Happy New Year and happy conference play, folks! The 2021 half of the season gave us plenty of intriguing women’s basketball storylines, and 2022 is already shaping up to do the same. Now that we are officially into conference play, we’ll get to know just how prepared teams are for March.

In that spirit, here are five teams I’m dying to talk about in the first week of 2022.

1. Missouri

Let’s get straight to it: Missouri is at the top of the list when it comes to teams that have my attention. I’ve been talking about Missouri’s 70-69 win over No. 1 (and undefeated at the time) South Carolina to anyone who will listen. Now, readers, it’s your turn. Because how on earth did this happen?

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks haven’t shied away from tough opponents, defeating six ranked teams before the Dec. 30 matchup with Missouri. After they overcame an 18-point deficit to beat No. 2 Stanford, I was seriously entertaining the idea of South Carolina entering the NCAA Tournament undefeated. But Missouri reminded me — and every other basketball writer, analyst, fan, etc. — that we don’t know as much as we think we do. The Tigers had home-court advantage, but virtually nothing else going for them, and yet they knocked South Carolina out of the list of unbeatens.

Missouri entered the game without six players who were in COVID-19 protocols; that included Aijha Blackwell, who’s averaging 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds this season and is unarguably Missouri’s top player. Winning under those circumstances is impressive enough, but what’s even more eye-catching to me is how the Tigers executed during the game. Of course, Lauren Hansen’s game-winner as time ran out was dramatic, but throughout the contest, Missouri played with poise and stuck around — something no other team has been able to do against South Carolina. Missouri clogged the paint on defense, and got 21-point performances from Hansen and Hayley Frank on offense for the team’s first victory over a No. 1 opponent in program history.

The big takeaways from this game? South Carolina is beatable, and Missouri is better than we thought.

Left it all on the court.@laurenhansen_1 #OurTownOurTeam🐯🏀 pic.twitter.com/ReStXclOFF

— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouWBB) December 31, 2021

2. Louisville

The Cardinals opened the season with an overtime loss to Arizona that had plenty of people questioning the young team. Since then, they’ve won 12 games in a row, including over No. 12 Michigan, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 7 UConn. Then on Sunday, Louisville avoided a loss to a Georgia Tech team that has rocketed up the rankings thanks to killer defense and back-to-back wins over No. 20 Georgia and No. 3 UConn.

Against the Yellow Jackets, Louisville showed maturity that was lacking in its season-opener. After a dismal first quarter, in which they scored just three points, the Cardinals ended the game with a 23-16 advantage in the fourth quarter and an Emily Engster layup with two seconds remaining to come away with a 50-48 win.

Georgia Tech has one of the most disruptive defenses in the country. The Cardinals shot 36.5 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from 3, had just one double-digit scorer (Engster with 14) and committed 17 turnovers. And still, they found a way to win in an ugly, difficult game. That’s what top teams do, and Louisville is proving it belongs there more and more each week.

3. Georgia Tech

Before the season started, I had Georgia Tech ranked 15th because of the great scoring duo of forward Lorela Cubaj and guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen. But offense isn’t what has the Yellow Jackets in the top 25 now. Defensively, Georgia Tech is one of the top teams in the country, and they’ve made that clear over the last few weeks. After back-to-back upset wins, they nearly topped Louisville as well.

The Yellow Jackets are going to be tough in ACC play, and come NCAA Tournament time, they are the kind of team you don’t want to run into. Their ability to make opponents play ugly and keep scoring totals low is a nightmare for teams. Statistically, they allow the fewest amount of points in the country (45.3) and are third nationally in defensive field goal percentage (31.2).

4. Indiana

I’ve liked this Indiana team from the start of the season, and after its win over Maryland — the first time the Hoosiers have topped the Terrapins in school history — I like it even more. Last season’s Elite Eight run was unexpected. This year, I think Indiana can make it even further. The Hoosiers have a complete team that really understands its identity.

