It's been a wild women's college basketball season, so far, and we're only a few days into December!
We had tons of upsets outside of the Power 10, including LSU taking down No.14 Iowa State for head coach Kim Mulkey to get her first ranked win in her new chapter with the Tigers. Plus, Duke maintains a flawless record taking down No. 9 Iowa for the head coach Kara Lawson to get her first ranked win in the Kara Era.
Here's how my Power 10 rankings in Week 4 shake out:
1. South Carolina (1) — The Gamecocks are undefeated with a 9-0 record with wins over North Carolina A&T and Kansas State. Aliyah Boston had massive double-double games in both matchups. Notably against the Aggies, Boston had a flawless performance scoring 29 points without missing a shot in only 21 minutes while grabbing 14 rebounds. So far, South Carolina's record includes huge wins over top-25 opponents like UConn, Oregon and NC State. The Gamecocks' next test will be on Sunday, Dec. 12 when they take on Maryland in the Women's Jimmy V Classic.
2. UConn (2) — The Huskies defeated Seton Hall, plus its second ranked win over No. 24 Notre Dame, 73-54, to conclude a successful week. The battle of the boards was the focal point of the victory against the Fighting Irish as UConn out-rebounded Notre Dame and capitalized on second-chance opportunities. The Huskies will have another ACC test going up against Georgia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 9, but unfortunately, injuries have plagued the Huskies. The No. 1 overall recruit Azzi Fudd is now sitting out for a while due to a foot injury and Paige Bueckers went down towards the end of the game with possibly a serious injury. No update on the National Player of the Year's status, but Bueckers will be evaluated on Monday.
Paige Bueckers was carried off the court after an apparent leg injury.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
Hope she's OK 🙏
3. NC State (3) — How about some revenge! NC State took down Indiana after the Hoosiers gave them an early exit in last year's Sweet 16. NC State's lead scorer and rebounder Elissa Cunane suffered early foul trouble, but Diamond Johnson stepped up tremendously as the spark the Wolfpack needed on both ends to come out victorious. Johnson scored 19 points, while Kayla Jones was the unsung hero with all 17 of her points scored in the second half. The Wolfpack cruised past Elon to finish Week 4 strong.
Moving forward TOGETHER.
— #2 NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball)
⏯ Feature Film: #2 NC State at #6 Indiana
4. Stanford (4) — The Cardinal did not play this week due to a two-week exam break. Stanford will resume play on Sunday, December 12 at Maples Pavilion when they face Pacific.
5. Maryland (6) — The Terps bounce back in Week 4 with their two key pieces, Katie Benzan and Faith Masonius, returning back to the court after facing illnesses in its back-to-back losses in the Bahamas against Stanford and NC State. Maryland is still without Diamond Miller, who is on the day-to-day injury list. Maryland went up against gritty Miami and Rutgers teams but came out victorious in both matchups paced by Angel Reese, who currently leads Maryland in scoring. But the week doesn't get easier. The Terps will face Purdue who's been a sleeper team in the Big Ten and South Carolina in the Jimmy V Classic.
6. Indiana (5) — The Hoosiers only played one game this week, but not just any ordinary game. A Sweet 16 rematch, yet fell to NC State — a team the Hoosiers took down to make its historic run to the Elite 8 last year. Mackenzie Holmes was incredible for the Hoosiers on both ends but needed help. The Hoosiers struggled to get in an offensive rhythm. Indiana will begin facing Big Ten foes on Monday, Dec. 6 when they face Penn State.
7. Louisville (8) — The Cardinals took on its second top-25 matchup, but this time around the Cards came out victorious against No. 12 Michigan. Talk about a statement win. These two teams are potential Sweet 16 contenders, and Louisville blew past Michigan, 70-48, by controlling the boards and scoring 38 points off of turnovers. The No. 2 scoring defense in the nation went on to defeat Belmont to close out the week, but Kianna Smith expressed after the game that they were not pleased with their defensive efforts...but will be better moving forward. ;
MARCH MADNESS: NCAA unveils 2023 Women's Final Four logo for Dallas
8. Baylor (9) — The Bears blew past Morehead State; however, Missouri presented a scare for the Bears, coming close to knocking off the Bears. Baylor missed 10 crucial free throws in the second half, but thankfully Baylor survived in the Big 12/SEC Challenge with a 70-68 victory. The Bears will take on Alcorn State next before they head into an 11-game break to prepare for Michigan on Dec. 19.
9. Iowa (7) — It's been a rollercoaster ride for the Hawkeyes, who came off of a three-game cancellation due to positive Covid-19 tests within the program. Iowa faced a well-balanced Duke team, who got the upset over the Hawkeyes, 79-64. Iowa was able to bounce back by defeating Michigan State to open up Big Ten play, giving head coach Lisa Bluder her 800th win. Caitlin Clark was back in full rhythm against the Spartans recording her second triple-double of the season. Keep in mind the Hawkeyes have only played six games! This marked Clark's third triple-double of her career. I didn't drop the Hawkeyes out of my Power 10 after the upset, considering they went without 17 days of games and practice due to the Covid-19 pause.
10. Arizona (10) — The Wildcats are currently 7-0, so far, but Arizona did not play this week due to a Covid-19 outbreak with UC Riverside's program. This matchup will possibly be rescheduled at a later date based on availability.
