the UConn stars. If all three go off, the game will be over quite quickly. But Oklahoma center Raegan Beers is also a defensive nightmare, which is why UConn was reportedly interested in the 6-foot-4 junior when she was in the portal last season. But even if Beers has a big game, UConn is defending well enough to contain the rest of the Sooners.
Our Pick: UConn
No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State, Saturday, 8 p.m. ESPN
No JuJu Watkins drastically changes this game, but I don’t think it changes the outcome. For Kansas State, senior center Ayoka Lee is a force and senior point guard Serena Sundell is an efficient floor general who doesn’t make mistakes. But even without Watkins, who tore her ACL in a round of 32 matchup with Mississippi State, player to player, USC still has more talent. Senior forward Kiki Iriafen will be able to drag Lee away from the paint due to her ability to score around the free throw line, and USC’s freshman guards, Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell are ready to step into bigger roles. They were top recruits for a reason.
Our pick: USC
