Ten things we've learned in the first 10 days of the women's season

Ten days into the 2022-23 women's assemblage hoops season, we've hardly scratched the aboveground of what the adjacent 5 months volition hold. Now each eyes crook to Sunday's brace of top-10 games, which volition springiness america a small much information to measure teams' ceilings and who could beryllium morganatic contenders -- oregon challengers to South Carolina -- this spring.

First, No. 5 UConn faces No. 10 NC State astatine 1 p.m. ET Sunday. It's the Huskies' 2nd consecutive top-10 hostile aft they took down No. 3 Texas connected Monday. These 2 programs past met successful the 2022 Elite Eight, erstwhile the Huskies upset the Wolfpack successful double-overtime down Paige Bueckers' 27 points. But Bueckers (ACL) and 3 different large contributors from that UConn squad won't beryllium connected the level Sunday, and neither volition 4 Wolfpack starters from past year.

Later Sunday, No. 1 South Carolina takes connected No. 2 Stanford (3 p.m. ET, ABC), a rematch of some the 2021 nationalist semifinal (won by the Cardinal) and an early-season nonconference crippled successful December 2021 (won by the Gamecocks). Initial reasoning successful the preseason held that this brace mightiness beryllium a measurement supra the remainder of the field; truthful far, that appears to beryllium the case, and these 2 programs mightiness conscionable again successful Dallas this spring. South Carolina -- which bushed then-No. 17 Maryland connected Nov. 11 -- hasn't mislaid to a ranked hostile since the 2021 Final Four, a streak the Gamecocks volition look to support against the Cardinal, who person respective caller faces and person had an casual nonconference slate to date.

Until then, present are 10 things we've learned astir the play done its archetypal 10 days, from standout players to intriguing league races and processing patterns connected the nationalist scene.

1. UConn 'could beryllium really, truly bully ... could beryllium really, truly bad'

On paper, the Huskies could person 2 top-10 wins by adjacent week, and Geno Auriemma couldn't inquire for more. Sans Bueckers, Azzi Fudd has had a historic start to her sophomore campaign, and volition surely beryllium successful the nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth speech if she maintains this level of productivity.

But adjacent successful its 83-76 triumph implicit Texas, determination were evident places UConn indispensable cleanable up to scope a 15th consecutive Final Four: station defense, taking attraction of the shot (will the deficiency of shot handlers drawback up with the Huskies?), eliminating unnecessary mistakes, closing games and identifying who volition beryllium the go-to scorer(s) down Fudd.

When asked what helium learned astir his squad against Texas, Auriemma referenced what inferior constituent defender Nika Mühl said: "'We could beryllium really, truly good, and we could beryllium really, truly bad.'" It's hard to ideate the Huskies being "really, truly bad," and a triumph implicit a top-five squad (albeit without motor Rori Harmon) mightiness bespeak they are amended than immoderate anticipated. But Mühl has a point: There's inactive a batch of variance arsenic to however Auriemma's squad yet fares.

2. Promise elsewhere successful the Big East

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Creighton defender Molly Mogensen goes 4-of-5 from 3-point onshore successful the Bluejays' triumph implicit Nebraska.

The latest AP Top 25 canvass had conscionable arsenic galore Big East teams arsenic SEC squads. Aside from UConn, nary Big East squad has been arsenic awesome arsenic Creighton. The Bluejays person met oregon adjacent surpassed aboriginal expectations pursuing past season's Elite Eight tally acknowledgment to wins implicit then-No. 23 South Dakota State and South Dakota connected the road, and a 26-point location triumph Tuesday implicit No. 22 Nebraska. Earlier that day, a Twitter relationship called Big Game Boomer deemed the champion women's hoops squad successful each authorities and chose ... the Cornhuskers for Nebraska. The Bluejays had amusive trolling the decision connected Twitter pursuing their large intra-state conflict and win.

Villanova besides knocked disconnected then-No. 24 Princeton to sneak into this week's AP rankings. For arsenic ascendant arsenic Aneesah Morrow has been, DePaul's prospects for the play are grim pursuing losses to Northern Illinois and Cleveland State. But there's inactive a accidental for Marquette and Seton Hall to get looks into the tourney tract if they proceed connected beardown trajectories.

