Parity is growing in women’s college basketball every day, evidenced in part by so many good early season, non-conference matchups. These games also help increase parity. 

The parity of women’s hoops is also evidenced by all the movement this week in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll. Stanford, Illinois and South Dakota State made their season debuts, while Baylor and Duke tumbled down the rankings (and in FSU, Creighton and Indiana’s case, completely out of the poll). 

That means after a slate of ranked matchups this week, even crazier things could happen in next week’s poll. The more parity, the better (and even though the NCAA Tournament feels very far away right now — the more parity, the more entertaining March Madness will be). 

With that in mind, here are five women’s games to watch this week:

OPINION: Dawn Staley is more than the South Carolina women’s basketball coach. She’s a transcendent star.

Creighton at No. 11 Kansas State

Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

The most under-covered player in women’s college hoops is Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee, a 6-foot-6 center who holds the NCAA single-game scoring record (61 points). Lee is a handful at both ends of the floor, and she’s got a lot around her including Tulsa transfer Temira Poindexter (19.0 ppg) and Missouri State transfer Taylor Kennedy (17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg). Meanwhile, Creighton did indeed fall to unranked South Dakota State last week, though Lauren Jensen (23 points) was the scoring machine expected. The Blue Jays tend to shoot a lot of 3s and the key to picking up a tough road win this week will be draining a lot of those attempts.

No. 2 UConn at No. 15 North Carolina

Friday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2

UConn coach Geno Auriemma will tie the all-time wins record with a victory against the Tar Heels, and you can bet Alyssa Ustby (10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and North Carolina would love nothing more than to spoil that party. Ustby and guard Lexi Donarski (15.0 ppg) will have their hands full with a healthy Paige Bueckers (17.5 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen (6.0 ppg, 6.0 apg). But keep an eye on UConn freshman Jana El Alfy, a 6-foot-5 freshman center from Cairo, Egypt, who is finally healthy and has come off the bench to give UConn some excellent minutes (11.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) early this season. She will be a difference maker. 

No. 18 Louisville at No. 19 Kentucky

Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, SECN+

This is a matchup of two of the best coached programs in the country, and an early look at Kentucky under first-year coach Kenny Brooks, who brought All-American guard Georgia Amoore (12.0 ppg, 9.0 apg) and center Clara Strack (18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) with him to Lexington. Jeff Walz’s group boasts one of the country’s most underappreciated post players in Olivia Cochran (12.3 ppg, 62 FG%) while freshman guard Tajianna Roberts (15.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) has shown why she was a five-rated prospect coming out of high school. This is one of the best rivalries in women’s hoops and with Kentucky hiring Brooks last offseason, it only got better. 

No. 23 Stanford at Indiana

Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, FS1

Few people expected much of Stanford this season, as the Cardinal feature a new coach and almost entirely new roster. Picked to finish seventh in the ACC, Stanford thumped Gonzaga last week on the day its home floor was named Tara VanDerveer Court. But that’s not the most impressive thing about the Cardinal four games through the season — it’s the fact that Stanford is shooting a staggering 57.7% from 3. Sophomore forward Nunu Agara (19.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) does everything for the Cardinal and will be a handful for Indiana, which has dropped back-to-back games to Harvard (yes, Harvard) and Butler. Lilly Meister (12.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Sydney Parrish (11.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg) will be eager to put those losses behind them.

No. 10 NC State at TCU

Sunday, 3 p.m., ESPN

Hailey Van Lith’s TCU debut went about as well as it could have, as the super senior guard turned in a stat line of 21 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Now she’ll get to go up against one of the best defenses with Wolfpack guards Aziaha James (15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Saniya Rivers (7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) patrolling the perimeter. The difference maker could very well be seventh-year senior Sedona Prince (19.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.7 bpg), or maybe sophomore transfer Donovyn Hunter (8.5 ppg, 4.0 apg). 

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

The homes of Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, law enforcement reports show.

“Obviously it’s frustrating, disappointing,” Mahomes said before practice on Wednesday.

