One of the most basic teaching tools for centuries has been the puzzle. Whether it is a six-piece plastic rendering of farm animals for a toddler or 1,000 tiny specks that come together to form a magnificent ocean photo, the ultimate challenge is fitting it all together. We look for pieces with similar edges and colors and try to construct the corners first so the rest fall into place.
Every year coaches look at their rosters like a complex puzzle, with up to 15 pieces that must fit together to create a team. As the landscape of college athletics is constantly changing, so do the edges of the puzzle pieces. Some are sharpened by revenue-sharing funds and others are colored by NIL paychecks. There are the experienced veterans who connect the corners of the puzzle to pull everyone together and the simple shapes of highly touted freshmen who are just looking to fit anywhere. The coaches who can put the pieces of their puzzle together are the ones who find wins much sooner than others.
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As we unbox the puzzle that is the upcoming college basketball season, we are going to be staring at pieces that need to connect. Which transfers will have the biggest impact on their team? Which new head coach can resurrect their program? Who will place their final piece in Phoenix to capture a national title next April?
Welcome to our 2025-26 top 25 preview at The IX Basketball, where we see who might be able to create a masterpiece of a season.
A special thank you to our colleagues at The IX Basketball for their assistance with data and team information. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics cited in this preview are from school and conference websites.
1. UConn: Though it may sound like a broken record, we live by one hard and fast rule here each fall: If you want to be the best, you must beat the best. That means the reigning national champions begin the 2025-26 season in the top spot.
For the first time in nine years, the Huskies were the top dog in women’s college basketball last season. Led by the all-time winningest coach in the college game, Geno Auriemma, and the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers, it was a dominant performance throughout the NCAA Tournament by a team on a mission. How does this version of the UConn puzzle fit together for this season? Inquiring minds want to know.
After a fantastic freshman season, UConn’s Sarah Strong is eyeing a super sophomore campaign. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The IX Basketball)
Auriemma will turn over the lead dog role to two elite talents: a healthy Azzi Fudd, the 5’11 graduate student guard, and the reigning national WBCA Freshman of the Year, 6’2 forward Sarah Strong. Both averaged double figures a season ago, and Strong led UConn with 8.9 rebounds per game. She will get help on the glass from 6’5 redshirt sophomore Jana El Alfy and 6’4 Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, a 2025 All-Big Ten first team selection. Junior guards KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade can step into bigger roles as well, and USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel will give the Huskies depth.
Auriemma again left nothing to chance, signing an athletic recruiting class that ESPN ranked No. 6 in the nation. It includes 6’2 Blanca Quiñonez of Ecuador and 5’9 guard Kelis Fischer, a top-25 player in the class of 2025. UConn never backs down from scheduling challenges, and so the tests will come early and often, including November matchups with Louisville, Ohio State and Michigan.
2. South Carolina: The Gamecocks suffered just four losses last season, two to UConn. The 82-59 defeat in the national championship game hit hard for head coach Dawn Staley’s program, especially since its speed, talent and depth had carried it all season long. While it was a squad built on complementary players, there seemed to be a piece missing: a go-to playmaker who could get a bucket when they needed it most. Enter 5’8 senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, the All-American transfer from Florida State who averaged 28.5 points per game over her career for the Seminoles.
South Carolina now boasts one of the deepest backcourts in the country with Latson, senior Raven Johnson and junior Tessa Johnson, who shot 43% from behind the arc last season. 6’2 senior Chloe Kitts will anchor the Gamecocks’ frontcourt as the top returning rebounder (7.7 per game) and a consistent scorer (10.2 points per game), while 6’3 sophomore Joyce Edwards, an All-SEC first-team selection, looks to elevate her game this year.
With 6’3 junior Ashlyn Watkins out this season, Staley brought in 6’6 center Madina Okot from the portal (Mississippi State) and also added two top-15 recruits (per ESPN). 6’1 guard Agot Makeer from Ontario is a versatile scorer and 6’1 Ayla McDowell is known as a workhorse on the glass and consistent perimeter shooter.
While early nonconference tests will include Clemson and USC, keep your eyes on the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving. The Gamecocks will face Duke and then either Texas or UCLA. How soon will the Staley puzzle all fit together? That week should give us a peek into the process.
