GRAB YOUR SNACKS AND LOCK IN TO SOME GREAT HOOPS!

It’s Super Bowl Weekend! The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will faceoff on February 8 to see who will stand on top of the NFL mountain. Before the big game (and Bad Bunny halftime performance!), women’s basketball will take center stage.

12 ranked teams will play on Super Sunday. No. 6 Louisville opens the festivities at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse. Louisville had its 14-game winning streak snapped on February 5 against No. 17 Duke, 59-58.

It was Louisville’s first loss since its defeat against South Carolina in early December. It was also their first loss in ACC conference play.

Following that road win against Louisville, Duke extended their winning streak to 14. We recently covered Duke’s turnaround here at the WBB Roundup.

Duke is on top of the ACC and has a great chance to go undefeated the rest of the regular season. If they’re able to win the ACC, it would be an amazing comeback following a disastrous start to the season.

LSU is looking to bounce back following a tough road loss at No. 4 Texas. All of LSU’s losses this season have come in SEC conference play against LSU hits the road for an afternoon matchup against Auburn.

Following the game, LSU is off for the week before a primetime showdown on Valentine’s Day against No. 3 South Carolina. LSU hasn’t beaten South Carolina since 2012 and Kim Mulkey hasn’t beaten South Carolina since the 2019 Sweet 16 when Mulkey was at Baylor. We’ll have a lot more on this matchup next week.

Speaking of South Carolina, they’ve bounced back nicely following their recent overtime loss to Oklahoma. They host a No. 19 Tennessee that has been solid for much of the year. SC has been a mainstay atop the rankings for over a decade, and we’ll have more on their head coach in a few.

But the main event of the basketball slate takes place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. No. 8 Michigan hosts a red-hot No. 2 UCLA team. The only loss Cori Close’s team has suffered this season was at the hands of Texas in the Players’ Era Festival final. Even at 22-1, there’s room for the Bruins to improve.

“I think our team as a whole, our next piece of discipline that we need to grab is learning how to be more consistent in that venture,” Close said following their win against Rutgers.

“We haven’t proven, against teams that are not on our caliber from a talent perspective, that we can put 40 minutes of disciplined basketball together and play to our standards on a consistent basis,” she added.

She’ll see if her team can compete against elite teams. This is Michigan’s third game against a Top 5 opponent this season. They’re 0-2 so far and lost both games by a score of 72-69.

Fortunately for them, they’ll be at home, and the Wolverine faithful should play a big role in this one. And if they want to pull off the upset, they’ll need career-defining games from the dynamic duo of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords.

They lead the team in scoring and are the players Kim Barnes Arico will turn to late in close games. If Michigan wins, it will likely propel them into the top five and give them a leg up in the Big Ten standings.

Now that we’re deep into conference play, business is picking up. It’s a full-on sprint to the postseason, and teams are rounding into shape. It’s been a terrific season in women’s college basketball, and we’ve got even more great hoops waiting for us.

SALUTING A BASKETBALL HERO

As part of Black History Month, we here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup will spotlight some icons who have made the game what it is today.

And what better way to start than by honoring one of the most important figures in hoops history?

Dawn Staley has done everything imaginable in basketball. She’s won everywhere she’s been and is an institution at the University of South Carolina. Staley has earned the love and respect of basketball fans across the globe over the course of the past four decades. She’s also someone who works to uplift Black women head coaches and HBCUs.

Staley is fearless; someone isn’t afraid to speak up for what’s right.

Her life could be a movie, but for now, we can watch a really great video on her fascinating career!

As Staley continues on her journey, she will be someone people continue to look up to.

She always pays it forward and is a shining example of how to use your platform to uplift and support those around you.

ATHLETES UNLIMITED IS BACK

Athletes Unlimited is back for their fifth season! The season tipped off on February 4 in Nashville with a solid doubleheader of action.

New AU pickup Tina Charles got off to a great start and is near the top of the Week One leaderboards. For fans who can’t make it to Nashville, following the league this season will be easier than ever.

In October, Athletes Unlimited announced a three-year broadcasting rights extension with ESPN. The new agreement will have ESPN broadcasting all of AU’s games on the ESPN family of networks. This agreement is another sign of the success of women’s sports and a strong indicator of the future of AU.

"The growth we've seen across Athletes Unlimited's leagues speaks to the power and appeal of women's sports," Rosalyn Durant. ESPN’s executive vice president for programming and acquisitions said in a statement.

"We're excited to deepen our partnership and bring even more of these moments and athletes to fans everywhere."

Accessibility matters. Being able to find the games makes watching them easier for fans after years of difficulties.

As Athletes Unlimited begins its new year, being on ESPN allows it to shine on a large stage and remain a strong winter option for players and fans.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

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