Fast Break Points: Iowa's Caitlin Clark approaching scoring record; South Carolina asserts dominance vs. UConn
Clark is all but certain to become women's college basketball's all-time leading scorer Thursday vs. Michigan

We still have a few weeks remaining before March, but the madness is already here. Some teams are heating up -- none hotter than No. 1 South Carolina -- while others have been on a roller coaster ride.
Dawn Staley's Gamecocks are potentially on their way to a perfect regular season. They took care of yet another elite opponent on Sunday, blowing out then-No. 11 UConn 83-65 in Columbia.
Meanwhile, Nebraska upset then-No. 2 Iowa on Sunday by outscoring the Hawkeyes 27-10 in the fourth quarter. It could've been the game in which Iowa star Caitlin Clark broke the women's all-time scoring record, but instead it was Jay Shelley's night as she hit the 3-pointer that put her team ahead with 30 seconds remaining.
No conference embodies chaos more than the Pac-12, but the USC Trojans have been hitting their stride as freshman JuJu Watkins continues to put college basketball on notice.
Here are some of the top moments from the past week, as well as some of the main storylines and games to watch over the coming days.
Bucket of the week: JuJu Watkins, USC
The USC freshman scored 32 points during USC's 81-64 victory over Arizona on Monday. That was her ninth 30-point game and certainly not her last.
"I have so much trust in coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] and my teammates, and they have trust in me, which also just gives me so much pride in how I play." Watkins said after the win. "I think really reminding myself just to play my game will take me very far, and any way I can contribute to the team to make sure we get the dub is all that matters, regardless of what defense is thrown at me or whatever."
JuJu. Too Smooth.
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) February 13, 2024
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/d8i6Ilb65x
Stop of the week: Kylee Watson, Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish pulled off a 98-94 win at Florida State after going into double overtime. Sonia Citron scored seven of Notre Dame's 10 points in the second extra period, but the steal by Kylee Watson with four seconds remaining was just as important to avoid a third overtime or a potential game-winner by the Seminoles.
Watson knocked the ball away, and Hannah Hidalgo ran it to the other end of the court before getting fouled and adding two more more points for Notre Dame at the charity stripe.
CALLED GAME!!!
— Notre Dame Women's Basketball (@ndwbb) February 11, 2024
📺 ACCN#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/1ysPFZcNST
Game of the week: Iowa vs. Nebraska
Nebraska fans stormed the court Sunday after their team beat Iowa for the first time since 2019.
The Cornhuskers were down by 14 points early in the fourth quarter, but they slowly shifted the momentum. They outplayed Iowa in those last 10 minutes and held Caitlin Clark, the nation's leading scorer, without a single point in the fourth quarter for the first time her career.
With 30 seconds remaining, Nebraska found a 78-77 lead thanks to a 3-pointer from Jay Shelley. She followed that up with two clutch free throws with 19 seconds left. Iowa's Hannah Stuelke quickly hit a jumper to make it a one-point game, but Shelley got to the charity stripe again with 16 seconds remaining. Clark and Kate Martin attempted both game tying 3-pointers, but Nebraska was able to hold on.
"This is the coolest thing I've ever done in my life," Shelley said after the game.
🎥 watch those last three minutes over and over again pic.twitter.com/hFj1H6k8QG
— Nebraska Women's Basketball (@HuskerWBB) February 13, 2024
Caitlin Clark likely to break scoring record Thursday
The Iowa star has 3,520 career points and is eight away from breaking Kelsey Plum's women's college basketball all-time scoring record. She has had 52 career games with at least 30 points and has scored 20+ points in 110 of her 125 games with the Hawkeyes. The historic moment is expected to happen Thursday when the Hawkeyes host Michigan at 8 p.m. ET.
South Carolina remains undefeated
A lot of basketball remains in the 2023-24 campaign, but the Gamecocks have no more ranked opponents left on their schedule and could be looking at their second consecutive undefeated regular season. Last season, the Gamecocks were undefeated until their Final Four loss to Iowa.
Dawn Staley's group shouldn't overlook anybody, but the Gamecocks have been dominating on both ends of the court. However, their opponents over the remaining six games will come at them with everything they got.
"We actually don't talk about it at all," star freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley told Chris Wellbaum from On3. "It's great being undefeated, but we didn't bring it up yet."
Hannah Hidalgo sets Notre Dame steals record
This freshman class has been absolutely outstanding, and Hidalgo has been one of the most elite first-year players. She has collected 118 steals through 23 games and has plenty of time to keep extending her record.
