Most of my top 10 teams survived upset scares in Week 9 of women's college basketball — except Stanford, which suffered back-to-back losses and falls down, but not out, of this week's Power 10.
Here's my Power 10 rankings for Week 10 with last week's rankings in parentheses.
1. LOUISVILLE (1) – The Cardinals (14-0) remain undefeated after surviving Wake Forest on Sunday. All-American guard Dana Evans took over and attacked the basket to earn a three-point play through contact and put the game away, 65-63. Evans finished with 25 points.
Highlights and recap from our 65-63 win over Wake Forest.
— #1 Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) January 24, 2021
📰: https://t.co/iqAkH0KOv0#GoCards pic.twitter.com/DvdR5Sydnn
2. UCONN (2) – The Huskies (10-0) haven’t trailed against a team this season until they matched up against previously No. 25 Tennessee. Paige Bueckers' clutch dagger helped them come out on top, 67-61. UConn also picked up victories against Big East opponents Butler and Georgetown.
3. NC STATE (3) – The Wolfpack (11-0) came off of a three-week pause due to COVID-19 protocols. They returned on Sunday to face Virginia Tech but this time without their lead scorer Elissa Cunane. Three Wolfpack stepped up in Cunane’s absence with 20 points plus each, including Kayla Jones’ three that pushed the lead to help NC State remain undefeated, 89-87.
TRACKER: Undefeated DI women's college basketball teams in 2021
4. SOUTH CAROLINA (4) – Two of the Gamecocks' three wins were against top-25 opponents and SEC foes Arkansas and Georgia. South Carolina (12-1) closed out the week with a close battle against LSU, 69-65. Aaliyah Boston had standout double-double performances while leading her team in scoring in all three matchups.
5. MARYLAND (6) – Maryland (11-1) did not see action in Week 9 due to a game postponement against Big 10 opponent Iowa.
6. BAYLOR (7) – After falling to Iowa State in Week 8, Baylor (10-2) has bounced back with wins against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma by double digits. The Bears had five double-figure scorers against the Sooners, led by NaLyssa Smith with 21 points.
12th-straight win over the Sooners.
— Baylor Lady Bears (@BaylorWBB) January 24, 2021
Lady Bears held OU to 14 rebounds, the lowest of any Big 12 opponent since Kim Mulkey's arrival in 2000. 💪#SicEm pic.twitter.com/XHz5ywwSYo
SPOTLIGHT: Michigan women's basketball star Naz Hillmon scores 50 points in record-setting game
7. TEXAS A&M (8) – The Aggies (14-1) are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Missouri, 70-66. They're 5-1 in the SEC.
8. UCLA (10) – The Bruins (9-2) got revenge in a rematch with Stanford, 70-66. Charisma Osborne and Michaela Onyenwere were a dangerous duo against the Cardinal, combining for 40 points.
9. STANFORD (5) – It’s been a tough two weeks for Stanford (12-2), which suffered an upset in Week 9 against UCLA. The Cardinal struggled on the offensive glass only grabbing seven boards compared to the Bruins’ 21. The Cardinal finished the week with a win against Southern California, 86-59.
10. ARIZONA (9) - The Wildcats (11-2) defeated Pac-12 opponent Utah, 66-54, led by Aari McDonald knocking down 20 points. Sunday’s game against Colorado was postponed, but Arizona will resume play against Southern California on Jan 29.
