With two weeks left in the regular season and less than a month until Selection Sunday, the women’s basketball season is bringing a little bit of everything. Last week we saw the No. 1 undefeated UCLA Bruins fall to crosstown rival USC, making way for Notre Dame to claim the top ranking. We saw Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes break her own single-game record by posting 55 points in an overtime win against Auburn. And we saw Texas defeat four ranked opponents in a row to take first in a competitive SEC. There are more highlights to come this weekend, with a packed schedule of noteworthy games:
Iowa State at No. 19 Baylor, Saturday, 2 p.m., FOX: Overall it has been a disappointing season for Iowa State, a team that was ranked No. 8 in the AP preseason poll before falling out of the top 25 midway through the season. Audi Crooks, however, has been anything but disappointing. The sophomore center became the fastest player in program history to record 1,000 points, doing it in 49 games. She’s averaging 22.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 58.9 percent from the field. Against Baylor, Crooks will get the chance to battle with another high-level post in senior Aaronnette Vonleh. She and the Bears are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 75-65 victory over No. 18 West Virginia that helped earn them the top spot in the Big 12 alongside TCU.
Kansas at No. 12 Kansas State, Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN+: This is technically a rivalry game, though Kansas State easily handled Kansas 91-64 in their meeting earlier this month. Despite the lopsided score, this rematch is a much-watch because of the highly-anticipated return of Ayoka Lee. Kansas State’s 6-foot-6 center has been out since January 19 with a foot injury. Her return will be vital to the Wildcats’ postseason hopes. Head coach Jeff Mittie says his squad is a top 25 team without Lee, but a top 10 team when she is healthy.
No. 1 Notre Dame at No. 13 NC State, Sunday, Noon, ESPN: Notre Dame’s backcourt has been hyped up throughout the season (rightfully so), but NC State’s deserves the same treatment. Seniors Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers led the Wolfpack to a Final Four last season and sophomore Zoe Brooks has emerged as an impact-making third guard. Both backcourts are immensely talented while boasting opposite styles. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles are known for their passing and playmaking for others, while NC State’s offense thrives on isolation and one-on-one plays. With all the attention Notre Dame garners, this is a great opportunity for James and Rivers to pad NC State’s tournament resume, while also upping their draft stock.
No. 17 West Virginia at No. 10 TCU, Sunday, Noon, ESPN2: West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison take on TCU’s Hailey Van Lith and Madison Conner in another battle of the backcourts. Van Lith is having a redemption season after struggling last year at LSU, becoming a much more rounded player, particularly as a passer. She’s averaging 5.6 assists per game, which is two more than her previous average. Meanwhile, Conner is the country’s best three-point shooter, converting 47.5 percent with 101 makes. But both guards will have their hands full with Quinerly and Harrison. The duo head up West Virginia’s intense press defense, while also applying pressure offensively with their ability to get downhill.
No. 9 North Carolina at Louisville, Sunday, 2 p.m., ESPN: These two teams are peaking at the right time. The Tar Heels reached their highest AP ranking of the season after defeating NC State 66-65 last week, behind a 23-point performance from point guard Reniya Kelly. She’s averaging 9.9 points but has hit her stride in the second half of the season, averaging 15.4 points over UNC’s last seven games. The Cardinals are also coming into their own with three wins over ranked teams the last four games, including a 70-62 victory over No. 11 Duke. It took a while for freshman and leading scorer Taj Roberts to mesh with Louisville veterans Oliva Cochran and Jada Curry, but now that the trio has figured things out, the Cardinals are tough to beat.
Indiana at No. 22 Michigan State, Sunday, 2 p.m., BTN. Before Thursday’s upset of No. 8 Ohio State, Indiana was a bubble team. Now, the Hoosiers are likely in the NCAA Tournament field, but another top 25 win certainly wouldn’t hurt their resume. The Spartans desperately need a win after losing four of their last six games and coming off single-digit losses to No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 USC. Michigan State is able to keep things close against the nation’s top teams because of its defensive intensity and ability to run the floor in transition. Indiana will have to rely on the experience of fifth-year guards Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil to control the pace and secure another top 25 win.
No. 25 Illinois at No. 4 USC, Sunday, 4 p.m., FS1. Coming off the high of upsetting UCLA, USC barely defeated Washington 69-64 last weekend. The Trojans will need to be locked in against Illinois in order to get back on track before a second meeting with the Bruins on March 1. The Illini are not a team to be overlooked, especially by a high-scoring team like USC. Illinois will likely employ the same strategy it used in a 70-55 loss to UCLA earlier in the week, running down the shot clock and creating fewer possessions. Despite the 15-point loss to the Bruins, the game was closer than it looked thanks to the strategy, as Illinois trailed by just four points heading into the final quarter. UCLA struggled to find any kind of rhythm in the first three quarters, something USC will need to avoid.
No. 7 LSU at No. 14 Kentucky, Sunday, 4 p.m., ESPN: The Wildcats are ending SEC play with three difficult opponents, starting with LSU and finishing with Tennessee and South Carolina. After losing to both Texas and Ole Miss, the gauntlet of top SEC opponents will be a solid primer for March Madness. Kentucky will continue to lean on point guard Georgia Amoore, who hasn’t had any trouble transitioning from the ACC to the SEC in her final year of college basketball, averaging career-highs in points (19.0), assists (7.1) and steals (1.0). The Wildcats will need a signature performance out of sophomore center Clara Strack, who has struggled at times against athletic bigs. Kentucky will also be challenged defensively, as it attempts to limit LSU’s Big Three in Flau’Jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams.
Florida State at No. 20 Georgia Tech, Sunday, 4 p.m., The CW Network. Any time Florida State is on the court there is the possibility of an upset thanks to the play of scorer Ta’Niya Latson, who is leading the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game. Georgia Tech can’t let that happen, as the Yellow Jackets need wins for NCAA Tournament seeding purposes. After starting the season 15-0, Georgia Tech is faltering, losing six of its last 12 games.
