Conference play doesn’t start until December for the Big Ten, but women’s college basketball is well underway, and so far, all the contenders have gone unbeaten. Here’s how each of the seven teams ranked in the Top 25 have performed:
No. 3 USC reigns supreme
They had a scare in their first game, squeaking by No. 20 Ole Miss 68-66, but the Trojans got the win and have never looked back. Still ranked No. 3 nationally, they’ve been impressive at 4-0 and set a record point total for the program with their 124-39 victory over CSUN.
Sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins has picked up where she left off last year, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. She also became the fastest Trojan to reach 1,000 career points.
Her new partner in crime, senior forward Kiki Iriafen, has made the adjustment from Stanford to USC well and is putting up 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Watkins, Iriafen and the Trojans will face their first big test on Saturday when they play No. 6 Notre Dame at home.
No. 5 UCLA is right there
USC might reign supreme, but UCLA is breathing down their necks. The Bruins remain at No. 5 in the nation and have won all four of their games. Junior center Lauren Betts has been a superstar, averaging a double-double.
This Sunday, they will play No. 1 South Carolina, and winning that game would be historic, ending the Gamecocks’ 42-game winning streak. If they do that, they will undoubtedly move up in the rankings and be labeled as the team to beat in the Big Ten.
No. 11 Maryland has an elite wing
Junior guard Kaylene Smikle is taking charge, leading the No. 11 Terrapins in scoring at 18.6 points per game, and doing it on 52.6 percent shooting.
Their most impressive win so far was an 85-80 victory over No. 14 Duke. Given that they have no ranked opponents until January, they should be able to stack up wins in November and December.
No. 12 Buckeyes cruising in Columbus
At No. 12 in the nation, the Buckeyes have jumped up two spots from their preseason projection. Junior forward Cotie McMahon is averaging 16.3 points per game, and guard Chance Gray is having a breakout junior year, scoring 17.3 points a game.
The rest of their non-conference schedule is smooth sailing, so they should enter Big Ten play undefeated.
Here come the No. 21 Cornhuskers
No. 21 Nebraska has steamrolled their competition early. Across four contests, they are winning by a margin of 29.75 points per game, and with no ranked opponents until late December, expect that to continue.
The Cornhuskers have a balanced attack, which is why they tied the program’s single-game record for made 3s with 20 against South Dakota, and why four players are averaging double digits. And senior guard Alberte Rimdal is just decimal points away from 10, scoring 9.8 per game. Until they play anyone of merit, they’re doing what they’re supposed to do by beating the teams in front of them.
No. 22 Illinois impressive early
The No. 22 Fighting Illini took on the tough challenge of facing then-No. 19 Florida State in the season opener. They passed with flying colors, winning 83-74.
Their backcourt of senior guards Adalia McKenzie and Makira Cook have combined for 27.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and senior forward Kendall Bostic has been a walking double-double, averaging 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
On Nov. 27, they’ll take on their biggest test yet, playing No. 15 Kentucky in the Music City Classic in Nashville.
How about those No. 23 Ducks!
The conference’s surprise early on has to be the No. 23 Ducks. They shocked the basketball world by defeating No. 12 Baylor in a thrilling 76-74 game. Graduate guard Deja Kelly scored 20 points in the upset win, and junior guard Nani Falatea had a big game, scoring 12 points off the bench.
Now ranked, they are in prime position to remain undefeated and climb even higher in the rankings if they win their non-conference matchups.