South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts (21) drives to the basket against Texas guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) and forward Taylor Jones (44) during a game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., on March 9, 2025. (Photo credit: Jim Dedmon | Imagn Images)
3. UCLA: If there is one thing we have learned in this new era of college athletics, it is that the transfer portal can giveth and taketh. No coach, program or sport is immune. Just ask Cori Close, the 2025 Naismith Coach of the Year, about the rollercoaster that was her spring after finishing 34-3 and advancing to the program’s first Final Four last season.
The Bruins saw a mass exodus of talent from Westwood, but Close, who enters her 15th season at the helm, is a wizard in fitting new-look rosters together each season. It helps tremendously when you can put the puzzle pieces around an All-American talent like senior Lauren Betts. The 6’7 center was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and posted 19 double-doubles a season ago. She became just the third player in 25 years to have multiple 30-point, 10-rebound games in the NCAA Tournament, joining legends Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner.
UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) shoots against Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) during a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash., on March 28, 2025. (Photo credit: James Snook | Imagn Images)
The Bruins may not have as much depth as they did a season ago, but their backcourt complements Betts in all the best ways. Senior guard Kiki Rice will run the show after leading the Bruins in assists last year and finishing second in scoring (12.8 points per game). Washington State transfer guard Charlisse Leger-Walker is healthy after sitting out last season rehabbing an ACL injury, and senior Gabriela Jaquez is a savvy veteran Close can count on. The perimeter scoring got a massive boost with the addition of Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens. She averaged over 19 points per game a season ago in the Big 12 while shooting just shy of 45% from the 3-point line.
There may also be two Betts on the floor at the same time, as freshman Sienna Betts, ESPN’s No. 2 recruit in the class of 2025, is now a Bruin too. The younger Betts is 6’4 and a more diverse scorer, but she will also be a handful on the block for opponents. Double-teams be warned — with weapons around Lauren Betts, this UCLA team is capable of beating anyone this season.
4. Oklahoma: While the SEC is once again stacked with some of the top teams and players in the nation, it will be hard to find anyone very happy to see Oklahoma on the schedule. A year ago, the Sooners averaged 84.7 points per game on their way to a 27-8 overall record. Head coach Jennie Baranczyk, who enters her fifth season at OU, has guided her program to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments with her fast-paced offensive system that attracts top talent and retains key veterans. With over 55% of the Sooners’ scoring, rebounding and minutes returning, OU is gunning for its first SEC title.
All-SEC first-team selection Raegan Beers is back after leading the team in scoring and rebounding and shooting over 63% from the field. 6’1 redshirt senior Payton Verhulst will anchor the perimeter, as she averaged just shy of 15 points per game and led the team with over 130 assists. Junior Sahara Williams returns after starting every game last year as a sophomore, and 5’9 junior guard Zya Vann can create tempo on both ends of the floor.
But it is not just the veterans who will be impact players this year for the Sooners. The Gatorade National Player of the Year, 5’10 guard Aaliyah Chavez, is set to be one to watch in Norman. The freshman should fit in perfectly with her speed off the bounce and ability to knock down deep threes. When OU is firing on all cylinders, it is fun to watch and very difficult to stop.
Oklahoma center Raegan Beers (52) runs the lane against UConn center Jana El Alfy (8) during a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash., on March 29, 2025. (Photo credit: James Snook | Imagn Images)
5. LSU: If the blueprint for success for a Kim Mulkey squad is speed and athleticism sprinkled with playmakers and rim protection, the pieces assembled for 2025-26 are right on track. Graduation and the transfer portal saw key contributors exit Baton Rouge, but the Tigers’ top two scorers return. Senior Flau’jae Johnson (18.6 points per game) and junior Mikaylah Williams (17.3 per game) both started every game they were available a season ago and averaged over 31 minutes per game. Williams also led LSU with 124 assists on the year.
Knowing pieces of the puzzle would change, Mulkey and her staff found the right balance of the portal and ESPN’s No. 1 recruiting class to fill in. Frontcourt additions of 6’5 Kate Koval from Notre Dame and 6’2 senior Amiya Joyner, an All-AAC performer at East Carolina, will give the Tigers a versatile paint presence. South Carolina junior transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley brings her playmaking ability to LSU to give Mulkey another weapon on the perimeter.