Ali Patberg runs the show from the guard position, and she (and the rest of the Hoosiers) are smart enough to know who really drives this team: Mackenzie Holmes. The 6-foot-3 junior gets a touch on nearly every possession. She can score, rebound and create space for others. And if Holmes doesn’t score, another Hoosier will get an opening thanks to her. Against Maryland, she had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

But Indiana isn’t just a Mackenzie Holmes showcase, which makes the team especially dangerous. The Hoosiers showcased their arsenal of weapons against Maryland — 18 points for Patberg, 17 points and 10 rebounds for Aleksa Gulbe and nine points each for Grace Berger and Nicole Cardano-Hillary. By the time the NCAA Tournament comes around, Indiana will also have made its way through the Big Ten, which I think is the toughest conference in the country right now. The Hoosiers will have plenty of tests along the way to ensure they’re ready for the postseason.

5. Arizona

There are three undefeated teams left in the nation: Colorado, North Carolina and Arizona. That’s quite the feat for an Arizona program that started at the bottom of the AP poll this season. But since their season-opening win over Louisville and another over a solid DePaul team on Nov. 26, the Wildcats haven’t had many on-court tests. The Coast-to-Coast challenge would have been a good benchmark for Arizona, but games against No. 11 Texas, USC and UCLA were canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the program.

With conference play starting, I’m interested to see what this team can bring to the court. I do think Arizona is a top-10 (potentially top-5) team when the season is over, but Pac-12 matchups with Colorado and Stanford will go a long way toward supporting or debunking that theory.

Poll talk

As the season progresses, the AP poll becomes more important in terms of postseason implications. So, from now on in each notebook, I’ll have a section dedicated to AP poll discussion.

🏀 @ap_top25 Poll Update 🏀

1. South Carolina
2. Stanford
3. Louisville
4. Arizona
5. NC State
6. Indiana
7. Tennessee
8. Michigan
9. Texas
10. Maryland#ncaaW pic.twitter.com/u6xeTzPocy

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 3, 2022

This week, I agree with the poll for the most part. I like the move to keep South Carolina at No. 1 despite the upset. It was a pretty bad loss, but the Gamecocks have beaten enough ranked teams this season to hold onto the top spot. Plus, if not South Carolina, the logical pick for No. 1 would be Stanford, but South Carolina beat Stanford head-to-head so that wouldn’t make sense. If any team were to unseat the Gamecocks, it would be Louisville, but I’m not ready to do that just yet. South Carolina has a better case with its body of work than Louisville does.

In terms of what I don’t like about the poll, my list of complaints is relatively small. For one, North Carolina is a touch too high for me. I want to see them get a solid ACC win before I consider putting them in the top 20. If the Tar Heels defeat No. 5 NC State on Thursday, then I will eat my words and likely put them in the 15-18 range.

Second, I think South Florida is a top-20 team. The AP poll has the Bulls at No. 24, and I get it. They’ve been inconsistent, beating teams like Stanford and then losing to UT Arlington (yikes), and Ole Miss (also yikes, albeit a smaller one). But the Bulls’ other two losses were close ones to a great Tennessee squad and a UConn team that still had Paige Bueckers on the court. I still have faith in this team, and I’m not ready to drop it from the top 25.

My third complaint is in defense of the little guy. I strongly believe that Florida Gulf Coast should be ranked. The Eagles have one loss to a Princeton team they should have beaten, but they also beat LSU, a team the AP voters think is worthy of a No. 13 ranking. Plus, last week FGCU topped Michigan State despite Nia Clouden’s 50-point performance, which is no small feat — I mean, that’s five more points from one player than Georgia Tech gives up per game. The Eagles will likely get even less love now that they can only be upset in conference play. The Atlantic Sun doesn’t offer any opponents to boost their resume, only ones that can drag them down with a loss.

My final critique is that Louisville deserves the No. 2 spot over Stanford, but it was a relatively close call, so I’ll save my argument.

With my gripes out of the way, here are my rankings for this week.

