The season should have been defined by equality, rather than the end of the two most iconic brands at the women’s basketball conference in the National Championships, UConn added the historic record to the twelfth championship. These programs are again on the 2025-26th in this way.
As with these power rankings, the defending champion finished first. But the wave of early entry into the transfer portal, coupled with the double graduation of senior classes and super-advanced classes in the pandemic bonus year, created more throughput below the upper level.
Some teams now have few players to implement the roster. When the Transfers choose a new landing site, most rosters will not be recognized at the beginning of the regular season, as the status of the return player is still uncertain, so more emphasis is placed on recruiting classes.
Almost famous: Baylor, Maryland, Columbia
The last four teams won’t go anywhere
Even without Paige Bueckers, UConn is a worthy candidate for the best team in the country, thanks to its rising superstar Sarah Strong. She finished second in her second season with the win, second place nationwide, with sophomores increasing offense.
Jana El Alfy and Azzi Fudd are strong, returning from the starting lineup, plus KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shad, ready to take on the bigger roles of juniors (they already take on a bigger burden, this is the freshman, the best five in the country. Ice Brady, Allie Ziebell, Morgan Cheli and the No. 6 recruiting class offer solid depth even if the Huskimos don’t add any transfers.
South Carolina will lose at least three starters, and if Raven Johnson decides to go to a pro, he may lose four. But the Gamecocks machine is ready to be backfilled, Milaysia Fulwiley, Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards are waiting on the wings. This is not a rebuilding program; it reloads.
Texas also lost two starters, but triple training sophomores (Jordan Lee, Brena Preston and Carlton) helped Madison Booker reach the next level. The talent is obvious, but South Carolina’s historical domination of the SEC – and Dawn Staley’s historical domination of Vic Scaefer, keeps the gamecocks ahead of the Longhorns.
UCLA can welcome most of its last four teams, each of whom is eligible to return. However, the flames in the national semifinals have some doubts about the overall cap of the Brown Bears compared to the rest of the crew, and despite being No. 1 for the most part of the season, they are on fourth place.
Kevin Durant is a fan of Sarah Strong 👏
Strong’s performance in the national championship game:
◽️24 points
◽️15reb
◽️5ast
◽️3Blk
◽️2STL
◽️10/15 FGM pic.twitter.com/hsgn9ccoro– Sports (@theathletic) April 6, 2025
SEC remains the deepest meeting
In addition to the co-conference champion, the rest of the SEC is also reloading. LSU has the peripheral duo of Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, as well as the title No. 1 recruiting class by Grace Knox.
Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell can now make players particularly suited to her system, and play with Talaysia Cooper, Zee Spearman and Ruby Whitehorn with several dynamic defenders.
Singles’ best freshman will travel to Oklahoma to join Raegan Beers, Sahara Williams and Zya Vann. As a result, all three teams were promoted to 2025 Sweet 16, in the top 10.
It’s hard to assess the losses of Georgia Amoore, which has been at the heart of everything Kenny Brooks built in Lexington, before Virginia Tech. However, the return of three starters including Clara Strack, a healthy season with Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurova, coupled with Brooks’ historical success on the portal kept the Wildcats’ appearance in place.
Vanderbilt returns to the dynamic duo of Mikayla Blakes and Khamil Pierre. Mississippi State has a lot of holes, but the top 15 classes around Madina Okot in this group are worth it.
I also follow Georgia. The Bulldogs struggled to reach a 4-12 second record in 2024-25, but beat Lady Walls on the last day of the regular season. Rising sophomore trinity Turner and Mia Woolfolk are strong cores built, with Katie Abrahamson-Henderson taking the top 20.
Which young teams can take the next step?
Duke entered the top five as it is expected to bring back eight of its 10 rotation players. Ashlon Jackson was the best season for junior year, with juniors Jadyn Donovan, Oluchi Okananwa and Toby Fournier all taking a major step in Durham. Next season with Arianna Roberson (missing 2024-25 with injury), the Blue Devils finally had their first last four in 2025 after finishing a shot in 2025.
Iowa’s freshman course demonstrates glitter in its first year. Ava Heiden, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow will need to increase productivity to get the Hawkeyes back to hosts on their first weekend, although the upcoming freshman Addison Deal should help bring the offense into crime.
Michigan’s freshman trio (Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway) need some reinforcements in the frontcourt. Wolverine can get this on the portal – Sword’s high school teammate Kate Kaval may leave Notre Dame, which would be a great addition. If so, Wolverine may challenge in Big Ten.
Louisville had five freshmen in the rotation last season, and the Cardinal found the next cornerstone at Tajianna Roberts. Veterans were basically gone except Ja’leah Williams, but this ranking was Roberts’ bet enough to lead Louisville and McNey Randolph to fill Olivia Cochran’s shoes.
Considering that Wolfpack lost three beginners, no older people, elsewhere in the ACC, this may have been early for NC State. But freshman courses at Tilda Trygger, Lorena Awou, Zamareya Jones and Devyn Quigley are promising. With Zoe Brooks, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Iowa State is the young team last season and we just can’t quit Audi Crooks and Addy Brown’s potential. The whirlwind’s ceiling may still be limited by Crooks’ defense, but starting this year, there’s too much continuity and talent to pull Iowa State out of the top 15.
𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖@Audicrooks Has been appointed as the third All American @AP and @usbwaWoolen cloth
🌪️🏀🌪️| 📰: https://t.co/aspesv0w9d pic.twitter.com/ar2mhnprrf
– Tornado Basketball (@cyclonewbb) March 19, 2025
Minnesota’s WBIT champion nodded. Even without Mara Brown, the Mayan combat core of the Kim Ghos, Grace Grocholski and Tori McKinney did something special to end the 2024-25 season. If Braun can stay healthy and this ranking can be presupposed, Minnesota’s forward/wings have a lot of long and versatile forward/wings and is a dream for modern basketball fans.
Lack of big names
Eliminating this list to 25, especially at the start of the season, is always tricky. Teams like Baylor, Ohio State, Columbia, and West Virginia are easily inserted before Maryland or Alabama.
But let’s solve the elephant in the room: a large team that doesn’t rank or barely squeeze. Notre Dame is 25 years old, because it is impossible to completely rule out two times in the United States. Even if she has no other teams, there are other teams that have flourished, including after her portal exodus, even if she has no other teammates, there are no other teams. Whoever ends up playing next to Hidalgo in 2025-26, she can win enough.
However, UC and TCU lost the Elite Eight team but were unable to advance. The Trojans are expected to be without Juju Watkins for most of the season, and they graduated with four seniors who play important roles. Two of their three top freshmen are on the portal, so the combination of Kennedy Smith, Malia Samuels and the upcoming Jazzy Davidson isn’t enough to outperform these other teams.
Using TCU, the roster is barren. Although Mark Campbell is almost certain to sign some of the best transfers in the country, they aren’t Fort Worth yet, as he’s done in the past two seasons. Donovyn Hunter alone didn’t make it to the top 25 teams.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / sports; Joe Buglewicz, Patrick McDermott, Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
