The women’s college basketball season is almost here, and an offseason that was filled with chatter about the transfer portal, coaching changes and recruiting has subsided. The quest to see who will compete for a national title in Dallas begins Nov. 7, with South Carolina and Stanford entering the season No. 1 and No. 2 in the opening AP poll. But before the ball gets tipped for real, let’s run through 10 of the games we’re most excited to watch, and that you should circle on your calendar.
Nov. 11: Villanova at Princeton
Is this a matchup of two Final Four favorites? No. But it does feature a pair of schools that could cause fits for others that might be. The Tigers were one of the bracket busters last March, taking out Kentucky and future No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard in the first round. While reigning Ivy League Player Abby Meyers transferred to Maryland, Princeton still brought back its next two leading scorers, in guards Julia Cunningham and Kaitlyn Chen. The Tigers’ backcourt could wreak havoc for Villanova in this game, against Texas on Nov. 27 and vs. UConn on Dec. 5. On the other side, Villanova senior forward Maddy Siegrist is poised to have yet another prolific season, having taken home Big East Player of the Year honors last winter. A versatile scorer, she anchors a talented Wildcats team that is looking to become the first team to top UConn for a conference regular-season title since 2006.