JWS’ Top 25 in Week 9

1. South Carolina (13-1)
2. Louisville (12-1)
3. Stanford (9-3)
4. NC State (13-2)
5. Arizona (10-0)
6. Indiana (11-2)
7. Tennessee (13-1)
8. Texas (10-1)
9. Michigan (12-1)
10. UConn (6-3)
11. Iowa State (12-1)
12. Maryland (10-4)
13. Georgia (12-2)
14. Georgia Tech (10-3)
15. LSU (14-1)
16. Baylor (10-3)
17. Duke (10-2)
18. South Florida (10-4)
19. BYU (11-1)
20. Iowa (7-3)
21. Notre Dame (11-3)
22. Kentucky (8-3)
23. Florida Gulf Coast (11-1)
24. North Carolina (13-0)
25. Oklahoma (12-1)

Eden Laase is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She previously ran her own high school sports website in Michigan after covering college hockey and interning at Sports Illustrated. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

The WNBA coaching carousel has come to a standstill, with the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics both finalizing head coaching hires earlier this week.

Dallas GM Curt Miller brought on former Sun, Sparks, and USC assistant coach Chris Koclanes as head coach of the Wings.

"We are thrilled to welcome Chris Koclanes as the new head coach of the Dallas Wings," said Miller in a team statement. "Throughout our extensive search and interview process, Chris continued to rise to the top and check the boxes of our important pillars. He is a servant leader who places a high value on connection, collaboration, and a positive and consistent communication style with all those he coaches."

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Mystics fill leadership vacancies

The Washington Mystics also made two key hires this week. The team appointed Jamila Wideman to GM and ex-Sky assistant Sydney Johnson​ to head coach.

"I have strong roots in the WNBA and have had the privilege of playing with, working alongside, and witnessing the incredible people who are the athletes at the center of the game," said Wideman afterwards. "The very best I have seen share some core qualities — curiosity, humility, and imagination. I look forward to building a Mystics team in partnership with the players, coaches, and staff that reflects this core."

WNBA teams enter 2025 with full staffs

Barring any unexpected twists, all 13 teams will now have head coaches in place going into the 2025 WNBA Draft and preseason.

Eight teams — including expansion side Golden State — enter 2025 armed with new bosses. Subsequently, seven of those candidates will be making their WNBA head coaching debuts.

Furthermore, Koclanes and Johnson are the third and fourth ex-assistants to get a shot at head coaching next season. The pair follows Natalie Nakase (Golden State) and Tyler Marsh (Chicago).

"Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true," said Nakase. "We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization."

After finishing 2024 in last place, the Houston Dash have been raising eyebrows with a series of offseason moves primed to make a splash next NWSL season.

Houston's top-tier transaction period continued on Thursday, landing Gotham and USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan for a league-record $400,000 in allocation money plus a 2025 international roster spot.

On Thursday, Gotham confirmed that Ryan had requested the trade, saying the club "worked tirelessly to honor her request." As part of the deal, Gotham also traded $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds to Houston.
 
Ryan joins a growing roster of savvy Dash pick-ups, including fellow Gotham standout Delanie Sheehan and San Diego defender Christen Westphal.

Subsequently, while they've yet to announce a new head coach, Houston has solidified their front office by bringing on ex-Angel City GM Angela Hucles Mangano as president of women's soccer.

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Gotham FC sees mass NWSL exodus

For Gotham, Ryan's departure is just the latest in a high-profile exodus. Sheehan, forward Lynn Williams, goalkeeper Cassie Miller, and defenders Sam Hiatt and Maitane Lopez have all left the one-time superteam.

"I don't want to get into everything with the end of Gotham, but I am really excited to be a part of a team that looks like they're just enjoying each other and having fun," Lynn Williams told The Women's Game after her trade to Seattle was made public.

Jonas Eidevall enters NWSL as San Diego boss

The San Diego Wave hired ex-Arsenal manager​ Jonas Eidevall as the NWSL team's new head coach, according to multiple reports released earlier this week. 

Eidevall finished his tenure at Arsenal with an overall record of 80-24-16. However, he stepped down after failing to resign star forward Vivianne Miedema ahead of a sputtering 1-1-2 start to the 2024/25 WSL season​.

