Las Vegas has already hosted important and exciting early-season games, but nothing tops next week's Players Era Women's Championship, a chance for players to earn NIL money and for teams to separate themselves from the other elite squads in the country.
Four of the nation's best -- Duke, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA -- will compete at Michelob ULTRA Arena, the home of the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, on Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day in a Final Four-caliber event.
That's the highlight of the holiday week tournaments and games -- but not the only intriguing action across the globe over the next week. Games from Puerto Rico to Cancun and from Florida to Texas help create one of the best stretches on the women's basketball calendar this season.
Many of these games will have far-reaching implications into March and could be the difference between being in or out of the NCAA tournament field.
It's a crowded sports calendar this time of year, but this is your guide to the best games and how to watch them. Come back after the final whistle to see how each contest ended and for analysis on how it might impact March.
Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee will be favored to get here. Winning both games is especially important to the Bulldogs, who have gotten off to a good start but need to build up the win total with the SEC gauntlet awaiting.
Oregon vs. Saint Mary's
2:30 p.m., FloHoops, Hoopfest Women's Basketball Classic (Frisco, Texas)
The Gaels and Ducks have gotten off to good starts against the softer parts of their schedules, so this Thanksgiving trip provides some key tests. Oregon can't afford a stumble because December brings games against Oregon State, UCLA, Stanford and Michigan.
Texas A&M vs. Colorado
7 p.m., BallerTV, Hawaii North Shore Showcase (Laie, Hawaii)
Ny'Ceara Pryor, who dominated for three years at Sacred Heart, has made her way to a Power 4 school with the Aggies. She's filling the stat sheet, leading the team in points, assists and steals.
Emerald Coast Classic, Beach Bracket championship game
7:30 p.m., FloHoops (Destin, Florida)
Virginia and Nebraska are the favorites to meet for the Beach Bracket title. A backcourt meeting of the Cavaliers' Kymora Johnson, one of the underrated players in the country, against the Huskers' Britt Prince is worth tuning in to see.
Wednesday
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Goombay Division championship game
1:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
West Virginia will likely get the Belmont-Ohio State winner. After beating Duke with just five players in the second half last week, the Mountaineers are getting much more attention.
Texas vs. UCLA
2 p.m., truTV, Players Era Championship (Las Vegas)
This is the event of the week -- and possibly the event of the season prior to March. The Bruins have already played a difficult nonconference schedule with wins over Oklahoma and North Carolina, but nothing on their slate matches the quality of the Longhorns.
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Junkanoo Division championship game
4 or 6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
If Alabama survives Harvard on Monday, the Crimson Tide will have a game against either South Florida or Minnesota that could have significant bubble implications in March.
Duke vs. South Carolina
4:30 p.m., truTV, Players Era Championship (Las Vegas)
As we were saying, nothing on UCLA's schedule matches the quality of the Longhorns ... unless the Bruins end up meeting the Gamecocks in the Players Era final Thursday. Duke, meanwhile, has gotten off to a slow start and needs some redemption after losses to Baylor and West Virginia. This is an opportunity.
Maryland vs. Kentucky
6:30 p.m., FloHoops, Puerto Rico Shootout (Carolina, Puerto Rico)
Easily the best game of the Puerto Rico Shootout, the Terps and Wildcats meet in the final game of Day 1. Both programs are having success on the fly after major personnel changes in the offseason. Kentucky will play Louisville before heading south, and Maryland has already beaten Princeton, but this will be the biggest test for either team.
Cal vs. Auburn
7:30 p.m., FloHoops, Hoopfest Women's Basketball Classic (Frisco, Texas)
These are two teams on the periphery of the bubble -- and they'll only stay there with a pair of wins in Texas. Auburn plays UTSA and Cal meets Grand Canyon two days earlier.
Thursday
South Dakota State vs. North Carolina
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
After the Players Era Championship, this is the next-best event of Thanksgiving week. The Jackrabbits and Tar Heels lead off a great first day. South Dakota State's Brooklyn Meyer is off to a great start and ranks among the national leaders in scoring. North Carolina's success starts with defense. The winner of that matchup likely wins the game.
