2024-2025 Women’s College Basketball Season Preview

After six long months, we’re finally ready to dive back into the college hoops season. Women’s basketball has taken off over the last couple years, largely in part due to Caitlin Clark’s historical college career.

She has moved on to play in the WNBA, but she has left the college level in a good place. Wooden Award co-favorites Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins will now be the faces of women’s college basketball. The South Carolina Gamecocks look to defend their national championship after an undefeated 2023-24 campaign.

Can UConn return to glory? Or will a new powerhouse such as USC or UCLA emerge? Below, we are previewing the entire NCAAW season, starting with the preseason AP rankings and then some season predictions at the bottom.

Women’s College Basketball Season Preview

Preseason Top 25

No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks

Last Season: 38-0, National Champions
Key Additions: Joyce Edwards (No. 1 ESPN100), Maddy McDaniel (No. 14 ESPN100), Maryam Dauda (Arkansas)
Key Subtractions: Kamilla Cardoso
Projected Starting Lineup: Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, Sania Feagin, Chloe Kitts

The defending champions are deservedly the preseason No. 1 team, but there are some questions surrounding them. For a program that has largely been built behind a strong frontcourt, the Gamecocks might have a dilemma in 2024-25. Kamilla Cardoso left for the WNBA and the best big on their roster, Ashlyn Watkins, is facing kidnapping charges and is currently suspended from all team activities. With Watkins’ status in the air, the Gamecocks are left with Chloe Kitts, Sania Feagi and Sakima Walker, as well as newcomers Joyce Edwards and Maryam Dauda. Their backcourt will more than make up for any potential frontcourt struggles, with Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, Tessa Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley all returning. They are the preseason favorites to repeat, but there are several programs who have caught up to them.

No. 2 UConn Huskies

Last Season: 33-6, Final Four
Key Additions: Sarah Strong (No. 1 ESPN100), Allie Ziebell (No. 7 ESPN100), Morgan Cheli (No. 11 ESPN100), Kaitlyn Chen (Princeton)
Key Subtractions: Aliyah Edwards, Nika Muhl
Projected Starting Lineup: Kaitlyn Chen, Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong, Ice Brady

This is easily the deepest team on paper, and it’s very possible the only thing separating UConn from adding another NCAA Title to its illustrious resume is health. Over the last couple seasons, they’ve been hampered by numerous injuries. Paige Bueckers returned for her pandemic year, in an effort to win her first NCAA Championship. Bueckers will be a co-favorite with USC’s JuJu Watkins for National Player of the Year. Joining Bueckers is Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen, who should take over the Nika Muhl role operating the offense. Azzi Fudd returns from her ACL injury and should slide right back into the top supporting role behind Bueckers. ESPN100 No. 1 player Sarah Strong seems likely to join the starting group from the very beginning and should be joined in the frontcourt by Ice Brady. If there’s a weakness for the Huskies, it’ll be in the frontcourt, where they lack experience despite some serious depth that includes Aubrey Griffin, Ayana Patterson and Jana El Alfy. With Caroline Ducharme, Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold and Qadence Samuels all returning, there won’t be a shortage of reliable guards on this roster.

No. 3 USC Trojans

Last Season: 29-6, Elite Eight
Key Additions: Kennedy Smith (No. 6 ESPN100), Kayleigh Heckel (No. 13 ESPN100), Avery Howell (No. 16 ESPN100), Kiki Iriafen (Stanford), Talia von Oelhoffen (Oregon State)
Key Subtractions: McKenzie Forbes, Kayla Padilla
Projected Starting Lineup: JuJu Watkins, Talia von Oelhoffen, Kennedy Smith, KiKi Iriafen, Rayah Marshall

