The comprehensive guide to the women's hoops season, including preseason picks

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Multiple Contributors

Oct 30, 2025, 08:45 AM ET

The Road to Phoenix and the women's Final Four starts Monday, when the 2025-26 women's college basketball season opens.

Reigning NCAA champion UConn returns as the favorite, but some new names will be vying for national player of the year. UConn's Paige Bueckers has moved on to the WNBA, and USC's JuJu Watkins will sit out this season after a knee injury prematurely ended her NCAA tournament run in March.

In their stead, Huskies teammates Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd will be in the mix in a crowded player of the year race. Who will join them? And what else will shape the season?

ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel answer those questions and make predictions on what we might see over the next five months of women's hoops.

Jump to:
Championship picks, conference winner |
Awards, All-America predictions

Will UConn repeat?

Creme: Yes, and the Huskies might be even more dominant this season.

It seems strange to say that a team that lost Bueckers might be better than it was a year ago, but this Huskies team could be even more successful than the 2024-25 version that lost three games en route to the national title. In adding Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, coach Geno Auriemma provides help that Strong might not even need but will surely welcome. Strong has a chance to be the best player in the country, and a healthy Fudd could give UConn two All-Americans. The Huskies have the size, shooters and big-game experience to make a run at a second consecutive national championship and 13th overall.

Voepel: Yes, the Huskies appear to be in great shape to repeat.

We can expect them to cruise through the Big East again, so a strong nonconference showing should get UConn the No. 1 seed that will make reaching the Final Four smoother. That said, if the same four teams reach the Final Four as last season, that experience will help UCLA and Texas, teams that seemed overwhelmed by the moment last April. That wasn't an issue with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks didn't play well against the Huskies in the title game. If all four teams are in Phoenix, we might see three closer, more exciting games than last season.

Which conference race are you most looking forward to?

Andrews: The ACC will be entertaining and somewhat unpredictable.

The offseason brought a lot of change to the ACC's rosters and star power as just eight of 25 all-conference selections return this season. But it should lead to a somewhat wide-open league race. Duke, NC State and North Carolina were selected as the top three in the ACC's preseason poll, while Miami is expected to take some massive jumps and Notre Dame perhaps takes a few steps back. A few new coaches, some rebuilding projects and a ton of fresh faces will make the ACC race extremely entertaining.

Creme: The SEC is loaded with great teams and storylines.

South Carolina was the media pick to win the conference. Texas got the coaches' nod. The Gamecocks' Chloe Kitts, the reigning SEC tournament MVP, is out with a season-ending injury. The Longhorns and LSU are No. 1 seed material -- and no one would be surprised if any of those three teams won the conference. Throw in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Ole Miss, and the SEC accounts for half of the teams among the top three seeds in preseason Bracketology. The Gamecocks will visit LSU on Valentine's Day on ABC in a game that could decide the conference title.

Voepel: Can the Big 12 put a team in the Final Four?

Last season, former Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the conference, while Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC. The year before, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joined the Big 12. The league got seven teams into the 2025 NCAA tournament, with TCU reaching the Elite Eight. Iowa State's Bill Fennelly, who has been in the conference since the last season it was the Big Eight (1995-96), said the current Big 12 is still establishing its identity.

"We've got to support each other and talk up the league," he said. "We've got a lot of really good teams. But we have to get someone back to the Final Four."

Philippou: UCLA is the Big Ten's clear front-runner, but what happens beyond the Bruins?

Will Maryland and Michigan actually challenge the Bruins and make some noise on the national scene? The Terps snagged two big transfers in Yarden Garzon and Oluchi Okananwa this offseason, while the Wolverines are hoping to take a step forward with their stellar sophomore class. Expectations are low on USC given Watkins' absence and the Trojans' other roster turnover, but can freshman Jazzy Davidson and sophomore Kennedy Smith help the Trojans surpass expectations?

Which team will make the biggest leap from 2024-25?

