Intrastate Rivalry Games Are the Theme of Week 6 in Women’s College Basketball

Three ranked in-state rivalry games with big stakes attached plus UConn vs. USC highlight a stacked week.

Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (right) has averaged 27.6 points per game this season and dropped 30 points against Northern Illinois on Sunday. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Conference play hasn’t kicked off in full force, but this week’s slate offers the next best thing: intrastate rivalries with real stakes attached. Iowa heads to Ames to face a surging Iowa State squad, while Oklahoma hosts Oklahoma State in a Bedlam matchup that should feature plenty of offense. That’s just the start: The top two teams in the country also have matchups against ranked opponents on deck. Here’s who to watch and where the games can be found for this week’s best women’s basketball games:

No. 10 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Iowa

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Cyclones center Audi Crooks has been dominant this season, to state the obvious. She is averaging a Division I–leading 27.6 points per game, along with career highs in assists (2.0) and field goal percentage (73.2%). Crooks has helped Iowa State become one of the most efficient offenses in the country, but the Cyclones haven’t really been tested. That’s about to change. The Hawkeyes have one of the top defenses in D-I—they rank 11th in opponent effective field goal percentage (37.3%)—and they’re led by the backcourt duo of center Ava Heiden and forward Hannah Stuelke. No one has slowed down Crooks, but Iowa, which just held Rutgers to 18 points in three quarters Saturday, has a shot to do just that.

No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 23 Oklahoma State

Saturday, Dec. 13, 4:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU

The second of two high-profile intrastate matchups this week, Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, pits two of the top scoring teams in the country against each other. (The Cowgirls rank second in points per game, while the Sooners rank fourth.) Oklahoma is coming off a nail-biter in Norman, a 103–98 overtime win against NC State in which freshman Aaliyah Chavez delivered her best performance to date. After getting trounced by UCLA earlier in the season, a slip-up (at home) against Oklahoma State might invite questions. The Cowgirls, meanwhile, have held onto top 25 status despite losing to St. John’s earlier in the season. Senior guard Haleigh Timmer has been on a heater: She has shot 49.2% from three this year. Oklahoma State can get hot—it set program records for most points in a game (133) against Mississippi Valley State—and taking down an in-state rival would boost its stock.

Jazzy Davidson (center) has been living up to her No. 1 recruit status, leading the Trojans in minutes, points, rebounds and assists in JuJu Watkins’s absence. / Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

No. 16 USC vs. No. 1 UConn

Saturday, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m. ET, FOX

While we were robbed of Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins in last season’s Elite Eight, a contest between Sarah Strong and Jazzy Davidson is nothing to sneeze at. Let’s start with USC’s star freshman: Davidson is already leading the Trojans in minutes, points, rebounds and assists—and she leads the Big Ten in blocks per game. She has formed a dangerous tandem alongside Kara Dunn, who is shooting a career-high 43.3% from three. They’ll make life difficult enough for Azzi Fudd and UConn’s backcourt, but USC’s frontcourt might get exposed against Strong and Serah Williams.

No. 13 Baylor vs. No. 2 Texas 

Sunday, Dec. 14, 1:00 p.m. ET, ABC

Are the Bears a real threat in the Big 12? It has been hard to tell. After upsetting Duke (and, with hindsight, was it an upset?) in the opener, Baylor dropped a game to Iowa and escaped with an overtime win against Davidson two days later. Baylor can hang its hat on two strengths: guard Taliah Scott, who is averaging 23.7 points; and its defense, which is holding opponents to the eighth-lowest field goal percentage (31.5%) in D-I. But Texas will likely prove too tough all around to overcome. The Longhorns have defeated opponents by an average of 37.3 points.

No. 12 North Carolina vs. No. 22 Louisville

Sunday, Dec. 14, 4:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network

The Cardinals’ schedule to start the season has thrown them right into the gauntlet. They lost their opener to No. 1 UConn, fell to No. 20 Kentucky and suffered a two-point defeat to No. 3 South Carolina. Those early tests have provided a feel for what to expect from Louisville: The Cardinals don’t turn the ball over much, let their opponents get to the line often or allow many threes. They also have depth, with eight players averaging at least 18 minutes and six points. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, will also be looking for their first win against a ranked opponent this season. They will be counting on their efficiency (eight North Carolina players have an effective field goal percentage above 54.0%) in Sunday’s matchup.

Other Games to Watch

Tuesday, Dec. 9: 

• 7:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network: Penn State vs. Arizona State (The Sun Devils are 10–0 under new coach Molly Miller.)

Wednesday, Dec. 10: 

• 7:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network: Missouri vs. Illinois (Catch standout Fighting Illini sophomore Berry Wallace.) 

Sunday, Dec. 14: 

• 2:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra: Miami vs. NC State (Both the Hurricanes and the Wolfpack will be looking to get back on track.)
• 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: No. 3 South Carolina vs. Penn State (If you don’t watch the Nittany Lions earlier in the week, Sunday’s matchup might be a good opportunity to see how the Gamecocks handle 6' 6" center Gracie Merkle. She is averaging 23.0 points per game and is shooting a Division I–high 75.2% from the field.)
• 4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+: James Madison vs. No. 19 Notre Dame (The Dukes have been all over the place this season, but so have the Fighting Irish.)

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