The women's college basketball season is set to include several significant early-season matchups, featuring top-ranked teams and rematches of prominent NCAA Tournament games, even before the official start of conference play.
One of the most anticipated contests is a November 24th game between preseason No. 1 South Carolina and second-ranked UConn. This matchup revisits their Final Four clash from the previous season, which included a notable incident between UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina's Dawn Staley. The game is scheduled to take place at Mohegan Sun.
Several other key nonconference games are slated for November and December. South Carolina is also set to participate in a doubleheader in Paris, following a season-opening game between Villanova and No. 13 Notre Dame in Rome as part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. This marks the fourth consecutive year a women's game will be held in Paris.
JuJu Watkins is expected to make a significant return to the national stage when her team faces South Carolina in Greenville, South Carolina. Watkins, who earned AP Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, missed the previous season while recovering from an ACL injury sustained in the NCAA Tournament.
UConn will play Duke in Boston, a city where Duke coach Kara Lawson previously served as an assistant for the NBA's Celtics. The two teams have not played since the 2023-24 season, with UConn having won the last 11 meetings.
The annual ACC/SEC challenge will feature a high-profile game between Notre Dame, led by Hannah Hidalgo, and Vanderbilt, with Mikayla Blakes. This game is a rematch of last season's Sweet Sixteen contest, which Notre Dame won 67-64. Hidalgo recorded a standout performance in that game, with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, and seven assists.
Las Vegas will host the second annual Players Era tournament, bringing together South Carolina, Southern California, Duke, Texas, UCLA, and Notre Dame. The opening night will include a rematch of the national championship game between UCLA and South Carolina. Other matchups on the first night include Duke against Texas and Notre Dame versus USC. The tournament will feature prominent players like Watkins and Hidalgo.
The second night of the Players Era tournament will see Texas play UCLA in a Final Four rematch, alongside games between Notre Dame and South Carolina, and Duke and USC.