No. 1 South Carolina, last year’s national champion, and No. 2 Stanford, the 2021 national champion, will square off Sunday in the most anticipated matchup of the women’s college basketball season.

Both of these squads have the potential to be cutting down the nets come April, so Sunday could offer fans a Final Four or championship game preview.

Here are three storylines to watch when these two powerhouses take the court at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.

Aliyah Boston vs. Cameron Brink

This game features two of the best bigs in college basketball in South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston and Stanford’s Cameron Brink.

Boston won last season’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards after leading South Carolina to a national title, and Brink played a key role in Stanford’s 2021 title run. Both are future pros and generational talents.

But the 6-foot-5 Gamecocks senior and 6-foot-4 Cardinal junior bring contrasting styles of play to the floor.

Their biggest similarity comes in their shot-blocking abilities. Last season, Boston averaged 2.4 blocks per game, while Brink recorded 2.6 per game. Though Brink’s stats were better, Boston holds the defensive advantage because of her poise. Brink has been foul-prone during her first two years with the Cardinal, so keeping her on the floor against Boston will be key for Stanford.

As for their offensive skills, Boston is more of a traditional big, doing her damage with her back to the basket or on offensive boards, while Brink has guard skills that allow her to catch and drive from the perimeter. In this game, expect Stanford to try and stretch the defense by bringing Brink outside. South Carolina, on the other hand, will likely challenge Brink inside, with the aim of sending her to the bench with foul trouble.

“Ready to do what needs to be done.” Aliyah Boston is HER. #NCAAWBB X @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/uQpbp4N551

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 11, 2022

Roster depth

Both of these teams are blessed with depth.

That’s a gift, but it also means South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer have to spend the early part of the season tinkering with their lineups. There’s a good chance Stanford and South Carolina meet again in the postseason, and if they do, their rotations could look a lot different than they do Sunday.

This weekend, look out for the usual suspects – Brink and Haley Jones for Stanford, and Boston and Zia Cooke for South Carolina – but also be aware that any number of players could step up and make a difference.

In the starting lineup, Raven Johnson could have a breakout game for South Carolina. After being injured early last season the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2021 has been tabbed to take over the point guard spot from Destanni Henderson. For Stanford, Hannah Jump is off to a hot start, shooting 58% from beyond the arc and averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game.

Off the bench, both teams have elite post options as well. South Carolina has the luxury of trading Boston for 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso, while Stanford brings in No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts. And it doesn’t end there. Ashlyn Watkins, the No. 12 recruit in the country, has been getting key minutes for the Gamecocks – she made headlines with a dunk against Clemson – and Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen has gone from playing 6.5 minutes per game as a freshman to putting up 11.8 points per game in her sophomore season.

Another day in the office for @hannah_jump 👀

Her eight 3️⃣'s against Cal Poly matched a career-high, are the second-most in a single game in Stanford history, and increased her national lead of 20 3️⃣'s this season!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/PHIIGI4pp7

— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) November 18, 2022

Efficient scoring

Stanford started the season shooting exceptionally well. So far, the Cardinal are hitting 55% of their field goals and 41% of their 3-pointers. Leading the way in efficiency is Iriafen, who ranks second in the country and has made 75% of her shot attempts so far. Betts isn’t far behind, making 72% of her attempts.

For South Carolina, Boston has scored on 71.4% of her attempts, and the post cohort is following suit. Cardoso (with less attempts) is at 82.4%, Watkins is shooting 70.6%, and Sania Feagin – another player who is making big strides from last season – is shooting 76.9%.

Both teams like to find high-percentage looks inside, and both squads do it with relative ease.

The defense in this game will be on another level compared to the teams South Carolina and Stanford have played thus far – though the Gamecocks faced No. 17 Maryland – so those numbers likely won’t be as high. Look for both sides to try and capitalize in other aspects of the game, like free throws or outside shooting to find some kind of separation. That could be the difference, but the Gamecocks and the Cardinal won’t shy away from their inside game, and it should be an exciting battle in the key.

