Women's college basketball has had a blazing season when it comes to upsets and surprises.
The AP poll has seen lots of exciting movement recently and many women's college basketball teams have shown up and showed out on the court. When it comes to seeing some thrilling twists and surprises at a women's basketball game, these ladies did not disappoint. With March Madness happening next month, college teams are getting ready and are playing hard in order to get themselves a place in the bracket. The past week has had some amazing games that are worth mentioning.
One of the biggest games last week was none other than #4 Texas vs #2 South Carolina. The Longhorns got a redemption shot against the Gamecocks after a 17 points loss last month. They took a close win with a final score of 66-62, which gave South Carolina their first regular-season SEC loss in 58 games. Madison Booker was a key player as she led the Longhorns with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Gamecocks, MiLaysia Fulwiley also had a standout performance with a game of 13 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Dawn Staley, the coach for the Gamecocks, commented on the game by saying it had a "great atmosphere". She said, "it's great for women's basketball, probably great for TV. Close game, great for our game." Madison Booker also left a statement on the game and how Texas "out-touched them".
Another shocking game was Tennessee vs UConn as the Lady Volunteers beat the Huskies 80-76, resulting in another major upset . That game meant a lot for the Lady Vols as they hadn’t overplayed the Huskies since 2007. It was also a huge deal for the ladies and the late Pat Summitt, who was a coach for Tennessee women's basketball, as the court has been named "The Summit" after her, as a way to remind players of her presence. Kim Caldwell, who is the current coach, had a comment about Pat Summitt: "I think she would be thrilled with the effort and the rebounding, and I'm sure she's up in heaven with my dad and they're probably cracking a cold one and celebrating." The team shot 61.5% from the field in the fourth quarter, and held up against UConn’s star guard Paige Bueckers to 5-16 shooting.
The Lady Vols raced ahead during the third quarter with their pace, substituting four to five players at a time and making moves on the Huskies. After building a 9-point lead in that quarter, they got the job done with 80 points, being the most the Huskies (21-3) have given up all season.
With the Lady Vols coming off strong in the game against UConn, they unfortunately fell short against the LSU Tigers. LSU knocked Tennessee farther down the AP poll with a winning score of 82-77. The game was led by a talented trio consisting of Flau'Jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams. Aneesah Morrow had a huge presence in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Kailyn Gilbert led LSU with 23 points, and Mikaylah Williams also had a great game with 16 points and 7 assists.
Many amazing games have happened, but the last one getting a mention would have to be Notre Dame vs Cal, with the fighting Irish not letting down. For the first time since 2019, the Irish have won consecutive conference games by at least 35 points. Also, the group has won its last two contests by a combined 88 points. The first eight buckets of the game were scored by eight different players, including some 3-pointers by Hannah Hidalgo and Maddy Westbeld to start the game, as Notre Dame put up an 8-0 run for the first part of the quarter. The Irish had a 44-23 lead by the half and were able to get reserves in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The game ended with a score of 91-52. It was a great game for Hidalgo as it recorded her 45th career 20-point game, as she tied with Skylar Diggins for fourth in program history.
As these teams keep shining on the court, and with March Madness right around the corner, we can't wait to see many more exciting games and twists from everything that women's college basketball brings us.
Edited by Elsa Olano
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