Andrews: Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are just two seasons removed from their first Elite Eight appearance. Since then, coach Katie Meier, who had been there for 19 seasons, retired in 2024 and was replaced by Tricia Cullop. The Hurricanes missed the NCAA tournament the past two years -- Meier's final season and Cullop's first -- but Cullop brought in a strong recruiting class, with four players in the SC Next 100 rankings. Miami was 14-15 overall and 4-14 (finishing 16th in the 18-team ACC) last season, but the Canes are projected to finish eighth in the conference this season and could get back into the NCAA tournament.

Creme: Washington Huskies

The last time Washington won an NCAA tournament game with a team that did not include Kelsey Plum was in 2006. That will change this season. A First Four participant a season ago, the Huskies should not have to sweat out Selection Sunday this March. Instead, Washington will play inside or right around the top 25 -- and with the right breaks could compete to be a top-four seed with Sweet 16 potential.

Voepel: Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks' most recent Sweet 16 trip was in 2013. They lost in the second round in their past two NCAA tournament appearances (2022 and 2024). Last season, they were 16-14 overall and 6-12 in the Big 12. They bring back all five starters, led by junior guard S'Mya Nichols, an all-Big 12 first-team selection her first two seasons. They add four freshmen, including five-star prospects Jaliya Davis and Keeley Parks, and transfer Lilly Meister from Indiana. Picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 this season, Kansas could make it back into March Madness and maybe stay awhile.

Philippou: Stanford Cardinal

Last season, in Kate Paye's first as head coach, the Cardinal missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987. But with a stacked freshman class, headlined by top-15 recruits Hailee Swain and Lara Somfai, they'll be playing in March once more and have a clearer direction moving forward with a new young core.

First top-25 team to exit the NCAA tournament

Creme: Louisville Cardinals

After five straight trips to at least the Elite Eight, the Cardinals lost in the first round in 2024 and the second round last March. The talent level hasn't quite been able match the high bar the program has set. This Louisville team is good enough to compete for an ACC championship and earn a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament, but it still might not be ready to make a deep run.

Voepel: USC Trojans

It's hard to know how the Trojans will adjust without Watkins. As a freshman in 2024, she led them to the Elite Eight. USC still made it that far again last season despite losing Watkins to injury in the second round. This season's team has a lot of talent. But with Watkins out and Kiki Iriafen and Rayah Marshall in the WNBA, we don't know yet how well the Trojans will perform in November, let alone March.

Most intriguing mid-major

Andrews: Gonzaga Bulldogs

They were picked second behind Oregon State in the West Coast Conference, but the Zags tied for first last season, are a perennial WCC power and lost in the quarterfinals of the WBIT last season. Yvonne Ejim's collegiate career is over after five seasons, so there is a level of newness the Bulldogs will have to navigate.

Creme: Princeton Tigers

Richmond is the best mid-major, but the Tigers are intriguing. All five starters return from a team that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, plus coach Carla Berube welcomes back Madison St. Rose. Princeton's second-leading scorer in 2023-24 and the Ivy League's 2022-23 rookie of the year, St. Rose missed all but four games last season because of a knee injury. A healthy St. Rose might be the Ivy's best player. With road games at Georgia Tech, Villanova and Maryland to open the season, we might know early just how good the Tigers can be.

Voepel: Richmond Spiders

How far might the Spiders get in the NCAA tournament? They have made five NCAA appearances, including the past two seasons when they went a combined 57-13 overall and 33-3 in the Atlantic 10. Last season, they beat Georgia Tech in the first round for the program's first NCAA tournament victory, then fell to eventual Final Four team UCLA. With standouts Maggie Doogan and Rachel Ullstrom back for Richmond, perhaps a Sweet 16 trip is possible. Watch for how well the Spiders play in two big nonconference games vs. Texas and TCU in November.

