Women's college basketball opening day watch guide

The women’s college basketball season has finally arrived. After a milestone season that saw several attendance and viewership records shattered, star power still remains and this season should be more of the same. Eighteen of the Associated Press’ Top 25 teams play on opening day, but we’ll use On3’s rankings here.

If you’ve got a busy Monday, ditch those plans to watch these games:

#24 Ole Miss vs. #1 USC in Paris (12 p.m. EST – ESPN)

The Paris games are back and the first of the double-header is easily one of the best games of the day. Ole Miss, a team with a real veteran core, will face a team full of newcomers in USC. 

Storylines:

• Will JuJu Watkins put on a show in the opener like she did last season?
• How will newcomers Kiki Iriafen, Talia von Oelhoffen and a slew of top 100 freshmen mesh for the Trojans?
• How will Ole Miss’ KK Deans look after returning from injury?

#5 UCLA vs. #14 Louisville in Paris (2:30 p.m. EST – ESPN2)

This is the best matchup of the day as two top-15 teams face off in Paris. UCLA returns their core from a season ago, while Louisville returns several key pieces and adds a handful of impact freshmen. 

Storylines:

• How much will Louisville have to rely on their freshmen early this season?
• What kind of impact will UCLA transfers Janiah Barker, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Timea Gardiner have considering there are so many returners for the Bruins?
• Lauren Betts vs. Olivia Cochran in the post

#2 South Carolina vs. Michigan in Las Vegas (7:30 p.m. EST – TNT, TruTV)

The reigning national champions, South Carolina, open the season with a neutral-court matchup against a depleted Michigan squad. The Wolverines had six players enter the transfer portal, including star Laila Phelia, but they have two highly-regarded freshmen who should see significant minutes. 

Storylines:

• How will the Gamecocks replace 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso in the post?
• Olivia Olson and Syla Swords impact from the jump for Michigan
• Who’s going to really step up for the Wolverines this season? 

Other interesting matchups:

Fairfield at Arkansas (7:30 p.m. – SECN+)

Fairfield, one of the best mid-majors in the country, has a tough schedule this season – and it starts on opening day. Arkansas lost a ton in the transfer portal, but beating an SEC team would be a huge resume booster for the Stags nonetheless. 

Southern at #11 Oklahoma (6 p.m. – SECN+)

It’s a rematch of one of the best upsets from a season ago. The Sooners lost 79-70 at home last season, but they’re a stronger, more talented squad this time around. Can Southern complete the upset in back-to-back seasons?

Green Bay at #13 Kansas State (12 p.m. – ESPN+)

Green Bay was one of the best mid-majors last season with a 27-7 record and wins over Creighton and Washington State. There’s a new head coach in town with Kayla Karius at the helm – and this is a good chance to see a top 15-ranked Kansas State squad against a team that returns all of its top scorers from last season.