Caitlin Clark is gone to the WNBA where she continues to shatter records, so where does that leave women’s college basketball? 

As it turns out, with a whole lot of star power — much of it in unfamiliar uniforms this season. 

The first weekend of the women’s college basketball season is packed with must-see TV, including a couple top 25 matchups where we’ll get a glimpse at teams that could make a Final Four push. Teams like South Carolina, which entered the season favored to win the 2025 title, and North Carolina State are back with lots of familiar faces, while programs like Duke and Maryland have new players that should bring plenty of eyeballs. 

And yes, even though they’re not currently ranked in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll, the Iowa Hawkeyes will indeed be worthy of your attention. First-year coach Jan Jensen, who took over after 24 years as Lisa Bluder’s assistant, is expected to keep the Hawkeyes as one of the highest-scoring teams in the country even without Clark. 

Here are the five best women’s basketball games to watch tonight and this weekend. 

(Note: All stats referenced are from the 2023-24 season)

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 8 North Carolina State 

Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on ESPN

The defending national champs got welcome news earlier this week when the assault charges against forward Ashlyn Watkins were dismissed, allowing here to rejoin the Gamecocks. She hasn’t practiced with the team in two months, so we’re not sure how much we’ll see her against the Wolfpack in the first game of the Ally Tipoff — and a rematch of the 2024 national semifinal won by South Carolina on its way to the title. If the Gamecocks need some rebounding Sunday, they can surely count on Watkins, who averaged 9.0 boards per game and 2.3 blocks during their tournament run. To pull off a preseason upset NC State will need big play from its backcourt featuring Aziaha James (16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Saniya Rivers (12.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg). 

No. 11 Duke at No. 18 Maryland

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on FS1

The best freshman from Duke that you haven’t heard of is Toby Fournier, a 6-foot-2 Canadian forward. She’s enough of a reason to tune in, though we’re also excited to see transfer Saylor Poffenbarger (10.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg) in her first year with the Terps. Poffenbarger originally committed to Connecticut before transferring to Arkansas, where she was a standout player for two years in the SEC. This matchup used to be must-see TV when it happened annually in the ACC, and we consider it that this year, too. 

No. 20 Creighton at South Dakota State

Friday, 7 p.m. ET on Summit League Network

Don’t be fooled into thinking this will be any sort of cakewalk for the ranked Blue Jays. South Dakota State is an NCAA tournament regular, and returns Summit League player of the year Brooklyn Meyer (18.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg). Meanwhile Paige Meyer (no relation) is the reigning Summit League tournament MVP. Creighton returns seven of its top eight scorers from last season, including All-Big East players Lauren Jensen (17.4 ppg) and Morgan Maly (15.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg). 

Virginia Tech vs. Iowa

Sunday, 5:30 ET on ESPN2

The second game of the Ally Tipoff will be the nation’s first glimpse at Iowa post-Clark. And while the Hawkeyes lost the leading career scorer in college basketball, they replaced her with another sharpshooter in transfer Lucy Olsen, who averaged 23.3 points per game at Villanova. They also return Hannah Stuelke (14.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg), a junior forward who had a breakout season last year and proved herself more than capable of controlling the paint on both ends. Virginia Tech is undergoing a transition with coach Kenny Brooks and star point guard Georgia Amoore leaving for Kentucky and Elizabeth Kitley finishing her eligibility. More production will be needed from from senior forward Matilda Ekh (10.4 ppg) and sophomore guard Carleigh Wenzel (4.2 ppg). 

No. 12 Baylor at Oregon

Sunday, 10 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network

The Ducks are in complete rebuilding mode after losing numerous players to the transfer portal, but if you’re going to start over, it’s nice to have Deja Kelly (16.3 ppg) as the foundation. The North Carolina transfer will face her first major test against the Bears, which feature their own big transfer in senior center Aaronette Vonleh, who averaged 14.0 points and 5.1 rebounds last year at Colorado. With Vonleh inside and both Sarah Andrews (11.4 ppg, 3.9 apg) and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (10.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) outside, Baylor will have one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the nation this season.

