NCAA women’s basketball watch guide: SEC clash is weekend’s top game

When asked about the non-conference schedule after the LSU women’s basketball team’s loss at Vanderbilt, Kim Mulkey said the quiet part out loud.

“If we hadn’t played that schedule, we might be sitting here with a lot of losses,’ Mulkey said.

Indeed. And now, SEC play is underway and LSU’s schedule is a whole lot tougher. The average NET ranking of LSU’s opponents so far is 270th in the nation, which is the second-worst in the SEC to only Georgia.

Through two games — losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt — it seems like LSU isn’t as good as what their unblemished non-conference record was saying. And the Tigers’ schedule doesn’t get any easier.

The Tigers will host undefeated Texas on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN), another measuring stick game for Mulkey’s team. A week into January, LSU’s ceiling is unclear.

The opposite feels true for Texas, which tested themselves in non-conference action and passed with flying colors. The Longhorns own wins over six ranked teams and could make LSU their next victim. Led by Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee, coach Vic Schaefer’s squad has the look and feel of a team capable of reaching its second consecutive Final Four.

So far, the same can’t be said for LSU, which has lost in the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons since winning the 2023 national title with a team powered by Angel Reese. The Tigers lead the nation in scoring, but lost the rebounding battle to Kentucky by double figures and then committed an astounding 22 turnovers against Vanderbilt.

LSU’s problems are just now being exposed in January. The time to fix them is running out.

Here’s the other games to watch in women’s college basketball this weekend:

Game that could shake up national rankings: Oklahoma at Kentucky

4 p.m. ET, Sunday (SEC Network)

This game could be billed as a literal clash of the titans. On one side you have Raegan Beers, the 6-foot-4 post for the Sooners who is averaging 17.4 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while shooting 59% from the floor. On the other end is Clara Strack, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year posting 16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. Both teams also have dynamic guards, with rookie Aaliyah Chavez shining for Oklahoma and veteran Tonie Morgan guiding Kentucky with superb passing. Kentucky will have to grapple with the absence of starting forward Teonni Key, who is out with an elbow injury.

Must-watch player matchup: North Carolina at Notre Dame

1 p.m. ET, Sunday (ESPN)

Hannah Hidalgo has been the one-woman wrecking crew for the undermanned Fighting Irish this season. She’s second in the nation in scoring with 25.3 points per game and first in steals with 5.9. She and Notre Dame will be going up against a North Carolina team led by sophomore center Ciera Toomey and senior wing Indya Nivar. Toomey is making a case for the ACC’s Most Improved Player, as she’s shooting 74.2% inside the arc, which is third nationally. And like Hidalgo, Nivar has garnered a reputation for being adept at picking pockets, posting 3.3 steals per game.

Mid-major matchup worth watching: Davidson at Richmond

6 p.m. ET, Saturday, (ESPN)

There’s a good chance the Atlantic 10 is a multi-bid league for the NCAA Tournament again this season, and the Wildcats and Spiders are jockeying for position atop the conference standings. Katie Donovan, a junior guard for Davidson, is shooting north of 50% from 3-point land this season. For Richmond, Maggie Doogan is a 6-foot-2 Swiss army knife who is the only player in the nation averaging at least 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game.

Sickos game of the week: Rutgers at Northwestern

3 p.m. ET, Sunday (Big Ten Network+)

Both of these teams could have new head coaches next season. Longtime Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown is retiring and things haven’t gone well for Coquese Washington in her four seasons leading Rutgers. Both teams are 0-4 in Big Ten play and look like longshots to make the NCAA Tournament. However, the Wildcats do feature Caroline Lau and Grace Sullivan. Lau leads the nation in assists with nine per game, and Sullivan is fifth nationally in scoring with 23.4 points per game.