In case you didn’t know, women’s college basketball has been making quite a bit of noise early this season during weekends.
The November 12 matchup between Notre Dame and California became the first-ever women’s college basketball game broadcasted on NBC.
Last Sunday, South Carolina and Stanford gave us an overtime thriller between the two top-ranked teams (and the last two NCAA champions).
And this Sunday’s showdown between UConn and Iowa has a chance to be the latest headline maker in the sport — even without the phenomenal Paige Bueckers.
The stage is set, so let’s dive into what should make this a great matchup.
History
The history between UConn and Iowa doesn’t run very deep. In fact, the two schools have only met once in the 21st century, which came back in 2021 during the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen. The Huskies won that matchup, 92-72, behind a total team effort.
But the UConn team that rolled the Hawkeyes looks a bit different nowadays. Christyn Williams, the former matchup’s leading scorer (27 points) is in the WNBA, as are Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook. And of course, Paige Bueckers isn’t playing this season due to an ACL tear, leaving Aaliyah Edwards as the lone starter from that 2021 team.
Meanwhile, the entire Iowa starting lineup is back from the 2021 Sweet Sixteen game against the Huskies, which includes arguably college basketball’s best duo, Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano.
As the Hawkeyes gang looks for revenge, they’ll have to deal with a whole new crop of Huskies’ stars.
Key Players
UConn Huskies
Two players that Iowa didn’t have the displeasure of dealing with back in 2021 are UConn’s two starting guards Azzi Fudd and Nika Muhl.
Azzi Fudd probably doesn’t need an introduction to the casual fan. She’s a future WNBA lottery pick and the heir apparent to Paige Bueckers once she’s turned pro. Fudd’s 26.0 points and 3.25 threes per game make her one of the best three-level scorers in the sport, and will surely be a handful for the Hawkeyes.
But the player out there making things easier for Fudd and the Huskies’ offense is Nika Muhl, who is the only player in women’s college basketball averaging double-digit assists per game (10.3). Her 3.3 steals per contest are also what makes her a fantastic player, and her defensive abilities could likely lead to her drawing the assignment to guard Caitlin Clark.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Speaking of Caitlin Clark, she has a very strong case for being the nation’s best college basketball player (a case that formed as she burst onto the scene as a freshman). Whether it’s through scoring or setting up her teammates within the offense, Clark is certainly no stranger to success and has been in plenty of big moments throughout her career. If she dominates Sunday’s matchup with UConn, it would just be the latest masterclass to add to her resume.
The same can be said for her running mate Monika Czinano, who is averaging over 18.0 points and 5.0 rebounds for the third-straight season.
Prediction
Final prediction: UConn wins by 12.
There’s a good chance that this is a high-scoring affair given the two teams hovering around the top 10 in points per game, so you might want to take a look at the point total if you’re betting. And while it’s certainly possible that the Hawkeyes get the revenge they’ve sought for over a year and a half, the more likely outcome is that UConn handles business to win the Phil Night Legacy Tournament and remain undefeated.
