Long live the Pac-12. Before realignment forced funky matchups—like last season’s USC-Rutgers game in Piscataway, N.J.—the once-premier conference produced some of the best rivalries and competitive atmospheres in the country. What was lost in corporate greed will live on in spirit this week, though, with a whole host of games between former Pac-12 teams. Over on the East Coast, Saturday’s Women’s Championship Classic at the Barclays Center, which will be broadcast on Fox, offers two matchups among four top-25 teams.
Here’s who to watch and where the games can be found for this week’s best women’s basketball games:
Stanford vs. No. 22 Washington
Friday, Dec. 19, 10:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra
Both of these teams merit your attention. Washington is led by junior guard Sayvia Sellers, who leads the Huskies with 20.3 points and 3.5 assists per game. Sellers and backcourt mate Teagan Brown combine to average 3.0 steals per game and have helped buoy Washington’s staunch defense. Stanford, meanwhile, is also quite stingy: The Cardinal rank fifth in defensive rebounding rate, 23rd in opponent effective field goal percentage and 24th in free throw rate allowed. Washington and Stanford are coming off recent close losses to USC and Tennessee, respectively, and each program could use a win Friday night to build momentum heading into the new year.
No. 17 Tennessee vs. No. 16 Louisville
Saturday, Dec. 20, 11:00 a.m. ET, Fox
As mentioned above, Tennessee bounced back from its 22-point loss to UCLA with a hard-fought victory against Stanford in early December. The Vols’ smoothed over some of the blemishes from that defeat as they forced 30 turnovers and kept the Cardinal in check from three. (Talaysia Cooper’s pressure made a noticeable difference, but the Volunteers also allowed Stanford to go on a 16–1 run.) They’ll get a Louisville team that just upset North Carolina. The Cardinals don’t turn the ball over often, which could force Tennessee to find offense the hard way. It’s an important game for both teams, which are looking to climb the rankings. Along with Iowa vs. UConn, this matchup will be one of two contests held at the Barclays Center for the Women’s Champions Classic.
No. 11 Iowa vs. No. 1 UConn
Saturday, Dec. 20, 1:30 p.m. ET, Fox
The Hawkeyes stumbled for the first time this year against their in-state rival, losing 74–69 against Iowa State as Audi Crooks went off for 30 points. Forwards Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden shot a combined 9-for-21 from the floor, and Heiden found herself in foul trouble. If Iowa is angling for an upset, that can’t happen against UConn, which has Sarah Strong and a battery of forwards to send at Iowa’s backcourt. This past weekend, UConn held a 69–39 lead against USC heading into the fourth quarter and trounced the Trojans. Good luck, Iowa.
No. 15 Baylor vs. Texas Tech
Sunday, Dec. 21, 4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Red Raiders, unbeaten through 12 games, have the hallmarks of a pesky team. They have a stalwart defense (76.7 adjusted defensive efficiency, seventh in Division I), draw fouls at an above-average rate (32.1%), block shots at a high clip (16.0%, 10th in D-I), receive meaningful contributions from their bench (30.6 bench points per game, 11th in D-I) and are efficient on offense (53.4 eFG%, 24th in D-I). Texas Tech also has three upperclassmen—Jalynn Bristow, Snudda Collins and Bailey Maupin—who have led the way, and there’s only one underclassman on the roster. Texas Tech is not an easy matchup for Baylor, which just lost to Texas and saw leading scorer Taliah Scott exit the game with an injury. If Scott isn’t available, the Bears could be on upset alert.
Arizona State vs. Colorado
Sunday, Dec. 21, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+
It’s safe to say that Arizona State’s hiring of Molly Miller, who took Grand Canyon to the NCAA tournament last season, has been an undeniable success. The Sun Devils have gotten out to a 12–0 start—the best in program history—and they wreak havoc on the floor. They force turnovers on 25.8% of their opponent’s possessions (24th in D-I), score 20.7 points off of those turnovers per game and grab an offensive rebound 34.8% of the time. They’re led by junior guard Gabby Elliot and senior forward McKinna Brackens, who have combined to average 29.7 points a game this season. (Keep an eye on LSU transfer Last-Tear Poa, who leads the team in assists.) Their opponent, Colorado, is no slouch. The Buffaloes also like to take advantage of their opponent’s miscues (20.2 points off turnovers per game), and they rebound and defend the paint well. Sunday’s contest should be a close game.
Other Games to Watch
Wednesday, Dec. 17:
- 7:00 p.m. ET, Peacock: No. 1 UConn vs. Marquette (Consider this a tuneup before the Huskies play Iowa. But, it’s also worth watching Golden Eagles forward Skylar Forbes, who has represented Team Canada in 3x3 competition.)
Thursday, Dec. 18:
- 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2: South Florida vs. No. 3 South Carolina (The Gamecocks should win handily, but there’s never a bad time to watch South Carolina on a channel that’s easy to find.)
- 7:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network: Duke vs. South Dakota State (The Blue Devils’ Tobacco Road rival, North Carolina, demolished the Jackrabbits. Can Duke do the same?)
Saturday, Dec. 20:
- 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+: George Mason vs. No. 25 Princeton (The Tigers have crept into the top 25 for the first time this season. To stay there, they’ll need to win on the road against a Patriots team that is one of the nation’s best at defending the three-point line.)
- 6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN: Stanford vs. Oregon (Is Oregon (11–1) flying under the radar? A win against the Cardinal might put the Ducks on the map.)
- 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Cal vs. No. 19 USC (The final matchup between two former Pac-12 teams of the week. A trio of freshmen—the Golden Bears’ Taylor Barnes and Puff Morris and the Trojans’ Jazzy Davidson—will get the spotlight here.)
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best Games to Watch in Week 7 of the Women’s College Basketball Season.
