It's Conference Championship weekend! For each of the Power 4 Conferences, we are going to make a Championship prediction, highlight a player to watch, and identify a dark horse team.
Big-10 Conference
Championship Prediction: USC
USC has been on a tear to end the regular season. Most notably, their two wins against UCLA were just what the team needed to boost confidence going into the postseason. They seem to have UCLA's number, too, and with two wins under their belt, it seems like they have the right recipe to win their third game in a month against the Bruins should they meet them in the Big-10 Final.
Both USC and UCLA do not start their Big-10 tournament play until Friday, thanks to the double-bye their top seeds allowed them. USC will meet the winner of Oregon vs Indiana and could play Maryland, Michigan or Washington in the semi-final game. On UCLA's side, they await the winner of Nebraska vs Illinois and could face Ohio State, Michigan State, or Iowa in the semifinal.
Player to Watch: Juju Watkins, USC
The Big-10 Player of the Year has been on another level this season, but especially when facing city-rival UCLA. Watkins unlocks another level when she plays UCLA, and expect the same intensity if the two face again on Sunday's championship game. The hype that has been built between these two teams is just growing by the day.
Dark Horse: Michigan
Michigan has two incredible freshmen in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. If both can get it going in tournament play, they have potential to upset a few teams. Jordan Hobbs has the veteran experience, and they have shown flashes of the high-level basketball needed to beat some of these higher-ranked teams.
SEC
Championship Prediction: South Carolina
South Carolina has had a rockier season than the program is used to in recent years. Yet, this is still a team filled with high-level basketball players ready to meet a moment. Dawn Staley can coach in a tournament like no one else, and the Gamecocks are ready to prove they are still a powerhouse, not only in the SEC but in the entire country. Staley said on the SEC broadcast Thursday afternoon that she is expecting "Tournament Tessa" Johnson, as well as Te-Hina Paopao, as the team's vets. Chlose Kitts will be huge in a physical SEC landscape, as well as freshman Joyce Edwards. Still, South Carolina is the favourite.
Player to Watch: Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Aneesah Morrow was not the SEC Player of the Year, losing to Texas star Madison Booker. That may motivate her to play with a chip on her shoulder, but ultimately, the biggest factor is that her team needs her. LSU is the three-seed in the SEC tournament and could face Texas in the semi-final. On top of that, Flau'Jae Johnson will not be playing in the tournament this week. LSU coach Kim Mulkey announced she was benching Johnson in order to rest her amid a leg injury, in hopes she will be better healed ahead of March Madness. Due to this, more of the pressure will be on Morrow to step up in this tournament.
Dark Horse: Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been gaining momentum at the right time. In a conference as physical as the SEC, which prioritizes post-play as much, having strong frontcourt players is key. Raegan Beers will be crucial to Oklahoma's success in the SEC tournament. Yet, they have the potential to go farther than some may expect.
ACC
Championship Prediction: Notre Dame
If you've been following, you know that Notre Dame's regular season did not end as the team may have hoped. They suffered two losses in the last two weeks of the season, causing their ranking to drop from No. 1 to No. 6 in the final days before the ACC Tournament. Still, this team is absolutely stacked. They have Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron — not to mention this is the last postseason Notre Dame will have this trio on the roster. Both Miles and Citron are expected to declare for the WNBA draft this spring.
As the two-seed in the ACC tournament, Notre Dame will play on Friday for the first time, awaiting the winner of Cal vs Virginia. From there, they could play Duke, Clemson or Louisville in the semi-final. On the other side of the bracket, the top seeds are NC State (who beat Notre Dame in a thrilling double-overtime game a few weeks ago) and Florida State.
If Notre Dame's Big Three can make some magic happen this weekend, they could win back-to-back ACC Championships.
Player to Watch: Saniya Rivers, NC State
Saniya Rivers is the leader of one-seed NC State and surely would love to grab an ACC tournament win this year. After that thrilling win over Notre Dame, NC State ended up sneaking into the top spot in the conference. This team is one that kind of coasts under the radar to start the season but always makes a push in March. Think about last year when they made the Final Four. Rivers is a huge part of the success of this team — they play through her.
Dark Horse: Duke
Duke is the three-seed in this tournament, yet Notre Dame and NC State are huge teams to beat. Still, Duke has potential, especially with such a fierce player as Toby Fournier. Off the bench, she has averaged over 14 points per game this season and scored 28 in Duke's last regular season game. If Forunier has that kind of motion in the tournament, they could make some noise.
Big-12 Conference
Championship Pick: TCU
TCU has been taking care of business this season and could cruise to a Big-12 Tournament championship with Hailey Van Lith playing her best. The Big-12 Player of the Year has been hooping, averaging 17.6 points per game in the regular season. They were able to beat Baylor for the regular season championship and won't play in the tournament until Friday, meaning lots of rest and fresh legs.
Player to Watch: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Baylor will be seeking revenge after dropping the final game of the season to TCU. The Bears have been a sleeper team this season and are gaining momentum at the perfect time. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs has averaged 14.3 points per game this season, and her performance will be crucial to Baylor's success. When she is playing well, Baylor as a whole plays better.
Dark Horse: Iowa State
The Cyclones' season did not go to plan, causing them to fall in the Big-12 Conference rankings, but don't underestimate Iowa State. Audi Crooks has been playing well as the regular season came to an end, and Emily Ryan's last postseason should be as good motivation as any for this team to stretch their season as long as possible.