Women’s NCAA basketball: Five things we learned in opening week

Lower than per week into the 2025-26 girls’s school basketball season, we have already gotten a way of how some new faces match into new locations and the way some standout gamers have settled again into acquainted environment.

Defending nationwide champion UConn has each. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, each enormous in final season’s NCAA title run, led the way in which within the No. 1 Huskies’ season-opening 79-66 victory over Louisville on Tuesday. And transfers Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel additionally look able to make an impression for UConn.

No. 3 UCLA, which made the Remaining 4 for the primary time within the NCAA period final season, is off to a 2-0 begin heading right into a top-10 showdown with No. 6 Oklahoma on Monday. Becoming a member of returners Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice within the beginning lineup are Charlisse Leger-Walker, who missed final season with a knee harm after transferring from Washington State, and Gianna Kneepkens, who transferred this yr from Utah. Each guards may very well be massive contributors for the Bruins this season.

Olivia Miles, one other big-name guard switch, made her debut for No. 17 TCU on Thursday in an 82-43 victory over North Carolina A&T. And guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred from South Carolina to LSU, has been a part of the Tigers’ 2-0 begin.

No. 2 South Carolina and No. 16 Baylor took center stage Monday on opening day. This is a deeper dive into what we have seen.

UConn appears to be like the a part of title favourite

Geno Auriemma known as UConn’s season-opening win over No. 20 Louisville a “super success,” and whereas it wasn’t an ideal efficiency — the Huskies allowed the Cardinals to chop a 28-point hole to 10 within the fourth quarter — it confirmed why UConn is favored to repeat. The Huskies struggled from the 3-point arc (4-for-26) however overwhelmed Louisville within the paint (50-18) and performed with a tempo that allowed them to throw the primary punch. They led 25-9 after the primary quarter and by 21 at half.

Fudd and Sturdy largely picked up the place they left off within the Remaining 4. Sturdy (21 factors, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals) hit essentially the most clutch baskets when Louisville threatened to get inside single figures and continued to showcase why she’s probably the most promising younger abilities within the nation. Junior KK Arnold and USC switch Heckel additionally impressed. However for the Huskies to be actually unstoppable, they may use extra from Williams, a Wisconsin switch, and guard Ashlynn Shade. — Alexa Philippou

Hidalgo is Notre Dame’s singular star

Whereas Hannah Hidalgo was Notre Dame‘s finest participant in her first two seasons in South Bend, she was additionally surrounded by All-American-level gamers corresponding to Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles. The Irish’s skill to win did not relaxation completely on Hidalgo’s shoulders. That’s not the case.

This version of Notre Dame is certainly Hidalgo’s crew, and with that comes an enormous accountability. The Irish will not succeed if she’s not elite. Whereas larger checks will come later, Hidalgo was precisely that in Wednesday’s 98-52 rout of Fairleigh Dickinson. The 5-foot-6 junior set the tempo, scoring 11 of Notre Dame’s first 19 factors on her technique to a typical stat-stuffing 27 factors, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and three steals. All 5 starters scored in double figures, however Hidalgo is the engine driving Notre Dame’s success. — Creme

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Hannah Hidalgo makes a fantastic defensive play for a steal

Hannah Hidalgo makes a fantastic defensive play for a steal.

Fulwiley seemingly finds a very good match at LSU

Fulwiley appeared like a positive factor at South Carolina: yet one more native of the state who would win titles for Daybreak Staley and the Gamecocks. Certainly, she was part of the 2024 NCAA championship crew as an thrilling freshman. Final season, she had her ups and downs on a South Carolina squad that misplaced within the NCAA ultimate. She transferred to rival LSU and has an opportunity for a brand new chapter in the identical convention.

The junior guard got here off the bench for 21 factors on 8-of-14 taking pictures Tuesday in a 108-55 season-opening win over Houston Christian. She adopted that with 6 factors, 5 rebounds and three steals in 13 minutes in a 115-26 demolition of SE Louisiana on Thursday. Fulwiley and sophomore publish participant Kate Koval (who’s averaging 7.0 factors and 4.0 rebounds) ought to be necessary transfers for LSU this season. The Tigers’ freshman class goes to be key, too, backing up senior Flau’jae Johnson and junior Mikaylah Williams, LSU’s returning stars. — Voepel

Tennessee nonetheless struggling to rejoin the SEC’s elite

Earlier than Tennessee upended eventual nationwide champion UConn in a nonconference sport in early February, final season’s version of the Girl Vols struggled. They may beat the groups under them within the SEC standings however labored to recover from the hump towards the higher a part of the schedule. Tuesday’s 80-77 loss to NC State felt rather a lot like that. A seven-point third-quarter lead disappeared — and so did the possibility at a season-defining win.

With the additions of prime recruit Mya Pauldo (10 factors) and one of many portal’s finest gamers, Janiah Barker (15 factors), plus what seems to be an excellent higher model of Talaysia Cooper (23 factors), this is likely to be a extra gifted Tennessee crew than a yr in the past. However Tennessee will nonetheless wrestle to beat the most effective the SEC groups if the photographs do not drop (34.2% within the second half towards NC State) and the Girl Vols cannot arrange their press or dominate the offensive glass (NC State had yet one more offensive rebound). — Creme

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Tennessee Girl Volunteers vs. NC State Wolfpack: Sport Highlights

Tennessee Girl Volunteers vs. NC State Wolfpack: Sport Highlights

That is the yr the Cyclones reside as much as expectations behind Audi Crooks

Iowa State coach Invoice Fennelly did not mince phrases about how final season’s nonconference losses damage the notion of his crew.

“Firstly of the season, individuals in all probability thought we had been higher than we really had been,” he mentioned. “However by the tip of the season, they thought we had been worse than we really had been.”

Iowa State started final season ranked No. 8, however losses to Northern Iowa, South Carolina and Iowa dropped the Cyclones out of the High 25, after which a blowout loss to UConn was extra salt within the wound.

From February on, although, Iowa State performed properly, with its solely losses coming to the highest two Massive 12 groups — TCU and Baylor — after which to Michigan within the NCAA event. By all of it, middle Audi Crooks was the dependable star, main the Massive 12 in scoring (23.4 PPG) and subject objective proportion (60.5).

By two victories this season, Crooks is averaging 24.5 factors and eight.0 rebounds, whereas taking pictures 70.5%. Fellow junior Addy Brown is at 8.5 factors, 9.5 rebounds and seven.0 assists, whereas switch guard Jada Williams is placing up 13.0 factors and 4.5 assists. The No. 14 Cyclones haven’t got the marquee nonconference opponents this season corresponding to UConn and South Carolina, however they do have an opportunity to construct loads of confidence and victories earlier than they attain the Massive 12 marketing campaign. — Voepel