College basketball is giving viewers must-see matchups to finish 2023 on a high note.

Conference play is in full swing and every game counts. This weekend’s action is full of battles between ranked teams and matchups we could see again come March and April.

Here are the top five NCAA women’s basketball games of the weekend, in order of schedule.

No. 10 Baylor @ No. 5 Texas

These undefeated Texas teams have been putting on a show early in the 2023-24 season. The Longhorns have put up five 100-point games in their 13 games played, while the Bears have posted two.

Both Baylor (11-0) and Texas (13-0) have beaten fearsome opponents, but Baylor’s ranked victories stand out. The Bears have taken down then-No. 4 Utah and then-No. 24 Miami. The Longhorns beat UConn on Dec. 3 at the Jimmy V Classic but have not faced a ranked opponent since then.

Both teams enter this matchup with confidence after significant wins in their most recent games. Texas almost doubled their previous opponent in scoring, beating Jackson State, 97-52, and Baylor topped South Florida, 73-50. With such high rates of offensive production between these Big 12 rivals, it could be anyone’s game.

2 p.m. ET Saturday — FOX

No. 12 Utah @ No. 8 Colorado

These Pac-12 teams have been mainstays in the AP Top 25 all season, and this matchup should reflect that. Four Buffaloes average double-digits in scoring, and they are overall a higher-scoring team than the Utes. But Utah’s Alissa Pili is a force to be reckoned with.

Utah (10-2) presented undefeated No. 1 South Carolina with its toughest challenge of the season so far. A high-scoring outing from Pili and a quality defensive showing like the Utes’ matchup with the Gamecocks could lift them over Colorado (10-1). But they have to get through the Buffaloes’ freshman trio of Frida Formann, Aaronette Vonleh and Jaylyn Sherrod first.

3 p.m. ET Saturday — Pac-12 Network

No. 6 USC @ No. 2 UCLA

Both USC (10-0) and UCLA (11-0) have steamrolled their way through the early season. Both squads are undefeated, and both are putting up high numbers on the scoreboard.

The Bruins have played a notably tougher schedule than the Trojans — UCLA has topped three ranked opponents since the season began, while USC has faced just one ranked team. But that hasn’t stopped the Trojans from winning in style.

USC freshman JuJu Watkins ranks second in the NCAA in average points per game. She puts up an astronomical 26.8 points per game, and she leads her team in assists and steals as well. But the Bruins starting five all average double-digit scoring, with Lauren Betts and Charisma Osborne averaging 16.9 and 14.5 points per game, respectively. This southern California rivalry will bring the offensive power that viewers crave from young rising talent and veteran players.

8 p.m. ET Saturday — Pac-12 Network

No. 15 UConn @ No. 18 Marquette

After their shakiest start to a season in decades, the Huskies are climbing their way back up the poll right in time for conference play. The Golden Eagles are experiencing the opposite start to their slate. After appearing on the AP Top 25 for just one week last season, Marquette has been near-constant presence this year after the best start to a season in program history.

Entering Sunday’s contest, UConn (9-3) has dropped three early games, and Marquette (12-0) is undefeated. The Golden Eagles rarely find themselves in this position against their conference rivals, but their Liza Karlen is putting up numbers rivaling those of Player of the Year candidate Paige Bueckers. UConn is Marquette’s toughest challenge yet, but the Golden Eagles should not be overlooked.

1 p.m. ET Sunday — SNY

No. 13 Notre Dame @ Syracuse

While the Irish are the only ranked team in this contest, the ACC matchup is still worth a watch. Notre Dame and Syracuse are 9-1 and 10-1, respectively, and the game could be close.

The Orange’s only loss so far came at the hands of then-No. 20 Maryland, and the Irish fell to then-No. 6 South Carolina. Notre Dame has played more intimidating opponents than Syracuse, including then-No. 20 Tennessee, but the Orange have beaten most of their opponents handily, some by almost 50 points.

Regardless of the outcome of the game, watching Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Syracuse’s Dyaisha Fair go up against each other in a conference match should be quality basketball.

2 p.m. ET Sunday — ACC Network

The NCAA basketball season has started off with a bang, with a number of freshmen already making names for themselves.

MiLaysia Fulwiley caught the attention of NBA great Magic Johnson in her very first game for South Carolina. And if Fulwiley and her fellows continue on their trajectories, then freshman of the year could be this season’s most competitive award — and a few freshmen could even play their way into the national player of the year conversation.

Just Women’s Sports takes a look at four freshman phenoms who have starred for their teams in the first month of the season.

JuJu Watkins, USC

Watkins has been vocal about having both freshman of the year and national player of the year aspirations – and so far, she’s off to a great start. On Monday, she snagged her third-straight Pac-12 Freshman of the Week selection, and she has helped No. 6 USC to its best AP poll ranking in 29 years.

Her first collegiate game set the tone. Her 32 points stands as the most ever by a USC freshman in their debut, beating out Lisa Leslie’s 30 points. And those 32 points came against a ranked opponent in Notre Dame. Just five games later, she broke Leslie’s record for the most 30-point games scored by a USC freshman. And what’s more? Her 26.8 points per game rank second in Division I behind only Iowa senior Caitlin Clark.

