No. 2 South Carolina is receiving a first place vote in the AP Top 25 following the Gamecocks’ 41-point win against Oklahoma. Meanwhile, UCLA is No. 1 for the ninth consecutive week. The Bruins are one of the two undefeated teams remaining, along with No. 5 LSU.
Ohio State was also unbeaten until getting upset 62-59 by Penn State on Sunday. The Buckeyes dropped out of the top 10, but they are still hanging around at No. 12.
This will be a big week in the SEC with South Carolina hosting LSU on Thursday. The Tigers are 20-0, with their most recent win being an 80-63 result against Florida.
In the Big Ten, No. 8 Maryland has some challenging matchups ahead with No. 7 Texas on Monday, and UCLA on Sunday. The Terrapins’ only loss this season happened at the hands of the USC Trojans earlier this month.
Baylor and Michigan re-entered the Top 25, and both are facing some tough tests this week. No. 25 Baylor is hosting UCLA for a Monday afternoon matchup, then hitting the road to face No. 10 TCU on Sunday. No. 24 Michigan has No. 23 Minnesota on Wednesday and No. 22 Michigan State on Saturday.
UConn star Paige Bueckers made more history on Sunday when she became the fastest player to score 2,000 career points in program history during the Huskies’ dominant 96-36 win over Seton Hall. Bueckers needed just 102 games to reach the milestone, surpassing Maya Moore’s previous record of 108 games.
Bueckers, who recently returned from a two-game absence due to a knee sprain, finished with 18 points and seven assists on an efficient 6 of 10 from the field in just 23 minutes against the overmatched Pirates. Her record-breaking shot came early in the second quarter when she drained one of her patented pull-up, mid-range jumpers.
“I was hoping I would get it at some point,” Bueckers said. “I knew I was six points away, so eventually, hopefully I would get there. I didn’t want to press, I didn’t want to force the issue and just let it happen naturally within the game flow and continue to play the right way, look for my teammates, look for my shot, play UConn basketball, and what’s supposed to happen will happen.”
Bueckers, who won Naismith Player of the Year as a freshman, has had a frustrating few years since then. Due to a string of injuries, including an ACL tear that cost her the entire 2022-23 campaign, Bueckers has played just 73 games since her freshman season. If she had stayed healthy, she would have had a chance to chase Moore’s program record of 3,036 points.
Even with the injuries, Bueckers is one of just three players in Huskies history with at least 2,000 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals, the others being Moore and Breanna Stewart.
“To be able to put that many points on the board in that short period of time is one tremendous accomplishment,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “To be able to do it in spite of the ups and downs and missing an entire season and a [half] of another season, to stay mentally locked in, to stay positive and to still be committed to putting the work in, there’s a lot that goes into being able to be out there and make the shots that she makes given what she’s been through.
“I don’t know too many people that work at the game as hard and as often as she does, so I’m glad that she’s being rewarded. And I’m sure there’s a few more points in her future.”
With the victory on Sunday, the No. 6-ranked Huskies improved to 17-2 on the season and a perfect 8-0 in Big East play. They will be in action again on Wednesday against Villanova.
A couple top-10 losses shook up the CBS Sports women’s college basketball Power Rankings this week. Ohio State is no longer undefeated after getting stunned by Penn State, dropping the Buckeyes to No. 11. Meanwhile, Maryland suffered a 38-point loss to Texas on Monday and fell to No. 12. Both teams have a great opportunity to bounce back as Maryland and Ohio State will face each other Thursday in Columbus.
Oklahoma, last week’s No. 12, also found itself on the wrong side of a blowout and moved down three spots — a lenient punishment because of the opponent. South Carolina dominated the Sooners in a record-setting 101-60 win.
Only UCLA and LSU still have perfect records at this point of the season, but they can’t get too comfortable. The Tigers are about to face their toughest challenge yet when they head to Columbia to take on South Carolina on Thursday.
Cal fell four spots to No. 21 after getting crushed 72-38 by Duke on Thursday. As for Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets are at No. 23 because of consecutive losses to Virginia Tech, Louisville and Notre Dame.
Minnesota and Michigan entered the Power Rankings this week, while Utah and Oklahoma State moved to the first five out — along with Ole Miss, Creighton and Baylor.
Here are the latest CBS Sports women’s college basketball Power Rankings.
