The beginning of the 2025-26 ladies’s faculty basketball season is lower than a month away.
UConn, with out Paige Bueckers however with Sarah Robust and Azzi Fudd, will intention to defend their title. South Carolina added a scoring punch with Florida State switch Ta’Niya Latson and introduced again veterans Raven Johnson and Chloe Kitts. LSU appears to be like improved after combing the switch portal for items to place round Flau’Jae Johnson. Tennessee hopes to take the subsequent step below coach Kim Caldwell, whereas UCLA expects Lauren Betts to steer it again to the Ultimate 4.
Within the ACC, the title race is shaping as much as run via North Carolina’s Analysis Triangle — the place Duke, N.C. State and UNC all appear like contenders — after Notre Dame misplaced 4 of 5 starters from final season. Simply up I-85 from the Triangle, be careful for Richmond within the mid-major ranks.
Whereas its roster was fully reshaped by the portal, TCU appears to be like just like the crew to beat within the Massive 12, however squads like Oklahoma State and Kansas State are looming. JuJu Watkins is out for the yr, however USC nonetheless has a roster able to contending for a Ultimate 4 berth below Lindsay Gottlieb. Elsewhere within the Massive Ten, Iowa needs to be improved and Maryland appears to be like like a second-weekend March Insanity crew once more.
These are a number of the handful of conclusions I got here to when evaluating gamers, coaches and storylines heading into this season whereas determining my preseason poll for the Related Press High 25 Ballot.
Right here’s how I voted, heading into my sixth season as a voter:
Simply missed: Ohio State, Washington, Michigan State, USF, Princeton
I could possibly be bought on any of these high 4 groups — UCLA, LSU, UConn and South Carolina — because the preseason No. 1, however the Gamecocks are the crew I’ve the least questions on.
For UConn, who would be the bus driver of this crew after the commencement of Bueckers? How will Serah Williams match subsequent to Robust? Can Fudd keep wholesome for an entire season? What sort of affect will Caroline Ducharme have this season?
With UCLA, I’m wondering in regards to the dynamic that Gianna Kneepkens provides and the way efficient Charlisse Leger-Walker will probably be coming off an damage. With LSU, how will MiLaysia Fulwiley, Mikaylah Williams and Johnson all play collectively? Is Kate Koval able to be a full-time beginning heart within the SEC?
Daybreak Staley’s Gamecocks haven’t missed a Ultimate 4 since 2019. We all know what sort of regular hand that Raven Johnson brings to the backcourt, we all know what sort of scorer Ta’Niya Latson will be, and we all know how efficient Kitts and Joyce Edwards will be in-tandem within the frontcourt. For now, with zero video games performed, South Carolina exhibiting up in Phoenix in April feels just like the most secure wager.
However loads can change within the opening week of the season. A handful of big-time matchups can shortly modify our expectations. N.C. State, for instance, faces Tennessee and USC — in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina, respectively — within the span of six days. Elsewhere within the first few days of the season, Duke and Baylor conflict in Paris, whereas UConn meets Louisville in Germany. Richmond vs. Texas, Cal vs. Vanderbilt, and Belmont vs. Oklahoma are amongst the opposite video games that could possibly be early indicators of how good a few of these groups actually are.
