
The season, which was to be defined by parity, instead ended with the two most famous brands in the women’s basketball meeting in the national title match and Uconn added a historical record of 12. These programs again at the top of the field this way-show too much at 2025-26.
As in these assessments of power, champions advocates will get the best place. However, the early wave of participants to the transmission portal, in combination with the double promotions of the Senior and the Super Senior Class from the pandemic bonus year, has created much more flow below the upper level.
Some teams hardly have enough players to build a line -up. Most of the lists will be unrecognizable when compared to the beginning of the regular season, because the transfers choose their new landing points, which places more emphasis on recruitment classes because the state of the return of players is uncertain.
Almost famous: Baylor, Maryland, Columbia
Final four teams are not going anywhere
Even without Paige Bueckers, UConn is a good candidate for the best team in the country thanks to the growing SuperStar Sarah Strong. The second season ended at the national level in the winning share only behind the Bueckers and the characters to become even more fruitful, and more offense went through it as Sophomore.
With the strong, Jan El Alfa and Azzi Fudd, they return from the starting line -up, plus KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade ready to take bigger roles as juniors (already devoted to larger burden as freshmen), it is the best five in the country. Ice Brady, Allie Ziebell, Morgan Cheli and the sixth recruitment class provide a solid depth, although Huskies do not add any gears.
South Carolina loses at least three appetizers and potentially four if Raven Johnson decides to go in favor. But the Gamecocks machine is ready to back up, with Milaysia Fulwiley, Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards are waiting in the wings. This is not a program that will rebuild; Loads again.
Texas also loses two appetizers, but has a trio growing Sophomores (Jordan Lee, Bryanna Preston and Justice Carlton) to help Madison Booker get to the next level. The talent is obvious, but historical dominance SEC in South Carolina – and the historical dominance of Dawn Staley over Vic Schaefer – has been maintaining Gamecocks before Longhorn.
UCLA can welcome the most players from their finals four, each with them eligible to return. However, the National Flameout semifinals raises doubts about the total ceiling of the Bruins, which will plant them in the fourth, although most of the season is the team No. 1.
Kevin Durant is a fan of Sarah Strong’s game 👏
Strong’s performance at the National Championship:
◽24 points
◽15 Reb
◽5 Ast
◽3 Blk
◽2 STL
◽10/15 fgm pic.twitter.com/hsgn9ccoro
– Athletic (@Theathletic) April 6, 2025
SEC is still the deepest conference
In addition to co-conference champions, the rest of the SEC will also reload. LSU has a peripheral duo Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams Plus National Recruitment Class No. 1, Grace Knox.
Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell can now get players to be suitable specifically to her system, and bring to the second best class with several dynamic guards to play with Talaysia Cooper, Zee Spearman and Ruby Whitehorn.
One best newcomer is heading to Oklahoma to join Raegan Beers, Sahara Williams and Zya Vann. As such, all three teams that all advanced to 2025 Sweet 16, the Top 10 project.
Kentucky is harder to evaluate with the loss of Georgia Amoore, which was central to everything Kenny Brooks built in Lexington and formerly in Virginia Tech. The return of three appetizers, including Clara Strack, healthy seasons for Jordan OBI and Dominik Paurov, plus Brooks ‘historical success in the portal keep Wildcats’ Outlook high.
Vanderbilt returns the dynamic duo of Mikayla Blakes and Khamil Pierre. Mississippi State has many holes to be filled in, but the Top-15 class, which comes to surround Madin Okot, is worth including in this group.
I also watch in Georgia. Bulldogs fought for a record of 4-12 SVs 2024-25, but the last day of the regular season defeated Lady Vold. Rising Sophomores Trinity Turner and Mia Woolfolk are the strong core that is built around, and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson brings the Top 20 class.
Which young teams can take the next step?
The Duke slips into the first five because she expects to bring back eight out of 10 of his rotary players. Ashlon Jackson had his best season as a junior and subclass Jadyn Donovan, Holuchi Okananwa and Toby Fournier took significant steps in Durham. With the real center of the next season in Arianna Roberson (which missed 2024-25 with injuries), Blue Devils should finally have pieces to make their first final four in two decades after the reception of one short in 2025.
The Freshman Iowa class showed flashes in the first year. Ava Heiden, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow will have to be much more productive for Hawkeyes to return to hosting on the first weekend, although the coming agreement for newcomers should help juice.
Michigan three freshmen (Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway) need reinforcements in front. Wolverines can get it on the portal – teammate of the SWORDS Kate Koval, who could leave Notre Dame, would be an excellent accessory. If so, Wolverines could attack in a large ten.
Louisville had five freshmen in rotation last season and the cardinals found another cornerstone in Tajianno Roberts. The veterans are basically all gone, with the exception of Ja’leah Williams, but this charts is a bet that Roberts is good enough to lead Louisville and Mackenly Randolph, filled with Olivie Cochran’s shoes.
Elsewhere in ACC, it could be for the NC state a year earlier, given that Wolfpack lost three appetizers and has no seniors. However, Tilda Trygger, Lorena Awou, Zamareya Jones and Devenyn Quigley are promising. There is still a lot of work to do with Zoe Brooks.
Iowa State was a young team last season and we just can’t leave the potential of Audi Crooks and Addy Brown. Cyclones ceiling is still probably limited by Crooks’ defense, but there is too much continuity and talent for the beginning of the year to leave Iowa State from the TOP 15.
𝘼𝙡𝙡- 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 🇺🇸@Audicrooks has been named the third team All-American @Ap and @USBwa!
🌪 | 📰: pic.twitter.com/ar2mhnprrf
– Cyclone basketball (@cyclonewbb) March 19, 2025
And nodding at Wbit Champs, Minnesota. Even without Mara Brown, Amaya Battle Golden Gophers, Grace Grocholski and Tori McKinney, she did some special things to close the 2024-25 season. If Braun can sometimes be healthy and this evaluation assumes, Minnesota has so many long, versatile attackers/wings and is a modern dream of basketball fans.
Missing big names
Putting this list at 25, especially at the beginning of the season, is always difficult. Teams such as Baylor, Ohio State, Columbia and West Virginia could easily go in front of Maryland or Alabama.
But let’s deal with the elephants in the room: teams with a big name that either did not make rankings at all, or barely pressed. Notre Dame Slots at 25, because it is impossible to exclude the double first team All-American Hannah Hidalgo, even though it has basically no other teammates, but Cassandre Prospory, which included olive, which included olivic, which included olive. Regardless of who ends with playing next to Hidalgo in 2025-26, Ireland can get enough victory.
USC and TCU, teams that lost in Eight Eight could not cut. The Trojan two of their three best freshmen are expected to be on the portal, so the combination of Kennedy Smith, Malia Samuels and the incoming jazz Davidson was not enough to fall around these other teams.
With TCU, the list is infertile. Although Mark Campbell almost certainly signs some of the best gears in the country, just like any of the last two seasons, they are not yet in Fort Worth. Donovyn Hunter itself does not mean the Top-25 team.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / Athletic;; Joe Buglewicz, Patrick McDermott, Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)