Ahead of the USC Trojans top-5 matchup versus Notre Dame this weekend, find out what makes their opponent so lethal. The Irish have high-end talent.
The No. 3 USC women’s basketball team will go toe-to-toe with the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish this weekend. Tip from Galen Center is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern time, 1 p.m. Pacific on NBC Sports. The two teams’ top-five rankings were announced earlier this week in the USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll. Days before the big battle, Geoffrey Clark of Fighting Irish Wire spoke to the strengths that got the Fighting Irish to the No. 5 spot.
“The talent the Irish have speaks for itself. Look at the roster, and you’ll have two All-Americans, a freshman phenom in the making, high-producing veterans and younger players who are just itching to make a big impact once given quality minutes. Any rotational player can deliver perhaps the best performance of their collegiate career during any game, and you just have to guess who that’s going to be.”
Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, Kate Koval, and the rest of the Irish starters have elite talent. Notre Dame has a starting five every bit as good as USC’s. The Trojans, however, have greater depth due to the Irish’s injuries, which we will discuss more in the coming days.
The Trojans, who already have a top-20 win under their belt, will have a tough match on their hands this weekend. It will be the first true test to see if head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has her team poised to make another deep run after a Pac-12 Tournament championship last season. This duel on Saturday is certainly the biggest game in women’s college basketball so far this season.
Check out our podcast with Irish Wire on Saturday’s game:
Containing Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo will we a top priority for the USC women’s basketball team in its top-5 matchup against the Irish.
The No. 3 USC women’s basketball team has a big matchup this weekend against the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tipoff on Saturday from Galen Center is scheduled for just after 4 p.m. Eastern time. Rankings are courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll. Ahead of the matchup, Geoffrey Clark of FightingIrishWire spoke about the strength of the Notre Dame team, guard Hannah Hidalgo, who is averaging 25 points per game, ranking fourth in the country.
“Hannah Hidalgo is a scoring and steals machine, and she has proved that constantly during her collegiate career. On top of that, she has the confidence required to be an elite college basketball player, and there is no challenge she won’t take on. She quite simply would be the best player on almost every team in the country,” Clark told us.
Hidalgo, a sophomore, will be one of the top priorities for the Trojans to deal with if they want to come out victorious in the biggest game of their young season. She is one of the many pieces that will make Saturday’s game a must-watch.
Check out our new podcast with Geoffrey Clark on USC-Notre Dame, the first really big women’s basketball game of the season:
Hailing from Clackamas, Oregon, Davidson is the No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 guard in the class of 2025, per On3’s rankings. She committed to USC in September.
As a junior at Clackamas High School last year, Davidson was a semifinalist for the 2023-24 Naismith Trophy High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year award.
“Jazzy, in my opinion, is the jewel of this class,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a statement. “She is an elite level player in every aspect. She can score, create, defend—a true modern, pro-style player. She has a work ethic and competitiveness that will impact our program immediately. But from that first conversation I also knew that Jazzy the person was someone I wanted in our program. She is truly as humble and likeable as she is talented. We got a special one, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Gottlieb’s 2024-2025 Trojans currently sit at 3-0 and are ranked No. 3 in the country.
Actually, won is a a massive understatement. USC women’s basketball completely and utterly dominated the lifeless corpse of Cal State Northridge, which had the misfortune of being the Women of Troy’s opponent.
USC led 30-6 after one quarter. At halftime, it was 60-13. Through three quarters, it was 97-20. When the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans had a historic 124-39 victory, and the visitors from Northridge could mercifully go home.
USC’s 124 points scored were a new program record. It was also the Trojans’ second consecutive victory by a margin of 55+ points.
Sure, those games came against Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge, but any time a team wins by 55 and then 85 points, it raises eyebrows.
It is still only three games into the season. The No. 3 Trojans still have nonconference showdowns with No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 2 UConn, plus a gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule, which features seven games against top-25 opponents.
But if early results are any indication, the Women of Troy are going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.
The ugly opener against Ole Miss was the floor for this team. It will play good defense even when it plays bad offense and can stay in games in which it commits turnovers and endures a rough slog at the offensive end. USC will be competitive even when it plays poorly. These last two games against Cal Poly and especially Northridge offer a glimpse of where this team’s ceiling can be. The defense is the constant, but we have seen the offense improve. Notably, Talia von Oelhoffen was finally able to score in double figures. Getting her going really raises this team’s ceiling and raises the bar for what this team can become.