6’2 forward Grace Knox leads the highly touted recruiting class for the Tigers as ESPN’s No. 6 player in the class of 2025. The Las Vegas, Nevada, native is known to be an intense defender and rebounder but also a multi-level scorer. Three playmaking guards — Bella Hines, ZaKiyah Johnson and Divine Bourrage — join Knox to give the Tigers depth and the ability to put constant pressure on opponents. Circle Dec. 4 on the calendar, when LSU travels to Duke for the ACC/SEC Challenge. It will be the first real test for Mulkey’s squad.
6. Texas: No matter who is on the roster, the team that hits the floor on the Forty Acres will be ready to defend, rebound and run. Key veterans from the 2025 regular-season SEC championship and Final Four squad are gone, but head coach Vic Schaefer can rest easier knowing three of his top four scorers return this season. Junior Madison Booker, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, averaged 16.3 points per game and shot over 40% from deep last season, which paired well with her deadly midrange game. Senior Rori Harmon runs the show for the Longhorns, and she dished out 230 assists and was an All-SEC Defensive Team selection last year.
Look for 5’9 guard Jordan Lee to have a breakout sophomore season as the Stockton, California, native played in every game last year and was the team’s top 3-point shooter. 6’6 center Kyla Oldacre will anchor the frontcourt along with Arizona transfer Breya Cunningham, who ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in rebounding and blocks. Other transfers who can add experience include 6’1 senior Teya Sidberry (Boston College) and senior guard Ashton Judd (Missouri). 6’1 freshman Aaliyah Crump, ESPN’s No. 5 overall player in the class of 2025, could also turn heads in the SEC.
Schaefer never shies away from a challenge, and that includes a tough nonconference schedule. Early games include Richmond, the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas and North Carolina in early December in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Texas guard Rori Harmon was all smiles after cutting the net following the Longhorns’ Elite Eight victory in March. The resilient guard is ready to lead her team back to the Final Four in 2026. (Photo credit: Vasha Hunt | Imagn Images)
7. Tennessee: There were questions in Knoxville a year ago about what the new-look Lady Vols would be and if head coach Kim Caldwell’s fast and furious system could excel at the Power Five level. Its blend of nonstop pressure, creating chaos, making opponents extremely uncomfortable and even substituting five players at a time seemed to work — Tennessee finished 24-10 with no player averaging over 26 minutes per game.
Caldwell brings back three of her top four scorers, including 6’ guard Talaysia Cooper (16.6 points per game) and 6’4 junior Zee Spearman (11.7 points per game). She added depth with key transfers in 6’4 Janiah Barker (UCLA), 6’5 Jersey Wolfenbarger (LSU) and All-AAC guard Nya Robertson, who averaged 18.5 points per game a season ago at SMU. Caldwell also hit the recruiting trail with the same vengeance as her system – fast and furious. Tennessee will welcome ESPN’s No. 2 recruiting class, with all five freshmen ranked in the top 60 in their class.
The tests will come early this year, as the Lady Vols will open against NC State in Greensboro, North Carolina, and close out November with a trip to UCLA.
8. Duke: Kara Lawson was recently announced as the next head coach of Team USA, but the 2025-26 season in Durham commands her immediate attention. Now in her sixth year at Duke, the Blue Devils are coming off a trip to the Elite Eight and hungry for more.
A core group of talent returns, including ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier. She did not start a single game last year but led the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game. The 6’3 forward will need to avoid the sophomore slump as she along with senior Ashlon Jackson (12.4 points per game), 6’4 sophomore Delaney Thomas (Duke’s top returning rebounder) and assist leader Taina Mair bring their experience to the grind of the ACC.
The Blue Devils add another heralded freshman to the roster this year in 6’ guard Emilee Skinner. The Providence, Utah, native is the third top-10 player to arrive in Durham in the last three seasons, per ESPN. She brings playmaking ability for herself and her teammates.