Eidevall will be the fourth coach to take the reins in San Diego this year, after Casey Stoney's mid-season firing led to interim stints from Paul Buckle and former USMNT mainstay Landon Donovan​.

San Diego's 2024 tumult wasn't limited to staffing. Founding members like Alex Morgan retired while impact players like Abby Dahlkemper and Sofia Jakobsson departed the club for other opportunities.

Embattled Wave president Jill Ellis also left the team, accepting a new role at FIFA earlier this month.

The Wave and Eidevall will kick off this new chapter seeking stability after a rollercoaster year. As such, both club and coach will bank on a strong 2025 to chart a new course.

No. 7 USC took down No. 4 UConn on Saturday, winning 72-70 in a battle between two bonafide NCAA basketball championship contenders still figuring out a consistent flow of play.

USC led by as many as 18 in the first half. However UConn came storming back, briefly pulling ahead in the fourth quarter before the Trojans outlasted the Huskies to secure the narrow victory.

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JuJu holds on to secure USC win

With UConn superstar Paige Bueckers tight on her heels, USC standout JuJu Watkins registered a game-leading 25 points, alongside six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.

Bueckers and Huskies freshman Sarah Strong split scoring duties for UConn, notching 22 points each with Strong adding 11 rebounds.

After opening the season at No. 2, this highly touted UConn squad has dropped pivotal games against Notre Dame and now USC to go 0-2 in Top 10 matchups. It's a pattern legendary coach Auriemma will hope to correct before the Huskies face their next ranked opponent in early February.

"I thought the execution part in the first half was just as bad as I've seen in a few years here in Connecticut," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said after the loss.

"This is a really significant win, and it's a really significant win because of the stature of UConn's program and what Geno Auriemma has done for our sport," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Weekend upsets shake top-ranked NCAA basketball teams

Elsewhere, upsets dominated the NCAA basketball conversation this weekend, with Top 25 contenders falling short as this season's undefeated list continues to shrink.

No. 15 Michigan State saw their first loss on Friday, falling to unranked Alabama 82-67 in a low scoring matchup. Afterwards, No. 9 Duke suffered their own unranked loss on Saturday, ceding a tough defensive battle to USF 65-56.

Seventeenth-ranked Georgia Tech remains undefeated with Saturday's ranked win over No. 23 Nebraska, while No. 14 West Virginia lost to unranked Colorado later that day.

Parity is the name of the game this season, with conference realignment, the transfer portal, and other recent shifts impacting a number of programs across the NCAA. And with conference play looming, teams will rely on regional rivalries and schedule strength to prepare them for heightened competition in the new year.

Penn State won the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship on Sunday, rising above Louisville's hometown advantage and a monster second set by the Cardinals to claim the program's eighth all-time title and first in 10 years.

In the victory, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach in NCAA tournament history to win the championship — all while battling breast cancer.

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Penn State tops Louisville in a back-and-forth matchup

Sunday's championship game drew a sell-out crowd of 21,860 to the KFC Yum Center in downtown Louisville, setting a new NCAA volleyball championship record. It was Louisville's second-ever title match, after finishing second to Texas in 2022.

After suffering an ankle injury in​ Thursday's semifinal upset against Pitt, however, Louisville entered the match without senior outside hitter Anna DeBeer. The absence ultimately proved too great to overcome.

The Nittany Lions won the first set 25-23, before Louisville saved 10 set points to dramatically take the second set 34-32.

But the Nittany Lions roared back, overwhelming the Cardinals to win the third set 25-20 before closing out the deciding set 25-17.

A moving win for Penn State's women's volleyball coach

Penn State coach Schumacher-Cawley, who was diagnosed with cancer last fall, stayed with her team throughout the 2024 season.

"I'm very happy for Katie, and it's a big deal for this sport," Louisville head coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. "I'm thankful… that we can move on and that more women will be in this position in the future."

As for Schumacher-Cawley, she remained ever humble.

"I'm inspired by the young kids that are sick," she said after the win. "If I can be an inspiration, then I take that. But I feel good. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people."