To be blunt: Mikayla Blakes is phenomenal. Her dramatic finish carried Vanderbilt over a top-15 opponent and in-state rival. But she wasn’t the only star to shine this week.
For this edition of the women’s college basketball Star Power Index, we take a look at some key players who have their respective programs humming as we enter the second half of the season.
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Mikayla Blakes started the season as one of the best freshmen in the country. She’s since evolved into one of the best players in the country, regardless of class.
On Sunday, Blakes lifted the Commodores over in-state rival and then-No. 15 Tennessee in a dramatic 71-70 win. Not only did Blakes’ team-leading 23 points keep the over-matched Commodores in the game throughout the night, but she also tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer to give Vandy the clutch victory.
To put this win in perspective, this is only the 11th time in 90 games Vanderbilt has beaten Tennessee. This is also the first time the Volunteers have fallen to the Commodores in Nashville since January 2012.
So, it’s safe to say this victory was a signature win for a 15-4 Vanderbilt team that may need to point to a game like Sunday’s to get off the bubble in March.
Vanderbilt plays Arkansas on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET
Gabby Elliott, Penn State
Penn State pulled off the upset of the week by knocking off No. 9 Ohio State in a 62-59 victory on Sunday.
Guard Gabby Elliott scored six of her 14 points in the fourth quarter of the tightly contested game, including a go-ahead layup with close to two minutes left in the game to put the Buckeyes on their heels. This capped off a horrible fourth quarter for the Buckeyes, who couldn’t seem to find any clutch production without talented freshman Jaloni Cambridge on the floor.
Sunday’s win marked Penn State’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season. Their previous top-10 losses to USC and UCLA came in convincing fashion. Now, the Nittany Lions will have to prove this weekend’s performance wasn’t a fluke as they continue to churn through a tough Big Ten conference.
Penn State plays No. 21 Michigan State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET
Clara Strack, Kentucky
The Wildcats continue to show their teeth in a sharp SEC conference with a convincing win over Georgia.
Led by Strack’s 25-point, 12-rebound double-double, No. 12 Kentucky was able to beat the Bulldogs 78-64 on Sunday. Strack’s performance was lifted by the 24 points Georgia Amoore chipped in.
This win gives the 16-1 Wildcats a perfect 5-0 start to conference play, making them a threat to any team drawing them on their schedule.
This year’s crop of women’s college basketball freshmen doesn’t have quite the same name power and shine that accompanied last year’s iconic class. However, as we round the corner into the second half of the season, several of these first-year players are starting to find their footing.
One of those freshmen is Joyce Edwards, who led South Carolina to a 101-60 dismantling of Oklahoma over the weekend. Here’s more on Edwards and Co. in the latest women’s college basketball Freshmen Tracker.
It’s taken a group effort for No. 2 South Carolina to sustain its 18-1 record. But even though the Gamecocks have been getting it done by committee, talented freshman Joyce Edwards has found a way to make her presence felt.
On the season, Edwards is averaging a team-high 12.1 points while shooting over 56% from the floor. However, it looks like the 6-foot-3 forward is picking up the pace offensively as she led the charge for the Gamecocks in their two top-20 showdowns this past week.
On Thursday, Edwards scored a game-high 21 points off the bench to give South Carolina a boost in its 76-58 victory over No. 19 Alabama. She then tallied a team-best 17 points in the Gamecocks’ 101-60 blowout victory over then-No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday.
In fact, in the SEC games South Carolina has played, Edwards is averaging 14.3 points. This average may not jump off the page, but Edwards’ production is enough for her to lead a championship-contending team in points per game. It’s hard to ignore that type of impact.
No. 2 South Carolina plays No. 5 LSU on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET
Liv McGill, Florida
Although Florida’s 2-4 record in SEC play has the Gators in the bottom third of the conference standings, the outstanding play from freshman Liv McGill has given the team a much-needed shot in the arm.
On Sunday, McGill led a first-half charge against LSU that kept Florida competitive until Kim Mulkey and her squad were able to run away with the game in the second half. Despite the Tigers’ resurgence, McGill scored a team-high 21 points on 53% shooting from the field. She also handed out six assists and pulled in three rebounds to go along with a block and a steal.
On the season, McGill is the Gators’ leading scorer (16.1 points per game) and leading playmaker (5.2 assists per game). She also gets it done on the defensive end by poking away close to two steals a game. Unfortunately for Florida, this hasn’t translated to winning. But that doesn’t make McGill’s introduction to college basketball any less impressive.
