We're days away from 2024, and the thick of conference play lies ahead in what has already been a women's college basketball season for the books. And yet before we look too far ahead, 2023 will conclude with some top-tier conference matchups, giving fans a taste of the excitement to come this winter and spring.
Two pairs of undefeated, in-state (or even crosstown) rivals square off Saturday: No. 10 Baylor at No. 5 Texas and No. 6 USC at No. 2 UCLA. If you're enjoying a slower pace after the holidays and before we hit the ground running in 2024, good news: You have a great excuse not to leave your couch this weekend with some of these must-watch games on tap.
As conference play gets into full swing, we break down the questions that will define each Power 5 race and look ahead to some of the best games to prioritize in your weekend viewing.
Can anyone challenge South Carolina in the SEC?
Defending NCAA champion LSU was the talk of the preseason given the talent the Tigers brought in from the transfer portal. But based on how the first two months of the season have transpired, South Carolina walks into SEC play as the clear team to beat: The Gamecocks are ranked No. 1 in the nation at 11-0 and have been well-tested with wins over Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina and Utah.
LSU has had some ups and downs, losing to Colorado in its season opener and beating Virginia Tech a month ago. The 12-1 Tigers have faced just one Power 5 team beyond that (Virginia, which they beat by three points without Angel Reese), and they have played one road game outside the state of Louisiana (at Coppin State for Reese's Baltimore homecoming). The level of competition from here on out will be tougher than what they've experienced most of November and December.
And while preseason expectations for Tennessee were high, the 6-5 Lady Vols hit a snag largely due to injuries: A lower leg injury has sidelined forward Rickea Jackson for all but three games, while point guard Destinee Wells was recently ruled out for the season due to a lower leg injury of her own. Conference play is a new slate, but Kellie Harper's squad has a ways to go toward establishing itself as a SEC contender.
That said, LSU only has to face the Gamecocks and the Lady Vols once apiece in its regular-season SEC slate. The Jan. 25 South Carolina-LSU matchup in Baton Rouge will hold enormous significance in determining which team will ultimately take home the conference crown.
Who's the favorite in the ACC?
The lead-up to the ACC race hasn't gone to plan.
NC State burst onto the scene after being picked to finish eighth in the league, and it enters conference play undefeated and sporting marquee victories over UConn and Colorado. On paper, the Wolfpack might be the favorites to win the ACC.
Notre Dame also has surpassed expectations, especially without Olivia Miles all season and Sonia Citron for all but three games. Whether/how quickly those two come back from injuries and can take some of the load off Hannah Hidalgo's shoulders is something to keep an eye on. The Fighting Irish also have a favorable schedule as compared to other ACC contenders; Boston College, Pitt and Syracuse are three of the four teams they have to play twice, with No. 19 Louisville being the fourth.
All the while, Virginia Tech -- the conference's Final Four representative last season -- has stumbled a bit while trying to incorporate new players following the departures of Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule and in solidifying where the Hokies get scoring beyond Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore. Conference play was where the Hokies found their groove last season on their run to Dallas, so it's too soon to count out Kenny Brooks' squad.
UNC, Florida State, Louisville and Duke are among other teams that have shown promise during the nonconference portion of the season and will look to further establish themselves in ACC play. And with 10 of the league's 15 teams projected to make the 2024 NCAA tournament in ESPN's latest Bracketology, no opponent in ACC play ought to be entirely overlooked.
Is the Big Ten Iowa's to lose?
Several questions surrounded Iowa following its national championship game appearance in April. The Hawkeyes needed to replace Monika Czinano, the Robin to Caitlin Clark's Batman, as well as a three-year starter in McKenna Warnock. So far it has led to an increased workload for some of Iowa's role players, with Hannah Stuelke emerging as a double-digit scorer. But it also has meant more responsibility than ever rests on the shoulders of Clark, whose usage rate is up to a whopping 39%.
Is relying so heavily on Clark sustainable long term, and can others step up more consistently? Iowa has managed well to this point, with a big win over Virginia Tech and one loss -- to Kansas State -- which the Hawkeyes later avenged. But Big Ten play will be an entirely different challenge. After all, last season it was Indiana that earned sole possession of the regular-season league crown, narrowly beating out Iowa and Maryland.
With the Terps, Illinois and Michigan struggling, Ohio State and Indiana seem the most poised to give Iowa a tough go, even though they still have some things to figure out after the Buckeyes lost Taylor Mikesell and the Hoosiers lost Grace Berger. Iowa must play both those top-20 teams twice, while Indiana and Ohio State meet just once. Of note: The Hawkeyes went 3-1 against the Hoosiers and Buckeyes last season, with their only other Big Ten losses to Illinois and Maryland.