When USC trailed by six points to Penn State on Nov. 22, Watkins scored seven in a row to lead the still-undefeated Trojans to victory.

“JuJu is so phenomenal, to see her adapt to the college game and adapt as quickly is so impressive,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said of Watkins. And after her debut, Gottlieb said: “She’s ridiculous. Get used to it.”

MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina

Fulwiley turned heads with her season-opening performance against Notre Dame in Paris. And since then, she’s been a walking highlight reel for South Carolina, helping the team reach the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

The freshman guard is averaging the second-most points (15.0) for the Gamecocks behind only senior center Kamilla Cardoso (16.8). She’s also averaging 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The Gamecocks (5-0) had a lot of question marks after the departure of big names such as Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke, but in Fulwiley, they’ve found an answer.

And what is perhaps scariest for South Carolina’s opponents is that Fulwiley still has a lot to learn when it comes to choosing her spots for her dazzling plays.

“She’s looking for a really great moment for her, a crowd-pleasing play. She has an appetite for it, that she loses sight of the in-between the great plays. And that’s where the game is being played,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “We gotta continue to give her more experiences in game-like situations. … But she’s learning.

“Not taking anything away from her. I want her to be great, I want her to be generational, I want her to be able to play a lot of different ways.”

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

A three-time ACC Rookie of the Week, Hidalgo is off to a hot start for the Irish, averaging 25.0 points (good for third in Division I), 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and a 56.6% shooting through her first six games. She leads the ACC in both points and steals (6.3) per game.

Hidalgo set a Notre Dame record with 31 points in her first game. And earlier this month, she was named ACC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week – just the second Notre Dame player to ever sweep such awards.

On top of that, she has 38 steals through six games. Her season high sits at 12 – which tied the Notre Dame record for a single game. She had 18 steals in a two-game span, which is the second-most by an ACC player in the last 25 seasons. She leads all Division I players in steals per game.

She also hasn’t posted below 20 points yet this season, and her six straight games with at least 20 points matches Beth Morgan and Arike Ogunbowale as the only players in Irish history to do so.

“I knew recruiting her what she was capable of providing for us,” head coach Niele Ivey said of Hidalgo. “I needed leadership. I needed scoring. And somebody that could just handle the ball … just the experience that she brings.

“And then we obviously fell in love with her. She has an incredible personality. So when you have that match with somebody with high character, somebody that plays with the unselfishness that she plays with, it fits into our system perfectly.”

Mikaylah Williams, LSU

Williams is another freshman who is making history. Against Kent State in mid-November, she scored 42 points, going 15-of-20 from the field while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Those 42 points set an LSU freshman record for points, and also stand as the most points in a single game for any LSU women’s basketball player in the last 25 seasons.

“She’s a special talent,” head coach Kim Mulkey said. “It was one of those moments where the rim feels as big as the ocean. I want to be that coach that pushes her beyond the limits. I think you’re just seeing her scratch the surface.”

She’s averaging 17.5 points per game, and her scoring touch has helped LSU rise to the sky-high expectations they faced ahead of the season – even amid some off-court turmoil.

For Williams to stand out among a top-ranked recruiting class at LSU is no small feat – especially considering the star transfers that the Tigers also brought in during the offseason, with both Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow making their mark.

Korbin Albert has been making waves with Paris Saint-Germain FC. Soon, the 20-year-old will look to make her mark on the U.S. women’s national team.

Albert was named to the USWNT’s December training camp roster on Monday afternoon, the first call-up of the midfielder’s career. U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Monday that she’s looked to expedite Albert’s path to the senior team roster since she stepped in for Vlatko Andonovski in August. Emma Hayes, currently the head coach at Chelsea, will assume USWNT head coaching duties in May.

“When I first took over as interim, one of the first things that we did with the provisional roster was add Korbin,” Kilgore said. “She’s somebody that we’ve been watching, in terms of the whole technical staff, for a good amount of time now. Her roles have been increasing with her club. Obviously she’s getting good Champions League games.”

Albert played Division I soccer at Notre Dame for two seasons before signing with PSG in January 2023. Albert collected many accolades during her two years with the Irish. She was named ACC Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-American in 2022. That same year, she was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, an award given out annually to the best female and male college soccer players in the country.

Albert has made four starts and seven total appearances for PSG this season, including in a Champions League group stage match last week against Ajax and fellow USWNT prospect Lily Yohannes.

Korbin Albert puts one on frame from long range but PSG remain without a goal ❌

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🎙️ 👉 https://t.co/fkB2fL7wuI
🇫🇷 🎙️ 👉 https://t.co/kmIDk99oO8
🇳🇱 🎙️ 👉 https://t.co/jLUBH0tNKb#UWCLonDAZN pic.twitter.com/3Tkp3KPYQx

— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) November 15, 2023

Albert has also been a member of the U.S. youth national team pool from 2015-2019. She made six appearances for the U.S. U-20 team, two of which came during the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica in 2022.