Lawson has consistently challenged her teams with tough nonconference opponents in difficult venues, and this year is no different. In the first month of the season, Duke will face Baylor in Paris, France; play West Virginia in the Greenbrier Tip-Off; travel to Las Vegas for the Players Era Championship; and host LSU on Dec. 4.
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9. North Carolina: Graduating your top three veteran scorers may give some coaches a heightened state of anxiety, but Courtney Banghart has always been one to find new pieces for her Tar Heel roster. Now in her seventh season in Chapel Hill, Banghart has led her program to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a trip to the Sweet 16 last year.
Returning guards Lanie Grant (sophomore) and Reniya Kelly (junior) will have bigger roles, while 6’4 Ciera Toomey and 6’5 Blanca Thomas will be called upon to establish an athletic presence in the frontcourt. Banghart added some much-needed scoring punch and experience from the portal in 5’10 guard Elina Aarnisalo, who played in every game a season ago at UCLA, and senior forward Nyla Harris, who shot 54% from the field for Louisville last year.
The Tar Heels welcome ESPN’s No. 5 recruiting class to campus. It’s filled with speed and scoring, including two 6’1 guards, Taliyah Henderson and Nyla Brooks. The WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas will be the first test for UNC, as it will face UCLA and Fairfield. Then UNC will spend a sunny Thanksgiving at the Cancun Challenge in late November.
North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart has led the Tar Heels to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. (Photo credit: Vasha Hunt | Imagn Images)
10. Mississippi: The analytics would tell you that with less than 25% of its scoring and less than 30% of its rebounding returning, Mississippi should be nowhere near this Top 25 list. But when your mantra in recent years has been “load and reload,” things can work in your favor. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, now in her eighth season, has balanced the various pieces she has needed with transfers and young talent from the recruiting trail.
Eight players have landed in Oxford this season from the portal, including two top talents in senior forward Cotie McMahon (Ohio State) and graduate student guard Kaitlin Peterson (UCF). Both are instant offense, and they each create matchup problems in different ways for every opponent. Sophomore Sira Thienou is back after a solid freshman season where she averaged 10.5 points per game. 5’9 freshman guard Lauren Jacobs, the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, could easily be in the guard rotation early and often.
Mississippi will play fast and create chaos, which is just how McPhee-McCuin wants it to get the program a fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid.
11. Maryland: No one has been a better master of the puzzle that is the transfer portal than Maryland head coach Brenda Frese. Just when you think the rest of the Big Ten might leave Maryland in the dust, things always seem to be looking up in College Park. Replacing all-conference talent like Shyanne Sellers is never easy, but there is a lot for Frese to work with in the 2025-26 season.
Senior Kaylene Smikle returns after leading the Terrapins in scoring last year at 17.9 points per game. 6’2 redshirt senior Saylor Poffenbarger averaged just under 10 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season. Indiana transfer Yarden Garzon, who led the Hoosiers in scoring a season ago (14.4 points per game), will give Maryland a consistent deep threat. Junior transfer Oluchi Okananwa (Duke) averaged 10.1 points per game as a sophomore and was named the ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Five freshmen will also look to fit into Frese’s puzzle, including 5’10 guard Rainey Welson, the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year.
November tests include games against Princeton and Kentucky before Big Ten play tips off Dec. 7 at Minnesota.
12. NC State: Spring had to be a bittersweet time for head coach Wes Moore as he watched three of his top four scorers finish at NC State. But as veterans leave programs, younger players get the opportunity to step up. Junior guard Zoe Brooks is back in Raleigh after posting 14.2 points per game and dishing out 126 total assists as a sophomore. Zamareya Jones saw action in 30 games as a freshman and gives the Wolfpack a solid perimeter threat. Finding consistency in the paint is key, and Moore will look to 6’3 center Mallory Collier and 6’6 sophomore Tilda Trygger to be impact players down low.
NC State will have four new faces, including two top-70 freshmen (per ESPN) in guards Destiny Lunan and Adelaide Jernigan. UConn junior transfer Qadence Samuels can be a playmaker on both ends. And in a surprise late-summer move, Moore welcomed one of the top talents in the portal, 6’2 junior Khamil Pierre from Vanderbilt. She averaged 20.4 points per game a season ago and immediately changes the look of the Wolfpack roster.
