Big Ten women’s basketball news and notes

(BIG TEN) – The Wisconsin Badgers who are 2-0 in non-conference play are not the only team in the Big Ten to be undefeated this early in the season.

So far 14 Big Ten teams are unbeaten with the Badgers trying to improve to 3-0 when they play at South Dakota State against the Jackrabbits Wednesday night.

• The second week of play tipped off on Monday with Michigan State besting Eastern Michigan, 95-49. The marquee matchup of the week brings No. 24/23 Stanford to Bloomington to face RV Indiana on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.
• The Big Ten paces all Division I conferences with 37 wins so far this season, followed by the ACC (34), SEC (33) and Big 12 (32).
• The new era of Big Ten women’s basketball got off to a hot start as programs won more than 87 percent of their games to open the 2024-25 campaign. The stellar results included five wins over AP Top 25 opponents, including three upsets. The conference also has 14 teams with unblemished records.
• The Big Ten Conference had seven programs featured in this week’s Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll. USC led the balloting at No. 3, followed by No. 5 UCLA, No. 11 Maryland, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 21 Nebraska, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon. Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State were receiving votes. The Big Ten and SEC tied for the top spot with seven schools ranked.
• Six programs made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll – No. 3 USC, No. 6 UCLA, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 20 Nebraska and No. 24 Illinois. Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon and Penn State garnered votes. The Big Ten and ACC were tied for the second-most teams in the rankings.
• Destiny Adams (RU) and Lauren Betts (UCLA) were selected as two of five Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Tuesday. Adams averaged 26.7 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during a 3-0 week for Rutgers, while Betts posted 24.5 points, 11.0 boards, 3.5 blocks and 3.5 assists in UCLA’s pair of victories. Syla Swords was the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week by averaging 23.5 points and 9.0 rebounds for Michigan. Oregon was tabbed as the USBWA National Team of the Week after going 3-0 to start the season, which included upsetting No. 12 Baylor.
• The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its 2024-25 Wade Watch List on Tuesday. The 15-person list features three representatives from the Big Ten in UCLA’s Lauren Betts and USC teammates Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins. The Wade Trophy is presented to the best player in college women’s basketball.
• Illinois opened its season with an 83-74 victory over No. 19 Florida State. It was the first win over the Seminoles in program history after having dropped the previous two meetings.
• Then-ranked No. 18 Maryland took care of business at home as it handed No. 11 Duke its first loss of the season, 85-80.
• Oregon hadn’t defeated a ranked opponent since February 2023 until Sunday, when the squad rallied to take down No. 12 Baylor, 76-74. The win snapped a 14-game losing streak to ranked opponents and earned the Ducks their first victory over the Bears in program history.
• First-year head coach Jan Jensen guided Iowa to a 91-73 triumph against NIU to earn her first career win.
• Rutgers senior Destiny Adams was named Big Ten Player of the Week. She netted 30 points versus Cornell and a career-high 36 against NJIT for the first back-to-back 30-plus game performances since Sue Wicks (1988) and only the third in program history. Adams also grabbed 22 rebounds against the Highlanders, the first Scarlet Knight to record 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in over 12 seasons. Her 36 points tied a Jersey Mike’s Arena record that was previously set by Arella Guirantes (2020) and tied for eighth all-time for most points in a single game with Guirantes and Caroline DeRoose (1994).
• Michigan’s Syla Swords burst onto the scene with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance against No. 1 South Carolina (Nov. 4), earning herself Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Swords tallied the most points scored by a Michigan freshman in a debut in the NCAA era and the second-most ever behind Peg Harte (1981 – 28 points). She is only the third player since 2009-10 to have at least 27 points and 12 rebounds against the Gamecocks.