Women’s college basketball is serving a jam-packed Sunday this weekend. Through one full week into the New Year, this round of games holds a bit of early meaning for several teams spanning multiple conferences. Early upsets are shaping storylines nearly every night in conference play. In that spirit, it’s only right to kick off this week’s column with one of the most anticipated matchups.
The Sooners benefited nicely as the teams above them in the poll succumbed to upsets, but the team had one of its own around the corner with a stunning home loss to No. 18 Ole Miss, 74-69. It was a poor shooting display throughout the game for Oklahoma, shooting 34 percent from the field and a putrid 6-for-25 from outside.
When the Sooners aren’t hitting the three-pointer consistently, the team has to get the ball inside to Raegan Beers with a sense of urgency to remain competitive and get back on track. The inside-out game is how this team operates at peak performance. Too often, it deviates from what works best.
RAEGAN. BEERS. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Sc3mFpz1Dz
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 9, 2026
After a tough loss to Maryland in November, Kentucky rattled off an eight-game win streak, including a 2-0 record to start conference play and a statement win over LSU. Entering a matchup with Alabama, the Wildcats were shorthanded without senior star wing Teonni Key, who is week-to-week with a right arm injury. Junior post Clara Strack managed to score just four points on 1-for-13 shooting in a 64-51 loss to the Crimson Tide.
A bit of adversity at this point in the season is never a bad thing as long as it’s utilized and learned from. This matchup will be a great showing for both squads after watching tape of what went wrong and where to adapt.
The LSU Tigers dropped their first two games in SEC play, which was the first time in head coach Kim Mulkey’s career. Her team responded with a dominant win over Georgia. After going scoreless for the third time in her collegiate career, Tigers star Flau’jae Johnson scored 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
Flau’jae Johnson tonight 🔥
• 25 points
• 4 rebounds
• 2 blocks
• 9/13 FGpic.twitter.com/65zYRZ3CDT— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) January 9, 2026
Mi’Layshia Fulwiley was an instant spark off the bench, netting 18 points on 6-for-9 from the field in 26 minutes. The only issue was that Johnson was the only starter to score more than five minutes. With seven players on the roster scoring at least 10 points, help will be needed from all corners against Texas.
The Longhorns have been on autopilot since the start of the season in a way that I haven’t seen from this particular group the past few seasons. The team’s poise and confidence as a whole show through its chemistry on both sides of the floor. Texas’ schedule in November included games against UCLA and South Carolina. December saw them with quality wins over Baylor and North Carolina. Head coach Vic Schaefer has his team ready for the moment.
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Born and raised in Chicago, Christan Braswell is a women’s sports journalist with a focus on the WNBA and women’s college basketball. He’s an avid fan of elevator screens and stuffed-crust pizza. Outside of sports, he’s an avid cook and lover of the great outdoors.
After two months of non-conference play and endless blowouts, conference play kicked off last night in women’s college basketball with a flurry of high-powered matchups. From conference to conference, the […]