The first 14 days of the season will have the Pack hunting for big wins on Nov. 4 against Tennessee, Nov. 9 against USC and Nov. 16 versus TCU.
Iowa State center Audi Crooks (55) shoots the ball around UCF forwards Mahogany Chandler-Roberts (33) and Adeang Ring (22) during a game at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar | Ames Tribune | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
13. Iowa State: No matter the game plan crafted by head coach Bill Fennelly, it was hard for the Cyclones to sneak up on anyone last year with three of the top players in the Big 12. They were challenged by their schedule and navigated injuries to fight their way to a 23-12 record.
Replacing the void left by point guard Emily Ryan, the Big 12’s all-time assist leader, is not an easy task, but having the one-two punch of juniors Audi Crooks and Addy Brown doesn’t hurt. Crooks is bulldozing through the Cyclone record books and averaged 23.4 points per game as a sophomore on over 60% shooting from the floor. Brown is a tenacious rebounder, heady distributor and three-level scorer. She averaged 15.2 points per game last year and dished out 190 assists.
Consistency from others this season will be key to take some of the load off Crooks and Brown. Junior transfer Jada Williams led Arizona in scoring last season and will give ISU a burst of speed and athleticism in the backcourt. And if the Cyclones can get contributions from the likes of senior Sydney Harris, junior Arianna Jackson and a healthy sharp-shooting Kenzie Hare, the Big 12 will be on notice.
14. Michigan: In this ever-changing world of college athletics, there seems to be more coaches who try to alter their puzzle from year to year rather than find the pieces that fit the original image. But Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico, now in her 14th season, has found her pattern for success in Ann Arbor and is sticking with it. A season ago, she became the winningest coach in program history with three fantastic freshmen who are ready to take the next step.
Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year Olivia Olson led the Wolverines in scoring at 16.3 points per game. Right next to her is 6’ guard Syla Swords at 16.0 per game. Neither they nor the third member of their trio, point guard Mila Holloway (148 total assists), missed a start all season.
You need size to go with scoring and speed in the Big Ten, and the Wolverines found it in the portal with 6’3 Ashley Sofilkanich (Bucknell) and 6’2 stretch wing Kendall Dudley (UCLA). Michigan signed ESPN’s No. 19 recruiting class, which has three top 100 players. All three are physical, are athletic and fit with Barnes Arico’s style.
November will tell us a lot about the growth of these young Wolverines. They have a Nov. 15 matchup in Detroit against Notre Dame and then face UConn and Syracuse the Hall of Fame Showcase.
Olivia Olson (1) and Syla Swords (12) are back for super sophomore seasons at Michigan and are ready to lead the Wolverines to the top of the Big Ten. (Photo credit: Michigan Athletic Communications)
15. Baylor: When the edges of your puzzle are connected by savvy senior veterans, the next iteration of the roster will look quite different. A year ago, Baylor finished 28-8 and runner-up in both the Big 12 regular season and the Big 12 Tournament. Fifth-year head coach Nicki Collen returns some pieces for the 2025-26 season, including senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a first-team All-Big 12 selection. The 6’1 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native was the only player in the league to average a double-double (13.8 points and 10 rebounds per game) last season. Senior Bella Fontleroy is a relentless defender and started every game as a junior.
But the Bears went hard to the portal to find more scoring and size. Two Auburn transfers, 5’9 Taliah Scott and 6’2 Yuting Deng, can give them a lift along with 6’1 junior Kiera Pemberton, who had a breakout sophomore campaign at North Dakota.
The Bears will take on Duke in Paris, France, on Nov. 3. Then they have a string of tough nonconference tests against the likes of UNLV, Iowa and Davidson in the WBCA Showcase and a showdown with Texas on Dec. 14. If all the puzzle pieces fit together, Baylor could easily be on top of the Big 12 in March.
16. Michigan State: Veterans always seem to smooth out rough edges to a team’s puzzle, especially when they lead from the front. Robyn Fralick, now in her third year at the helm of the Spartans, will rely on two All-Big Ten performers to continue the upward trajectory of her program. 6’3 senior Grace VanSlooten led Michigan State in scoring and rebounding last season and will find herself on many preseason watch lists. Grand Rapids, Michigan, native Theryn Hallock also returns after averaging 13.3 points per game and is the Spartans’ top 3-point threat.