NC State vs. Green Bay
4 p.m. ET, FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
The Wolfpack and Phoenix represent a contrast in styles. NC State wants to run. Green Bay likes to control the pace. This is a dangerous game for the Wolfpack, who can't afford any more nonconference losses if they want a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament.
Players Era championship game
8 p.m. ET, truTV (Las Vegas)
No matter how this shakes out and what the matchup is in this contest, a clear No. 2 team in the country will emerge from this first-of-its-kind women's event.
Richmond vs. TCU
9 p.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
Coming off the most successful season in program history and with All-American candidate Maggie Doogan back, the expectations are high for Richmond. Four games removed from a 29-point loss at Texas on Nov. 7, this represents a chance to check the Spiders' progress. The players have meshed quickly for the Horned Frogs, who should be unbeaten heading into Big 12 play with a win over the Spiders.
Oregon State vs. Vanderbilt
9 p.m., ESPN+, Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Coach Scott Rueck always seems to find a way at Oregon State -- and how he defends Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes will be another test. After the Beavers' win over Illinois, they are back in the NCAA tournament hunt.
Players Era consolation game
10:30 p.m., truTV (Las Vegas)
Despite the quality of the opponents at the Players Era Championship, two losses in Las Vegas will be devastating to No. 1 seed aspirations -- or possibly even No. 2 seed prospects given how many more challenges in and out of conference await the Blue Devils, Bruins, Gamecocks and Longhorns.
Nov. 28
Iowa State vs. Marquette
11 a.m., FloHoops, Coconut Hoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
The Cyclones won't have been challenged until this trip to Florida. Minnesota dominated Marquette two weeks ago, the Golden Eagles should approach this game with some desperation if the NCAA tournament is part of the their future.
Indiana vs. Gonzaga
1 :30 p.m., FloHoops, Coconut Hoops
Allie Turner of Gonzaga and Indiana's Shay Ciezki are two of the best small guards in the country. Ciezki is off to a fast start and is one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation.
Kansas vs. Georgia
7:30 p.m., ION, Fort Myers Classic (Fort Myers, Florida)
Neither team was on the NCAA tournament radar until a combined 9-0 start. This could be the game that proves whether postseason hopes are realistic.
Nov. 29
Oklahoma State vs. Miami
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cayman Islands Classic (Grand Town, Cayman Islands)
Expect plenty of points in this one. The Cowgirls hit the 100-point mark four times in their first five games.
South Dakota State vs. Kansas State
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge
Spin the wheel again in Cancun and more good matchups emerge. The Wildcats have eight players averaging at or around seven points. That kind of balance will help against a SDSU defense that is consistently good, especially in the half court, under coach Aaron Johnston.
Paradise Jam, Island Division championship game
1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ (U.S. Virgin Islands)
The Vanderbilt-Oregon State winner will meet either BYU or Virginia Tech. Regardless of the matchup, this game will have meaning. If the Beavers come out of the Paradise Jam with two wins, they are not only the clear WCC favorite but also in a position to earn an at-large bid. The Hokies won't likely threaten for the top of the ACC, but their at-large chances increase significantly with a championship here.
North Carolina vs. Columbia
1:30 p.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge
The Lions' Riley Weiss scored 24 points in an NCAA tournament win over Washington last season. If you missed that, here is another chance to watch Weiss, who is having an even better junior season.
George Mason vs. Ole Miss
3 p.m., BallerTV, Daytona Beach Classic (Daytona, Florida)
If the Atlantic 10 is going to get multiple bids to the NCAA tournament like it did a season ago, George Mason is the key. A game at Maryland right before this trip to Florida and this matchup with Ole Miss gives the Patriots their two biggest opportunities for a foundational résumé win.
Georgia Tech vs. Florida
5 p.m. ET, FloHoops, Cayman Islands Classic (Grand Town, Cayman Islands)
In the four games with sophomore Liv McGill, the Gators have scored at least 87 points. In the game she missed with a leg injury, they scored 54. If she's on the floor, Florida is a must-watch.
