WBB Wraparound: The Battle of LA is here as No. 1 UCLA and No. 7 USC face off

3 highlights in women's college basketball this week:

Texas beats South Carolina: In an SEC battle, South Carolina lost their second game of the season, this time to Texas. It was a close game, with Texas winning 66-62 over the 2024 National Champions. Due to this, Texas rose to No. 3 in the rankings, while South Carolina fell to No. 4. This is also the first time South Carolina has lost two games in one season since 2021-22. Still one of the deepest and strongest teams in the country, South Carolina's weaknesses in the front court, especially without Ashlyn Watkins, just mean they are a bit more susceptible to big teams. South Carolina is now 22-2 on the season.

Michigan returns the favor with a win over No. 22 Michigan State: A few weeks ago, Michigan State arrived in Ann Arbor and handed Michigan a big loss on their homecourt. This loss caused Michigan to fall out of the top 25 rankings again but definitely motivated them going forward. Last weekend, they headed to East Lansing to face Michigan State — this time returning the favor and serving the home team a loss. Then, they followed up with another win over Indiana. It's been a while since these teams were both playing at this high of a level at the same time, making the rivalry even more fun. Both teams are making a splash in the Big 10, and it will be fun to see how they shake things up in the postseason.

Could Paige Bueckers be coming to the WNBA?: Up until this week, Bueckers was the presumed No. 1 prospect in the 2025 WNBA draft, but she hadn't confirmed anything. UConn's season has not been going to plan, as the No. 7 Huskies lost another big match-up to Tennessee last week. After the game, Bueckers was asked about her plans after this season. Technically, she has one remaining year of college eligibility she could use to play at UConn or any other college if she wanted to. She could also head into the WNBA, and the Dallas Wings presumably would not be mad to grab her at No. 1 Bueckers's response to the question: "That's the plan."

2 games to watch this week:

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 7 USC: Thursday, Feb. 13, 10:00 p.m. EST

The Battle of LA is finally here. With No. 1 UCLA and No. 7 USC being top-ranked teams this year, fans across the country have had this match circled on their calendars. UCLA is still undefeated at 23-0, while USC has a 21-2 record. Both teams are filled with superstars — UCLA's Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice along with their deep team of contributors, USC with Juju Watkins, Kiki Iriafen and their young and talented roster. This will be the first of two games these two teams play before the regular season ends, and they will likely both live up to the hype. It will be hard to take advantage of being at "home" as both schools are in LA, with passionate fan bases. Unmissable basketball.

No. 4 South Carolina vs. No. 7 UConn: Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 p.m. EST

It's not as historic of a rivalry as some other matchups, but this one has been entertaining in years past. Both schools have been turning out the nation's best players for years. UConn has star power in their starting lineup, yet South Carolina has the depth of two starting lineups. This is also UConn's last chance to get a big win on their resume, already having lost to USC, Notre Dame and Tennessee this season. South Carolina, on the other hand, only seems to become more motivated when they (very rarely) lose a game. It will be incredibly intriguing to see how these two teams match up against one another.

One player to watch this week: Joyce Edwards, South Carolina

The freshman of the year conversation has been pretty focused on UConn's Sarah Strong, but South Carolina's Joyce Edwards should also be getting recognition. The freshman forward has been tasked with more responsibility after the Gamecocks lost Watkins to a season-ending injury and she has stepped up.

Her efficiency is incredible, as she is shooting 57.3 percent from the field. She's an impressive defender for a player so young, and she averages 23.6 points per 40 minutes, bolstering the South Carolina offense.

This weekend will be big for Edwards as she finally goes head-to-head with UConn's Sarah Strong — a match-up that will probably entertain fans for years to come. It will be interesting to see how they defend each other, and Edwards could really have a "hey, I'm here" kind of night.