Fralick needed to find scoring and playmaking in the portal, and she did with 6’1 guard Jalyn Brown (Arizona State). The senior finished sixth in the Big 12 in scoring last season at 18 points per game. Purdue transfer Rashunda Jones dished out over 100 assists last year as a sophomore and can help control the game out front for the Spartans. A top-25 recruiting class (per ESPN) can give MSU some versatile depth for a team that will get after you on defense.
Last year, Fralick’s squad was 13-2 at home, and the Spartans play their first six games at the Breslin Center. Then it’s off to the beach and the Baha Mar Hoops tournament over Thanksgiving.
One of the most dynamic scorers in the country, Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes (1) is back for her second season in Nashville. (Photo credit: Scott Kinser | Imagn Images)
17. Vanderbilt: Over the past two years, there has been significant buzz around Vanderbilt athletics. Facility enhancements, programs on the upswing and fan engagement all are reaching peak levels. Commodore women’s basketball is one of those writing buzzworthy tunes in Nashville. Shea Ralph, now in her fifth year as head coach, has been able to attract elite talent to rebuild what was once a powerhouse program.
Last season, the ‘Dores averaged 83.3 points per game (seventh nationally), led by one of the most dynamic scorers in the SEC. 5’8 guard Mikayla Blakes broke record after record as a freshman on her way to being named SEC Freshman of the Year. She averaged 23.3 points per game and is primed for a stellar sophomore campaign.
While the portal took key players out, others have arrived on campus, including 6’6 center Aalyah Del Rosario (LSU) and 6’2 guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (Texas).
In November, Vandy will put its anchor down and head to foreign destinations, including Paris to face Cal Nov. 3 and then the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. Who can help Blakes in the scoring column? We will know more in December after the passports have been stamped.
18. TCU: Fort Worth, Texas, has become a transfer portal destination, with 18 incoming transfers in three seasons. Head coach Mark Campbell has attracted top talent to his pick-and-roll system, and it has paid off. The 2024-25 season was historic for TCU, as the Horned Frogs won their first-ever Big 12 regular-season title and first-ever Big 12 Tournament and made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
TCU returns junior guard Donovyn Hunter and 6’1 redshirt senior Taylor Bigby at the wing. Graduate student guard Maddie Scherr, a scorer and distributor, will be available this season after missing all last season with a back injury. But Campbell will be without junior Aaliyah Roberson, who appeared in all 38 games and led TCU in 3-point percentage (48.3%) last season. She sustained an ACL injury in the spring.
The portal class includes 6’3 forward Marta Suarez (Cal), 6’7 center Kennedy Basham (Arizona State), 6’1 guard Taliyah Parker (Texas A&M), 6’7 sophomore Clara Silva (Kentucky) and 5’9 senior Veronica Sheffey (San Diego State’s leading scorer a season ago). But the biggest name to land at TCU is Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles. The 5’10 guard is a three-time All-American and immediately makes TCU a contender in the Big 12.
Campbell’s team will only leave Fort Worth twice before conference play. They play at NC State on Nov. 16 and then in the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving.
Junior guard Donovyn Hunter (4) is one of just a handful of returners for TCU in 2025-26. (Photo credit: Denny Medley | Big 12 Conference)
19. Oklahoma State: While the pieces of the puzzle change at times in Stillwater, the foundation has been laid for a consistent shape each year. In two of her first three seasons, head coach Jacie Hoyt has led Oklahoma State to the NCAA Tournament with a fast-paced, aggressive style of play. Last season, the Cowgirls went 25-7 and won 14 Big 12 games while being in the top five in both scoring and scoring defense.
Hoyt will look to fit the other pieces this year around her top returning scorers in junior Stailee Heard and senior Micah Gray. Heard, a 5’11 guard, averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 boards per game and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection. Gray, who hails from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, started every game and hit 83 threes as a junior.
OSU will get a lift from a host of transfers, including versatile junior guard Amari Whiting (BYU), veteran guard Haleigh Timmer (South Dakota State) and athletic forward Achol Akot (UCF).
