Two undefeated teams, two powerhouse coaches, two Player of the Year candidates: Sunday’s matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 LSU has it all. It’s also the most-anticipated contest of the regular season.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top matchups to watch in the contest, airing on ESPN Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Aliyah Boston vs. Angel Reese

Not only are Boston and Reese the leading candidates for SEC Player of the Year, they are also in contention for National Player of the Year. On Sunday, we will get to see the two star post players go head to head in the paint. By the numbers, Reese is having a better season, but they are each averaging a double-double. Reese is averaging 23.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, while Boston puts up 13.3 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per contest.

The point discrepancy, however, isn’t necessarily an indication that Reese is the better player. Instead, it’s a reflection of each team’s makeup.

The Gamecocks are the country’s most balanced squad, with 12 players who score at least four points per game. They are so deep that only two players — Boston and Zia Cooke — average double-digit scoring. South Carolina’s strength is in its plethora of talent, and Boston knows that her team wins when everyone contributes. Instead of imposing her will and trying to score over double teams, Boston shares the wealth.

Like Boston, Reese is doing what her team needs her to do in order to win. LSU gets contributions from its bench, but the bulk of its offense comes from the starting five, and particularly from Reese. In all but six games this season, the sophomore has been LSU’s leading scorer, and that’s the Tigers’ recipe for success. Reese needs to be the most dominant player on the floor for LSU to have its best chance at victory.

There is also a minutes difference to take into account, as Reese plays 33.1 per contest and Boston plays 25.2 minutes per game.

The two have one head-to-head matchup recorded. Last season, when Reese was at Maryland, the two faced off in a 66-59 South Carolina win. All eyes were on Boston as she neared a triple-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, but Reese was dominant as well with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Because of the teams’ varying styles of play, the game likely won’t come down solely to who gets the better of this matchup, but there are bragging rights in play. Plus, the more dominant player will almost certainly lock up SEC Player of the Year.

Kim Mulkey vs. Dawn Staley

These two came onto the head coaching scene in the same year (2000), with Mulkey taking over at Baylor and Staley starting at Temple. Mulkey’s combined record at Baylor and LSU is 678-110 for an 86 percent win rate, while Staley’s is 559-185 (75% win rate). Mulkey has three NCAA championships and Staley has two. They’ve both led their teams to four Final Fours. You get the picture: These are two dominant coaches.

But their approaches to this particular season have been drastically different. In their quest for a repeat title, the Gamecocks have played a challenging schedule, taking on teams like Maryland, Stanford, UCLA and UConn. Meanwhile, LSU’s only ranked opponent up until this point was Arkansas, a team that South Carolina also beat handedly.

Staley came into the season knowing exactly what she had in the defending champions, but Mulkey said she didn’t know Reese would be transferring in and therefore couldn’t commit to a difficult schedule. The coach has repeatedly had to answer to LSU’s weak slate of games.

Because of the differences in strength of schedule, a win will do a lot more for the Tigers than it will for the Gamecocks. Unless something unexpected happens during the rest of the season, South Carolina is a lock for a No. 1 seed come March. A win over LSU strengthens the team’s resume, but a loss doesn’t necessarily hurt it.

But for the Tigers, Sunday is their chance to prove themselves. A win validates their record despite the strength of schedule, and it helps their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On the other hand, a loss could prove critics right and seriously impact their seeding.

Alexis Morris vs. Zia Cooke

The post battle is the main attraction in this matchup, but let’s not forget about the guards. Morris and Cooke are two experienced players who have made huge impacts for their respective teams this season.

Cooke is leading South Carolina in scoring with 14.8 points per game, while also providing a crucial outside presence for a team known for dominating the paint. She’s South Carolina’s top 3-point shooter, with 42 makes this season at a 35.6 percent clip.

Morris is averaging 14 points per game, second on the team behind Reese, while serving as LSU’s point guard and predominant playmaker. Everything starts with Morris, who dishes out 4.5 assists per contest.

X-Factor

In games like this, stars generally do what is expected of them. So the victor has to get contributions elsewhere. That has been the formula all season for South Carolina, who average 40 bench points per contest. The duo of Raven Johnson (3.4 assists per game) and Kamilla Cardoso (9.7 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) have been particularly effective, as the two former AAU teammates have a keen understanding of each other’s games.

Meanwhile, the Tigers are going to need to slow down South Carolina’s overall production. Teams have had relative success against the Gamecocks by packing the paint and forcing the Gamecocks to be shooters. With Reese on the inside, that could be the plan of attack for LSU as well. On offense, they will also need someone outside of Reese and Morris to step up. Third leading scorer and dynamic freshman Flau’jae Johnson or sophomore Kateri Poole, who has yet to have a big game, could both be difference-makers.

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

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.