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.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.

USWNT regulars Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson furthered their cases for Olympic inclusion with their respective club victories on Saturday and Sunday.

After a roller coaster of a week that saw former Thorns head coach Mike Norris reassigned and a flurry of last-minute roster reshufflings as Friday's trade window closure loomed, the NWSL sprung to life over the weekend with standout performances from ninth-place Portland and third-place Chicago, among others.

After her blocked attempt at goal set up a volleying sixth-minute opener from veteran Christine Sinclair — now the only player in history to record a goal in all 11 NWSL seasons — Smith swiftly netted her own in the 27th minute off a breakaway run that eluded Houston's backline. The goal represented Smith's third of the season as well as her 35th for the Thorns, ultimately leading to the home side's first win of the season in a 4-1 routing of the Dash.

But that wasn't Smith's only stat of the evening. The star forward also lapped former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr to become the youngest player to reach 50 NWSL goal contributions across all games, chalking up 40 goals and 10 assists at the age of 23 years and 254 days.

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"Obviously it feels good to get a win," said Smith in a post-match press conference. "But this is the standard the Thorns have always had. So a win is great, but a win is the expectation — we're hungrier than ever after the way we started."

170 miles up the road, Lumen Field similarly showcased some promising Olympic prospect footwork on Sunday. In Chicago's 2-1 victory over the lagging 13th-place Seattle Reign, striker Mallory Swanson racked up an impressive counterattack assist on fellow forward Ally Schlegel's fourth-minute goal. Swanson went on to find the back of the net herself before halftime, lacing an explosive ball into the top corner in the 31st minute, her second of the season after returning from a lengthy sidelining injury.

Speaking of injuries, fellow USWNT favorites Alex Morgan and Tierna Davidson were not as fortunate as their national squad teammates this weekend. Each exited their club matches early, Morgan with an ankle knock in San Diego's loss to Orlando and Davidson with an apparent hamstring incident early on in Washington's win over Gotham.

LSU came out on top at the 2024 NCAA women's gymnastics championship in Fort Worth on Saturday, besting Cal, Utah, and Florida to capture their first-ever title.

The Tigers' win was far from a landslide. LSU took the first rotation handily thanks to 2024 All-Around winner Haleigh Bryant's team-leading 9.9375 backed by four additional 9.9+ scores from her teammates. But Utah then responded with three strong beam performances of their own, causing the Red Rocks to slide confidently into second place by the end of the second rotation.

By the halfway point, all four teams fell within .288 points of one another before Utah overtook the pack with a dominant floor showing after three rotations. LSU then went on to ace the beam event with Konnor McClain's meet-leading 9.9625 score, coming away with the highest collective score ever awarded to the event in NCAA championship history. The achievement propelled the Tigers to victory, ensuring them the title after the final rotation.

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"This team is full of individuals that have incredible character and integrity and love for each other and all the things you hear from coaches when they sit at a podium like this in a moment of victory, but I promise you it's a real thing," said LSU coach Jay Clark in a post-meet press conference. "I'm just so happy for them."

Contributing to Saturday's atmosphere of excitement was the absence of last year's champion and this year's heavily favored Oklahoma Sooners. Hot off earning the highest team score in NCAA history just last month, the top-ranked Norman squad suffered a shocking loss in the semifinals, where five major mistakes contributed to a third-place finish and a season-low team score of 196.6625.

With Oklahoma out, it was truly anyone's game.

"Every team was out there fighting for their lives — all four teams, it could have gone any of four ways out there," Clark told reporters. "As much as I feel for what happened to Oklahoma in the semifinals, I think it made for a championship that became so packed with emotion because every team out there believed they could do it. It was just tremendous."

LSU is now the eighth program in the sport's history to earn an NCAA women's gymnastic championship.
They share the honor with Georgia, Utah, UCLA, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, and Michigan.