Paradise Jam, Reef Division championship game
8:30 p.m., ESPN+ (U.S. Virgin Islands)
LSU and Washington State is the likely matchup here. The Tigers' nonconference schedule once again doesn't provide many challenges, and the Cougars are struggling this season. But this might be a chance to see MiLaysia Fulwiley in her new surroundings. She's leading LSU in scoring despite still coming off the bench.
Nov. 30
Coconut Hoops, Blue Heron Division championship game
11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., FloHoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
An Indiana-Iowa State meeting seems most likely here, and the Hoosiers have size to throw at Cyclones star Audi Crooks, who already has a 43-point game this season.
Coconut Hoops, Great Egret Division championship game
4 or 6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
With their fast pace, ability to shoot and the addition of freshman Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma is fun to watch. The Sooners meeting Florida State here is the likely matchup in one of the final games of the weekend.
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Junkanoo Division championship game
6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
Michigan State and Clemson will be the big favorites to meet in this one. The Tigers' early losses were to South Carolina and Louisville, but they played well for long stretches in both. The Spartans opened the season by scoring at least 92 points in four straight games, sparked by Grace VanSlooten and the best assist totals in the country.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
Monday
Minnesota 57, South Florida 45
This was the kind of game South Florida needed to win to stay in the running for an at-large bid. Minnesota picked up a good résumé booster, and will have more chances to secure important wins in the Big Ten.
Sunday
Missouri 71, Washington State 54
After losses to Kansas and Troy, Missouri got a much-needed win Sunday -- its fourth game in eight days -- to move the Tigers to 5-2 in Kellie Harper's first year as coach. Mizzou's offense has scored at least 70 points in every game and has been ahead of its defense thus far. The victory at the WBCA Showcase in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, was a confidence-builder for the Tigers' defense. They held the Cougars to 29% shooting from the field (21 of 72) while shooting 48% (27 of 56) themselves.
Mizzou is relying a lot on transfers as Harper begins a new era for the program. Junior guard Shannon Dowell (Illinois State), who has been Mizzou's top offensive weapon, had 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 10 rebounds Sunday. Senior guard Jayla Smith (Purdue) had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. -- Michael Voepel
Saturday
Iowa 64, Miami 61
Through three quarters of Iowa-Miami, it looked like the more intriguing game Saturday at the WBCA Showcase might have already been played, as No. 7 Baylor needed overtime to beat Davidson 74-72 and avoid a second straight loss.
The No. 19 Hawkeyes looked comfortably in control and led the Hurricanes 61-49 with 8:30 to play -- but then Iowa failed to hit another field goal in the game. The Hurricanes, who have 12 new players this season, looked like they might pull the upset in their first true test of the season, scoring 10 unanswered points to cut the Hawkeyes' lead to two. But Kylie Feuerbach hit three free throws in the final 11 seconds to move Iowa to 6-0.
After beating Baylor on Thursday, the Hawkeyes looked like a team about to be in consideration for a top-16 seed in the NCAA bracket. Although they're still undefeated and got a game-high 20 points from sophomore Ava Heiden, their offense disappearing for almost an entire quarter has to be concerning. -- ESPN
Friday
UConn 72, Michigan 69
The No. 6 Wolverines accomplished more in a loss than they will in winning their next six games. Hanging as closely as they did with the defending NCAA champion Huskies solidifies their place among the top-10 seeds and, more importantly, will serve them well in the battle to be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. UConn, which got 31 points from Azzi Fudd, might not play a closer game all season. If the Huskies go unbeaten, the fact that Michigan made UConn sweat down the stretch will mean that much more. In the Wolverines, UCLA now has a new, legitimate threat in the Big Ten.
MORE: What makes UConn's Sarah Strong so good
Thursday
Iowa 57, Baylor 52
No. 19 Iowa has three significant nonconference games on its schedule. This WBCA Showcase matchup was one of them. So getting this win, on a neutral court, could prove huge for the Hawkeyes, who can now enter the conversation of deserving to be in the top 16 seeds of the NCAA bracket. No. 7 Baylor, which suffered its first loss of the season, should still be one of the best teams in the Big 12, making this a foundational win for a young Iowa team whose two top scorers in the game -- Ava Heiden and Taylor Stremlow -- are sophomores.
