South Carolina, Stanford, UConn highlight top women’s basketball games

The ladies’s school basketball season is sort of right here, and an offseason that was crammed with chatter in regards to the switch portal, teaching modifications and recruiting has subsided. The search to see who will compete for a nationwide title in Dallas begins Nov. 7, with South Carolina and Stanford getting into the season No. 1 and No. 2 within the opening AP ballot. However earlier than the ball will get tipped for actual, let’s run by way of 10 of the video games we’re most excited to observe, and that you need to circle in your calendar.

Nov. 11: Villanova at Princeton

Is that this a matchup of two Ultimate 4 favorites? No. However it does function a pair of faculties that might trigger matches for others that is likely to be. The Tigers had been one of many bracket busters final March, taking out Kentucky and future No. 1 choose Rhyne Howard within the first spherical. Whereas reigning Ivy League Participant Abby Meyers transferred to Maryland, Princeton nonetheless introduced again its subsequent two main scorers, in guards Julia Cunningham and Kaitlyn Chen. The Tigers’ backcourt might wreak havoc for Villanova on this recreation, in opposition to Texas on Nov. 27 and vs. UConn on Dec. 5. On the opposite aspect, Villanova senior ahead Maddy Siegrist is poised to have one more prolific season, having taken house Large East Participant of the 12 months honors final winter. A flexible scorer, she anchors a gifted Wildcats crew that’s trying to turn into the primary crew to prime UConn for a convention regular-season title since 2006.

Nov. 20: South Carolina at Stanford

The defending champion Gamecocks definitely aren’t taking the simple means out within the common season. Of their nonconference slate they’ve matchups with Maryland, UCLA, South Dakota State and UConn, amongst others, plus this potential title recreation preview. For the Cardinal, two-time All-American Haley Jones is now their lead ballhandler, and her skill to create alternatives for herself and her teammates shall be put to an early check in opposition to the Gamecocks. How South Carolina elects to defend Jones and Stanford’s dimension is among the many different intriguing components of this matchup. The earlier two conferences between these groups got here right down to the ultimate couple of minutes of the fourth quarter, so count on one other thrilling affair in mid-November.

Dec. 1: NC State at Iowa

The Hawkeyes and Wolfpack have had lofty March aspirations in recent times, making this early-season matchup a stable marker of the place every program is at, and the place every must develop. Iowa, led by star guard Caitlin Clark, enters this season as the favourite to win the Large Ten. If it performs because it did final 12 months, it’ll repeat as convention champs for the primary time since 1992–93. North Carolina State, in the meantime, has been a No. 1 seed within the NCAA match in every of the final two seasons however misplaced 4 of its starters to commencement. Nonetheless, junior guard Diamond Johnson, senior wing Jakia Brown-Turner and senior heart Camille Passion return. And the addition of switch guard Saniya Rivers, the No. 3 participant within the class of 2021, offers NC State a gifted, and intriguing, roster.

Dec. 4: Notre Dame at UConn

Two of the nation’s greatest sophomores—and gamers—meet Dec. 4, as all eyes ought to be targeted on the backcourt battle between UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles. Each had been excellent of their debut collegiate campaigns, particularly in the course of the NCAA match, when Miles grew to become the primary freshman in school basketball historical past to document a triple double. UConn has made 14 consecutive Ultimate 4 appearances, however guard Paige Bueckers’s season-ending knee harm might put that streak in jeopardy. The Preventing Irish function one of many nation’s most harmful rosters, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them solidify their case as a title contender on this one.

Jan. 8: Oregon at Arizona

Each the Geese and Wildcats enter this season trying to be at, or close to, the highest of the Pac-12 title race. Oregon options an skilled backcourt of all-conference guards Te-Hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers, and has redshirt senior Sedona Prince patrolling the lane in addition to another massive within the nation. Freshman guard Likelihood Grey also needs to be an element—she was the No. 7 recruit within the 2022 class by espnW, the second-highest-ranked recruit in program historical past behind guard Sabrina Ionescu. The Geese enter this season with the second-best class of freshmen within the nation, however Arizona additionally has potential difference-making debutantes coming to Tucson. Search for ahead Maya Nnaji—the youthful sister of Nuggets heart Zeke Nnaji—to play a key function, and assist bolster a crew that’s led by fifth-year seniors Shaina Pellington and Cate Reese.

Jan. 15: Iowa State at Texas

In every of Texas coach Vic Schaefer’s first two seasons with this system, the Longhorns have fallen within the Elite Eight. Now, having added BYU guard Shaylee Gonzales by way of the switch portal, they are going to attempt to attain the Ultimate 4 for the primary time since 2003. Gonzales and sophomore guard Rori Harmon might be one of many nation’s greatest duos and make a crew that was No. 9 in defensive ranking final season much more harmful. The Cyclones are a perennial NCAA match crew themselves, and their robust core of Ashley Joens, Emily Ryan and Lexi Donarski would make a doable Large 12 title unsurprising.

Feb. 2: Maryland at Iowa

This 12 months’s Maryland crew will look a bit totally different because the Terrapins misplaced 5 gamers to the switch portal. However coach Brenda Frese was energetic bringing in new gamers, as Meyers’s arrival from Princeton and ahead Brinae Alexander’s arrival from Vanderbilt spotlight a bunch of incoming key contributors. Add in guard Lavender Briggs, who transferred in the course of final season from Florida however didn’t play with the Terps resulting from harm, and Maryland appears poised to increase its greater than decade-long NCAA match streak. Frese has gained six Large Ten titles within the final decade and Iowa, final 12 months’s convention champion, represents their largest check when it comes to bringing one other banner again to Faculty Park.

Feb. 5: South Carolina at UConn

Two Corridor of Fame coaches with contrasting kinds. Two of essentially the most gifted groups within the nation, every of which enters each season with nationwide championship aspirations. Does rather more must be mentioned? Plus, the timing of this matchup supplies an ideal break from convention play.

Feb. 16: Louisville at Notre Dame

The Cardinals might need misplaced star ahead Emily Engstler to the WNBA, however first-team All-ACC guard Hailey Van Lith will look to construct on her stellar sophomore season and lead Louisville again to the Ultimate 4. Key to doing simply that shall be placing collectively one other stout defensive efficiency—Louisville was No. 6 in defensive ranking final season—and this late-season contest vs. Notre Dame supplies a tricky check as convention match week nears.

Feb. 27: Baylor at Texas

Of their second-to-last recreation of the season, the Bears head on the street to play the Longhorns. Coach Nicki Collen led Baylor to a 28–7 document in her first 12 months in Waco, however this 12 months’s roster shall be with out bigs NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo, each of whom had been top-five picks within the WNBA draft, in addition to guard Jordan Lewis. Count on massive issues, nonetheless, from Stanford switch Jana Van Gytenbeek, Missouri switch Aijha Blackwell (who was second-team All-SEC final season), and Kentucky switch Dre’Una Edwards. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this matchup have giant implications for the convention title.

Extra Faculty Basketball Protection: 

• South Carolina, Stanford Prime Preseason Girls’s AP Prime 25
• SI’s Males’s ACC Preseason Basketball Rankings
• 5 Breakthrough Males’s Group Candidates for 2022–23