The 2022-23 college basketball season will hit the ground running.

The first games tip off Monday, and the opening week features several marquee matchups — including a must-watch battle between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 17 Maryland. Just Women’s Sports has five games you won’t want to miss.

Monday, Nov. 7: No. 21 Creighton vs. No. 23 South Dakota State

Kick off the week with a mid-major matchup between two experienced top-25 squads.

Creighton burst onto the scene during last year’s NCAA tournament when Lauren Jensen’s 19 points and go-ahead 3-pointer knocked out No. 2 seed Iowa in the second round. The Blue Jays made a run to the Elite Eight as a tournament darling. Meanwhile, South Dakota State narrowly missed March Madness but went on to win the NIT, topping Seton Hall in the championship.

Rising juniors Lauren Jensen, Morgan Maly, Molly Mogensen and Emma Ronsiek were Creighton’s top four scorers last season, and now they have high-level experience to go with their offensive prowess. Expect the same style of play they showed in 2021-22, with everyone on the floor shooting 3-pointers – 41% of the Bluejays’ point production came from long range last year.

South Dakota State is in a similar position, returning four of its starters (who also happen to be their top four scorers). After winning the NIT, the Jackrabbits are hungry to prove themselves — and to earn a March Madness bid. Starting the season with a win over No. 21 Creighton would put them on the right path.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Ohio State

There’s no easing into the season, as Tuesday boasts another top-25 matchup. Tennessee and Ohio State were both Sweet 16 teams last year, and though their seasons technically ended the same way, they were viewed through different lenses.

Injuries and inconsistency kept the Vols from reaching their full potential, while the Buckeyes made a surprise splash, winning the Big Ten regular season and reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. Tennessee will look to redeem itself this year, while Ohio State’s goal is to prove it has staying power.

Vols fans are rejoicing at the return of leading scorer (16.2) and rebounder (9.4) Jordan Horston, who was injured during the NCAA tournament. Tuesday’s contest will also give the Tennessee faithful their first non-exhibition look at top transfers Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell.

The Buckeyes will once again be led by guard duo Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, who return for their senior seasons. The two combined to score just under half of Ohio State’s total points last season, averaging 19.7 and 18.6 points per game, respectively. The Buckeyes should also expect a jump from 6-4 forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, who provides a post presence for the team, averaging 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest last season.

Wednesday, Nov. 9: No. 12 North Carolina vs. Jackson State

I’m still thinking about Jackson State’s near 15-over-2-seed upset of LSU in last season’s NCAA tournament. It marked what I anticipate to be the beginning of Jackson State’s rise on the national level. And the way the Tigers play against No. 12 North Carolina on Wednesday will give us an idea of just how quickly the JSU program will reach that potential.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels have their own potential to live up to, with an NCAA tournament run that ended with a close contest against eventual champion South Carolina – the Gamecocks ended up winning 69-61 in the Sweet 16.

Last season, Jackson State coach Tomekia Reed scheduled a tough slate of non conference opponents, and it paid off. When conference play came around, the Tigers cruised to an 18-0 SWAC record and a conference tournament title to earn their March Madness bid. This season is no different. After taking on UNC, the Tigers play teams like Texas, UCLA and Oregon State.

UNC will once again be led by Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby, one of the top guard duos in the country. Now juniors, Kelly (16.5 points per game) and Utsby (12.9) have experience to go with their talent. Third leading scorer Kennedy Todd-Williams also returns for the Tar Heels.

Friday, Nov. 11: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 17 Maryland

Any time the defending national champs are playing, it’s must-see TV.

The Gamecocks are starting the season with a challenge in No. 17 Maryland, a team that looks very different to last season. The Terrapins both won and lost in the transfer market, losing top players in Ashley Owusu and Angel Reese but gaining several replacement players, headlined by Abby Meyers (Princeton) and Lavender Briggs (Florida). Meanwhile, South Carolina looks virtually the same as it did during last season’s title run, meaning a repeat is possible.

South Carolina will be anchored once again by reigning POY and DPOY Aliyah Boston. Three other starters also return, with Destanni Henderson the only departure – she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. Sophomore guards Raven Johnson and Bree Hall should be able to contribute in her place. And as good as Henderson is, don’t expect the Gamecocks to miss her too much. There’s plenty of talent to fill the gap.

Maryland is full of new faces this season, but expect a familiar one to lead the charge. After an impressive sophomore season where she averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, Diamond Miller was plagued by injuries in 2021-22, and never reached full strength. Now, she’s back to her true form and ready to anchor this Terrapins squad.

Friday, Nov. 11: No. 24 Princeton vs. Villanova

Princeton is another team that made waves in last year’s NCAA tournament, upsetting No. 6 Kentucky in the first round before falling 56-55  to No. 3 Indiana. The Tigers were solid all season, going 14-0 in Ivy League play. They are expected to win their conference again this season.

Villanova, on the other hand, is a team that’s likely feeling a bit slighted by not appearing in the AP Top 25. The Wildcats are receiving votes, though, and a win over Princeton would quickly get them into the rankings.

The Tigers lost top scorer Meyers to the transfer portal, but their No. 2 and 3 scorers return in Julia Cunningham and Kaitlyn Chen. Chen in particular is someone to get excited about. Her athleticism and shot-creating ability are more akin to a Power Five player than an Ivy Leaguer.

As for Villanova, everyone knows the name Maddy Siegrist by now. The senior forward was second in the country last season in scoring, averaging 25.3 points per game. Her creativity scoring the ball is key for the Wildcats, as opponents – starting with Princeton – will make it their mission to slow down the senior.

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

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Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.