Florida plays Auburn on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET
Toby Fournier, Duke
Toby Fournier has had an up-and-down season for No. 14 Duke. But when she’s on, she’s a furnace for the Blue Devils off the bench.
This was on full display during Duke’s convincing 72-38 win over Cal on Thursday. Fournier was the game’s leading scorer with her 23-point, 11-rebound double-double. On the season, she’s averaging a team-high 12.4 points per game to go along with 1.3 blocks. If she can become a bit less streaky with her shooting, Duke may be a team to watch come March.
South Carolina has thrived under coach Dawn Staley whether the team has a go-to star or not. Te-Hina Paopao’s unassuming leadership style, therefore, has been a perfect fit in Columbia.
Only five Gamecocks are averaging more than 20 minutes per game, and Paopao leads the way at 25 minutes per contest. She averages slightly over 11 points per game, which doesn’t seem too eye-catching until considering Staley aims for a balanced effort, which is exemplified by seven active Gamecocks averaging over seven points per game.
Paopao’s biggest strength is something that doesn’t show up on box scores or highlight reels: her “calming presence.”
“I don’t think you see a lot of players like me with such a high-caliber team that is able to present a calming presence for the whole team, especially offensively — and defensively, sometimes, I’m still working on that,” Paopao said.
Paopao transferred to South Carolina in 2023 after spending the first three years of her career at Oregon. With her on the roster, the Gamecocks accomplished a perfect season while winning the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Paopao was the Gamecocks’ 3-point shooting specialist, as she led the nation by shooting 46.8% from beyond the arc. She ranked second in the SEC with 2.35 3-pointers per game and was also second in offensive rating (123.9).
Paopao decided to return for a fifth year, and continues to show how reliable she is while shooting 49% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. She is the team’s third-leading scorer at 11.1 points per game and is tied for second on the team in assists (2.8).
Paopao’s teammates need her, but she emphasized she also needs them.
“I value their opinion, and they let me know what I need to do to be better, and I let them know what they need to do better as well,” Paopao said.
That type of attitude is needed on a team that relies on several players shining simultaneously. Paopao is one of the most experienced players on the roster, but the Gamecocks recently lost one of their vocal leaders in junior forward Ashlyn Watkins due to a torn ACL.
“This season is for her. She has been through so much,” Paopao said. “We encourage her that we still need you. We need your voice, we need your passion, because she’s a very passionate person. We need her to keep yelling at us because that’s what we love about her. We love that her energy is contagious. We have the next man mentality up, and it’s been doing a great job for us with how everyone is stepping up in replacing that type of adjustment that we needed.”
Paopao’s culture, family an inspiration Paopao enjoys the simple things in life, such as having breakfast with her brother and her newly found hobby of word search puzzles. She comes from a Samoan football family that includes her uncle Joe Salave’a, who played defensive tackle in the NFL.
At seven years old, Paopao’s dad would wake her up to join her brother, Israel Paopao, in his 4 a.m. workouts. She hadn’t exactly decided she would be a basketball star at that age, but her motivation to get after it early came from her family.
“Sports in Samoan culture is really popular with us,” Paopao said. “It really brings families together. I think that’s something that really inspired me, be like my brothers and be even better — being the competitive sister that I am.”
Paopao had around 20 family members from all over the country watch her lift the 2024 championship trophy. That was a special moment, but not completely uncommon for her.
Paopao typically has around 10 family members at every home and road game. There is not an official Paopao family section, but the support is there thanks to Israel Paopao helping with logistics.
Israel Paopao moved to South Carolina when his sister committed so she could have support nearby. Te-Hina lives with her teammates, but Israel lives nearby and they meet up every day. Te-Hina said her team has embraced Israel and the rest of her family.
“They call him Tofu, when his name is really Tofi,” Paopao laughed. “They are really familiar with him, and I’m just really glad that the girls have a close relationship as well … (My family members) really mean a lot to me, and I’m just really happy that the girls accepted them. They probably see a few new family members at each game, so it’s really nice for them to meet my people for sure.”
Last year, Paopao gifted her teammates Kukui Nut necklaces, which are a sign of unity and family in her culture.
“I just felt like in my heart I would share that with them, especially since Samoan culture is not really popular in the South,” Paopao said. “My culture really means a lot to me, and I’m really blessed and grateful to share that.”
