The first week of the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season wraps up on November 10 with a pair of ranked-vs-ranked matchups and 11 ranked teams in action overall. It’s a Final Four rematch between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 9 NC State in Charlotte in the season’s first top 10 matchup while No. 4 Texas becomes the last AP Top 25 team to start its season.
No. 3 USC routed Cal Poly 90-35 Saturday as JuJu Watkins (+49), Kayleigh Heckel (+47) and Talia von Oelhoffen (+42) each finished with a higher plus/minus rating than Cal Poly’s point total in the game. Watkins finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks, giving her 43 points, 16 rebounds, 5 steals and 9 blocks through two games.
Elsewhere in the Top 25, No. 23 Nebraska held off Southeastern Louisiana 78-68 after trailing through three quarters and No. 16 West Virginia won 110-41 against Niagara Saturday as ranked teams avoided taking a loss to an unranked team for a third straight day. The Mountaineers scored their most points in a game since December 2002 (114 vs Robert Morris) in their blowout win.
Here’s everything you need to know for the first Sunday of the 2024-25 season:
Final Four rematch takes the spotlight
No. 9 NC State (1-0) vs No. 1 South Carolina (1-0) (in Charlotte, NC)
South Carolina is looking to tie the ninth-longest win streak in women’s Division I history at 40 straight after holding off Michigan in a tense season opener. The Gamecocks trailed by a point at halftime and never pulled away from Michigan in a 68-62 win in Las Vegas, led by Chloe Kitts’ 19 points and 14 rebounds as the only starter in double-figures.
| Years | Team | Wins |
| 2014-17 | UConn | 111 |
| 2008-11 | UConn | 90 |
| 2001-03 | UConn | 70 |
| 1980-82 | Louisiana Tech | 54 |
| 2013-15 | UConn | 47 |
| 1996-98 | Tennessee | 46 |
| 2011-13 | Baylor | 42 |
| 2022-23 | South Carolina | 42 |
| 1985-87 | Texas | 40 |
| 2023-Active | South Carolina | 39 |
The Gamecocks should get a boost as Ashlyn Watkins is expected to make her season debut, but not start, after assault and kidnapping charges against her were reportedly dropped last week. Watkins averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds while making 55.% from the field last season as a sophomore and had a historic 20-rebound game in the Final Four against NC State.
MORE: Most rebounds in Final Four: Where Ashlyn Watkins’ 20 boards rank among all-time best
NC State cruised past ETSU 80-55 in its season opener, led a career-high 21 points from sophomore Zoe Brooks (topped out at 19 as a freshman, averaged 9.0). Preseason all-ACC selections Aziaha James (17 points, 9 rebounds) and Saniya Rivers (11 points, 7 rebounds) were also among four in double-figures for Pack.
SC went 4-0 against Top 10 opponents last season and is 15-1 against the Top 10 since losing to Stanford in the 2021 Final Four (only loss: vs Iowa in 2023 Final Four). The Pack are looking to avenge a 78-59 loss to the Gamecocks in last season’s National Semifinal, which snapped a four-game win streak against Top 5 opponents including the Sweet 16 (vs then-No. 5 Stanford) and Elite 8 (vs then-No. 4 Texas). They’ve lost their last two meetings with No. 1 (both against South Carolina), but had beaten three No. 1 opponents in a row before this including a win at South Carolina in December 2020.
Two more marquee matchups
No. 11 Duke (2-0) at No. 18 Maryland (2-0)
Duke improved to 2-0 with an 83-67 win at Liberty Thursday and has topped 80 points in both games so far this season. Junior guard Ashlon Jackson scored 22 points to lead the Blue Devils, her most points since November 19th of last season and matching her second-most in 68 career games (averaged 9.2 points per game last season). She’s one of four Duke players averaging double-figures in the first two games including five-star freshman Toby Fournier, who’s had 10 and 13 points in her first two college games on 10-for-19 from the field.
