Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina leads must-watch women’s basketball games

A snowstorm is on its way to the East Coast as the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team gets set for its biggest test of the season.

The undefeated Commodores — off to their best start in program history — will play at South Carolina on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) unless Mother Nature decides otherwise. Should the showdown take place, it will be Vanderbilt’s latest opportunity to prove it is a legit contender for the SEC title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Coached by UConn star Shea Ralph, now in her fifth season, Vandy is on pace to secure a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament — meaning it would host games in Nashville during the opening weekend of March Madness — for the first time since 2007. The Commodores have been powered by super sophomore Mikayla Blakes, freshman Aubrey Galvan and a host of other complimentary players.

What lies ahead for them in Columbia, South Carolina, is a Gamecocks’ team that is licking its wounds after losing in overtime at Oklahoma. South Carolina has been the dominant team in the SEC for several years, having gone to five consecutive Final Fours and winning two national titles in that stretch.

The other SEC team to win a championship this decade is LSU, who Vanderbilt already beat a few weeks ago.

Under its previous head coach, Stephanie White, Vanderbilt became an afterthought in the SEC as South Carolina rose to power. The Commodores never had more than five conference wins in any of her six seasons at the helm.

Under Ralph, they’ve risen to relevance, having gone to the NCAA Tournament in two straight seasons. A win over South Carolina on Sunday — which would be their 20th this season — should end any questions about whether they’re legitimate contenders.

Here’s the other games to watch in women’s college basketball this weekend:

Game that could shake up national rankings: Ohio State at Iowa

2 p.m. ET, Sunday (Peacock)

Behind its superb post-play, head-turning assists from Chit-Chat Wright and some timely 3-pointers from Taylor McCabe, the Hawkeyes are back in the top 10 and look like a team that can go deep in March. They’re undefeated so far in Big Ten play and have won seven in a row. But the Buckeyes also have a seven-game win streak going and are riding high after a non-conference win over TCU. This is a Big Ten clash you shouldn’t miss.

Must-watch player matchup: Oklahoma at Auburn

2 p.m. ET, Sunday (SEC Network)

Aaliyah Chavez has emerged as the bus driver for the Oklahoma Sooners and her heroics on Thursday lifted them to an overtime victory over South Carolina, marking just the third time in program history Oklahoma has beaten a top-two nationally-ranked opponent. If you missed her performance of 26 points and eight assists against the Gamecocks, watch her stunt on Auburn.

Mid-major matchup worth watching: Army at Navy

11 a.m. ET, Saturday (CBS Sports Network)

Any clash in any sport between the Midshipmen and Black Knights is worth tuning into, but this one is going to have a big impact on the standings in the Patriot League. Army and Navy are both 6-1 in Patriot play, tied atop the table. Navy was picked as the preseason favorites in the conference and has mostly lived up to the hype. Tim Taylor’s Mids are powered by Zanai Barnett-Gay, who is one of four players in the country averaging at least 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. In Katie Kuester’s first season at the helm at West Point, Army has four players averaging double figures.

Big stakes for a bubble team: West Virginia at BYU

9:30 p.m. ET, Saturday (ESPN+)

In USA Today Sports’ most recent bracket watch, we projected BYU as one of the first four teams out of the NCAA Tournament field. That was before the Cougars picked up a win over Texas Tech. Now, BYU has the chance to secure another resume-boosting victory against West Virginia. Should the Cougars beat the Mountaineers, it’ll be their first Quad 1 win of the season. Keep an eye on Delaney Gibb, who had 18 points and six assists for BYU in the win over Texas Tech.

Sickos game of the week: Texas A&M at Missouri

6 p.m. ET, Sunday (SEC Network)

The opportunities for both of these teams to pick up wins in SEC play is quickly diminishing. If something compels you to watch this game with vested interest, the 3-point line will make it worth paying attention. Kellie Harper’s Missouri is 10th nationally in behind the arc shooting percentage with a 37.3% clip, while Joni Taylor’s Aggies rank 215th nationally in defending the 3.

Also watch…

• UConn at Seton Hall: 12 p.m. ET, Saturday (Peacock)
• Princeton at Brown: 12 p.m. ET, Saturday (ESPN+)
• Richmond at George Mason: 11 a.m. ET, Sunday (ESPNU)
• Syracuse at North Carolina: 12 p.m. ET, Sunday (The CW)
• Tennessee at Ole Miss: 7 p.m. ET, Monday (ESPNU)