Chelsea FC star Sam Kerr was found not guilty of racially harassing a London police officer on Tuesday. A Kingston Crown Court jury acquitted the striker of all charges after four hours of deliberation.

The 31-year-old Australia national was tried for allegedly causing "racially aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress" to PC Stephen Lovell. The allegations followed a heated January 2023 dispute between a local taxi driver and Kerr and her fiancée, USWNT star Kristie Mewis.

Kerr, who identifies as Anglo-Indian, did not deny calling the officer "stupid and white." Instead, she argued that the police treated her differently due to her skin color. Kerr called her words a "poorly" expressed comment on the officer's "power and privilege."

After the verdict, Kerr released her own statement on social media. "I can finally put this challenging period behind me," she wrote.

"While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed."

"I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day."

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Kerr looks ahead with harassment trial now in the rearview

Kerr spent the last year recovering from a January 2024 ACL tear. However, she recently re-signed with the London club after originally joining the WSL frontrunners in 2019.

The prolific goalscorer is on track to return to the pitch for both club and country in approximately two months. While this leaves her out of selection for the upcoming 2025 SheBelieves Cup, Kerr could rejoin in time for Australia's April friendlies against South Korea.

This morning, The Athletic reported that Kerr left the proceedings surrounded by family. As she exited, she flashed a "friendly smile" and told the court officer she "hoped to never see them again."

A recent string of Top 10 upsets made its mark on Monday's updated AP Top 25 Poll, as undefeated No. 1 UCLA continues holding court above the shifting chaos.

Notre Dame rose to No. 2 for the first time since 2019, buoyed by strong performances against Stanford and then-No. 21 Cal last week.

Climbing to No. 3 was Texas, who claimed the boost by ending South Carolina's multi-year SEC unbeaten streak on Sunday. As a result, the defending champion Gamecocks fell from No. 2 to No. 4.

On the other hand, No. 15 Tennessee is on the upswing, as last Thursday's upset win over UConn lifted the Vols four spots while sending the Huskies skidding from No. 5 to No. 7.

No. 20 Oklahoma State achieved the week's biggest win, however, as Saturday's 85-55 blowout victory over then-No. 12 Kansas Sate gave the Cowgirls a five-spot boost.

Teams jockey for AP Poll positions as March Madness looms

While a jump in the rankings certainly provides bragging rights, it also impacts both conference and NCAA tournament seeding as the regular season winds down.

ESPN's Bracketology currently has UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Texas taking the NCAA tournament's four No. 1 seeds. Notably, two of those teams — the Bruins and the Longhorns — are rookies in their respective conferences, showcasing significant dominance fresh out of the realignment gate.

Meanwhile, other major players like LSU, USC, and UConn still have time to pad their resumes en route to their conference showdowns, which will tip off in early March.

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AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 15

1. UCLA (23-0, Big Ten)
2. Notre Dame (21-2, ACC)
3. Texas (24-2, SEC)
4. South Carolina (22-2, SEC)
5. LSU (25-1, SEC)
6. USC (21-2, Big Ten)
7. UConn (22-3, Big East)
8. Kentucky (19-3, SEC)
9. Ohio State (20-3, Big Ten)
10. NC State (19-4, ACC)
11. TCU (22-3, Big 12)
12. North Carolina (21-4, ACC)
13. Duke (19-5, ACC)
14. Kansas State (22-3, Big 12)
15. Tennessee (17-6, SEC)
16. Oklahoma (18-6, SEC)
17. Maryland (19-5, Big Ten)
18. West Virginia (19-4, Big 12)
19. Georgia Tech (20-4, ACC)
20. Oklahoma State (19-4, Big 12)
21. Alabama (20-5, SEC)
22. Michigan State (18-5, Big Ten)
23. Florida State (19-5, ACC)
24. Creighton (20-4, Big East)
25. Baylor (20-5, Big 12)

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

The second episode of Sports Are Fun! dropped today, with soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ professing their hottest takes all things women's sports — joined this week by WNBA superstar and Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball co-founder Napheesa Collier.

