After decisive wins over Louisville and Florida State to start the season, UConn looks like the country’s top team by a wide margin. The top four stays secure after UCLA, South Carolina and Texas all got it done, but upsets by NC State, USC and Baylor make for some shakeup throughout my top-25 ballot.
It’s only the second poll of the season, so things will continue to change. But for now, here is how I voted in the AP Poll after an intense first week of the season.
3. South Carolina (3)
Almost Famous: Fairfield, Washington, Michigan State, Ohio State, Stanford, Columbia, Princeton
UConn
The Huskies looked every bit like a team that can repeat as title winners in their first two games, notching victories over No. 20 Louisville and Florida State. Sophomore forward Sarah Strong and senior guard Azzi Fudd are going to be the cornerstones, with both players averaging 20-plus points per game. But those two were expected to be solid; Fudd won MOP in last season’s Final Four, and Strong comes in as a favorite to win the Player of the Year award. USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, has been a surprise. Heckel, who has come off the bench in UConn’s first two games, made massive strides since her debut season. Her ability to cut to the rim fits perfectly into UConn’s offense, and her scoring has doubled from last season. UConn hasn’t taken it easy in early scheduling and a two-game stretch against a solid Ohio State team and No. 13 Michigan looms before Thanksgiving.
Texas
The Longhorns made easy work of an excellent mid-major team in Richmond, thanks to their relentless defense. Texas had 15 steals and forced 24 total turnovers, which led to 26 points on the other end. Junior point forward Madison Booker was the catalyst, securing 6 steals and 2 blocks to go with a 22-point, 12-rebound effort. Booker will always be the cornerstone of everything Texas does, but the Longhorns will need production elsewhere to make it back to the Final Four. Against Richmond they got double-digit scoring from sophomore Jordan Lee (16) and freshman Aaliyah Crump (14).
Duke
The Blue Devils lost their opening game to Baylor, but I’m not dropping them too much because they played without No. 4 recruit Emilee Skinner. The 6-foot freshman point guard will likely be Duke’s best player, so I will reserve judgment until she takes the court. A Nov. 26 contest against South Carolina should serve as a measuring stick for Duke – if Skinner is back, that is.
USC
I took a gamble ranking USC in the top 10, despite the Trojans playing without reigning Player of the Year JuJu Watkins, who is out with an ACL injury. The Trojans delivered on Sunday in a 69-68 win over No. 9 NC State, a team coming off a big win over Tennessee. Jazzy Davidson, the country’s No. 1 freshman, led the way with 18 points, including the game-winning basket. Davidson showcased her skill at getting to the rim in the second half, and her ability to drive to the basket and create offense for the rest of the Trojans will be huge going forward.
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NC State
The Wolfpack opened their season with an impressive 80-77 win over Tennessee before the close loss to USC. Overall, I’m impressed with NC State’s guard play, the improvement of 6-foot-6 sophomore Tilda Trygger and what Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre brings to the court. Last season, the Wolfpack were carried by guard play but fell short in the NCAA Tournament because of inexperienced bigs. Now that Pierre, a 6-foot-2 junior, is averaging 15.5 points and 16 rebounds per game, the whole team is elevated. Against Tennessee the difference-maker was Trygger, who finished with 19 points to tie her career high. Despite the USC loss, this is a team that I see making a deep postseason run.
Baylor
I underestimated Baylor coming into the season, and though it’s early, the Bears’ win over Duke was impressive. They have an excellent transfer guard in Taliah Scott, who is playing after sitting out last season at Auburn with an injury. The 5-foot-9 sophomore is simply impossible to guard with decisive moves to the rim and an innate ability to draw fouls. She finished with 24 points against Duke, which included an 8 of 10 performance from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, 6-foot-1 senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is good for nearly a double-double every game. Her versatility and consistency will be crucial to Baylor’s success this season.
Tennessee
The loss to NC State is in no way a bad defeat, but I am concerned about a 72-61 win over UT Martin, which was a tie game at the half. Tennessee has tons of talent, led by 6-foot-4 senior forward Zee Spearman and 6-foot-4 senior Janiah Barker, who transferred in from UCLA after winning Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year last season. But it will take this squad a while to adjust to playing without Ruby Whitehorn, a junior guard who was a key piece to last season’s Sweet Sixteen run. Whitehorn was an expected starter, but she was dismissed from the team nine days ago after her second arrest in the last few months. Filling that gap will take time.
Vanderbilt
Losing Khamil Pierre to the transfer portal was a huge blow for Vandy, but the Commodores looked sharp in their opening victory over Cal, 74-65. A lot of that is, of course, thanks to sophomore star Mikayla Blakes. Despite struggling shooting the ball (9 of 27), Blakes still managed to score 27 points while also putting forth an impressive defensive effort which included three steals. Blakes is always going to be able to put the ball in the basket, but her ability to impact the game in other ways when her shot wasn’t falling early was crucial in this win. That will hold true throughout the season. Another bright spot for Vandy was the play of freshman point guard Aubrey Galvan, who did a little bit of everything and finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Galvan looked comfortable and confident in her debut, making all the right decisions at the point guard spot. SEC play will be a whole other animal, but if Galvan can continue to develop, she should be ready by the time conference play begins.
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