The final week of 2023 brought the best out of women's college basketball's biggest stars, as Iowa guard Caitlin Clark broke yet another record and Paige Bueckers reminded us to not overlook the UConn Huskies.
The battle for Los Angeles between UCLA and USC was a fun one and already has us looking forward to the rematch on Jan. 14. However, plenty of good matchups lie ahead to keep us entertained while we wait.
Texas' title hopes took a big hit with the team losing star point guard Rori Harmon to a torn ACL, and the Longhorns immediately felt her absence by losing to Baylor in their very next game. The Longhorns remain in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll, but they will have to regroup quickly as another challenging test is coming up against No. 24 West Virginia. Meanwhile, North Carolina got left out of the top 25, but the Tar Heels have two big games against Syracuse and Notre Dame to prove they deserve another invite.
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: Paige Bueckers, UConn
Paige Bueckers just looks like she is having fun out there and is gaining confidence each game. The Huskies just collected a strong 95-64 win against No. 18 Marquette, and Bueckers led the team with 25 points -- her seventh 20-point game this season. Here she makes a lightning quick drive to the basket before converting one of the coolest backhand layups of the season.
Too easy for Paige pic.twitter.com/OGCR0QaZ8A
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 31, 2023
Assist of the week: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
A bounce pass from half court? Only Caitlin Clark can make that look so casual.
The Iowa guard registered 35 points, five rebounds and 10 assists during the Hawkeyes' 94-71 win over Minnesota. That performance helped her become the Big Ten's all-time assist leader, as well as the only Division I player to have reached at least 3,000 points, 900 assists and 800 rebounds.
Iowa's assist leader... with another assist 😉@CaitlinClark22 x @StuelkeHannah #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/ygYHoT8ueB
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 30, 2023
Stop of the week: Jadyn Donovan, Duke
Duke is third in the nation in blocks per game with an average of 7.2 per contest. Freshman Jadyn Donovan has a team-best 24 blocks so far, and this was an ice cold move during the Blue Devils' 68-34 win over Coppin State on Dec. 28.
Rate this JD block?? pic.twitter.com/WFTwPY9n1p
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) December 29, 2023
Game of the week: No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 6 USC
The battle for Los Angeles was as exciting as expected, and it happened in front of a sellout crowd at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins pulled off a 71-64 win over the Trojans in a defensive showcase. UCLA grad student Charisma Osborne did a solid job against USC freshman extraordinaire JuJu Watkins, holding her to just 7-of-24 from the field. However, Watkins still pulled off a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds.
One of the main differences in the game was UCLA's depth. Four Bruins reached double figures, with Londynn Jones leading the way with 21 points and five 3-pointers. Sophomore center Lauren Betts added 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six blocks.
"We have a goal every game to have 75 passion plays or better," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "Those are all the things that don't show up on the stat sheet. … We had 76, and we needed every single one."
Turning defense into offense 👏 #NCAAWBB x 🎥 Pac-12 Network / @UCLAWBB pic.twitter.com/0gypKWI90W
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) December 31, 2023
Biggest storylines
Rori Harmon out for the season
The Texas star point guard suffered an ACL injury during practice on Dec. 27 and will not return for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign. Through the first 12 games of her junior season, Harmon averaged 14.1 points, 7.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
"We have big goals for this season and those are not going to change," Harmon said in a statement. "We are going to come into the gym every day and work hard to achieve those goals. We have the best fans and will play hard for them and for each other."
The Longhorns suffered their first loss of the season shortly after, an 85-79 result in favor of Baylor. Texas still remained in the AP Top 25 Poll this week, but it will be interesting to see how the team will bounce back without Harmon.
Ohio State adds class of 2024's No. 1 point guard
Jaloni Cambridge from Montverde Academy (Fla.) chose Ohio State over LSU and South Carolina, the last two NCAA champions. Other teams she was considering included Georgia, Florida, Louisville and Baylor. Cambridge is listed by ESPN as the No. 3 overall player in the class of 2024 and the No. 1 point guard.
5⭐️ Jaloni Cambridge (no. 3 espnW 💯) has committed to Ohio State‼️ #GoBucks🌰@JaloniCambridge | @OhioStateWBB pic.twitter.com/Gph80SpkqN
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) December 29, 2023
Only seven unbeaten teams remain
- South Carolina
- UCLA
- NC State
- TCU
- Baylor
- West Virginia
- Oregon State
Matchups to watch
(all times Eastern)
No. 12 UConn vs. No. 21 Creighton | Wednesday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m. | SNY
The Huskies were struggling with consistency early this season, but it seems they are bouncing back. UConn just took down a ranked Marquette team while Paige Bueckers registered her seventh 20-point game of the season. Creighton also faced Marquette in December, but had to settle for a close loss. The Bluejays continue to be led by the double-digit scoring trio of Emma Ronsiek, Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly.
No. 23 TCU vs No. 6 Baylor | Wednesday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m. | Big 12 Now
This will be a battle between two undefeated teams with very good defenses. Both are holding opponents to under 56 points per game and have scoring margins in the top 12 nationally. Baylor just got a statement victory against Texas, a team that is very good despite losing star point guard Rori Harmon. TCU hasn't faced a ranked opponent this season, but the Horned Frogs are ready for the challenge.
No. 25 Syracuse vs. North Carolina | Thursday, Jan. 4, 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Syracuse found a 86-81 win over then-No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday, with Dyaisha Fair and Alyssa Latham combining for 48 points. That win earned the Orange a place in the AP Top 25. The Tar Heels just left the rankings after a
34-week run, but they are still receiving votes and could easily sneak back in.
No. 22 Florida State vs. No. 3 NC State | Thursday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. | ACCNX
The Wolfpack is having a terrific season and remains at No. 3 in the AP poll this week. NC State is deep with six players averaging double figures and over four rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Florida State also has multiple key contributors as all starters are averaging at least eight points per contest. Sophomore guard Ta'Niya Latson is coming off her second consecutive 30-point performance.
No. 10 Texas vs. No. 24 West Virginia | Saturday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m. | Big 12 Now
Texas will be without Rori Harmon for the rest of the season because of an ACL injury. The Longhorns still have plenty of solid contributors, but they just suffered a 85-79 loss to now-No. 6 Baylor. They will look bounce back against a West Virginia team that has been proving itself and entered the top 25 just a week ago.
No. 3 NC State vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech | Sunday, Jan. 7, 12 p.m. | ACC Network
It's a busy week for the Wolfpack as this is another game against a ranked opponent. Virginia Tech is coming off a 91-41 win over Pittsburgh, which was the largest margin of victory in ACC play in program history. The Hokies knocked down 14 3-pointers and had six players reach double figures, led by Georgia Amoore's 20 points, in the big win over the Panthers.
North Carolina vs. No. 16 Notre Dame | Sunday, Jan. 7, 5 p.m. | ESPN2
Notre Dame just suffered a close loss to the Syracuse Orange, but before that the Fighting Irish had only lost to South Carolina. This could be a good bounce back opportunity for Notre Dame, but it could also earn the Tar Heels a spot in the top 25 again.
