WBB Wraparound: Classic rivalries, statement wins, and Canada's Fournier is heating up

3 highlights from College Basketball this week:

No. 21 Iowa beats No. 18 Iowa State in a classic showdown: It's a classic state rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones. After the departure of both Caitlin Clark and longtime head coach Lisa Bluder, the Hawkeyes have been proving themselves in this new era. They only lost their first game last week when Tennessee was able to overcome a higher-ranked team. Coming off of that loss, they hosted their rivals Iowa State, who have been predicted to perform better this season. The now 8-3 Cyclones were in control for most of the game, until turnovers and foul trouble put them into some trouble. Despite a 31-point performance from Audi Crooks, the Hawkeyes took advantage of that late-game struggle and won 75-69 in the Battle of Iowa.

No. 19 Tennessee re-enters the rankings: Thanks in part to that win over Iowa last week, the Tennesee Volunteers are back in the AP rankings. In the program's longest unranked drought, they had not been ranked in nearly two seasons. They've started the non-conference portion of the season on a 7-0 run, but Iowa was clearly their biggest competition so far. Now back in the rankings, Tennessee will have to hold strong this month before heading into SEC play. They narrowly missed out on a chance to play for the SEC championship last season thanks to a buzzer-beater 3-point shot from Kamila Cardoso, and that still has to sting. The SEC is one of the most competitive conferences in women's college basketball thanks to Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and more.

No. 8 Notre Dame beats No. 6 Texas: After Notre Dame slipped in the rankings over the past few weeks due to losing to TCU and Utah, it was time for them to re-establish themselves. That opportunity came against Texas, a team that has been battling with Notre Dame in ranking. It was a fantastic game, which included overtime. While Texas scored the first bucket in extra time, Notre Dame then went on a 10-0 run to secure the 10-point victory. It was an extremely entertaining game between two teams with national championship aspirations. Hannah Hidalgo played 45 minutes and scored 30 points on 11-20 shooting from the field to help her team get the win.

2 games to watch this week:

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 8 Notre Dame: Thursday, Dec. 12, 7:00 p.m. EST

Most likely the most anticipated game of the year so far, the UConn–Notre Dame rivalry is one that stretches decades in women's basketball. Bigger than rankings and records, this rivalry is deep and personal between these teams. Last season, Hannah Hidalgo walked into Storrs, Connecticut and delivered the Huskies a loss on a silver platter. Now healthier and seeking revenge, Paige Bueckers and her UConn team will try to do the same. Unfortunately, Azzi Fudd has already been ruled out of this game after suffering a minor knee sprain last week. Still, UConn will have Bueckers, as well as their star freshman — Sarah Strong to battle against Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron, and Olivia Miles. UConn is also undefeated this season and is hoping to keep it that way. It's going to be an absolute battle from start to finish and must-see television.

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 18 Iowa State: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 8:30 p.m. EST

UConn will play again early next week as they host Iowa State at Mohegan Sun. The vibe of this game will heavily depend on the result of UConn's game against Notre Dame, but for Iowa State, it's a chance to prove themselves. They've lost tough games against South Carolina, Iowa, and Northern Iowa this season so far, and a win against UConn would be an excellent way to re-enter the win column. For UConn, this is either going to be a continuation of winning confidence or an angry retaliation for a heartbreaking loss. There is no saying whether Azzi Fudd will be able to play in this one either, as she is set to be re-evaluated before then. Regardless, it will be a game that reflects the ripple effect of the season we've seen so far.

1 player to keep an eye on: Toby Fournier is heating up

Toby Fournier, the freshman at No. 9 Duke, has started to heat up. The 6-foot-2 Canadian started her season looking fresh, excited, and a little wobbly — but as she gets more experience, the confidence is shining through. While Fournier is best as a forward in the 4 spot, the lack of size on Duke's roster has her playing more of a center role, but she's learning.

In Duke's big win against Virginia Tech, Fournier scored 27 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block. In Duke's 11 games, Fournier has scored in double digits in seven of them, impressive given the variation of minutes she's played. Her coach Kara Lawson has been doing an excellent job of showing she trusts the young player, while not putting too much pressure on her with huge minutes or responsibilities. As Fournier's confidence grows, Lawson will likely begin to let her play for longer stretches, but for now, it's a great opportunity for Fournier to experiment and get comfortable.

That 27-point performance is just a glimpse of Fournier's potential. The Canadian from Toronto has a ton of experience playing internationally for Team Canada and is one of the biggest names coming out of Canadian Basketball at the moment. Poised to become a staple on the Senior Women's team as she gets older, Fournier's ceiling is sky high. She has the potential to turn into a versatile big with a play style similar to A'ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart — those taller players who can do a little bit of everything. It will be fun to see how the rest of her freshman season plays out.