Why the first Sunday of the season won't disappoint

Sundays are typically big in women’s college basketball. The schedule for the first Sunday of the 2024-25 season doesn’t disappoint.

No. 1 South Carolina meets No. 9 NC State (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) in a Final Four rematch in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s the first game back for Gamecocks junior forward Ashlyn Watkins, whose suspension was lifted Wednesday.

Watkins faced charges of assault and kidnapping for an incident on campus Aug. 31. The charges were dismissed, and now she and the Gamecocks move forward. The 6-foot-3 Watkins is expected to play a huge role for the defending champions after center Kamilla Cardoso moved on to the WNBA.

The Gamecocks beat the Wolfpack 78-59 in the national semifinals in April in Cleveland, and Watkins had 20 rebounds in that game. She averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds and blocked an SEC-best 91 shots last season. With Cardoso also blocking 82 shots, the Gamecocks were a fearsome team to try to score against inside in what turned into an undefeated season.

We will see how ready Watkins is to play against the Wolfpack, who were 31-7 last season and made the program’s second Final Four. Starting post players River Baldwin and Mimi Collins completed their eligibility. But starting guards Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes return, as does top reserve Zoe Brooks.

We look at what to watch for the Gamecocks-Wolfpack matchup, along with some other games to keep on eye on this weekend.

How big is the guard matchup between South Carolina and NC State?

It might be where both teams’ strengths are early on. James led the Wolfpack in scoring last season, averaging 16.8 PPG. James, Rivers, Hayes and Brooks all started and scored in double figures in NC State’s season-opening 80-55 victory Tuesday over East Tennessee State.

South Carolina got a scare in its opener Monday, but the Gamecocks beat Michigan 68-62 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Forward Chloe Kitts led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while guard Tessa Johnson had 15 points off the bench. But starting guards Bree Hall, Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao were a combined 7-of-24 from the field for 18 points.

The Gamecocks are sure to want to establish themselves better Sunday, but it could be a challenge considering NC State’s perimeter experience.

We also will get another look at the Gamecocks’ top recruit, forward Joyce Edwards, who had 10 points and 7 rebounds against the Wolverines.

Hawkeyes vs. Hokies: Seasons of change

The Ally Tipoff’s second game pits Iowa against Virginia Tech (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Both teams were 2023 Final Four participants; the Hokies fell to LSU in the semifinals, and the Hawkeyes lost to the Tigers in the final.

Both schools lost their head coaches (Lisa Bluder retired, Kenny Brooks moved to Kentucky) and biggest stars from last season (Caitlin Clark, Elizabeth Kitley). Iowa’s Jan Jensen is in her 25th season at the school but her first as head coach. Megan Duffy is now running things at Virginia Tech.

Neither team is ranked, so the game doesn’t stand out like it would have the past few seasons. But Sunday could mark an early step as the teams look to establish different identities.

The Hawkeyes still have several familiar faces back, such as forward Hannah Stuelke, one of five starters who scored in double figures in their 91-73 opening victory against Northern Illinois on Wednesday. Transfer Lucy Olsen, who made her presence known immediately with 19 points, led Iowa in scoring.

Guard Sydney Affolter, who started 12 games last season, missed the opener but might play Sunday; she has been recovering from an arthroscopic procedure on one of her knees.

Virginia Tech won its opener Monday 99-57 against UNC Wilmington behind Matilda Ekh‘s 18 points and nine rebounds. Ekh is one of two Hokies seniors and the team’s top returning scorer at 10.4 PPG.

Cardinal honor VanDerveer

Just as it’s odd to see Iowa and Virginia Tech unranked, the same could be said for Stanford and Gonzaga, who meet Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The Cardinal will honor legendary coach Tara VanDerveer with the unveiling of the court named after her at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford has started the season 2-0 after a victory Thursday over Washington State, the Cardinal’s longtime former conference mate. It was the 1,600th game in Stanford history; VanDerveer was coach for 1,284.

Stanford started the season — and longtime VanDerveer assistant Kate Paye’s head coaching career — with a 107-43 win over Le Moyne on Monday. Jzaniya Harriel, a redshirt junior expected to play more this season, led Stanford with 23 points.

Gonzaga beat Montana 82-69 in its season opener Tuesday. Yvonne Ejim, in her fifth year with the Bulldogs, led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

It’s going to take a long time before we get used to not seeing VanDeveer on the Cardinal sideline and the fact that Stanford is an ACC school now. But it also means there is a lot to learn about Stanford.

Remember when: Blue Devils vs. Terps again

This is Maryland‘s 11th season in the Big Ten. But in the Terps’ ACC days, they developed a heated rivalry against Duke in the decade before their move. The 2006 national championship was their biggest meeting, which Maryland won in overtime.

Nearly a decade has passed since the programs last faced off, but they meet again Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FS1) as No. 18 Maryland hosts No. 11 Duke. Both are 2-0. They last played each other in 2015, when the Terps won their NCAA regional semifinal matchup in Spokane, Washington, on their way to the Final Four.

As to be expected, almost everything about the programs is different now compared to then, except one key figure: Maryland coach Brenda Frese, who is in her 23rd season. She’ll match up against Kara Lawson, who is in her fifth season as coach at Duke.