Maryland routed Coppin State 70-47 in its second game and has kept both of its opponents thus far under 50 points. The Terps got a game-high 20 points from Kaylene Smikle in game two after she scored just 7 in her first game with Maryland following two seasons at Rutgers. Top returning scorer Shyanne Sellers is looking to get going with 18 points on 7-for-20 (35.0%) from the field through two games after averaging 15.6 and making 43.4% last year.
Duke is looking for its third straight Top 25 road win after coming out on top at then-No. 17 Syracuse in February and then-No. 7 Ohio State in last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils had lost five straight road games to ranked teams before the back-to-back wins. Maryland went 0-3 last season hosting ranked opponents with losses to Ohio State, Indiana and Caitlin Clark’s Iowa within a three-week span in January/February.
No. 12 Baylor (1-0) at Oregon (2-0)
Baylor is likely in for a much tougher time in game two after throttling Incarnate Word 85-33 in the opener. The Bears led 17-10 after a quarter and then never allowed more than nine in any of the final three frames while giving up just 14 points after halftime. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs led the way with 25 points, her most since December 2022 and second-most in three seasons at Baylor.
The Ducks have gotten off to a flying start as they look to bounce back from an 11-21 finish and second straight missed NCAA Tournament. They’re coming off 76-58 win over Nevada behind 21 points from incoming UNC transfer Deja Kelly, the jewel of a roster overhauled by head coach Kelly Graves through the transfer portal. Kelly’s one of four transfers from the last two offseasons among Oregon’s starting five (also Amina Muhammad, Alexis Whitfield and Peyton Scott), while two of the top three reserves also came through the portal (Elisa Mevius and Sarah Rambus).
Baylor lost its last two road trips to face Big Ten teams early in 2021-22 at Maryland and Michigan, before which the Bears won five straight such games dating to 2005. The Ducks have dropped 14 straight to ranked opponents since a win over then-No. 14 Arizona in February 2023, including an 0-12 mark in calendar year 2024.
Previews for remaining AP Top 25 games
South Florida (2-0) at No. 2 UConn (1-0)
UConn looks to improve to 2-0 after routing BU 86-32 in its opener Thrsday. The Huskies got 17 points from both Sarah Strong and Jana El Alfy while Paige Bueckers had 13 and 7 assists. El Alfy was playing in her first collegiate game after enrolling at UConn early midway through the 2022-23 season and then missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injury.
MORE: Paige Bueckers earns historic milestone
USF is coming off a 68-51 win over Mt. St. Mary’s to improve to 2-0, the fourth straight 2-0 start for Jose Fernandez’s Bulls. Sixth-year guard Sammie Puisis led the way with 25 points off the bench and has scored 38 points in two games this season on 12-for-27 from the field (44.4%). She played in only one game last season, scoring 21 points in December vs Gardner-Webb, before a season-ending knee injury. This is her third season at USF after three at Florida State.
The Huskies will look for their 26th straight win over an unranked opponent since losing at NC State early last season. They’re 32-1 against the unranked since a loss to St. John’s in February 2023. USF is 0-49 against AP Top 5 opponents including 32 of its 33 meetings with UConn all-time (UConn is 33-0).
Southeast Missouri State (0-1) at No. 4 Texas (0-0)
Texas will become the last AP Top 25 team to get its season underway when it tips off on Sunday. The Longhorns are coming off their third Elite 8 appearance (and loss) in the last four Tournaments and have their sights on their first Final Four berth since 2003. Fifth-year head coach Vic Schaefer’s team was picked second to South Carolina in its first preseason All-SEC poll.
