WBB Wraparound: A week of upsets for Ohio State, Tennessee and Minnesota

3 highlights from women's college basketball this week:

Penn State beats No. 9 Ohio State: The only person to predict this upset was Jamie Steyer Johnson of The Press Break podcast, who knew this could end up a trap game. A traditional rivalry, Penn State was absolutely ready to play the Buckeyes. They held Ohio State to single-digit scoring in two quarters and held strong when they came back with a 24-point third quarter. This Ohio State team is known for their suffocating defense but Penn State held steady and was able to end the game up 62-59. The win itself was impressive, but it was also Ohio State's first loss of the season, their undefeated streak coming to an end.

Vanderbilt beats No. 15 Tennessee: Another big upset last weekend — Vanderbilt won by one point over No.15 Tennessee last weekend. Vanderbilt was able to stay with Tennesse throughout the game by holding them to a five-point second quarter. In the end, it was Mikayla Blakes who scored the game-winning shot to help Vanderbilt get up 71-70. Funny enough, her brother Jaylen Blakes hit his own game-winner the day before for his Stanford Cardinal team. Blakes scored 23 points in the game, leading all scorers on both teams.

No. 24 Michigan gets first ranked win of the season over No. 20 Minnesota: Let's round out the week of upsets with a mid-western battle. No. 24 Michigan has been in and out of the rankings this season, overall performing better than expected with their fiery freshman duo of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. Now 14-5 on their season, Michigan had a rough three losses to USC, UCLA, and Ohio State, but have now won their last four games. Their win over No. 20 Minnesota was the team's first win this season against a ranked opponent. It was Swords who led the scoring with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, shooting 6-of-11 from distance. She credits Team Canada teammate Bridget Carleton of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx for helping with her shooting form over the summer, leading to her quick release and pointed accuracy from distance. Olson contributed 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks to the win, and Mila Holloway had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

2 games to watch this week:

No. 2 South Carolina v. No. 5 LSU: Friday Jan. 24, 5 p.m. ET

In what very well could be the game of 2025 so far, get ready for this top-five match-up. No. 2 South Carolina has been absolutely blazing through teams since their loss to UCLA earlier in the season. Despite losing Ashlyn Watkins to a devastating ACL injury, Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts have both stepped up to take on some of that burden. LSU, on the other hand, is one of the country's last undefeated teams this season at 20-0, and this game will be the make-or-break for that record. LSU has started their SEC schedule facing teams like Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Auburn, who don't have the size and experience that makes LSU so dangerous. South Carolina has the matchups and the power to possibly hand LSU this first loss. It's also a South Carolina home game, and this program has over 60 consecutive home wins right now. Colonial Life Arena is an institution to Gamecock fans, and they show UP. It will be a suffocating environment for LSU to play in. A reminder that the game was moved from Thursday to Friday due to inclement weather conditions.

No. 21 Michigan State vs. No. 24 Michigan: Saturday, Jan. 25, 12:00 p.m. ET

We love an inter-state rivalry game. Michigan State and Michigan are both teams with a lot of young talent, looking to grow. This matchup comes at a time when both teams are on the edge of the rankings and would love a win against a ranked opponent. More than that, the bragging rights on this one have to be astronomical. With Syla Swords having such a good season, along with fellow freshmen Olvia Olson and Mila Holloway, this Michigan team is setting up to be really good in coming years. On State's side, the Spartans are 16-3 and have also won their last four games. They have one ranked win on the season like Michigan, but theirs was against Iowa, who was No. 21 at the time. Overall, these are two pretty evenly matched teams, looking to resume build over the next few weeks ahead of March Madness seeding. It will likely be an exciting one, especially if you live in Michigan!

1 player to watch this week: Flau'Jae Johnson, LSU

Flau-Jae Johnson will be a huge factor going into LSU's big game against South Carolina on Friday night. Averaging 20 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists this season, her team will be looking for her to make her presence known, especially on defense, where Johnson can be a tough guard on her defender.

Thinking back to last season, Johnson was one of the only players who could slow down Caitlin Clark. In LSU's March Madness rematch against Iowa, Johnson was switched onto Clark at various points in the game. Honestly, it was slightly confusing she didn't defend Clark the entire game. Johnson's long body, athleticism, and quickness all contribute to her being able to stay on her assignment and frustrate them. Her defensive rating of 80.8 isn't to the level of some of her peers but still sits within the 92nd percentile.

This will be crucial against South Carolina. Johnson will not only need to reach and exceed her normal 20 points per game in order to keep up with South Carolina's offense, but her defense will need to be elite as well. Her size allows her to guard a few options as well. If LSU wants to keep their winning streak alive, Johnson is a key factor to that.