UCLA made it to the Final Four this year but lost to the eventual champion UConn Huskies. The Bruins are returning four starters and key rotational pieces this year. UCLA is also getting the number two recruit (according to HoopGurlz), Sienna Betts, the younger sister of superstar Lauren Betts.
Though the news just struck that MiLaysia Fulwiley will be transferring from South Carolina, the Gamecocks are still one of the favorites. In the transfer portal, they acquired the number one scorer in D1 basketball last year, Ta’Niya Latson.
The UConn Huskies are back on top of women’s college basketball for the first time since 2016, and a large part of that is due to superstar Paige Bueckers.
The Texas Longhorns have good news: Rori Harmon is returning to the team for another year. Along with First Team All-American star Madison Booker, the Longhorns are one of the top teams in the country.
Though the Tigers are losing a couple of role players to the transfer portal (Sa’myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah Del Rosario) and one of their best players (Aneesah Morrow) to the WNBA Draft, LSU is still one of the best teams.
The Duke Blue Devils have been inching closer to the Final Four over the past three seasons. Coach Kara Lawson has done a great job building this team into a defensive nightmare, and they are retaining many of the players they had last season.
The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the best recruits in the 2025 class joining their team. Aaliyah Chavez joins Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst, and Sahara Williams to create an electric offense to score buckets in bunches.
The Tennessee Volunteers started hot last season and hit their pinnacle, beating the UConn Huskies in Knoxville. The back half of their season was met with some turbulence as they did not fare as well in SEC play.
The Vanderbilt Commodores have one of the best freshmen in the country on their roster, Mikayla Blakes. She and Khamil Pierre were one of the best duos in the country, averaging just under 44 points per game.
The NC State Wolfpack has two big pieces to fill. They have lost stars Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers to the WNBA Draft. This team still possesses talented players like Zoe Brooks and Zamareya Jones.