Athlete with outside shot to win national player of the year

Andrews: Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina Gamecocks

After leading all Division I players in scoring last season, averaging 25.2 points per game with Florida State, Latson announced she would finish her college career with the Gamecocks. With Kitts sidelined by an injury and Ashlyn Watkins' decision to take a season off, Latson's role with South Carolina grew even more important. Coach Dawn Staley has already discussed how she wants to add more layers to Latson's game, and if the guard catches on quickly, she will cement herself in the player of the year race.

Creme: Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt Commodores

After averaging 23.3 points per game as a freshman, Blakes will appear on some first-time All-America lists but is still a decided underdog to Strong, Betts or Hannah Hidalgo for the top honors. With the other two double-digit scorers for the Commodores -- Khamil Pierre and Iyana Moore -- no longer in Nashville, Blakes' opportunities to put up big numbers might increase. That's for a player who already has two 50-point games. If Vanderbilt can exceed expectations, it will be because of Blakes -- and that will put her in the player of the year conversation.

Voepel: Madison Booker, Texas Longhorns

She was Big 12 Player of the Year as a freshman in 2024, then with Texas changing leagues she won the same honor in the SEC last season. The 6-foot-1 forward has filled multiple roles for Texas, averaging a combined 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in her two years in Austin, and is likely to show even more growth in her game this season.

Coach with the most at stake in 2025-26

Andrews: Cori Close, UCLA Bruins

While the Bruins had a ton of roster turnover, Close enters the season with seven seniors, two juniors and a good freshman class. After UCLA made the Final Four last season for the first time in the NCAA era (since 1982), Close has a real shot of winning a national championship with such an experienced team. There will be a ton of rebuilding after this season; Close should take advantage of the group she has now.

Creme: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

In their final two NCAA tournament seasons under Muffet McGraw, the Irish reached the national championship game, winning one title. In the five seasons since under Ivey, Notre Dame has yet to play beyond the Sweet 16. Last season showed great promise but ended in disappointment, and now Ivey must replace four starters. Four players transferred in the offseason, and the six that came to South Bend via the portal don't equal the talent of the group that left. In her sixth season on the Fighting Irish bench, this will be Ivey's biggest challenge.

Voepel: Nicki Collen, Baylor Bears

In her first four years at Baylor, Collen has three second-round losses and one Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the No. 4 seed Bears had six seniors but fell at home in the second round to No. 5 Ole Miss. This season, Baylor again has six seniors, led by guard/forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (13.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG). Collen's job is safe, but it will be disappointing to her if another very experienced team doesn't produce at least a Sweet 16 trip.

Philippou: Kim Caldwell, Tennessee Lady Vols

Maybe Caldwell doesn't have the most at stake, certainly not in a hot seat type of way. But after a successful debut season in Knoxville, there's little doubt that the expectations for the Lady Vols will be sky high internally and externally as the program seeks its first Final Four appearance since 2008. Will having a full year in Caldwell's unorthodox system make a meaningful difference for her returners? (Alternatively, opponents in the SEC especially will have had more time to scout against it.) And how much will newcomer Janiah Barker (transfer from UCLA) and Tennessee's second-ranked recruiting class be able to elevate its ceiling?

CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS

Final Four

Andrews: UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, LSU
Creme: UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Duke
Philippou: UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, LSU
Voepel: UConn, UCLA, Texas, South Carolina

National champion

Andrews: UConn
Creme: UConn
Philippou: UConn
Voepel: UConn

Conference winners

AWARDS PREDICTIONS

Player of the Year

Andrews: Sarah Strong, UConn
Creme: Sarah Strong, UConn
Philippou: Sarah Strong, UConn
Voepel: Sarah Strong, UConn

Freshman of the Year

Andrews: Jazzy Davidson, USC
Creme: Jazzy Davidson, USC
Philippou: Jazzy Davidson, USC
Voepel: Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma

Transfer of the Year

Andrews: Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina
Creme: Olivia Miles, TCU
Philippou: Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina
Voepel: Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina