The women’s college basketball world was chaotic last week, which makes the second JWS top-25 ranking of the season a challenge — but a good challenge. Parity in the NCAA is at an all-time high, and that makes for great competition and thrilling games.

There’s plenty of room for debate, but at least South Carolina and Stanford have delivered each week. After the top two, the hierarchy gets messy. Here’s where things stood two weeks ago in our inaugural top-25 rankings.

1. South Carolina (8-0)

2. Stanford (10-1)

3. UConn (6-1)

The Huskies are coming off a loss to Notre Dame on Sunday, but Azzi Fudd missed most of the contest after appearing to injure her knee. They’ve beaten a lot of good teams so far this season — Texas, NC State and Iowa — and Notre Dame is a team that I can see in the Final Four. For those reasons, I’m keeping them at No. 3.

4. Ohio State (8-0)

If you’re an Ohio State fan, you’re most likely wondering why I’m keeping the undefeated Buckeyes below a UConn squad that just lost. When you look at these teams head-to-head, UConn (with Fudd) is the better team. Ohio State’s best win so far came over Louisville, a team that is underperforming. But if Ohio State keeps its undefeated streak going, with wins over strong Big Ten competition, this team will find itself in the top three.

5. Notre Dame (7-1)

What a crazy week for the Fighting Irish. Three days after losing to Maryland on a buzzer-beater by Diamond Miller, they handed UConn their first loss of the season. Against Maryland, they lacked any sort of inside presence and couldn’t hit from long range. Miller needed a heroic 31 points to lead her team to victory. Against UConn, both Lauren Ebo and Maddy Westbeld had breakout games. The fact that the Irish could correct their errors so quickly and defeat a top team bodes well for them going forward.

Olivia Miles bringing the energy ⚡ pic.twitter.com/sOsiBXXtkx

— espnW (@espnW) December 2, 2022

6. Indiana (9-0)

The Hoosiers were dominant against North Carolina in a 87-63 win on Thursday. Led by Mackenzie Holmes in the paint (25 points) and Sydney Parrish from the outside (24 points), the Hoosiers shot 53.3 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. But without Grace Berger, who was injured against Auburn, there will be ups and downs for this team as they learn to make up for the loss of their floor general. Their 65-61 win over unranked Illinois on Sunday was less convincing, but overall the Hoosiers are performing in the face of adversity.

7. Iowa State (6-1)

8. Virginia Tech (8-0)

I didn’t come away from Virginia Tech’s 59-56 win over Tennessee feeling particularly confident in the Hokies. They turned the ball over 16 times and shot just 33.3 percent from the field, while Elizabeth Kitley disappeared offensively against the defense of Tamari Key. The Hokies need her to perform better if they’re going to make a deep run this season. That being said, they managed to get a win without an injured Ashley Owusu (finger), and they got contributions from a lot of different players to make up for Kitley’s quiet game. The Hokies are undefeated, and they won’t need to wait long to prove themselves, with Notre Dame awaiting on Dec. 18.

9. North Carolina (6-1)

10. NC State (7-1)

After getting blown out by UConn on Nov. 20, the Wolfpack responded in a big way against their next ranked opponent, defeating Iowa 94-81 on Dec. 1. Caitlin Clark went off for 45 points, but NC State contained everyone else and used a balanced offensive attack to get the win. Four of five starters finished in double figures, and Saniya Rivers had a breakout game off the bench, scoring 22 points. The South Carolina transfer is a dynamic talent who can contribute in many ways. Her career-high game is a good omen for the Wolfpack moving forward.

Transition buckets by @Ihoop___22.

🐺 11
🟡 17
:59, 1Q pic.twitter.com/6XPFzkJsem

— #10 NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) December 2, 2022

11. Arizona (7-0)

12. UCLA (8-1)

13. Oregon (6-1)

14. Creighton (7-1)

15. Maryland (7-3)

My early concerns about the Terrapins have turned out to be true: They go where Diamond Miller takes them. Against Notre Dame, her 31 points and impressive buzzer-beating shot sealed a victory, But against Nebraska a few days later, she was held to 13 points, and despite an excellent game from sophomore Shyanne Sellers (21 points, eight rebounds), the Cornhuskers came away with a 90-67 upset. That’s the second-highest points total for Nebraska this season, raising concerns about Maryland’s defense as well.

16. Iowa (6-3)

17. Michigan (9-0)

18. Utah (7-0)

19. LSU (9-0)

What to do with LSU? I think the Tigers are good, but with their strength of schedule (or rather, lack thereof), it’s hard to tell. Yes, they are undefeated, but they have yet to play a ranked team or tough unranked team. Southeastern Louisiana played the Tigers close in an eight-point loss on Nov. 29, which is less than ideal for an LSU squad trying to prove itself despite the weak schedule. I won’t feel comfortable putting the Tigers in the top 15 until they win in the SEC.

20. Baylor (6-2)

21. Gonzaga (7-2)

22. Louisville (5-4)

Coach Jeff Walz has described this team as “Jekyll and Hyde,” but lately, it’s been a lot more Hyde. A loss to Ohio State makes sense, and losses to South Dakota State and Gonzaga aren’t season ruiners, but a 67-49 defeat to Middle Tennessee on Sunday is downright bewildering. I’ll need to see a lot more from the Cardinals going forward, and another loss to an unranked opponent will likely drop them from the rankings entirely.

23. Villanova (7-2)

24. Oklahoma (7-1)

25. Marquette (7-2)

Marquette has two quality wins over Texas and Gonzaga plus an overtime loss to UCLA. After they were upset by Seton Hall this week, I thought about dropping the Golden Eagles from the top 25, but their resume is good enough to keep them in. I also considered Texas for the last spot this week, and the Longhorns are out of chances after losing to South Florida with Rori Harmon in the lineup.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

An age-old rivalry headlines the WSL this weekend, as second-place Arsenal gears up for Sunday's Stamford Bridge showdown against league leaders — and reported recipient of USWNT star Naomi Girma — Chelsea FC.

Both clubs are on an undefeated tear, with Chelsea yet to register a loss halfway through the 22-match 2024/25 season.

Meanwhile, newly minted head coach Renée Slegers's Arsenal will attempt to avenge the Gunners' lone loss — a 2-1 October stumble to first-season WSL boss Sonia Bompastor's Blues.

Chelsea and Arsenal's dominance goes beyond the WSL, as both sides also advanced to the semifinals of the League Cup with massive shutout wins this past Wednesday.

Wright shines spotlight on WSL investment debate

A product of a system that often places men's and women's teams under the same leadership, Chelsea and Arsenal have set the standard for the top-flight UK league — and cast other clubs in their shadow.

As some WSL teams continue to snag top international stars, those seeing departures risk falling by the wayside — putting into question a system that might be inhibiting the league's growth and parity.

"In England, with the women's league, I believe if you gave some owners the opportunity to back out of supporting the women's game, I think they would, simply because I feel like they're all about profit," Arsenal legend and outspoken women's football advocate Ian Wright told The World Economic Forum in Davros this week.

Wright acknowledged that the women's game, which suffered from a near 50-year FA ban, is still "playing catch up on every level, infrastructure, training, coaching and every level of development."

"Because of the past it wasn't allowed to be built up, so we are trying to do that now. So, it needs owners, individuals and corporates that will invest."

Currently, the English FA is considering expanding the lower tiers of the women's football pyramid to incentivize development and professionalization at the club level.

How to watch WSL rivals Chelsea vs. Arsenal in the London Derby

Sunday's WSL rivalry match pits the league-leading Blues against the Gunners at 7:25 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is back, as a second slate of weekend games shines a spotlight on the new league's three winless teams as they rally for redemption.

Phantom BC, Mist BC, and Rose BC are all 0-2 out of the gate, with the six-team league evenly divided between the undefeated and the winless after last week's debut.

At least one of the three will end up in the win column on Friday night, with the Mist and Phantom squaring off in the first game of the doubleheader.

Both lineups contain serious firepower, with Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart leading the Mist alongside sharpshooter Jewell Loyd, whose 20 points per game have her currently in fourth-place on the league's stat sheet. The Phantom boasts the talents of Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner.

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While both have fallen victim to more cohesive game-plans, the Phantom in particular have struggled, posting a league-low average of 58.5 points per game to ultimately drop their first two outings by an average of 29 points.

Saturday's action sees Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese's Rose BC step into the spotlight, going up against a Mist team facing back-to-back matchups.

The Rose roster features two of the offseason league's top scorers in Gray and Kahleah Copper, who each averaged 14.5 points per game through Unrivaled's opening weekend. However, they'll need to lock in on defense to quiet Mist standout DiJonai Carrington's shooting in transition.

