Ladies’s NCAA basketball: 5 issues we realized in opening week

Lower than every week into the 2025-26 girls’s faculty 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 Robust and Azzi Fudd, each big 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 influence for UConn.

No. 3 UCLA, which made the Closing 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 12 months from Utah. Each guards might 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 heart stage Monday on opening day. This is a deeper dive into what we have seen.

UConn seems the a part of title favourite

Geno Auriemma referred to as UConn’s season-opening win over No. 20 Louisville a “great 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 Robust largely picked up the place they left off within the Closing 4. Robust (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 skills within the nation. Junior KK Arnold and USC switch Heckel additionally impressed. However for the Huskies to be really unstoppable, they might 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 greatest participant in her first two seasons in South Bend, she was additionally surrounded by All-American-level gamers reminiscent of Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles. The Irish’s potential to win did not relaxation completely on Hidalgo’s shoulders. That’s now not the case.

This version of Notre Dame is certainly Hidalgo’s group, and with that comes a giant accountability. The Irish will not succeed if she’s not elite. Whereas greater exams 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 method 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 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 group as an thrilling freshman. Final season, she had her ups and downs on a South Carolina squad that misplaced within the NCAA remaining. 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 capturing 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 submit participant Kate Koval (who’s averaging 7.0 factors and 4.0 rebounds) must 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 recreation in early February, final season’s version of the Girl Vols struggled. They may beat the groups beneath them within the SEC standings however labored to recover from the hump in opposition to the higher a part of the schedule. Tuesday’s 80-77 loss to NC State felt so much like that. A seven-point third-quarter lead disappeared — and so did the prospect at a season-defining win.

With the additions of prime recruit Mya Pauldo (10 factors) and one of many portal’s greatest gamers, Janiah Barker (15 factors), plus what seems to be an excellent higher model of Talaysia Cooper (23 factors), this is perhaps a extra gifted Tennessee group than a 12 months in the past. However Tennessee will nonetheless battle to beat the very best the SEC groups if the photographs do not drop (34.2% within the second half in opposition to 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 12 months 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 harm the notion of his group.

“At first of the season, folks most likely thought we have been higher than we really have been,” he mentioned. “However by the top of the season, they thought we have been worse than we really have been.”

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

From February on, although, Iowa State performed nicely, 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, heart Audi Crooks was the dependable star, main the Massive 12 in scoring (23.4 PPG) and area aim share (60.5).

By two victories this season, Crooks is averaging 24.5 factors and eight.0 rebounds, whereas capturing 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 reminiscent of 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