What to watch: The best women’s college hoops games on TV this weekend
It appears we finally know who the best team in ACC women’s basketball is.
Now the question is, can Virginia Tech widen its lead at the top of the standings?
The No. 13 Hokies will have an opportunity to do just that this weekend when they visit No. 18 Louisville. Just remember that anything can happen in the ACC, so be wary of betting on any team.
But that’s hardly the only game to keep an eye on this weekend. We’ve got multiple ranked matchups in the Pac-12, a few bubble teams looking to improve their resumes with solid conference wins and a handful of rockstar freshmen to keep tabs on. (Relatedly, good luck to anyone who has to make All-America teams this year; how do you leave off any of these stellar rookies?) And before you ask, no Caitlin Clark and Iowa don’t play this weekend. After dropping a career-high 49 points and breaking the NCAA women’s scoring record, Clark is taking the weekend off. The Hawkeyes will be back in action late next week at Indiana.
Because it’s a holiday weekend — Monday is Presidents Day, banks will be closed and we hope you don’t have to work — we’re including a game that day. Notably we did not include No. 19 Creighton’s visit to No. 14 UConn, set for noon ET Monday on FOX, because when these two ranked teams met earlier this season in Omaha, UConn won by 44. Yes, you read that correctly.
Hopefully none of the below games are blowouts. We’re always rooting for exciting finishes, lots of lead changes and overtime (so long as we’re not on deadline).
No. 9 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State
Friday, 10 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
The Beavers are one of the hottest teams in the country, having won five in a row, including four over ranked teams. Now UCLA, a popular preseason pick to both win the Pac-12 and go to the Final Four, comes to Corvallis. The Beavers kept it close in a 65-54 loss on Jan. 7 at UCLA, but have dramatically improved since then and are working to solidify a top 16 seed in the NCAA tournament. A win over the No. 9 Bruins would go a long way to making that happen. This will be billed as a battle of the sophomore bigs with OSU’s Raegan Beers (18.2 points, 11.1 rebounds) taking on UCLA’s Lauren Betts (15.0 points, 8.6 rebounds), but guards will likely be the game-changers in this matchup.
Iowa State at No. 5 Texas
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
The Cyclones are the classic tale of two teams. At home, they’re almost impossible to beat. On the road, it’s a different story. Iowa State is on the bubble right now, but a win over Texas and Madison Booker (15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists), one of the top freshman in the country who has stepped up big time after Rory Harmon’s season-ending knee injury, would help the Cyclones solidify their spot in the postseason. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds) is on the list of the nation’s best freshmen.
No. 13 Virginia Tech at No. 18 Louisville
Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN
Louisville coach Jeff Walz is likely still worked up about the officiating in last week’s loss to Syracuse — will he and the Cardinals take it out on Georgia Amoore & Co.? They’ll certainly try, that much is for sure. Post play will be crucial in this game, though the players have considerably different styles: Two-time ACC player of the year Liz Kitley (22.8 points, 11.7 rebounds) likes to catch and pivot away — no post in America shoots a fade like her — while Louisville’s Olivia Cochran (11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds) never shies away from contact. Meanwhile, who wins the perimeter battle between Virginia Tech’s Amoore (17.6 points, 7.4 assists) and Louisville guard Kiki Jefferson (13.4 points)?
Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network
This is an intriguing matchup. Vanderbilt started the season hot, winning 16 of 17, and looked to be a lock to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. But the Commodores have stumbled in SEC play, and right now are flirting with missing the postseason. A win against Tennessee would boost both their resume and their confidence. And yet the Lady Vols are hardly what they used to be, currently projected as a 9, 10 or 11 seed in the tournament. Tennessee will need a big game from Rickea Jackson (18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds), while Vanderbilt will need to make sure she’s mostly contained.
No. 17 Notre Dame at Duke
Monday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Can Duke, known for its defense, slow down superstar freshman Hannah Hidalgo (25.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 5.1 steals) of Notre Dame? Can anyone? The Blue Devils picked up an impressive home win over North Carolina last week, a victory that knocked the Tar Heels out of the top 25. But now Notre Dame comes to town, and Hidalgo is hardly the only headache Duke will have to deal with: Sonia Citron (16.4 points) and Maddy Westbeld (13.9 points, 9.3 rebounds) are also playing well for an Irish team that hasn’t been at full strength all season. On the other end, Duke features one of the most balanced offenses in the country, with four players who average 9.0 points or more.
Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media: @Lindsay_Schnell