The first test for the Cowgirls will likely be at the Cayman Islands Classic over Thanksgiving. Then it is the much-anticipated Bedlam Series game against Oklahoma in Oklahoma City on Dec. 13. If OSU can defend at the level it did a season ago, matching or exceeding its conference win total is not out of the question.
Richmond’s Maggie Doogan, the 2025 Atlantic-10 Player of the Year, returns and will look to lead the Spiders to another NCAA Tournament appearance. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The IX Basketball)
20. Richmond: It is hard to find many people who’d choose an image of a spider for their puzzle, but in Richmond, those boxes are filled with big pieces and wins. Back-to-back regular-season Atlantic-10 championships, a 28-7 record in 2024-25 and the first NCAA Tournament win in program history has put the Spiders on the map.
Head coach Aaron Rousell enters Year 7 at the helm, building his program with quality talent, aggressive defense and multiple 3-point threats on the floor. Roussell can place his pieces again around the reigning A-10 Player of the Year, Maggie Doogan (17.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game). The 6’2 senior forward had 30 points and 15 rebounds in the Spiders’ NCAA Tournament victory over Georgia Tech.
Fellow 6’1 senior Rachel Ullstrom also returns, having poured in 15.3 points per game and shot 42% from behind the arc last year. Junior point guard Ally Sweeney had a breakout sophomore campaign, starting all 35 games, shooting over 44% from three and dishing out over 110 assists. 6’1 forward transfer Tierra Simon logged seven double-doubles last year at Saint Louis and can have an impact right away for Richmond.
November is a big month for the Spiders with a Nov. 7 trip to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns and two tough games at the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving. Richmond is gunning for a conference threepeat and more victories in the Big Dance.
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21. Notre Dame: Graduation and the transfer portal took a major toll on Notre Dame, which means the 2025-26 roster will have many new pieces. The one constant for head coach Niele Ivey is having the reigning ACC Player of the Year, Hannah Hidalgo, to go to. The 5’6 junior guard has been instant offense her entire career, and paired with her speed defensively, she is one of the best in the nation. She averaged 23.8 points per game and shot 40% from behind the arc on the season.
Fellow junior guard Cassandre Prosper also returns, having appeared in all 34 contests and averaged over 22 minutes per game last year. Redshirt junior KK Bransford, a versatile guard, is back after missing last season due to injury.
The others we see on the floor for the Fighting Irish will be mostly new faces. Vanderbilt transfer Iyana Moore can be a perimeter threat (12.4 points per game), and guard Vanessa de Jesus (Duke) will give Ivey another veteran guard in the backcourt. 6’3 forward Malaya Cowles (Wake Forest) adds size and the ability to finish in the post. And 6’2 freshman Leah Macy, ESPN’s No. 19 player in the 2025 class, will surely get minutes early and often.
Notre Dame will face Michigan in the Shamrock Classic on Nov. 15, host USC on Nov. 21 and go to Mississippi for the ACC/SEC Challenge in December. The rest of the nonconference schedule is somewhat soft, but Ivey likely wants to see what Irish luck will be needed this season.
There are a lot of new faces on the Notre Dame roster for the 2025-26 season, but one constant remains: reigning ACC Player of the Year and senior guard Hannah Hidalgo. (Photo credit: Vasha Hunt | Imagn Images)
22. Minnesota: They preach toughness and togetherness in Minnesota, and they are not talking about surviving the winter weather. The Golden Gophers are coming off a 25-11 season, which includes a WBIT championship. Third-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, who received a contract extension in June, has a veteran group that is hunting for Big Ten wins and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Over 82% of the Gophers’ scoring is back, including the top six scorers from last season, starting with redshirt junior Mara Braun. The talented 6’ guard has been bitten by the injury bug in her career, playing only five games a year ago, but the playmaker is healthy and ready to go. 5’10 junior Grace Grocholski averaged 13.1 points per game and knocked down 72 threes. Senior guard Amaya Battle led the team in assists and averaged 12.8 points per game. 6’1 forward Mallory Heyer, a senior from Chaska, Minnesota, started all 36 games and led the Gophers with 8.1 rebounds per game.