Indiana, which returned the majority of its players from last season, has a sole blemish on its résumé -- a 32-point loss to Stanford -- but hasn't looked the part of a juggernaut. Ohio State has taken tough losses to UCLA and USC but boasts arguably the league's best two-way player in Jacy Sheldon, and OSU is so potent when it's firing on all cylinders that it can't be underestimated. And if Cotie McMahon takes a leap after a somewhat understated start, the Buckeyes will be scary.
Will this be UCLA's year to break through in the Pac-12?
The Bruins haven't clinched a conference title since winning the Pac-12 tournament in 2006 and have only once earned a share of a Pac-12 regular-season crown (1998-99). But entering league play undefeated and as the second-ranked team in the nation, they could be within reach of getting over that hump and, as part of the Pac-12's swan song, going out with a bang.
With wins over UConn, Florida State and Ohio State, Cori Close has guided her group to a 3-0 start against ranked teams for the first time in at least the past 25 seasons. With the perfect combination of inside-out play thanks to the emergence of transfer Lauren Betts, UCLA is arguably the new favorite to win the conference in its final year before heading to the Big Ten.
Utah, the preseason favorite, will have to navigate the absence of Gianna Kneepkens for the rest of the season due to a foot injury and Isabel Palmer for however much longer she is out. But the Utes and Alissa Pili aren't letting those losses deter them, particularly after they went down to the wire against South Carolina.
One issue to keep an eye on: Stanford, a contender as long as Cameron Brink can stay on the floor, has a significantly more forgiving schedule than other Pac-12 contenders, playing Utah, Colorado, USC and UCLA (all top 12 teams) only once each.
How many true contenders are in the Big 12?
One of the more intriguing conference races could be what happens in the Big 12, which currently boasts four undefeated teams: Texas, Baylor, TCU and West Virginia, with the latter two entering the AP Top 25 over the past two weeks. The Longhorns received 12 of 14 first-place votes in the league's preseason poll but have had some injuries recently: Leading scorer and rebounder Taylor Jones has missed the past two games with a hip issue, with no clear timetable for her return, while Rori Harmon, one of the best point guards in the country, was sidelined for Wednesday's game against Jackson State. An update on her status is expected soon.
Even if things swing in the right direction healthwise for the Longhorns, the Big 12 race could be more competitive than anticipated. Baylor already has good wins over Utah and Miami, and would make a huge statement if it takes care of business in Austin on Saturday. Mark Campbell and Mark Kellogg have succeeded early in their first years at TCU and West Virginia, respectively, and are looking to keep things rolling. And then there's an Ayoka Lee-led Kansas State team. The Wildcats are the only squad to beat No. 4 Iowa, and their 12-1 start is the program's best in 15 years.
Still, all eyes will be on whether the Big 12 will be able to generate contenders on the national stage after having no squads advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA tournament.
What to watch this weekend
No. 10 Baylor at No. 5 Texas
2 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox
Texas-Baylor has been circled on our calendars for some time as a premier Big 12 showdown, but it is even more so now with both squads entering the matchup unbeaten. The Bears (then under Kim Mulkey) owned the series versus the Longhorns during her last decade in Waco especially, but Texas (now under Vic Schaefer) has won two of the past three matchups.
No. 12 Utah at No. 8 Colorado
3 p.m. ET Saturday, Pac-12 Network
Utah hasn't secured a signature win to date, although the Utes gave South Carolina a great fight earlier this month. Colorado, meanwhile, started the 2023-24 campaign with a bang by knocking off the defending national champ LSU, but later got handily beaten by NC State. Thus, both teams have something to prove in this Pac-12 opener, not only in how they can contend in the league but also in whether they can continue to make some noise nationally.
No. 6 USC at No. 2 UCLA
8 p.m. ET Saturday, Pac-12 Network
This matchup will be a must-watch not only for Pac-12 die-hards grieving the demise of the conference, but for basketball fans writ large. With the juice of a crosstown rivalry adding fuel to the fire, the game was announced as a sellout on Wednesday. It'll be the first big test for the Trojans freshman phenom JuJu Watkins and another opportunity for UCLA to pick up a ranked win and cement its status as a national title contender.
No. 18 Marquette at No. 15 UConn
1 p.m. ET Sunday, SNY
Sleep on Marquette at your own risk. Behind a big three of Liza Karlen, Mackenzie Hare and Jordan King (who combine to score 48.3 points per game), the Golden Eagles are off to their best start in program history at 12-0 and already opened Big East play on a high note by taking down the Creighton Bluejays in Milwaukee. They were also one of two teams to beat the Huskies in conference play last season.