In his latest Bracketology update done Monday's games, ESPN's Charlie Creme projected Creighton arsenic a 4-seed successful the NCAA tournament. Villanova is simply a No. 7 seed.

3. SEC inactive South Carolina's to lose

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After tallying 16 points and 13 rebounds successful the 81-56 triumph implicit the Terrapins, Aliyah Boston says crashing the boards and No. 1 South Carolina's roster extent was key.

If the Gamecocks play with the execution and strength it did pursuing the scuffle betwixt Kierra Fletcher, Kamilla Cardoso and Bri McDaniel successful the Maryland crippled -- and Zia Cooke and Brea Beal tin proceed to sprout 3-pointers similar they did successful that matchup (7-for-16) -- they volition beryllium particularly pugnacious to bushed this year.

It's hard to foretell who volition beryllium the Gamecocks' top challenger successful the SEC -- if immoderate exists. LSU has enactment up 100 points successful four-straight games, with Angel Reese averaging a double-double and freshman Flau'jae Johnson 2nd successful scoring astatine 14.0 points per game. But however overmuch tin 1 work into those results oregon statistic erstwhile the Tigers person had the epitome of a cupcake docket and won't play their archetypal Power 5 programme until the 13th crippled of the season?

Tennessee, connected the different hand, has evidently missed Jordan Horston the past 2 games. But adjacent erstwhile she played against Ohio State (and the archetypal 4th against UMass), the Lady Vols weren't precisely humming seamlessly. Tennessee is averaging a whopping 20.7 turnovers per crippled (Horston unsocial had 7 successful the opener against Ohio State). Most players -- extracurricular of Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key, arsenic good arsenic Tess Darby from 3 -- person struggled with ratio early, and they person yet to asseverate their volition defensively arsenic they did astir of past year.

The bully news? Tennessee has an accidental to marque up crushed astatine the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament and aboriginal against Virginia Tech, Stanford and UConn -- ideally with a steadfast Horston.

4. Louisville dealing with increasing pains successful wide-open ACC

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Hailey Van Lith and Mykasa Robinson enactment the crippled retired of scope arsenic Louisville grabs the choky triumph implicit Belmont.

It's inactive excessively aboriginal to find which squad mightiness person an borderline successful what's expected to beryllium the astir competitory ACC contention successful years. Louisville, caller disconnected a Final Four appearance, has arguably had the astir intriguing nonconference tally truthful far, playing Cincinnati, IUPUI and Belmont -- the past of which went down-to-the-wire earlier the Cardinals pulled retired a 75-70 win. Hailey Van Lith has been connected occurrence to commencement the season, but determination are inactive increasing pains arsenic caller players get accustomed to Jeff Walz's system.

Louisville's perimeter defence has been subpar successful Walz's eyes, and helium was displeased with however his defence allowed the Bruins to easy get to the basket. Offensively, Van Lith hasn't had a ton of assistance yet from Olivia Cochran, Chrislyn Carr oregon Morgan Jones, who are each averaging less than 10 points connected less than 8 attempts per game.

As a erstwhile All-ACC First Team player, Jones is simply a premier campaigner to look arsenic a much impactful scorer. "She'll proceed to get better," Walz said aft the Belmont win. "There's nary uncertainty successful my mind."

5. Big Ten conflict could beryllium much absorbing than anticipated

Iowa was our unanimous preseason prime to triumph the Big Ten, but Indiana and Ohio State mightiness get much superior information if we did the canvass again now. The Hoosiers are coming disconnected a immense triumph implicit Tennessee, a crippled successful which Grace Berger was 4 assists distant from a triple-double. Ohio State shined connected the antiaircraft extremity with its property against Tennessee, forcing 29 turnovers, portion Rebeka Mikulasikova has been a large complement wrong to the 1-2 punch of Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell.

All 3 teams are wrong the apical 12 successful the latest AP poll. And nary one's saying Iowa is successful trouble, but its overtime triumph implicit Drake -- positive the persistence of the emblematic problems we've seen successful caller years from the Hawkeyes, specified arsenic shaky defence oregon not capable assistance for Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano -- didn't instill a batch of confidence.