The SEC has been the toughest conference this women’s college basketball season, and Friday features a marquee showdown between No. 2 South Carolina and No. 5 LSU. The Tigers are one of only two teams in the country still undefeated, and they will face their most difficult test so far in Columbia.
“Any victory on the road in our league is an accomplishment, but we know what we face next — a tremendous challenge to play the defending champions and do it at their place,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.
The game was originally scheduled for Thursday but was pushed back to Friday due to weather-related travel issues as a historic winter storm swept across the South this week. According to the National Weather Service, Baton Rouge — where LSU is located — received between six and eight inches of snow. Columbia, South Carolina, also was hit with a few inches of snow.
When these teams do finally hit the court Friday, it will be a matchup of the two most recent national champions. LSU won it all in 2023 while South Carolina followed suit the next year. Their most recent meeting was the 2024 SEC Tournament championship game, a contest South Carolina won 79-72 after a fight broke out in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina returned most of the key players from its 2023-24 roster, minus 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso. Freshman forward Joyce Edwards has been a revelation for the Gamecocks this season, however.
Meanwhile, LSU lost last season’s leading scorer and rebounder Angel Reese, who is now Cardoso’s teammate with the Chicago Sky. Despite her departure, Aneesah Morrow and Flau’jae Johnson have embraced bigger roles and got the Tigers off to a 20-0 start.
Where to watch No. 5 LSU vs. No. 2 South Carolina When: Friday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. ET Where: Colonial Life Arena — Columbia, South Carolina TV: ESPN Streaming: fubo (try for free) Follow: CBS Sports App South Carolina powering through tough schedule The Gamecocks are 18-1 with their lone loss coming against UCLA in Los Angeles in late November. Besides that one slip up, Dawn Staley’s team has been taking care of business with a tough schedule. In fact, according to Warren Nolan, the Gamecocks rank No. 1 in strength of schedule this season.
South Carolina has beaten seven AP top 25 opponents so far, all by double digits. The Gamecocks are fresh off a 101-60 win over No. 13 Oklahoma, and that 41-point margin of victory is the largest against a ranked opponent in school history.
South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao using ‘calming presence,’ familial approach to lead Gamecocks’ title chase Isabel Gonzalez South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao using ‘calming presence,’ familial approach to lead Gamecocks’ title chase Their success comes from a deep roster in which no individual player constantly has to take over. Six Gamecocks are averaging over seven points per game, led by Joyce Edwards’ 12.1. Guards MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao follow with just over 11 points per game. Edwards and Fulwiley come off the bench, which speaks to the strength and depth of the roster. The South Carolina bench leads the nation in scoring with 42.2 points per game.
Morrow, Johnson leading LSU’s hot start Although the Tigers haven’t faced the same strength of schedule as South Carolina, being one of the last two undefeated teams in the nation is still an incredible accomplishment. Kim Mulkey has said this team might not blow out top opponents because of its new faces and roles, but the Tigers have still collected strong wins against NC State and Tennessee.
Angel Reese was LSU’s leading scoring and rebounding last year, but Aneesah Morrow wasn’t too far behind and has continued to shine this season. Morrow is averaging 18.7 points and 14.2 rebounds while leading the nation with 17 double-doubles. She also has a team-high 50 steals this season.
Flau’jae Johnson has also stepped into a bigger role and leads LSU with 19.9 points per game. LSU has two other double-digit scorers in Mikaylah Williams and Kailyn Gilbert, who are averaging 16.4 and 11.2 points per game, respectively.
Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers will be out against No. 12 Ohio State due to a knee injury she suffered during Monday’s 81-59 loss against Texas. Sellers is currently listed as day-to-day and did not make the trip to Columbus for Thursday’s game.
This is the latest blow for No. 8 Maryland, which has lost Bri McDaniel for the rest of the season after she tore her ACL in last week’s win over Minnesota. Terrapins coach Brenda Frese said the injuries affected her team against the Longhorns, but believes it’s not time to panic.
“We’ve won 16 games and we’ve done that the right way. We’ve had two losses, and clearly this one was impacted by injury,” Frese said. “For us, it’s understanding we’re not going to get too high or too low in January. We’re going to figure it out. We always do. It’s on to the next, and now it’s Ohio State.”
Maryland, 16-2 overall, was off to a strong start in the 2024-25 campaign, and was one of the last undefeated teams in the country until a five-point loss to USC earlier this month. The Terrapins had a lot of contributors, but this week they are facing Ohio State and UCLA, two of the toughest opponents in the Big Ten, with a shorthanded roster.