"It felt like everyone is making money off of women's sports except for the women in the sports," Collier said, reflecting on developing the offseason league's profit-sharing business model.

"And so, we offer the highest average team salary in women's sports, and we're giving equity to everyone who's playing."

In addition to chatting with Collier about all things Unrivaled, the crew also gets into even more WNBA offseason moves, Midge Purce's return to Gotham, Hope Solo's TST team, South Carolina and UConn's upcoming NCAA battle, and so much more.

Collier gives 'Sports Are Fun!' the inside scoop on Unrivaled

Guest star Napheesa Collier takes the group on a deep dive into offseason league Unrivaled. She talks through everything from dealing with injuries and living with teammates 24/7 to handling a business and going head-to-head in this week's 1v1 tournament.

"I mean, we're all in in one place, right? Our locker rooms are all in one hallway, we share food spaces, training spaces like cold tubs, saunas — all communal areas except for locker rooms." Collier says, describing the league's Miami campus. "It's really fun to see that behind-the-scenes stuff happening in real time."

"I have my own room, which is unlike what happened in college," she continues with a laugh. "I would compare it more to the Wubble, except, you know, we have free will this time around. But the the close proximity I actually really like — I think it's really fun. I think it's super convenient, just having everyone in one space. Cutting back on travel also is so, so nice."

Of course, the future is bright for the first-year league. For its second season, Unrivaled is planning to take the show on the road, dropping into cities around the country to give fans a front-row seat to the 3×3 action.

"We are planning to do on-the-road games where we go to a city for a night and we basically play in a full arena and then we make it a whole event for the fans," Collier says, detailing Unrivaled's plans for a takeover tour similar to what the PWHL is currently staging around North America. "Definitely not all the games — just a couple. You can hit markets that aren't necessarily cities where you can bring [regular-season] basketball."

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place. Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball launched its inaugural 1v1 tournament on Monday night, with a slate of first-round upsets​ already busting a few brackets.

The evening's biggest twist came courtesy of Unrivaled co-founder and No. 1 seed Breanna Stewart's matchup against No. 8 seed Aaliyah Edwards, with Edwards earning a marquee victory by shutting out her Mist teammate 12-0 in less than two minutes of gameplay.

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Due to a spat of injuries affecting the 1v1 contest, a lone second-round bye emerged in the bracket just beyond the Stewart-Edwards matchup. Consequently, Monday's victory punched Edwards's ticket all the way into the tournament's quarterfinal round.

"Tough night for me but shoutout to my Mistie @AaliyahEdwards_!!! Keep that thing going and go get that bag 💰!!" Stewart posted in support after her loss.

Also claiming a massive upset win on Monday was the Lunar Owls' Shakira Austin, who ousted Rose BC's Chelsea "Point Gawd" Gray with a dominant 12-2 scoreline.

The significant margins of victory across the 1v1 contest are in large part due to the tournament's "make-it, take-it" rule.

In a break from traditional 5×5 play and Unrivaled's 3×3 format, the unique 1v1 rule rewards scoring with both points on the board as well as continued ball possession. Therefore, athletes can string together long scoring stretches as long as they don't relinquish the ball.

Lunar Owls show out as 15 players remain in 1v1 tournament

With a $350,000 total purse on the line, intensity on the Unrivaled court ramped up in the head-to-head competition.

Putting the first round behind them, 15 players remain in the running for the $200,000 first-place prize.

Notably, all five Lunar Owls players who entered the 1v1 competition — Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, and the aforementioned Austin — survived Monday's bouts.

This gives the squad, who also leads the 3×3 league as the only remaining undefeated team, the best shot at claiming the $10,000-per-teammate payout should one of them win the 1v1 title.

How to watch Tuesday's Unrivaled 1v1 tournament

Tuesday's session includes both the second round and quarterfinals of the 1v1 competition.

The action tips off with a blockbuster 7 PM ET battle between Rose BC's Kahleah Copper and the Lunar Owls' Allisha Gray.

Live coverage will air on TruTV.