6. Enough with the injuries!

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Aijha Blackwell leads the Baylor Bears to triumph implicit Incarnate Word with a 23-point performance.

Not adjacent 2 weeks into the season, we've already had 4 of our preseason apical 25 players miss clip with injuries: Baylor's Aijha Blackwell, Horston, Harmon and Maryland's Diamond Miller (who lone ended up missing 1 game, but it was a large one: vs. South Carolina). And that's not including a slew of players who were deemed retired for the twelvemonth earlier the play adjacent started.

Harmon (toe) and Horston (lower extremity injury) are considered day-to-day, portion Blackwell's presumption is unknown. Hopefully nary of these issues past long-term, but their absences successful large games is simply a bummer for fans and volition marque it tougher to measure nonconference résumés travel March.

7. Point guards playing underrated relation successful South Carolina-Stanford

All the attraction going into this 1-versus-2 matchup, rightfully so, volition beryllium connected each team's apt lottery prime -- Aliyah Boston for the Gamecocks and Haley Jones for the Cardinal -- oregon adjacent the station showdown betwixt Boston and Cameron Brink. One underappreciated matchup? How some teams fare with caller constituent guards inactive uncovering their footing.

South Carolina is looking toward redshirt freshman Raven Johnson and postgraduate transportation Kierra Fletcher to regenerate Destanni Henderson. And pursuing Anna Wilson's graduation, the program was for Jones to beryllium the superior constituent defender for Stanford, but freshman Talana Lepolo earned the commencement the past 2 games, boasting 29 assists and 10 turnovers successful 104 minutes connected the season. Don't place the value this presumption radical has successful mounting up the discourtesy and getting their All-Americans the ball.

8. Utes ain Pac-12's biggest stunner truthful far

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Gianna Kneepkens knocks down the triple

Stanford has breezed done its comparatively casual nonconference opponents with a 46.6-point mean borderline of victory. But the Pac-12's archetypal triumph implicit a ranked squad didn't travel from the Cardinal: No. 25 Utah thrashed visiting Oklahoma (No. 16), which was connected the tail-end of a back-to-back. Gianna Kneepkens, Kennady McQueen and Alissa Pili finished with 20-plus points apiece.

Arizona and Oregon besides stay ranked astatine No. 18 and No. 21, respectively. It'll beryllium absorbing to spot however the Ducks, who are led by freshman Grace VanSlooten, bash astatine the upcoming Phil Knight Invitational, wherever they'll look North Carolina and either Iowa State oregon Michigan State.

9. Still waiting for Big 12 'race' to emerge

The Big 12 was expected to person a fascinating race, 1 wherever our sheet predicted the Baylor Bears streak of 12 consecutive regular-season titles would end. So far, Iowa State has been the astir accordant team, though Northern Iowa took them to the ligament successful the last seconds of a fierce intra-state matchup Wednesday. Texas looked susceptible against UConn, but were missing Harmon, who makes the full cognition enactment connected some ends. With her healthy, it's a batch easier to spot each their talented pieces starting to enactment together.

Baylor has dealt with a big of subordinate absences/injuries, portion Oklahoma could instrumentality a steep tumble successful the rankings aft getting trounced by Utah.

Iowa State and Texas apt inactive person the champion chances astatine winning the league, but things could surely get interesting. Texas mightiness adjacent beryllium the favourite if its defence progresses to the level Vic Schaefer envisions.

10. Missouri Valley mightiness beryllium a two-bid league

Creme had Belmont -- which received votes successful the latest AP canvass aft astir beating Louisville -- arsenic the Missouri Valley Conference's automatic qualifier connected Monday (Belmont mislaid 80-62 to Middle Tennessee connected Wednesday). But is it imaginable the MVC ends up a multiple-bid league? He had Northern Iowa successful the "Next Four Out" earlier they rallied precocious to instrumentality the pb implicit Iowa State earlier yet losing by 3 points Wednesday.

Drake besides turned immoderate heads with its overtime propulsion against Iowa. Some upcoming matchups to support an oculus on: No. 22 Nebraska astatine Drake connected Saturday arsenic good arsenic Belmont astatine No. 4 Iowa and No. 20 Creighton astatine UNI connected Sunday.