The break-ins, which were first reported by TMZ, happened just before and the day of the Chiefs’ 26-13 home victory over the New Orleans Saints on 7 October, as Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from the stands. No injuries were reported in either case.

One day before the Monday night game, law enforcement was called to a home matching Mahomes’ address in a private gated resort-like community in northwestern Cass County, just to the south of the city’s metropolitan area.

Mahomes said he couldn’t provide many details because the investigation is ongoing. He described it as “something you don’t want to happen to anybody and obviously yourself”.

His name isn’t listed on the sheriff’s office report, which the Associated Press obtained. The single-page document shows another person called just after midnight on 6 October to report what was classified as a burglary. It didn’t describe any missing items.

Ronnie Lozano, a spokesman for the sheriff’s department, wrote in an email that the investigation is active and declined to answer other questions, including whether there had been any arrests. The prosecutor for the county didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Around 7.30pm on 7 October, as the Chiefs played the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium, a home matching the address of Kelce’s was broken into in the affluent suburb of Leawood, just over the state line in Kansas. The crime wasn’t reported until early the next morning, an offense report obtained from police by the AP shows.

Kelce’s name isn’t listed in the report, which said losses included $20,000 in cash and damage to a rear door. The 16,000 sq ft home includes a wine cellar, backyard pool and six-car garage.

“The Leawood Police Department does not comment about specific victims of crimes except in the case of fatality crashes or homicides,” police captain Jason Ahring said in an email.

Melody Webb, a spokeswoman for the area’s Johnson County prosecutor’s office, said in an email that the office had no comment.

The Kansas coaching staff has been tracking Larry Porter IV all season and Tuesday night extended him a scholarship offer.

The Raytown receiver put up big numbers this year leading the state in receiving yards and also scored 18 touchdowns. He spoke with with wide receivers coach Terry Samuel and Assistant Director of High School Relations Leon Douglas when he got the news.

“It was great to get the offer,” Porter said. “I talked to Coach Samuel, and we just had to go through that process. They looked at my grades and things like that. And Coach D (Douglas) just kept mentioning my name. I put up a really good season this year and head coach pulled the trigger. I’m really proud that, they put that trust in me and I appreciate it very much.”

Douglas was hired this summer by Lance Leipold after a successful career where most of it was spent at North Kansas City High School. He was named the Coach of the Year in Kansas City in 2018 among other awards. He coached several college prospects and knew Porter’s older brother.

“Coach D is definitely the person I talk to the most,” Porter said. “I really appreciate him. He was the head coach of North Kansas City, and my big brother went to that school. I really have a great connection with him. He’s from around the same area I’m from, and I’ve been talking to him the whole time, and he’s just been helping me with the process.”

At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds Porter displays multiple skills on film. With his size he goes over defenders and in the open field has the speed to make plays. He is also second in the state in receptions.

“They told me they like my burst and my jump ball ability to just find the ball and catch it,” he said. “I am able to go up and catch it over one or two people. Just having strong hands and I think that’s really what they talked about the most.”

Porter had the opportunity to meet the coaches during his unofficial visit to the TCU game earlier in the season. It was a good opportunity to see the program up close and he did not have to go far from his home.

“It was a great environment,” Porter said. “They’re playing at Arrowhead Stadium, and man that’s surreal. I live just five minutes away from Arrowhead, so it was crazy to just to be in there and watch them play. I talked with the coaching staff Coach Samuel and Coach D. Those are the guys I really talk to the most. Coach Samuel is a great person. He kept it real with me and he just told me to stay patient throughout the process and that it was all going to work out.”

Kansas is the first Power Four offer for Porter, and he has also been hearing from Kansas State, Nebraska, Florida Atlantic among others. He said he is in the process of scheduling an official visit with the Jayhawks.

“What’s important to me in finding a school is can I see myself playing there?” Porter said. “I want to know the wide receiver coach. I like Coach Samuel a lot. He kept it real with me and he stood on his word, and I respect that. I look at maybe even getting some reps as a freshman or sophomore or things like that. Can I see myself in the system? Can they use me to my advantage, my education, being able to graduate and things like that. Those are the things I am looking for in a school.”