The NCAA women’s basketball season is barely two weeks old, but the hot takes are already flying. With several powerhouse programs in action and some surprising early results, fans and pundits alike are rushing to draw conclusions about what it all means for the months ahead. But in a sport where teams grow and evolve dramatically over the course of a season, it’s crucial to separate knee-jerk overreactions from legitimate trends.
Will Too Much Perimeter Shooting Doom South Carolina?
The defending champion Gamecocks raised eyebrows by attempting 26 threes in their season-opening win over Michigan, just one fewer than their single-game high all of last season. For a team that dominated the paint en route to a title, it seemed like a troubling departure. But head coach Dawn Staley was quick to downplay any concerns, and her team responded by pounding the ball inside in their next game against NC State. Verdict: overreaction. With elite post players like Aliyah Boston and a renewed commitment to their identity, don’t expect South Carolina to fall in love with the jump shot.
UConn Boasts Unparalleled Depth
Led by a healthy Paige Bueckers, UConn has jumped out to a 2-0 start while flaunting a roster that goes legitimately 12 deep. Nine different Huskies are averaging over 12 minutes per game, and they’re doing it without several key veterans who are still working their way back from injury. It’s enough to wonder if this is Geno Auriemma’s deepest team ever. Verdict: slight overreaction. The 2000-01 team with a young Diana Taurasi coming off the bench might have something to say about that. But if they can avoid the injury bug, these Huskies have a real chance to make history with their unmatched wealth of talent.
The SEC and Big Ten Are Poised for Record Bids
A whopping 12 teams from both the SEC and Big Ten appeared in the first edition of ESPN’s Bracketology, thanks to a combination of improved depth, conference realignment, and the demise of the Pac-12. Verdict: not an overreaction. With the sport’s changing landscape and a lack of obvious at-large mid-majors, the table is set for these two power conferences to dominate on Selection Sunday like never before.
Early Season Blowouts Are Sapping Excitement
A slew of lopsided results have some fans grumbling that the women’s game is losing momentum after last season’s thrilling Championship run by South Carolina and the electricity of Caitlin Clark. Top 10 teams have won their first 26 games by an average of nearly 40 points. Verdict: overreaction. While the light early schedule is unfortunate, there are plenty of marquee matchups on the horizon. From UConn’s trip to face Texas on Sunday to South Carolina’s clash with Stanford later this month, the best is yet to come.
The beauty of college sports is that there are always more questions than answers at this time of year. Rather than rushing to conclusions, the wise approach is to marvel at the breathtaking talent on display while remembering that the only trend that matters is the one a team ultimately rides to the Final Four in Dallas. The journey to get there will be filled with twists, turns, and the collapse of countless “sure thing” narratives that crop up in November. That’s what makes it so fun.