The Oklahoma Sooners set a program record for points in their win over Western Carolina.
It was field trip day for the Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center. And they put on a show for those in attendance. The Sooners beat Western Carolina 122 to 56 to move to 3-0 on the season.
It was a big day for the Sooners, who continue to light up the scoreboard and put forth fantastic defensive efforts. Through three games, OU hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 56 points in a game this season.
Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma’s 122-56 win over Western Carolina.
1. Setting Records
The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a tear at the offensive end of the floor. On Wednesday morning, they kept it rolling, setting a new program record for points in a game at 122. That surpasses the former record of 121 points from 2007 and 1990.
Oklahoma’s 66-point margin of victory is the largest under Jennie Baranczyk and the fifth-largest margin of victory in Sooner’s history.
The Sooners shot an incredible 63.2% from the field. After struggling from three-point range for the first couple of games, OU came to life from deep in this one, hitting 50% of their threes in the win. They were 7 of 8 in the second half from three.
The Sooners have increased their scoring output in each of their three games and are now averaging 97.67 points per game this season.
2. Raegan Beers dominates
The reigning AP National and SEC Player of the Week had another fantastic performance for the Sooners against Western Carolina. Raegan Beers was 12 of 14 from the field and scored 27 points in the win. She had nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.
Beers has been dominant to start the season for the Sooners and her presence opens everything else up for the rest of the offense.
3. Three ball comes to life
Even though the Oklahoma Sooners were dominant in their opening pair of victories, they struggled to get their three-point stroke going. It looked like it was going to be another rough outing after starting out 3 of 10 from three in the first half. But the Sooners turned it around in the second 20 minutes, hitting 7 of 8 from downtown.
Lexy Keys and Aubrey Joens each went 3-for-3 from three.
If the Sooners can hit from deep on a regular basis, they’ll be incredibly tough to defend this season.
What’s Next for Oklahoma
The Sooners are now 3-0 on the season and sit at No. 9 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. They’ll have a week off before they go on the road to take on Wichita State on Tuesday, November 19.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo is being watched for a prestigious award.
Notre Dame sophomore guard [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] is on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Wade Watch List. She’s among 15 players being watched as a potential winner of the oldest, most prestigious player of the year award.
She was a Region I finalist for the 10-member WBCA Division I Coaches All-American team last season. Hidalgo is averaging 23.5 points per game, 8 rebounds per game, and 6 steals per games through two games so far this season.
She had 28 points against the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday, which lead the Fighting Irish in scoring during their victory.
Hidalgo has already been named an AP Preseason All-American and the Preseason ACC Player of the Year.
If Hidalgo keeps it up, her trophy case could look mighty full when it’s all said and done.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo adjusts her headband during an exhibition game against Davenport on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. Notre Dame won 101-41.
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Oklahoma Sooners forward Raegan Beers earned several weekly honors after her impressive start to the 2024-2025 college basketball season.
The Oklahoma Sooners Women’s Basketball team is off to a strong start at 2-0, winning by a margin of 38 points in their first two games. The Sooners moved up to No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Sooners boast an experienced roster and have been led by Oregon State transfer addition Raegan Beers. In two games with the Sooners, Beers is averaging 23.5 points and 14 rebounds per game.
For her efforts, Beers was named AP Player of the Week for the opening week of the women’s basketball season. Beers was also named the SEC Player of the Week and earned a selection to the USBWA’s starting five of the week. Beers was also named to the Wade Trophy watch list, as selected by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
She’s been as advertised, providing the Sooners an inside scoring presence and has impressed with her range and rebounding ability. Beers shot an incredible 70% from the field and 50% from the three-point line.
The Sooners are one of the more intriguing teams in the nation with an experienced group and one of the more talented frontcouts in college basketball with Beers, Skylar Vann, and Sahara Williams.
It’s a blockbuster USC sports doubleheader on November 23. You can go to Galen Center for women’s hoops and then to Pasadena for football versus UCLA.
On Monday, the kickoff time was announced for the annual Crosstown Showdown rivalry game between USC and UCLA. On Saturday, November 23, the Trojans and Bruins will battle under the lights at the Rose Bowl. Kickoff of the Battle of Los Angeles is set for 7:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The game will be televised on NBC. Earlier that afternoon, the USC women’s basketball team will play a marquee early season game when the Women of Troy host Notre Dame at the Galen Center. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Pacific, also on NBC.
