When South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and Notre Dame’s Kylee Watson jump center at Halle Georges Carpentier Arena on Monday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN), it will be a historic moment for women’s college hoops—the first NCAA regular-season game held in Europe.
The game’s location is not just a testament to the sport’s growth, but also should further expand the footprint of women’s college basketball. Yet, the event’s celebratory atmosphere will not dull the quality of competition.
The Gamecocks enter the season ranked No. 6 in the nation, a lofty status that, nevertheless, represents a slight dip in the program’s national standing compared to recent seasons. Head coach Dawn Staley and her relatively-inexperienced-but-again-talented squad are intent upon reminding all that it is unwise to underestimate them. The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 10, with head coach Niele Ivey and her charges ready not only to defend their ACC title but also make more noise at the national level. A win over the Gamecocks certainly would have the eyes of the women’s college hoops world smiling on the Irish, especially if 2023 Second-Team All-American Olivia Miles, whose status for the game remains undetermined due to lingering knee discomfort, does not take the court.
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