“She has a little bit of versatility in the midfield, playing a little bit lower or higher at times depending on what the team’s needs are, and Emma and I were in agreement that this was the right next step for both Korbin and the team,” Kilgore said.

South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo were playing in their first college basketball game Monday.

Not only that, but they were playing their first college basketball game all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in Paris. And they were doing so in front of a national audience on ESPN.

None of that slowed down the freshmen phenoms, who received praise from NBA legend Magic Johnson, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston.

Fulwiley and the No. 6 Gamecocks won the day, claiming a 100-71 win over the No. 10 Irish at Halles Georges Arena to open the season. A guard out of Columbia, South Carolina, Fulwiley contributed 17 points, six assists and six steals off the bench in her debut. She also made what Johnson described as “the best move in all of basketball.”

“I’m watching the women’s basketball game between South Carolina and Notre Dame right now and I just saw the best move in all of basketball, including the pros like LeBron, Steph, KD, Victor, and Jokic,” Johnson wrote on social media. “Everyone must see the coast-to-coast, behind-the-back move by freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina. WOW!!”

Fulwiley discussed the move with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game, saying: “That was my favorite move when I was in high school. So I just did it.”

I’m watching the women’s basketball game between South Carolina and Notre Dame right now and I just saw the best move in all of basketball including the pros like LeBron, Steph, KD, Victor, and Jokic. Everyone must see the coast-to-coast, behind-the-back move by freshman guard…

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 6, 2023

"THE EIFFEL TOWER IS SHAKING"!! OH MY GOODNESS 😱 pic.twitter.com/mpxRrCrS7y

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) November 6, 2023

I love my gamecocks!!!!! Oooweee they all shining 🥹

— Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) November 6, 2023

Hidalgo, who hails from Haddonfield, New Jersey, scored a game-high 31 points. She became just the third guard since 2009 to score 30 or more points against the Gamecocks, joining Chennedy Carter and Paige Bueckers, per Her Hoops Stats.

“Hidalgo and Fulwiley moving DIFFERENT out here,” Durant wrote on social media.

Hidalgo and Fulwiley moving DIFFERENT out here, turn on ESPN

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 6, 2023

Notre Dame and South Carolina are facing off in Paris, France, to kick off the women’s college basketball season.

It will be the first NCAA regular-season basketball game on Parisian soil. And for South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, the significance of the game extends beyond just that.

It’s something that Staley has dreamt of, as she has watched major sports leagues such as the NFL go overseas with their regular-season games.

“I always thought, why couldn’t we do it?” she told ESPN. “And then, what do you know? We’re doing it. I think it’s great.”

Part of why it’s great is because the trip will be educational for players. While it “is a business trip” – after all, the team isn’t going to Paris to lose – they’re also taking advantage of the experience of going overseas.

“We’re talking about the student-athlete experience,” Staley said. “We try do to that right here in our home country, in our home state. But when you’re able to give young people an experience like this, we don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know what we’re going to experience. It’s all very new to all of us, but I know we’re gonna have a good time.”

To her, it also represents how far the Gamecocks have come.

“We are a brand here at South Carolina. People want us to participate in things like this,” she told South Carolina news station WLTX. “I’m happy for our fans, they get a chance to cheer us on. We wanted the event organizer to put a fan package together for our fans and it sold out within hours. So, the power of what we created here, we travel well as far as our fans. They follow us.

“I think it’s pretty darn cool to be trendsetters in women’s basketball, something that has never been done before.”

The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET Monday.

Au revoir, FAMS! We are off to Paris! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/dH6IvIjPJU

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) November 1, 2023

Hello Paris….the City of Love! At the Eiffel Tower with the @GamecockWBB towers! #LOVE 🥰🥰🥰 pic.twitter.com/gqjkGZbRA1

— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) November 2, 2023

Notre Dame basketball is entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed, but questions remain about the status of star player Olivia Miles. 

“We’ll know more this week,” Irish coach Niele Ivey said Sunday. “She’s gonna be with the doctors a little bit more this week, but she is progressing.”

Miles injured her knee in her team’s regular-season finale against Louisville on Feb. 26. The win clinched the first ACC title for Notre Dame since 2019, but the sophomore guard has not played since, and the Irish lost handily to the Cardinals in the second round of the conference tournament.

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Still, the Irish will host Southern Utah in the first round of March Madness. And while the status of their leading scorer remains up in the air, the team has not ruled her out for the postseason, NCAA women’s basketball committee chair Lisa Peterson told ESPN.

That contributed to Notre Dame’s No. 3 seed, as the committee operated under the assumption that Miles would play “because we weren’t told any different,” Peterson said.

Per Ivey, “there was no inquiry” from the committee about Miles’ status for the tournament. And Notre Dame is preparing for any eventuality.

“I think we’ve just kind of been preparing for everything, with or without (Miles),” junior forward Maddy Westbeld said. “It’s just one day at a time, but we’re just approaching practice at every angle.”