Three transfers and two freshmen round out the puzzle for Plitzuweit, who demands that her teams play aggressive defense, share the basketball and push the pace for open looks. The Gophers’ first road game will be Nov. 19 at Kansas, and then they head to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship. If the Gophers can stay healthy, there is no reason they cannot finish in the upper third of the Big Ten this season.
Year 3 for Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit could result in an NCAA Tournament bid if her team stays healthy and takes care of business in the Big Ten. (Photo credit: Robert Hanashiro | Imagn Images)
23. Iowa: The Hawkeyes do not return as much of their scoring and rebounding as their Big Ten neighbors to the north, but the two teams have one thing in common — veterans who know how to win. Led by 6’2 senior Hannah Stuelke, Iowa has a core group of returners who logged major minutes a season ago and can become key scorers.
Stuelke, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native, averaged 12.7 points and 7.7 boards last year. 6’4 sophomore Ava Heiden found her footing late in her freshman campaign and can boost the post presence Jan Jensen’s squad needs in the Big Ten. Senior Taylor McCabe and graduate senior Kylie Feuerbach bring experience to the backcourt.
A big question is point guard play for the Hawkeyes, but sophomore transfer Chazadi Wright could help there. The 5’4 guard arrives from Georgia Tech, where she was second on the team in assists as a freshman. Iowa also has ESPN’s No. 22 recruiting class, which includes 6’ guard Addie Deal. The California native has a scorer’s mentality and fits right into Jensen’s system.
The nonconference slate will prepare this team for the conference grind. Road games at UNI and Iowa State, the WBCA Showcase in Orlando, and a matchup with UConn in December will tell us a lot about the Hawkeyes.
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
24. Louisville: If there is one thing we have learned from years past, it’s that you should never doubt the ability of Jeff Walz to fill gaps in his roster. And when less than 37% of your scoring and rebounding returns from a team that won 22 games last season, there are pieces to find.
The top returning scorer for Louisville is back after a fantastic freshman campaign. 5’10 guard Tajianna Roberts averaged 12.8 points per game and led the Cardinals in steals on her way to an All-ACC freshman team selection. Walz will need other returners to take a step forward as sophomores, including 5’10 guard Imari Berry and 6’ forward Mackenly Randolph.
The portal brought three key pieces to Louisville, all of whom can make an impact right away. 6’2 forward Laura Ziegler, an all-conference performer at Saint Joseph’s, ranked fifth in the country with 20 double-doubles as a junior. Junior guard Skylar Jones (Arizona) averaged just shy of 11 points per game and led the Wildcats in steals as a sophomore. Senior Reyna Scott (Oklahoma) started 16 games in SEC play last year.
Walz’s newly constructed roster puzzle will be put to the test right out of the gate — in Germany no less— at the 2025 Peraton Armed Forces Classic versus UConn on Nov. 4.
Junior guard Skye Belker (10) is one of the top returners for the Princeton Tigers, who will be hunting for a seventh straight trip to the Big Dance in 2025-26. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The IX Basketball)
25. Princeton: Life for mid-major programs in this new era of college basketball is very different than for Power Five programs. When your players have great seasons, they are more likely to hit the portal and find a new home. But if you can lay the foundation, preach consistency and keep the edges of your puzzle intact, then moving a few pieces around becomes that much simpler.
Head coach Carla Berube, who enters her seventh year at Princeton, has created a culture of consistency and winning. The Tigers have been to six straight NCAA Tournaments and finished the 2024-25 season 21-8.
Seven players return who played in at least 23 games a year ago, and senior guard Madison St. Rose is back after playing in only four games before a season-ending injury. The Old Bridge, New Jersey, native is instant offense and will get help in the backcourt from two junior guards, 5’8 Ashley Chea and 5’9 Skye Belker. Chea was the Tigers’ top 3-point threat and led the team in assists (103) as a sophomore.
Size and athleticism in the frontcourt will come from 6’1 junior Fadima Tall (6.3 boards per game) and 6’2 senior Taylor Charles. The Tigers’ first three games are on the road at Georgia Tech, Villanova and Maryland. Fans will have to wait until Nov. 19 for the first home game against Rice.