Women’s college basketball power rankings: UConn’s steadiness inches Huskies up

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There have been many Game of the Year candidates so far in the 2024-25 season. Texas taking Notre Dame to overtime in South Bend stands out, as does USC and UConn relitigating last season’s Elite Eight matchup. Kailyn Gilbert’s game-winner over Tennessee capped an entertaining night in Knoxville, and UCLA’s victory over South Carolina was memorable for the sheer surprise of the outcome.

On Sunday, Ta’Niya Latson and Florida State added another contender to the mix in their dramatic 86-84 win over North Carolina. The game was within single digits for the full 40 minutes, and the final minute featured three shots that felt worthy of deciding the game.

Florida State was up eight in the second quarter, but that was short-lived as the Tar Heels entered halftime with a lead. The two teams traded the lead in the third, and North Carolina seemed so close to pulling away in the fourth once Mikayla Timpson fouled out. Instead, Lexi Donarski missed a wide-open 3 that would have given North Carolina an eight-point lead, and the Seminoles responded with a 9-1 run. The lead traded hands three times in the final minute, with Latson putting the finishing touches on an instant classic.

Latson leads the nation with 26.5 points per game, yet with Florida State residing in the ACC’s second tier, at best, her play can go overlooked. There was no missing her in Chapel Hill, as she mean-mugged her way through Carmichael Arena, putting her hands to her ears to ask where the noise was from the stunned UNC fans after her game-winner beat the buzzer. Maybe it doesn’t get better than this for the Seminoles, but it was pretty great for Latson and Co. on Sunday as they put on one of the shows of the season.

Three teams rising

UConn’s steadiness

This isn’t really the time of the year to give UConn plaudits, not as the Huskies face the easiest conference schedule of any team realistically contending for the Final Four. But there is something to be said for UConn’s metronomic consistency…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/women-college-basketball-power-rankings-101610864.html

Author : The Athletic

Publish date : 2025-01-27 10:16:00

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