NCAAW what to watch week 3: Pac-12 rivalry week, Paige Bueckers' UConn debut
It’s rivalry week in the Pac-12 with the Arizona teams, Oregon teams and Los Angeles teams squaring off earlier than usual. It will also — if the schedule holds — be heralded recruit Paige Bueckers’ collegiate debut when UConn takes the court for the first time on Saturday.
Here are the games to watch in the third week of the season. The schedule is subject to change and all times are ET.
Thursday, Dec. 10
Arizona State at No. 6 Arizona, 6 p.m.
CATCH UP: Arizona (3-0) is off to another undefeated start and has its highest AP ranking in program history. Arizona State (4-1) is close, but lost to UCLA by four points last weekend. It’s a rivalry that isn’t quite as level as the one up in Oregon, but it’s getting there. And Arizona coach Adia Barnes likes it that way.
“I want [other teams] to have to prepare,” she said, via SB Nation’s Arizona Desert Swarm. “I want them to come to the state of Arizona and at ASU they get their butts kicked. And then they come here and get their butts kicked. Then they leave the state of Arizona like, ‘Wow, that’s a tough trip.’ Because I feel that way going to Oregon and Oregon State.”
The Wildcats won both contests last year, first by a 58-53 score in late December and then at home, 59-53, a month later when the Sun Devils jumped them in the AP rankings. It was the first time Arizona swept the series since 2000. That was also the last time they won three in a row against ASU.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Arizona has a core of talent returning, headlined by senior WNBA prospect Aari McDonald. The senior guard averages 21.7 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Arizona State has one returning starter, junior Jayde Van Hefte, and a host of newcomers in an awkward year to rely on them. Eboni Walker leads the offense with 11.0 points per game on 50 percent shooting.
No. 7 Baylor at West Virginia, 7 p.m.
CATCH UP: This is a bounce-back game for Baylor, a squad that returned two starters from a 28-2 team that was in the national title conversation. The Bears (2-1) are coming off an 83-78 loss to Arkansas, now ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll, and prior to that a close 67-62 win over South Florida.
“I certainly didn't plan to start the season with three quality opponents on the road," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said, via the team site. “You can get away with that and do that if you're experienced and you've got returning players. What you become concerned about is if you don't win ballgames, what's the psyche of your team? is their confidence just shot, or are they able to bounce back?”
Baylor, undefeated in Morgantown (8-0), is looking to avoid its first back-to-back losses since February 2015. The Bears haven’t lost their Big 12 opener since December of 2015 against Oklahoma.
West Virginia (4-0) is coming in looking to keep momentum after a 79-73 overtime win against Tennessee. They also have a victory over LSU on their early résumé. With a handful of votes in the latest AP Poll they’re looking to work their way into the Top 25.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Can Baylor’s Queen Egbo stay in the game? She was one of three Bears to foul out against Arkansas, chipping in only six points — 19 below her two-game average — and seven rebounds in 11 minutes on the floor. While Mulkey said she believed there were “some terrible calls” in that game, she added bluntly, “Queen Egbo’s got to quit fouling.”
Mountaineers redshirt senior Kysre Gondrezick scored a career-high 27 against Tennessee. She’s averaging 23 points a game.
Saturday, Dec. 12
UMass Lowell at No. 3 UConn
CATCH UP: It will be UConn’s 2020-21 season opener, which is what puts this at “what to watch” level. The Huskies paused basketball activities on Nov. 23 when a member of the program tested positive for COVID-19. The season opener five days later was canceled as was the rest of their games up until adding UMass Lowell to the schedule.
The River Hawks also paused activities days before the season opened. They went 16-15 last season and lost their one contest, 88-38, to Boston College on Dec. 6.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: The contest is the first look at heralded freshman Paige Bueckers and a recruiting class ranked second by ESPN. It’s going to be an ugly score, and not the best opponent to level up against, but the younger and less-experienced players will get plenty of play time.
Sunday, Dec. 13
No. 11 UCLA at USC, 3 p.m.
TEAM CATCH UP: It’s tough living in the Pac-12. USC comes into this contest with a 1-2 record, but those two losses are by a combined six points to Arizona State (63-58) and No. 6 Arizona (78-77). It doesn’t get any easier for USC with No. 1 Stanford up next weekend.
UCLA (3-1) had similar close contests against the Arizona teams. The Bruins lost to Arizona, 68-65, and beat Arizona State, 63-59. They’ll face Stanford on Dec. 21.
The well-matched foes split the regular season series last year. UCLA beat USC, 73-66, in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: UCLA’s Michaela Onyenwere scored 21 points and eight rebounds in a 24-point win over USC last season. She did not play in the second game that the Bruins lost by a bucket, but returned for 26 points and 15 rebounds in the tournament game. The 6-foot senior forward is averaging a double-double (15.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG) through four games.
USC sophomore Alissa Pili scored in double-digits in each of the three games, including 28 of the 59 points in the first meeting. She is currently out with injury and there’s no word on when she’ll make her return. USC has utilized only eight players.
No. 8 Oregon at No. 15 Oregon State, 7 p.m.
TEAM CATCH UP: No, Sabrina Ionescu isn’t on the Oregon (4-0) roster anymore but the team is still stacked. And this rivalry is hot. Though it’s the only ranked matchup on Sunday, the game is only available on the Pac-12 Network.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Oregon senior forward Erin Boley is leading the scoring with 16.8 per game. Junior guard Taylor Mikesell is averaging 12.3 points and shooting 59.1 percent from behind the arc. Sedona Prince and Nyara Sabally, the younger sister of the Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, are averaging a combined 23.3 points and 13.1 rebounds in the paint.
Oregon State (3-1) senior guard Aleah Goodman is pacing the Beavers at 17.5 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Sasha Goforth (15.5 PPG) and Taylor Jones (13.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG) are keying the offense as well.
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