Friday's Unrivaled doubleheader tests undefeated teams

The second game of Friday's doubleheader flips the script as two teams put their undefeated starts on the line.

The Laces, led by Kayla McBride's 24.5 points per game, will take on a Vinyl side that rosters three of the league's Top 10 scorers — more than any other Unrivaled team. The trio of Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, and Arike Ogunbowale are poised to cool the Laces' hot start.

How to watch Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball games

Unrivaled's second weekend slate tips off on Friday with the Phantom vs. the Mist at 7:15 PM ET, before the Laces play the Vinyl at 8:15 PM ET. Live coverage of both games will air on TNT.

One of the NCAA's fiercest rivalries hits the hardwood on Friday, when undefeated No. 5 LSU travels to No. 2 South Carolina for yet another high-stakes SEC basketball battle.

Anticipation for the matchup has been building since Wednesday, when the NCAA postponed the game. Originally set for Thursday, winter weather disruptions in Louisiana delayed LSU's ability to safely travel to Columbia.

"It's a rivalry, it really is," newly re-signed South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley​ said earlier this week. "It's not only a rivalry between the programs on the floor, but it's a rivalry with the fanbases."

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A championship-fueled SEC basketball clash

With the last three national championships under their belts,​ LSU (2023) and South Carolina (2022, 2024) have seen WNBA superstars like Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston pass through their ranks.

This season's lot is just as talented, with LSU's Aneesah Morrow and Flau'jae Johnson preparing to lead the Tigers against the a dominant Gamecock defense anchored by team rebounds leader Chloe Kitts.

Coach Kim Mulkey's roster will have their work cut out for them in Columbia, where South Carolina is on a 68-game home winning streak. Even more, the Gamecocks haven't lost to the Tigers since January 2012, winning 16 consecutive meetings between the pair.

That said, while last year's South Carolina team ran the table on their way to a national title, LSU is one of just two Division I teams to still hold a perfect season. The Tigers' 20-0 record is the second-best start in program history, just below their 2022/23 team who strung together 23 wins before South Carolina handed them a first season loss.

If Staley's squad can do it again on Friday, they'll earn an eighth victory over currently ranked teams — and third over a Top 10 roster — so far this season. Their lone loss came at the hands of No. 1 UCLA, the only other program still holding an undefeated record.

On the other hand, LSU has just two victories over ranked teams so far, with Friday's matchup marking their first Top 10 test of the season.

How to watch LSU vs. South Carolina college basketball

LSU tips off against South Carolina at 5 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN.

Friday's Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball debut was an unequivocal success for TV partner TNT Sports, as the new offseason 3x3 league's opening lineup became the most-watched women's basketball games in the broadcast network's history.

The doubleheader logged viewership averages of 313,000 and 311,000, respectively, with the first game peaking at 364,000.

Notably, these numbers do not include viewers on Max, where every Unrivaled game is available to stream live under the league's six-year, $100 million media deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

In 2022, WNBA games averaged 372,000 viewers across Disney networks, with the league later surpassing 500,000 across ABC, ESPN, and CBS in 2023 before reaching a 1.19 million average on ESPN in 2024.

Unlike the well-established WNBA, which is on the cusp of entering its 29th year, Unrivaled is a new-look product in its first-ever season. With that in mind, Unrivaled's initial numbers are promising, particularly for a league that's prioritizing long-term wins over instant gratification.

"I think we put ourselves in a great position to be successful right away, but it’s a marathon,"  league president Alex Bazzell told The Athletic before Unrivaled’s launch. "We’re not running out there from Day 1 trying to get millions of viewers out of the gate."

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One piece of the Unrivaled fan engagement puzzle

Viewership is just one way the league is measuring fan engagement, with Unrivaled also turning an eye toward social media metrics.

"[Viewership is] not fully indicative of what is the overall fan interest because there’s so many ways to consume leagues and teams and highlights," noted Bazzell.

It's one reason that partnering with WBD was so appealing to the new league. The media giant's already robust sports social media channels are elevating Unrivaled content across platforms to an established, sports-hungry audience.

To that end, Unrivaled’s opening weekend content garnered 31 million views across WBD’s social channels and fueled a 59% viewership boost of the media giant's women's sports-specific TikTok account.