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The new year is off to an exciting start already with plenty of highlights and some incredible game-winners across women's college basketball. Iowa star Caitlin Clark had some particularly impressive moments that have set the bar high for the rest of 2024.

Iowa is 15-1 for the first time since the 1995-96 season, and unsurprisingly a lot of the credit goes to Clark. She already appears in Fast Break Points quite frequently, but this week she was impossible to leave out of two categories. 

Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley also knows a thing or two about clutch moments, as her No. 13 Hokies handed No. 3 NC State its first loss of the season by using every last second of the clock. Georgia Southern pulled off some of its own late-game heroics during its win against UL Monroe; the ending of that game is undoubtedly a must-watch, so make sure you scroll down for it.

Only South Carolina (14-0), UCLA (14-0) and Baylor (14-0) remain unbeaten in women's college basketball. The Bruins will not be able to relax this weekend as they play USC for Round 2 of the Battle for Los Angeles. That matchup is one of many between ranked opponents this week.

Here are some of the best moments from the past week, as well as some of the top storylines and games to watch over the coming days.

Bucket of the week: Caitlin Clark, Iowa

Michigan State gave the Hawkeyes everything they could handle last week, but Clark was not letting her team lose that one. She had a magnificent 40-performance, including a buzzer-beating game-winner from the logo. Iowa finished the night with a 76-73 win, and Clark walked away with one of the most impressive highlights of the season.

Assist of the week: South Carolina

The Gamecocks are a top 10 team in assists with an average of 20.1 dimes per game. The roster is deep and shares the ball really well. This possession against Mississippi State on Sunday is an example of excellent ball movement from Dawn Staley's squad.

Stop of the week: Caitlin Clark, Iowa

Yes, we are highlighting Clark again. While she is usually known for her offensive prowess, she also had this monster block against Michigan State with 45 seconds left in the game. At that point the score was tied 71-71, so it wasn't just impressive -- it was also a stop that had a significant impact on the outcome of the game. 

Game of the week: No. 3 NC State at No. 13 Virginia Tech

It seemed NC State was going to stay undefeated and sneak away with a one-point win Sunday after Saniya Rivers had a big drive and lay-in with 2.1 seconds remaining in the game. However, the Hokies are a persistent team and took advantage of one more opportunity after a 30-second timeout. 

Virginia Tech guard Cayla King found center Elizabeth Kitley with a perfect inbound pass, and Kitley proceeded to sink the game-winner in front of the first ever regular-season sellout crowd at Cassell Coliseum.

Kitley recorded a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds in the 63-62 win over NC State, the Wolfpack's first loss of the season.

Biggest storylines

Wild finish to UL Monroe vs. Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern erased a 14-point second-half deficit vs. UL Monroe and won the game 69-66 with a very memorable finish. Eagles guard Ja'nya Love-Hill drove to the basket with her team down two, but instead of taking the shot, she passed it to Terren Ward for the game-tying layup with about five seconds remaining. Ward then stole the inbound pass and hit a 3-pointer as the clock was running out, and the crowd went nuts.

Roofers needed in Maryland

At least two games in the state of Maryland have had to be postponed this season because of leaky roofs.

In November, the game between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Towson had to be paused before the third quarter at TU Arena. That game is set to resume Jan. 24 with Maryland Eastern Shore holding a 21-19 advantage at the start of the second half.

Most recently, the Purdue at Maryland game originally scheduled for this past Saturday was not played because of a leak in the roof of Xfinity Center. It will be made up Sunday.

Sonia Citron is back

The Notre Dame star had been out since Nov. 15 because of a right leg injury and was finally back in the starting lineup Sunday against North Carolina. She recorded a game-high 18 points and six rebounds, but the Fighting Irish still swallowed a 61-57 loss. Senior forward and Notre Dame's leading rebounder, Maddy Westbeld, was sidelined with a concussion this game.

UConn's injury woes continue

The Huskies had already lost Azzi Fudd, Jana El Alfy and Ayanna Patterson this season, and now grad student forward Aubrey Griffin has been added to the season-ending injury list.

UConn pulled of a dominant 94-50 road win over No. 21 Creighton on Jan. 3, but that achievement was overshadowed by Griffin hurting her knee in an unlucky non-contact incident.

"Aubrey's had to overcome a lot ... she had one of these [injuries] in high school. She missed a year at UConn when she needed back surgery," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after the Creighton game. "And you're just heartbroken for the kid when it's their last year and something like this happens. When this happens, the basketball part is actually really secondary."