Preseason AP All-American Madison Booker was also one of three named preseason co-SEC Player of the Year (along with LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow). She averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last year, one of five major conference and nine D-I players who averaged 15/5/5 last season.
| Player, Team | PPG | RPG | APG |
| Caitlin Clark, Iowa | 31.6 | 7.4 | 8.9 |
| Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame | 22.6 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
| Madison Booker, Texas | 16.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Tonie Morgan, Georgia Tech | 15.6 | 6.8 | 5.2 |
| Shyanne Sellers, Maryland | 15.6 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
SEMO opened the season with a 75-70 loss at Dayton and will play two more on the road (at Evansville and Eastern Kentucky) before its home opener on November 25. The Redhawks finished last season 9-20 and have lost all 16 against ranked opponents since at least 2001-02 (records unavailable prior to 2002-03).
Colgate (2-0) at No. 5 UCLA (1-0)
UCLA returns home from a successful outing against Louisville in Paris, though there’s no update on the status of top returning scorer Kiki Rice or incoming transfer Sharlisse Leger-Walker (four-time All-Pac-12 at Washington State) after both missed the opener. Lauren Betts led the way with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists against Louisville while Timea Gardiner, last year’s Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year at Oregon State, made her UCLA debut with 15 points off the bench.
Colgate is playing its second game on the West Coast after winning 71-42 at Cal State Bakersfield Friday behind 17 points from Manhattan transfer Anne Bair. The Raiders finished 20-14 last season in their third year under former Florida State star Ganiyat Adeduntan, their most wins since last going to the NCAA Tournament in 2004. They’re 0-11 against ranked opponents since at least 2001-02, starting with a loss to No. 2 Tennessee in that 2004 NCAA Tournament appearance (records unavailable prior to 2002-03).
Southern (0-2) at No. 8 Iowa State (2-0)
Iowa State’s cruised to a 2-0 start with wins over Chicago State and Indiana State by a combined 62 points, the latter a 64-42 win over the Sycamores on Thursday. Sophomore star Audi Crooks led the way with 16 points, the same number she scored in the opener, and grabbed 8 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Addy Brown had 12 points against Indiana State after 20 in the opener, but one-upped her 9 rebounds from the opener for her first double-double of the season. The Cyclones have won 14 straight at home against unranked visitors and 30 of their last 33 at home overall.
Southern is playing its second AP-ranked and third straight major conference in the season’s first three games, coming off a 66-51 loss at Missouri after opening with a 76-44 loss at No. 10 Oklahoma. The Jaguars will play 12 straight away from home to open the season including meetings with ranked Nebraska, NC State and Texas teams, and are 0-36 against ranked opponents since at least 2001-02 (records unavailable prior to 2002-03).
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) at No. 20 Ole Miss (0-1)
Ole Miss returns home after coming up just short in a 68-66 loss to No. 3 USC in Paris. Kirsten Deans led the Rebels with 19 points before fouling out while Madison Scott added 14, but the Rebels shot just 29.7% from the field as a team while letting USC hit 40.0%. The Rebels won six of their final seven at home last season including the last three.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff improved its margin by 50 points from game one to game two, but the Golden Lions still came up short 63-60 against Tulsa after losing 96-43 at Oklahoma State to tip off the season. UAPB is 0-23 against ranked opponents since at least 2001-02 (records unavailable prior to 2002-03).
Troy (0-2) at No. 24 Alabama (2-0)
Alabama improved to 2-0 with an 84-59 win at Alabama A&M Thursday, leaving the Crimson Tide one point shy of 200 through their first two games of the season (won the opener 115-53). Sarah Ashlee Barker led the way with 19 points last time out, giving her 42 through two games, and added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. The Tide have won six straight at home since a three-game skid in Tuscaloosa last January (vs Ole Miss, Arkansas and LSU) which immediately followed a 10-game home win streak.
Troy is coming off a 73-63 loss at Montana State and has already criss-crossed the country with games in New York, Montana and now its home state of Alabama. The Trojans will play their first seven on the road overall with upcoming trips to Chattanooga, LSU, Alaska-Anchorage and Mississippi Valley State before finally playing at home on December 4. They’re 0-24 against Top 25 opponents all-time.