South Carolina won the NCAA title ring while the Gamecocks and 16 other top 25 teams 2022-23 women’s basketball season kicks off on Monday.
No. 21 Cinderella, the Cinderella of the 2022 Women’s NCAA Tournament, defeated No. 23 South Dakota State, leaving only one top-25 team to lose.
It was a lively day with freshmen experiencing their first college game, transfer students introducing themselves to new fans, and 5th grade super seniors playing their final game. It’s just the beginning, so expect surprises and confusion soon.
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Charlie Creme and MA Voepel take a look at what stood out most from day one and what they mean for the rest of the season.
Are Gamecocks even better?
Defending National Champion South Carolina is back as National Player of the Year, despite losing one starter, Destanni Henderson, from last season. Aaliyah BostonThe Gamecocks were as good as last season’s 35-2 record, but will they be an improved team this season?
Admittedly, the 101-31 opening win over East Tennessee was nothing like a test.But it showed Gamecock veterans had plenty of reinforcement. Ashlyn Watkins, a 6-foot-3 forward who tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in his college debut. Her performance was part of South Carolina’s 47 points off the bench.
Coach Dawn Staley then spoke about how all the returning individuals felt better. If anything, it’s how they cover point guard duties when Henderson is gone. indicates that there is Raven Johnson Leading with 4 assists. So while your opponent may not want to hear it, yes, this could make the South Carolina team even harder to beat. MA Forpel
ACC’s new favorite?
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Cayla King nailed to trey vs. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers
The 13th-ranked Virginia Tech has some high expectations this season, mostly built around Elizabeth Kitley, Ashley Owusu When taylor soulThe Hawkeyes took down Mount St. Marys 101-45, but according to the story Kayla King — Not Kitley, Owusu, or Soule — Who led the way? A 6-0 senior, King made nine 3-pointers for 33 points. Both are career highs. That kind of long-range shooting can translate into any game, against any opponent.
A single game may not have a sufficient sample size, but the King’s explosion can be an important sign.If Virginia Tech really does have a legitimate fourth scorer in King who can play with Owusu and Points his guard Georgia Amoore In the backcourt, the Hawkeyes may need to be considered favorites in the ACC. — charlie cream
What was Monday’s most important win?
Defense was the most overlooked aspect of Clayton’s elite eight runs in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays held his two top-scoring teams in the country last March, Iowa and Iowa State, to under 70 points and Monday he overwhelmed South Dakota with a 78-69 win. Did. South Dakota State, the nation’s most accurate 3-point shooting team a season ago, went 5-21 just off the deep against a swarming Blue Jays.Junior Lauren Jensen A decisive 9-0 run late in the fourth quarter scored seven points for Clayton and they dominated from start to finish. She scored her 16 in her last ten minutes and finished with 30.
The win is worth an entire seed line at Tuesday’s Bracketlogy and gives Clayton a road win that the committee will appreciate in March’s deliberations. With games against South Dakota and Nebraska next, the Blue Jays could get off to a top 15 start in the rankings. — cream
Van Ris, Louisville starting soon
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Haley Van Lis practices her jumper with the Cincinnati Bearcats
The Louisville Cardinals’ 87-68 victory over Cincinnati was a bit of a stretch. hayley van lis As a senior, she had the big performance many expected of her. Her second-highest 28 points in her career led the Cardinals, and she was fairly efficient on 12-of-20 shots (60%). We achieved it. Van Lis only got to that clip twice in her last year, her sophomore year, and neither of them attempted that many shots (15, 16).
The budding star was able to maintain that efficiency and sink a shot past the arc (she was 2-for-7 on Monday) before the Florida State Seminoles transferred Morgan Jones (14 points and free throw line against Cincinnati). 13 trips to). If she can find her groove, Jeff Walz’s team may soon forget her three starters graduating. — Philippaw
Two Tales of Terps
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Diamond mirror penetrates paint for upper and lower buckets.
Cons: Senior Maryland Security diamond mirror — looking very good early on — went to the locker room in the second quarter of an 88-51 win over George Mason and apparently Did not return due to knee injury On the floor for “kindness,” according to Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.
Pros: Transfer to Princeton Abby Myers She can hit the ball even as she adjusts to her new team, and takes on the No. 17 Terps’ go-to scoring role by finishing with a team-high 19 points after Miller’s injury (and Start the game with 5 shots from 3) ). Losing Katie Benzan, Owusu and Chloe Bibby, Myers’ shooting prowess is much needed by the state of Maryland.
If the rest around them keep calm, Maryland will surprise some people in the Big Ten despite plenty of departures behind Miller (assuming she’s okay) and Myers. — Philippaw
Is Soares what Cyclone was missing?
Ashley Jones He played like Ashley Joeens (28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) in Iowa State’s 87-54 win over Cleveland State, scoring 24 points in the first 18 minutes. But more important to Cyclones’ long-term development, he won the NAIA Player of the Year award twice. Stephanie Soares fare. The 6-6 post was in the starting line-up on Monday and had a foul on her in the first two minutes of the game, though she could only play six minutes in the first half due to trouble, but she was out early in the three blocks. made her presence known. She finished the game with a double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds), plus four blocks and four steals in 21 minutes.
If Soares can stay out of foul trouble, continue to point her conditioning in the right direction, and continue to make an impact on higher quality posts, she will give Iowa State the inside presence it hasn’t had in recent years. Give colleges and universities something that can help programs reach heights not seen in over a decade. Philippaw