For USC football and basketball fans in Los Angeles, this sets up a dream doubleheader scenario. Fans will be able to catch the basketball game in its entirety, then head over to the Rose Bowl for the football game. Even with LA traffic, there should still be plenty of time for tailgating prior to kickoff.
Even for those who will not be able to attend, it will still be incredibly convenient: NBC will televise both matchups nationally, so fans will not even need to change the channel.
For good measure, the peacock network will also televise Notre Dame football’s showdown with undefeated Army in between these two USC games. Hence, NBC’s schedule for Saturday, November 23 is (Pacific time):
1 p.m.: USC-Notre Dame women’s basketball
4 p.m.: Notre Dame football
7:30 p.m.: USC football versus UCLA
It sets up an exciting day in the spotlight for the Trojans and the Fighting Irish, leading up to their showdown on the football field the following week on Nov. 30.
After a strong start to the season, the Oklahoma Sooners earned a bump in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a 2-0 start to the 2024-2025 women’s college basketball season. They’ve won their two games by an average margin of 38 points per game in wins over Southern and, most recently, Virginia of the ACC.
With their hot start to the season, Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners have moved up one spot to No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Sooners have been led by transfer forward [autotag]Raegan Beers[/autotag], who is averaging 23.5 points and 14 rebounds. She was named AP Player of the Week in her first week of action with the Sooners.
The top of the poll features defending national champion South Carolina, who garnered 29 of the possible 31 first-place votes this week. They’re followed by UConn, USC, Texas, and Notre Dame in the top five.
The Sooners are one of four SEC teams in the top 10, coming in two spots behind Liz Mulkey’s LSU Tigers.
Oklahoma’s in a solid spot in the first couple of weeks and will look to build on their start when they take on the Western Carolina Catamounts on Wednesday morning at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Oregon 42; Florida State 38; Iowa 34; Tennessee 33; Utah 17; Creighton 11; Auburn 11; TCU 10; Michigan State 9; Middle Tennessee 8; Indiana 8; Fairfield 7; UNLV 6; Michigan 4; Penn State 3; Mississippi State 3; Saint Joseph’s 2; Gonzaga 2; Richmond 1; Columbia 1;
List Of Voters
The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2024-25 season: Ashleen Bracey, Illinois-Chicago; Jen Brown, Queens University; Dan Burt, Duquesne; Fred Chmiel, Bowling Green; Janell Crayton Del Rosario, Bethune-Cookman; Denise Dillon, Villanova; Carrie Eighmey, South Dakota; Dalila Eshe, Yale; Heather Ezell, Wyoming; Bill Fennelly, Iowa State; Cindy Fisher, San Diego; Aqua Franklin, Lamar; Ty Grace, Howard; Hana Haden, Georgia Southern; Johnnie Harris, Auburn; Brian Holsinger, Montana; Rick Insell, Middle Tennessee; Renee Jimenez, UC Santa Barbara; Chris Kielsmeier, Cleveland State; Mike Lane, NJIT; Amy Mallon, Drexel; Mike McGuire, Radford; Kim McNeill, East Carolina; Lynn Milligan, Rider; Dan Nielson, Utah Valley; Shawn Poppie, Clemson; Samantha Quigley Smith, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville; Missy Traversi, Army; Jonathan Tsipis, Western Carolina; Way Veney, Central Connecticut State; Coquese Washington, Rutgers.
Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles has had a special start to the season.
Women’s basketball player [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] has taken home ACC Player of the Week honors for the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The senior guard gets the honors for the third time — her first since December 2022.
She earned it with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Mercyhurst in her first game back after recovering from a torn ACL. That’s her fourth career triple-double and it came in a 105-61 win.
Miles then had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist and a block against Purdue as Notre Dame beat the Boilermakers 102-58.
Miles was also 7-for-15 from the floor for the Fighting Irish against the Boilermakers, including a 55-foot shot to end the third quarter.
Right now, Miles is the only ACC player to be in the conference’s top 10 for points, rebounds and assists. She’s leading the NCAA with 6.8 assists per game.
Miles has performed another feat — she’s the first NBA, WNBA, men’s or women’s college basketball player to have a 20-point triple-double in their first game back after missing a season due to injury in the last 25 years.
Notre Dame’s next game is at home against James Madison (3-0).
Mar 23, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Olivia Miles reacts after Notre Dame defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
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