𝟭𝟭𝟱 & 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
— Notre Dame Women's Basketball (@ndwbb) February 11, 2024
congrats to @HannahHidalgo on breaking the program single-season steals record!!#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/LA0w0kOoMl
Games to watch
Nebraska at No. 2 Ohio State | Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. ET | Peacock
Teams ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll have been struggling to keep that ranking since January. This week is Ohio State's turn, and the Buckeyes have to stay consistent if they want to stay atop the Big Ten standings. They can't get too confident and overlook the Cornhuskers. who just upset then-No. 2 Iowa on Sunday.
No. 21 Baylor at No. 23 Oklahoma | Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Oklahoma has been hot lately, as the Sooners are currently riding an eight-game winning streak with victories in 11 of their last 12 contests. The streak includes wins against ranked Texas and Kansas State teams. While the Sooners sit atop the Big 12 standings, Baylor -- which opened the season 14-0 -- has not being able to win two consecutive games since early January. The Bears suffered a 78-66 loss to BYU on the road Wednesday, then bounced back with a 65-58 win against West Virginia on Saturday.
No. 6 NC State vs. No. 16 Notre Dame | Thursday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. ET | ACCN
The Wolfpack have been hanging around the top of the rankings most of the season, and they were No. 3 last week before suffering a 61-72 home loss to Virginia Tech. NC State bounced back against Pittsburgh, and now it's looking for another quality win. Notre Dame is a talented team capable of competing against anybody, but the Fighting Irish tend to get themselves into messy situations, such as a double-overtime battle against Florida State. However, they managed to survive that one with a 98-94 win.
Michigan at No. 4 Iowa | Thursday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. ET | Peacock
Iowa star Caitlin Clark is only eight points away from breaking the women's college basketball's all-time scoring record. No matter the result of this game, history will likely be made, so it's definitely a must-watch. Michigan has a big test ahead because Iowa will not only be feeding off the scoring record hype, but it will also be looking for redemption after collapsing in the fourth quarter against Nebraska on Sunday.
No. 8 Colorado at No. 22 Utah | Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m. ET | Pac-12 Network
Colorado has been one of the hottest teams this season, but the Buffaloes recently dropped to their lowest AP Top 25 Poll ranking since December after losing at home to Oregon State. They will be looking to bounce back against a tough Utah team that ranks among the top 15 scoring offenses at 81.4 points per game. The Utes' main weapon has been senior forward Alissa Pili, who averages 21.7 points per game while leading her team in defensive rebounds and blocks.
No. 9 UCLA at No. 11 Oregon State | Friday, Feb. 16, 10 p.m. ET | Pac-12 Network
The Bruins were the No. 2 team in the nation for a while earlier this season, but the Pac-12 conference is never smooth sailing -- as evidenced by their 20-point loss to Stanford on Feb. 4. However, UCLA has won two consecutive games after that blowout loss and will come in hungry for a statement win against a ranked Oregon State team. The Beavers moved up to No. 11 in the AP poll this week following wins over Utah and Colorado, and they will be looking to continue that momentum.
No. 23 Oklahoma vs. No. 24 West Virginia | Saturday, Feb. 17, 1 p.m. ET | Big 12 Network/ESPN+
Oklahoma is entering this matchup having won its last five meetings against West Virginia, but the Mountaineers have been a tough team to face this season. West Virginia was on a seven-game winning streak before losing to Baylor on Saturday. The Mountaineers' 20-3 record has already made head coach Mark Kellogg the winningest first-year head coach in program history. West Virginia is led by junior guard JJ Quinerly, who averages 19.3 points per game and has a team-best 76 steals.
No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. No. 18 Louisville | Sunday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. ET | ESPN
The Cardinals have been struggling against ranked opponents on the road, but are undefeated at home. Louisville will be coming in with something to prove after a tough 73-72 loss to Syracuse following an intentional foul call with 2.3 seconds remaining. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech is on a seven-game winning streak that includes victories over Syracuse, North Carolina and NC State. The Hokies have two very reliable stars in Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore.
No. 10 USC at No. 11 Oregon State | Sunday, Feb. 18, 3 p.m. ET | Pac-12 Network
USC freshman JuJu Watkins registered 51 points against Stanford on Feb. 2, and her team hasn't lost since then. Watkins is fresh off a 32-point performance against Arizona, marking her ninth 30-point game. Oregon State's defense is holding opponents to just 58.1 points per game, and the Beavers will have to be extra focused if they want to hold Watkins back. Home court advantage could play a big factor, as Oregon State is currently 14-0 at Gill Coliseum.
