Where to watch South Carolina vs. LSU: Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks host undefeated Tigers in top-five SEC showdown Isabel Gonzalez Where to watch South Carolina vs. LSU: Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks host undefeated Tigers in top-five SEC showdown Sellers is averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting 50.3% from the field and 44.8% from beyond the arc. She also leads the team with 85 assists. McDaniel, the Terrapins’ standout reserve, was also shooting over 50% from the field while scoring 10.6 points per contest. Those injuries put more on the plate of leading scorer Kaylene Smikle, who is averaging 17.8 points per game.
While Maryland is dealing with injuries, Ohio State was without starting point guard Jaloni Cambridge (illness) in Sunday’s 62-59 loss to Penn State. She is expected to play against the Terrapins.
Maryland is facing Ohio State at 6 p.m. ET at Schottenstein Center. The game will be available on FS1.
No. 2 South Carolina is hosting undefeated No. 5 LSU on Friday in a marquee SEC matchup, and the stakes are high because these teams will only face once in the regular season. Following Thursday’s practice, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said her team is well-aware of the importance of this game.
“It’s a rivalry. It’s a game that we must win obviously because we only play them once and you want the tiebreak advantage,” Staley said. “But it’s still just a game win or lose, every goal that you have is still in front of you. It makes it a little bit harder, especially when it comes to our conference, so I’m glad it’s at home.”
The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, but it got postponed to Friday because of winter weather.
Another added element could be officiating, and how the teams adjust, Staley pointed out. Their most recent meeting was the 2024 SEC Championship game, which included a scuffle that saw multiple players leave the bench. After a 20-minute delay, the game resumed and South Carolina pulled out a 79-72 victory.
“We feel like the officiating is going to be on it at the start of the game,” Staley said. “Some of the things that we did in that game, we’re not going to be able to do. Some of the things that [LSU] did, they’re not going to be able to do. So for us, it’s about adjusting to how the officiating is going to be. It’s probably going to be tight. I would if I’m coordinating the officials. But I don’t think our teams are in that place, or in that head space.”
South Carolina is 18-1 with its lone loss happening at the hands of UCLA in late November. The Gamecocks have the toughest strength of schedule in the nation, so they enter Friday’s matchup already battle-tested. Meanwhile, LSU is off to one of its best starts in program history at 20-0. Kim Mulkey’s Tigers are one of just two undefeated programs remaining along with UCLA.
“It’s awesome for our sport, it’s awesome for our league,” Staley said. “It’s awesome to be able to participate in rivalry games. Hopefully we won’t disappoint by putting on some great basketball out there on the floor.”
The LSU vs. South Carolina matchup is set for 5 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena — where the Gamecocks have won 68 consecutive games.
Tennessee women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell was absent during her team’s 80-76 loss to Texas on Thursday after giving birth to her son. She had not missed any games leading up to Thursday’s game, including four days earlier when the No. 17 Lady Vols took on Vanderbilt on the road.
“She and husband Justin are the proud parents of a new son, Conor Scott Caldwell. Mom, dad and baby are doing well,” read a statement from Tennessee.
Caldwell, 36, was hired in April by Tennessee after spending the 2023-24 season at Marshall. She previously spent seven seasons coaching at Glenville State, a Division II program. Justin Caldwell works as the player development coordinator for the men’s basketball team at Tennessee.
Assistant coach Jenna Burdette will serve as acting head coach in Caldwell’s absence, including against the No. 7 Longhorns. Burdette had a tough test in front of her, and despite not getting the win, she and the Lady Vols kept it competitive against three-time SEC coach of the year Vic Schaefer on the Texas side.
Thursday night’s matchup saw 15 lead changes with neither team taking a lead of more than six points at any given moment. The game was tied with 44 seconds remaining, but Texas ended up prevailing to improve to 19-2 overall and 5-1 in SEC play.
All 10 Tennessee players who checked in scored at least three points. Zee Spearman and Ruby Whitehorn led Tennessee’s offensive effort with 21 and 14 points, respectively. Madison Booker gave Texas 26 points, while Taylor Jones completed a double-double of 21 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.
Tennessee dropped to 15-4 overall, and 3-4 in the SEC. The Lady Vols have another tough test coming up as they host No. 2 South Carolina on Monday night.
