The 2026-27 women’s college basketball season is here, and opening night had a little bit of everything: a star’s return, two games in Paris and a first-week matchup of ranked teams. Here is what stood out from Day 1.
JuJu Watkins Is Back
The biggest story of the night was in Los Angeles. JuJu Watkins returned from her knee injury and scored 21 points in 25 minutes as No. 3 USC beat UNLV 100-68. She started slowly, missing eight of her first 12 shots, then scored 11 points in the third quarter and sat out the fourth. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said Watkins’ minutes are still being managed. Jazzy Davidson led all scorers with 23 points, and Saniyah Hall added 22 points and seven rebounds.
South Carolina Holds On in Paris
No. 1 South Carolina opened against No. 20 Maryland at Adidas Arena in Paris and won 101-93. The Gamecocks led 61-33 at halftime and by as many as 31 in the third quarter, but Maryland’s Addi Mack scored 35 points and the Terrapins cut it to six in the final minute. Joyce Edwards scored 23 and Agot Makeer added 20 for South Carolina. Seniors Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, both back from knee injuries, combined for 15 points and 17 rebounds.
Oklahoma Beats North Carolina, Also in Paris
The other game in Paris was a ranked matchup, and No. 21 Oklahoma beat No. 12 North Carolina 91-79. The first half was close, and Oklahoma led 39-38 at the break before outscoring the Tar Heels 31-14 in the third quarter. Freshman Kate Harpring had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists for North Carolina, and freshman LeeLee Bell led the Sooners.
The Rest of the Ranked Teams
- No. 2 UConn 100, Cornell 35: Sarah Strong had 19 points and eight steals, and freshman Jovana Popovic also scored 19. Eleven of 12 Huskies scored at least four points.
- No. 13 Notre Dame 99, Villanova 75: Hannah Hidalgo had 32 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in Rome on Sunday.
- No. 16 Washington 79, UC San Diego 63: Sayvia Sellers had a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
- No. 11 UCLA 73, Lehigh 53: Sienna Betts had 15 points and seven rebounds for a Bruins team that lost six players to the WNBA draft.
- No. 8 Vanderbilt: Mikayla Blakes opened with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Close Calls and Other Results
- Creighton 73, South Dakota State 71: The Bluejays went on the road and won a tight one in Brookings.
- Gonzaga 62, North Dakota State 56
- Iowa 73, Towson 45
HBCU Watch
Howard gave Missouri all it could handle in a 91-88 loss. Grambling State lost 90-61 at Iowa State, and South Carolina State opened with a 112-42 win over Trinity College of Jacksonville.
Looking Ahead
UConn has a big first week. The Huskies visit No. 5 Michigan on Thursday and play No. 10 Iowa on Sunday. North Carolina gets no break after Paris, with No. 1 South Carolina in Charlotte on Sunday. My first weekly women’s post comes next Monday, right after the first regular-season AP poll.
Featured photo: Jazzy Davidson with the USC Trojans in 2026 by Luis Ochea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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