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After a brief holiday hiatus, women’s college basketball is back in action, with conference play continuing in the Big Ten and Big East as most SEC, Big 12 and ACC teams look to shake off any rust before the start of their conference schedules.
With all of the top-five teams retaking the court, here’s something to watch for from No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 LSU.
Will Azzi Fudd shoot over 50 percent from 3?
Azzi Fudd has shot 50 percent or better from 3 in an absurd eight of UConn’s 12 games. Can she make it nine for 13 on Sunday when the Huskies take on Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse (4 p.m. ET, TNT)?
When UConn played at Butler last season, Fudd missed the only 3 she attempted, an ominous sign for the Bulldogs as the Big East’s leader in scoring and 3-point percentage might be overdue for an explosion in Indiana.
Can Madison Booker earn another triple-double?
Earlier in December, Madison Booker compiled the first triple-double of her career and the sixth in program history, dropping 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Texas’ domination of Rio Grande Valley.
On Sunday, the Longhorns welcome another overmatched opponent to Austin in Southeast Louisiana (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Texas’ final tune up before SEC play begins thus profiles as a perfect opportunity for Booker to again show off the full breadth of her game by stuffing the box score.
Booker is averaging the most points (18.7) and rebounds (7.4) per game of her career, while also tallying her best assist-to-turnover ratio (2:1).
Will Joyce Edwards go for 25 or more points again?
Joyce Edwards has scored 25 of more points in four-straight games for South Carolina? What are the chances that she makes it five in a row when the Gamecocks host Providence on Sunday (12 p.m. ET, SEC Network)?
Edwards’ emergence into a scoring force is a product of her improved finishing. Now, Edwards not only cannot be stopped on her way to the rim, but she also can’t be stopped once she gets there. That composure and craft, combined with her athleticism, makes it likely that she’s going to keep putting up big point totals, even when SEC play begins.
Can Lauren Betts be the biggest and the baddest?
Flush with experienced talent, UCLA doesn’t need Lauren Betts to be their best player to win games, even in the gauntlet that is the Big Ten.
However, the victories certainly come easier for the Bruins when Betts dominates in the ways that her size and skill suggest she should.
On Sunday afternoon, UCLA visits an Ohio State team lacking in size, setting the stage for the Bruins’ second Big Ten game to be a Betts showcase (2 p.m. ET, BTN). The senior center authored such an effort when UCLA trounced Oregon in their Big Ten opener, posting a 24-point and 14-rebound double-double, plus five blocks.
Will LSU score over 100 points for the 11th time?
Until SEC play begins, this is the question for LSU: Can the Tigers score more than 100 points?
Ringing up three digits in entirely uncompetitive games has become the Tigers’ brand, and they might as well embrace it.
Against Alabama State on Sunday, LSU has the opportunity to accumulate 100 or more points for the 11th time in 14 games (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Tigers persistently power past the 100-point plateau because of their excess of offensive weapons, as seven players own double-figure scoring averages.
While Flau’Jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley are the leading scorers, averaging 15.9 and 15.5 points per game, respectively, Kate Koval and Grace Knox have put up two of the Tigers’ biggest individual scoring games—from off the bench. Koval went a perfect 9-for-9 when she scored 22 points on New Orleans, while Knox dropped 25 points on UT-Arlington.
