South Carolina women's basketball: Ranking the preseason top 25
With less than a month until the start of the 2025-26 season, I ranked my preseason top 25 teams.
I am not an AP voter (thank goodness – it’s too much work), so this is just for fun. With so much player movement in the current era of college basketball, a lot of this comes down to which coaches I trust the most.
I’ve provided a brief explanation of why I ranked the top 15 teams where I did. After that, it’s just throwing darts at a dart board, so I didn’t bother to explain why the dart hit where it did.
- South Carolina
The Gamecocks were the national runners-up despite lacking a go-to scorer and a dominant post. So they went in the portal and got last season’s top scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, and the best true big, Madina Okot. That’s how you address problems. However, if Chloe Kitts is injured and will miss significant time, flip the Gamecocks and Huskies. - UConn
The Huskies return Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd and added Serah Williams, a nearly 20-10 forward, from the portal. They have a lot going for them, but Paige Bueckers did so many irreplaceable things that I’m giving the Gamecocks the edge.
- UCLA
The Bruins still have Lauren Betts, the single most dominant player in the country, and they have added shooting with transfer Gianna Kneepkens and the return of Charlisse Leger-Walker, who missed last season due to injury. They just have to get over those big-game yips.
- Texas
Speaking of big-game yips, Vic Schaefer and Madison Booker came up extremely small in the Longhorns’ biggest games last season. That’s a concern when it comes to picking champions, but Schaefer’s teams usually win the games they are supposed to and should have a shot at another Final Four.
- TCU
Nobody works the portal better than Mark Campbell, and he has reloaded with point guard Olivia Miles, arguably the best player in the portal, and 6-7 former Kentucky post Clara Silva. The Horned Frogs also get Maddie Scherr back from injury.
- Oklahoma
The Sooners won a lot of games last season, but never felt like a contender. I’m not sure that will change this season, but the inside-out trio of senior big Raegan Beers, senior guard Payton Verhulst, and freshman point guard Aaliyah Chavez is going to be tough to slow down.
- LSU
The Tigers’ roster looks like a mess on paper, but Kim Mulkey always makes it work and turns them into a top-ten team.
- Maryland
Brenda Frese does a masterful job of picking up small pieces in the portal, then getting better as the season goes on. This year, she picked up two huge pieces: former Hoosier Yarden Garzon and former Blue Devil Oluchi Okanawa, both their former team’s leading scorer last season. The Terps might break their Final Four dry spell this season.
- NC State
Like Frese, Wes Moore is a coach who gets the most out of his team. The Wolfpack has a lot to replace, including Saniya Rivers and Azaiha James, but Moore pulled off a coup in July by adding Khamil Pierre to a solid foundation led by Zoe Brroks.
- Duke
The Blue Devils return ACC Freshman of the Year Toby Fournier and talented shooter Ashlon Jackson, but have to replace leading scorer Oluchi Okanawa. For a team that often struggled offensively in big games, that could put a cap on the Bule Devils’ potential this season.
- Tennessee
The Lady Vols were a surprising 24-10 and 8-8 in the SEC last season in Kim Caldwell’s first season, but had trouble closing games and beating elite teams. Caldwell brought in the second-ranked recruiting class and veteran transfers Janiah Barker and Jersey Wolfenbarger to try to take the next step.
- Ole Miss
The Rebels have been good-not-great for about five years, so this offseason they made a homerun swing. Former Mississippi State star Debreasha Powe and Ohio State All-Big Ten forward Cotie McMahon were brought in to make sure the ball clears the fence.
- Michigan
Sophomore Syla Swords is one of the best players in the country, and the Wolverines brought in UCLA transfer Kendall Dudley to help her out. If nothing else, they should put a scare into some people and be a lot of fun to watch.
- Louisville
Jeff Walz is another ACC coach whose teams always seem to get better as the season goes on. The Cardinals brought back guard Tajianna Roberts and brought in forward Laura Ziegler, who averaged a double-double at St. Joe’s, but may not have the top-end talent to compete for the top ten.
- North Carolina
Courtney Banghart always gets the most out of her teams. But the Tar Heels may not have the star players this season to contend for the ACC crown.
- Baylor
- Minnesota
- Vanderbilt
- Kentucky
- Cal
- Stanford
- Washington
- Ohio State
- Southern Cal
- Notre Dame