There are only a couple of weeks left before the regular season ends and the NCAA women's conference tournaments kick off. While we still have some clear favorites to win it all, like UConn and UCLA, some teams are attracting attention before the season ends.
Teams building confidence late in the year could be what flips this season on its head. The SEC and Big Ten tournaments should be pure entertainment with how many serious contenders are in each conference. That could hold big implications for what those teams look like heading into the NCAA tournament in March. Here are five WBB teams that are hitting their stride at just the right time.
Duke
The Blue Devils started the season at No. 7 in the AP Top 25. By week three, they had fallen out of the rankings entirely. Duke had suffered back-to-back-to-back losses against No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 UCLA, and No. 5 LSU. Since then, we have seen the squad get serious about turning their season around, and they've done just that.
Duke is currently on a 16-game winning streak, in which they've faced three ranked opponents and climbed back up to No. 9 in the rankings. In the last two weeks, the Blue Devils have handed both No. 6 Louisville and No. 21 North Carolina losses. Duke sophomore and All-American contender, Toby Fournier, has thrived. Over the last three games, she has averaged 15.6 points and 9 rebounds per game.
They've hit their stride and gained the confidence to finish the season strong, and they'll need it. To close out the season, they will face North Carolina again, this time in Chapel Hill. The environment will be electric, and the Tar Heels will definitely be looking for a bit of revenge. Is Duke hot enough to handle them again?
TCU
Over the last month, the Horned Frogs suffered tough losses against two ranked opponents. No. 12 Ohio State handed TCU a 71-69 loss, then in early February, No. 21 Texas Tech got away with a 62-60 victory over the Horned Frogs. That Texas Tech loss sent TCU down to No. 14 in the rankings. An unranked 80-79 loss to Colorado was just another punch to the gut for this TCU squad. But, they've bounced back.
The Horned Frogs faced No. 12 Baylor, and Olivia Miles absolutely showed out. She had 40 points, and shot 10-of-20 from beyond the arc — leading TCU to an 83-67 victory. Their next matchup was against No. 19 West Virginia. TCU took a 9-point victory, and you could tell it felt good to win a close one after letting a few slip away.
TCU has gotten hot again before the season closes. They are back up to No. 12 in the rankings. If they win out, they could enter the Big 12 tournament with an edge and some confidence. This would be great for them, as they could face Texas Tech again in the tourney.
Maryland
The Terrapins finished January in less-than-desirable fashion. After starting the season 16-1, Maryland lost five of their next six matchups. It started with a loss to No. 19 Ohio State. They then lost four in a row to UCLA, Iowa, Washington, and Oregon. Although February has been a different story for this Maryland squad.
Maryland has won all four of their February matchups so far, including games against No. 12 Michigan State and No. 8 Ohio State. The win over Ohio State was huge, not only because the Terrapins won by one point, but it also proved they can win against Top 10 opponents. It will be important for Maryland to bring this heat with them into their final three games. In their season closer, they will face No. 6 Michigan, who is having a great season. As long as they find ways for Duke transfer, Oluchi Okananwa, to get to the basket, they could become real Big Ten contenders. Okananwa is averaging 17.3 points in February.
Minnesota
Minnesota is currently on a nine-game winning streak. Their most recent victory came in an impressive 74-61 victory over No. 10 Ohio State. This is their second victory over a No. 10 team, as well. In early February, they handed Iowa their third loss in a row. The Golden Gophers' recent success has found them a spot in the AP Top 25 after spending all season unranked.
They are currently sitting at No. 4 in the Big Ten rankings. This is not a horrible spot to be before the tournament. A lot of this recent success has been the result of players stepping up. Sophie Hart is averaging 10.7 points per game on the season. Over the last four games, she's hit her stride, averaging 15.5 points per game.
They will face No. 18 Michigan State next, who have lost four of its last six matchups. If Minnesota can capitalize on this and then win its season closer against Illinois, we're looking at another Big Ten title contender. They just need to stay hot.
Vanderbilt
This time last week, I would have said Vanderbilt was the hottest team on this list. But after a 76-74 loss to Georgia, they've cooled down — but just a little. Based on their performances over two weeks, I am confident the Commodores will bounce back.
Vanderbilt started February with four straight wins, three over ranked opponents. Star sophomore Mikayla Blakes has her eyes on more than just closing out the regular season strong. In their close victory over No. 16 Kentucky, Blakes put up 37 points. Vanderbilt faced No. 10 Oklahoma next, where Blakes put up another 30+ point game, leading the Commodores to a 102-86 victory.
Their most impressive win of the season came a week ago against No. 4 Texas. Blakes put up 34 points, and freshman Aubrey Galvan had 18 points for herself. With that 86-70 victory over Texas, the Commodores not only proved to themselves what they can do, but also to the rest of the nation that they are real competitors. I wouldn't be sleeping on Vandy in March. I think their loss to Georgia will only fire them up more. They'll need that competitiveness as they close out their season with three ranked opponents.