Thursday slate of NCAA women’s basketball matchups can clinch tourney seeds

The GIST: The window to secure a favorable seed for next week’s conference tourneys is rapidly closing, adding an extra layer of drama to tomorrow’s top-25 matchups. Prep your multi-screen setup now — you won’t want to miss a minute.

No. 8 UNC Tar Heels (25-4) vs. No. 16 Duke Blue Devils (21-7), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN): The Heels are on a seven-game win streak, but are without star fifth-year Alyssa Ustby, who’s week-to-week with a knee injury. Duke, meanwhile, could seriously jump in the ACC standings with a dub. One of the best rivalries in sports is about to gain another chapter.

No. 5 UConn Huskies (26-3) vs. No. 22 Creighton Bluejays (23-4), 7 p.m. ET (CBS Sports): UConn had no trouble beating the Bluejays in January…or any time in the past decade. But Creighton has an extra incentive: If they can pull off the upset, they’ll be tied with the Huskies for the lead in the Big East with just one regular-season game remaining. No time like the present, ladies.

No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (21-6) vs. No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (21-5), 7 p.m. ET (SEC Network): Kentucky’s cooling off at the worst possible moment: They’ve dropped three of their last five, even as superstar guard Georgia Amoore continues to frustrate the likes of LSU coach Kim Mulkey. The Wildcats’ last home game is also their last chance to prove they’re a force in the cutthroat SEC.

No. 7 LSU Tigers (27-2) vs. No. 20 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-6), 9 p.m. ET (SEC Network): Speaking of Mulkey’s squad, guards Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson, and Mikaylah Williams aren’t just gracing the cover of SLAM — they’re also slamming their way through the aforementioned SEC. This is a crucial matchup as they build momentum for the conference tourney next week.