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

Residents in a South Carolina town were advised to close their windows and doors after 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped a testing facility Thursday.

The warning came after the primates fled the “Alpha Genesis facility located on Castle Hall Road,” the Yemassee Police Department (YPD) posted on social media. 

“Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes,” the department said.

A spokesperson from Alpha Genesis confirmed to Fox News Digital that the monkeys were too young to carry diseases, saying that they were too young for testing.

THAILAND’S VIRAL BABY HIPPO MOO DENG PREDICTS TRUMP WIN

Alpha Genesis said that traps were set up in the area and police were using thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the vanishing monkeys.

“Traps have been set up around the area, and the Yemassee Police Department is currently on-site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals,” the organization said.

Police and Alpha Genesis researchers stressed that locals should “refrain from approaching” any of the monkeys, and instead immediately contact 911 if they are spotted. (Alpha Genesis)

In an update at 1 p.m. Thursday, the YPD said that it had eyes on the primates and were attempting to entice them with food.

PEANUT THE SQUIRREL’S DAD GIVES UPDATE ON NEW YORK DEC SEIZURE: ‘I CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU’

The monkeys are said to weigh 6 to 7 pounds, and described by police as “skittish.”

Rhesus macaque monkeys are native to Asia. (Md Rafayat Haque Khan/ Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Alpha Genesis is responsible for the maintenance, feeding, and veterinary care of monkeys at its primary facility in Yemassee.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The facility is home to around 6,500 animals.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Yemassee Police Department for comment.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

Vanderbilt football is fresh off bowl eligibility with a win over Auburn last week. Now, the Commodores will return home in front of a sold-out crowd against South Carolina at FirstBank Stadium (3:15 p.m., SEC Network).

Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC) faces a long losing streak to the Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) with plenty of motivation to snap it. But the Commodores also have a few key players, most notably Diego Pavia and Sedrick Alexander, banged up and have not scored more than 24 points in a game since beating Alabama.

Vanderbilt and South Carolina had an argument to be ranked in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season, but both teams were left out.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Vanderbilt football has lost 15 straight games to South Carolina

Vanderbilt’s most recent win over South Carolina was four Commodores coaches and three Gamecocks coaches ago, when Bobby Johnson’s Vanderbilt team defeated Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina, 24-17 in 2008.

Since then, the Commodores have lost 15 straight games in the series. Vanderbilt dropped a heartbreaker in 2021, 21-20, but the last two matchups have been significant margins for South Carolina, including a 47-6 loss in Columbia last season.

ESTES Everybody come on! SEC Shorts’ Vanderbilt is strutting to West End this weekend | Estes

Diego Pavia, LaNorris Sellers are dual-threat quarterbacks

Pavia (62.56 yards per game) and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (50.43 yards per game) are the top two quarterbacks in the SEC in rushing yards and rushing attempts per game. In passing yards per game, Pavia is 11th and Sellers is 12th among the SEC’s 16 starting quarterbacks. In passing attempts per game, Sellers is 12th and Pavia is 13th.

Both teams have a run-heavy offense, with the Gamecocks leaning on Sellers and running back Rocket Sanders, while Vanderbilt has Pavia and Alexander.

Both offenses rely heavily on the run, both from running backs and quarterbacks, to be effective. With both defenses practicing against this type of offense, it may be hard for either team to get an edge.

Could Nashville weather impact Vanderbilt vs South Carolina?

Rain is in the forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening in Nashville. That could make it more difficult for both teams to hold onto the ball and could also impact the kicking game. This season, Vanderbilt has fumbled nine times but lost just two of those fumbles, while South Carolina has fumbled 15 times and lost nine.

Vanderbilt football score prediction vs South Carolina

Vanderbilt 17, South Carolina 14: This looks like a classic spot for a low-scoring game. It could go either way, but Vanderbilt has played well at home this season and that could provide an advantage.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.