JuJu Watkins ties Pac-12 record

The USC star has tied a Pac-12 record by being named Freshman of the Week for the eight time this season, a mark first set by Cal's Kristine Anigwe in 2016. The only time Watkins didn't win the award was Dec. 18, the week the Trojans were off.

Only three unbeaten teams remain

  • South Carolina (14-0)
  • UCLA (14-0)
  • Baylor (14-0)

Matchups to watch

(all times Eastern)

TCU vs. No. 10 Texas | Wednesday, Jan. 10, 8 p.m. | Longhorn Network

The Longhorns are continuing the season without star point guard Rori Harmon, but they seem to be adjusting just fine. After losing to Baylor in their first game without Harmon, the Longhorns collected blowout road wins over Texas Tech and West Virginia. TCU just left the top 25 after losses to Baylor and Oklahoma State, but the Horned Frogs are still receiving votes.

No. 20 North Carolina vs. No. 21 Florida State | Thursday, Jan. 11, 6 p.m. | ACCNX

Florida State will be North Carolina's third consecutive ranked opponent. The Tar Heels have been taking care of business and recently collected wins against Syracuse and Notre Dame, helping them earn a spot back in the AP Top 25 poll. Their 61-57 victory against the Fighting Irish was the program's first ever win in South Bend.

No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 19 Utah | Friday, Jan. 12, 8 p.m. | Pac-12 Network

The Pac-12 conference is absolutely loaded, and the Utes witnessed its depth firsthand after losing 71-70 to unranked Arizona in overtime Sunday. Alissa Pili, the defending Pac-12 Player of the Year, is one of the top scorers in the nation and even gave South Carolina one of its biggest challenges this season in December. Meanwhile, Stanford has one of the nation's toughest defenders in Cameron Brink, who has been named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year two consecutive seasons. The Cardinal have a 26-2 advantage over the Utes since 1999, but Utah won their most recent meeting last February. 

No. 10 Texas vs. No. 12 Kansas State | Saturday, Jan. 13, 2 p.m. | ESPNU

Kansas State's only loss has been to Iowa, and the Wildcats are also the only team to have beaten the Hawkeyes this season. This will be a battle between two defensive powers, as both Texas and Kansas State are holding opponents to under 56 points per game. 

No. 14 Indiana vs. No. 3 Iowa  | Saturday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. | Fox Sports

The Hawkeyes haven't played great every game, but they've figured out ways to win regardless. Caitlin Clark continues her journey to become women's college basketball's all-time leading scorer, and most recently she registered a triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 103-69 win over Rutgers. Indiana is coming off a 91-69 road win over Nebraska, a performance in which the Hoosiers shot 60.7% from the field and registered 14 3-pointers. Indiana has the best shooting percentage in the nation, so the Iowa defense will have to be at its best.

No. 11 Virginia Tech vs. No. 21 Florida State | Saturday, Jan. 13, 1 p.m. | ESPN

The Hokies just got a huge win against NC State thanks to a last-second basket by Elizabeth Kitley. Earlier this season, Georgia Amoore registered a career-high 31 points against Iowa, so this team certainly has players who can rise to the occasion. Florida State also faced the Wolfpack recently, and while the Seminoles didn't win, they pushed the game to overtime. After that loss, the Seminoles bounced back with a win against Clemson. 

No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 5 Colorado | Sunday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. | Pac-12 Network

The Buffaloes' only loss this season has been to NC State, but otherwise their resume has wins against some great opponents, including defending national champion LSU and Utah. Meanwhile, the Cardinal slipped against Gonzaga early in December when Cameron Brink was dealing with an apparent illness, but after that loss Tara VanDerveer's squad has dominated all their other opponents. Brink is averaging 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest while collecting a total of 47 blocks this season. 

No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 9 USC | Sunday, Jan. 14, 5 p.m. | Pac-12 Network

JuJu Watkins and the Trojans are going to take full advantage of this rematch of the Battle for Los Angeles. The Bruins won 71-64 at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 30, but USC will now be playing on its own court and has taken notes on what to improve. Their last meeting was a defensive battle, and UCLA's key to success was its depth. Veteran Charisma Osborne held Watkins to just 7-of-24 from the field, but the freshman phenom still tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said her Trojans "hate losing," so it will be interesting to see how they respond this game.