Cat Ariail has written for Swish Appeal since 2018, serving as Editor-in-Chief since August 2023. She also has a PhD in US history, with a focus on women's sports.
Catch up on the best games, performances and more from another thrilling week of women's college hoops:
Sunday marked the first of five-straight games against ranked SEC opponents for South Carolina. But, if Sunday's result was any indication, the stretch will not be an impediment for the Gamecocks, but instead provide more evidence of their excellence.
In front of a sold-out crowd in Colonial Life Arena, the Gamecocks won their 67th-straight home game and record 51st-straight regular-season SEC game, obliterating visiting Texas, 67-50.
While the Longhorns can claim that it was just one of the those afternoons where everything went wrong, it appeared the Gamecocks benefitted from an intimidation factor that sent the visitors out of sorts.
The nation's most efficient offense was rendered inept. With a team-wide 27.8 percent shooting mark from the field, it was Texas' least efficient shooting performance since...the last time they played South Carolina, which occurred in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It was an extremely frustrating afternoon for Madison Booker, with the usually sweet shooting sophomore forward struggling to get anything to fall. She finished 3-for-19 from the field with seven points, hounded by South Carolina senior guard Bree Hall for most of the afternoon.
South Carolina, in contrast, shot efficiently, with senior guard Te-Hina Paopao and junior forward Chloe Kitts leading the team with matching 11-point efforts. Senior forward Sania Feagin added eight points and nine boards, while junior guard Raven Johnson had eight points and 10 rebounds.
That doesn't mean head coach Dawn Staley will be satisfied. A preponderance of turnovers prevented South Carolina from enjoying an even more dominant victory. Too often, the Gamecocks opted for overly ambitious passes, especially when trying to enter the ball to their bigs on the block. A more measured approach might be necessary when they meet Alabama (Jan. 16), Oklahoma (Jan. 19), LSU (Jan. 23) and Tennessee (Jan. 27).
The Gamecocks also allowed the Longhorns to corral 20 offensive boards. Texas proved unable to make them pay, but the Tigers and Lady Vols, in particular, are two upcoming opponents who could.
It was a week full of upsets -- and near upsets -- in the ACC.
Virginia Tech knocked Georgia Tech from the ranks of the undefeated on Thursday. Then, the Jackets dropped a second-straight game to Louisville on Sunday. North Carolina defeated Duke in double overtime on Thursday. On Sunday, the Blue Devils survived a scare at Virginia. Notre Dame, likewise, found themselves in a closer-than-expected contest against Clemson on Sunday. NC State lost in Northern California on Thursday, falling to Cal. On Sunday, the Pack responded by handing Stanford their first home loss.
However, the most memorable game occurred in Pittsburgh. Pitt entered their matchup against SMU 0-4 in ACC play. As they fell down by 32 points in the first half, they seemed destined to fall to 0-5 in conference action.
Instead, the Panthers engineered the epic comeback. After holding the Mustangs scoreless in the third quarter, the Panthers maintained their momentum through the fourth, thrilling the home crowd with what became a 72-59 win. The 32-point comeback ties the largest comeback in NCAA women's basketball history.
Grad forward Khadija Faye captained Pitt with a 21-point and 12-rebound double-double. From off the bench, sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson scored a team-high 22 points.
Last week, the Wooden Award midseason top 25 list was announced, with many familiar names, including favorites Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts, populating the list. The 25 players who remain in the running for one of the sport's top honors are:
If you need a distraction from a world full of chaos, women's college basketball players are providing it, as proven by the performances turned in from across the country over the past week:
Shortly after UConn's Paige Bueckers suffered a knee injury scare that will continue to sideline her for another few games, South Carolina and Ashlyn Watkins received more ominous injury news, as the junior forward tore her ACL during the Gamecocks' victory over Mississippi State on Sunday, Jan. 5.
While South Carolina has the depth necessary to sustain Watkins' season-long absence, as they demonstrated in the season opener (which Watkins missed due to suspension) and in Sunday's win over Texas, the Gamecocks ceiling is lower without, arguably, their most athletically-gifted player, whose impact on games often exceeds the 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game that are registered in the box score.
Illinois, which has lurked around the edges of the top 25 for most of the season, offered a spirited response after learning that grad guard Makira Cook and sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan will both miss the remainder of the season, upsetting Iowa on Thursday evening.
Cook is dealing with an undisclosed health condition, while Dolan sustained a knee injury. Both players had suited up for the Illini in eight games this season. Cook, who has not played since Dec. 8, was averaging just under 12 points per game. Dolan, who has been sidelined since Dec. 28, was contributing 10.5 points per game.
This week offers yet another intriguing slate of conference matchups: