We’ve reached the final week of the regular season in women’s college basketball, which means next week tips off conference tournaments!
Many teams in my rankings have already wrapped up their conference schedules, however Big 12 foes are still in their final stretch. Here are my Power 10 Rankings in Week 16 of women’s college basketball:
1. South Carolina (1) – The Gamecocks finished its season 14-1 in the SEC with a victory over Texas A&M and Ole Miss. On Feb. 24 against the Aggies, Aliyah Boston’s 18 points and 10 rebounds marked her 20th double-double, which set an SEC record, passing former LSU star Sylvia Fowles. Boston continued her dominant streak to 21 against the Rebels.
CROWN HER 👑
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 25, 2022
Aliyah Boston has broken the SEC record for consecutive double-doubles 👏 @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/9xFMYk6CId
2. Stanford (2) – The Cardinal completed its Pac-12 schedule, 16-0, with wins over Washington State and a Washington. This marks its eighth flawless conference season in program history.
3. NC State (3) – The Wolfpack had one game in Week 16 to close out its regular season, and No. 23 Virginia Tech made sure they gave NC State a run for its money in a game that came down to the wire. NC State was held to only eight points in the fourth quarter, but a crucial bucket in the post from Elissa Cunane helped the Wolfpack escape the upset.
4. Louisville (4) – The Cards blew past Pitt and No. 14 Notre Dame in a dominant fashion to finish its regular-season run. The Cardinals came out hot over Notre Dame, hitting their first seven threes in the first quarter while holding the Fighting Irish to only three points. Louisville's offense was paced by Hailey Van Lith and Kianna Smith's 20-point performances.
5. Baylor (5) – The Bears defeated Oklahoma State and Kansas, Baylor still has two more games in Big 12 play in front of them. In a race to the regular-season title, Baylor plays Iowa State on Monday, Feb. 28, and Texas Tech, in hopes to clinch the regular-season title.
6. Iowa State (8) – The Cyclones picked up two wins over conference foes, Kansas and Texas Tech. As I mentioned, Its biggest test comes on Feb. 28, in hopes to split its series with Baylor in a race to win a share of the Big 12 regular-season title, currently tied up with a 13-13 conference record.
7. LSU (10) – The Kim Mulkey Effect! LSU defeated Alabama and then took down Tennessee, 57-54, in a fight over the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament. In Coach Mulkey’s first season at the helm of this program, the Tigers finished inside the top-two (right behind South Carolina) in the conference for the first time since 2008.
Sealed the No. 2 Seed‼️ pic.twitter.com/aMYt0YmsuU
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) February 27, 2022
8. Michigan (6) – The Wolverines got its revenge over its in-state rival Michigan State, but the victory was short-lived getting stunned by Iowa, 104-80. Michigan couldn't find an answer for Caitlin Clark, who went on a scoring rampage and it also did not help that the Wolverines couldn't find a way to slow Iowa down in transition, running away with 31 fast-break points.
9. UConn (9) – Paige Bueckers is back! It’s been since Dec. 5 since we saw the reigning National Player of the Year after she suffered a tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus in her left knee. In her return, she scored eight-point in a win over St. John’s. The Huskies closed out its conference schedule by handling Providence.
10. Texas – Hello Longhorns! Texas is on a six-game winning streak, which includes top-25 wins over Oklahoma and Iowa State. This squad not only holds one of the top offenses in the nation averaging 73 points per game, but one of the best defenses in the nation holding its opponents to just 56 points per game. With a No. 7 Net Ranking, Texas will look to end its season with sweeps over Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
