We get a little holiday break from women’s hoops during the week of Christmas, as games will resume back on Dec. 28.
With that, it’s time to look at some of the basketball duos who are heating up this season. There are many talented pairs in women’s college basketball who have showed out since the start of play, but here are 9 that stand out so far.
Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard - Oregon
These two, who came in together as freshmen, have high hopes for their final collegiate season. Ionescu continues to be a triple-double queen, as she recorded her 21st career triple-double against Kansas State on Dec. 21. Oh, and did we mention she didn’t play in the fourth quarter? Her teammate Hebard is leading the Ducks in scoring so far this season, averaging 18 a game for a total of 180. The senior from Alaska has picked up 100 rebounds and 15 blocks as well. This Ducks duo is one to continue to watch as we enter Pac-12 play in the new year.
Megan Walker, Olivia Nelson-Ododa - UConn
The Huskies are back in the No. 1 spot in the latest AP poll, and these two have been playing great for UConn. Nelson-Ododa had a stellar performance in the Huskies’ blowout win over Oklahoma and currently is second in the nation for blocks with 44. The sophomore is averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds a game. Fellow forward Walker has led UConn in points and assists this season. Strong play from these two could mean another trip to the Women’s Final Four in April for UConn.
RANKINGS: Oregon State No. 1 in krikya18.com's latest Power 10 rankings | AP rankings
Lexie Hull, Kiana Williams - Stanford
Much of the buzz around Stanford this season was about the team’s fresh, new talent with its incoming recruiting class. However, this season it has been sophomore Hull and junior Williams leading the Cardinal. The pair has combined for 298 points, 65 assists and 30 steals. Despite Stanford's loss vs. Texas this past week, the team still has high expectations for the season.
Jayde Christopher, Mallory McGwire - Boise State
Christopher leads the nation in assists with 110 through 14 games entering the holiday break. That’s an impressive number to put up, and considering Ionescu is right behind her on that list at 101. The redshirt senior has also accumulated over 100 points this season. Boise State center McGwire, who transferred from Oregon, has scored 110 points with 19 blocks on the season.
Destiny Slocum, Mikayla Pivec - Oregon State
The Beavers sit at No. 3 in the latest AP rankings and are undefeated so far this season. Oregon State’s success has a lot to do with senior Mikayla Pivec and redshirt junior Destiny Slocum, who are key playmakers for the Beavers. Slocum, who won the WBCA National Freshman of the Year award back in 2017, played at Maryland before heading to Corvallis. The tandem leads Oregon State in scoring, with Pivec averaging 15.6 a game and Slocum right behind her at 14.7.
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Ciara Duffy, Hannah Sjerven - South Dakota
South Dakota entered the top 25 rankings last week and faced a tough then-No. 5 South Carolina team. Although the Coyotes fell 73-60 in Columbia, South Dakota has the potential to be a team we are hearing about in March. Leading scorer Ciara Duffy and leading rebounder Hannah Sjereven are the strong pair helping bring national attention to South Dakota’s program.
Alexa Willard, Brice Calip - Missouri State
Missouri State is another team who could break your bracket in March. Led by senior Alexa Willard and junior Brice Calip, the Lady Bears come in at 21 in the latest AP poll. Together, the pair has totaled for 327 points, 51 assists and 80 rebounds.
AP Poll: UConn is the new No. 1 team in latest AP poll
Juicy Landrum, NaLyssa Smith - Baylor
The reigning national champs have the talent to compete again this season. It will be hard to forget Landrum’s epic performance from the team’s 111-43 win over Arkansas State, when she drained 14 3-pointers to set an NCAA women’s basketball record. She also had a career-high 42 points, topping her previous best of 23 from last season. With Baylor missing Lauren Cox due to injury, the sophomore Smith is leading the Lady Bears in scoring averaging with 16 a game with 73 rebounds on the season.
Charli Collier, Joyner Holmes - Texas
Collier and Holmes rank in the top 10 for most double-doubles this season as the pair has recorded eight. The Longhorns were on notice this past weekend after beating No. 1 Stanford, and come in at No. 25 on the latest AP poll. Collier, who is only a sophomore, led the Longhorns with a game-high 20 points and a game-high and career-high 19 rebounds in 37 minutes of play. The senior Holmes leads Texas is scoring, averaging 15 a game. After Collier, Holmes leads the team on the boards as well with 108 this season.