If you thought the hype in women’s basketball would die beyond Caitlin Clark, get ready for the JuJu Watkins experience. Watkins is unquestionably the best player at the collegiate level, and this season, she’ll have a legitimate supporting cast as the Trojans look to win their first NCAA title since 1984. The Trojans built Ivy League transfers around Watkins in her freshman year and with those Ivy Leaguers having graduated, went out and not only brought in the top recruiting class in the country, but high-profile transfers Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) and Talia von Oelhoffen (Oregon State) as well. Iriafen could very well be the best big in the country, while von Oelhoffen should be a better version of McKenzie Forbes for this team. The one area of concern with this team is probably its depth, which will mostly consist of freshmen Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell, as well as sophomores Malia Samuels and Aaliyah Gayles. Gayles, the No. 8 player in the 2022 recruiting class, is a terrific story, having survived at least 18 gunshot wounds at a house party during her senior year of high school. There’s high optimism that she is going to be the player she was expected to be out of high school, and the footage throughout the offseason indicates that may be true. If Watkins was able to bring a relatively lackluster group to the Elite Eight last year, the sky’s the limit with the improvements this roster has seen heading into her sophomore year.

No. 4 Texas Longhorns

Last Season: 33-5, Elite Eight
Key Additions: Justice Carlton (No. 12 ESPN100), Laila Phelia (Michigan), Kyla Oldacre (Miami)
Key Subtractions: Shaylee Gonzales, DeYona Gaston, Amina Muhammad, Khadija Faye
Projected Starting Lineup: Rori Harmon, Shay Holle, Madison Booker, Aliyah Moore, Taylor Jones

This is an interesting Texas group, as they had looked like perhaps the best team in the country before Rori Harmon suffered a season ending injury. She will return in 2024-25, as will Big 12 Freshman of the Year Madison Booker, Shay Holle, Aliyah Moore and Taylor Jones. They did bring in Laila Phelia from Michigan out of the transfer portal, but lost Shaylee Gonzales, DeYona Gaston and Amina Muhammad, all of whom had a sizable role in their rotation. This is a dangerous team, and they’ll go as far as Rori Harmon can take them off her recovery, but they will need her to be as good as she was last season prior to the injury. Health, particularly in the frontcourt will be a necessity, as this team did struggle last year when Taylor Jones missed time.

No. 5 UCLA Bruins

Last Season: 27-7, Sweet 16
Key Additions: Kendall Dudley (No. 18 ESPN100), Janiah Barker (Texas A&M), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State), Timea Gardiner (Oregon State)
Key Subtractions: Charisma Osborne
Projected Starting Lineup: Charlisse Leger-Walker, Kiki Rice, Timea Gardiner, Janiah Barker, Lauren Betts

USC isn’t the only show in town, as the UCLA Bruins will once again be NCAA title contenders in 2024-25. While they lost Charisma Osborne, they did find a suitable replacement in Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State) via the transfer portal. While Leger-Walker is a bit of an offensive downgrade from Osborne, she was a 90th percentile defensive player last season. UCLA also bolstered their frontcourt, giving them some much needed depth beyond All-Pac-12 center Lauren Betts. Janiah Barker was the No. 3 player in the 2022 recruiting class. Barker was a 99th percentile defensive player last season, per Her Hoop Stats. While her offensive peripherals weren’t great, she was never really given an opportunity to shine on that end of the floor at Texas A&M. Of course, this team returns Kiki Rice and Betts, giving UCLA each of the top three players in the 2022 recruiting class. Additionally, Gabriela Jaquez, Londynn Jones and Angela Dugalic return and should provide some excellent depth. Not to mention the additions of Kendall Dudley and Timea Gardiner, coach Cori Close will have no shortage of talent in her rotation this season.

No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Last Season: 28-7, Sweet 16
Key Additions: Kateryna Koval (No. 5 ESPN100), Liza Karlen (Marquette), Liatu King (Pittsburgh)
Key Subtractions: Anna DeWolfe, Natalija Marshall
Projected Starting Lineup: Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, Liza Karlen

If you followed me last season, you already know how high I am on the Fighting Irish. While they aren’t my pick to win the championship in 2025 anymore, they will almost definitely be in the running. They return the foundation of their core from 2024 in Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld and Cassandre Prosper, while also getting 2023 AP Second Team All-American Olivia Miles back from her ACL injury to join what will be the best backcourt in the country alongside Hidalgo and Citron. Along with Miles back in the fold, Notre Dame brought in Liza Karlen (Marquette) and Liatu King (Pittsburgh) via the transfer portal as well as ESPN100 No. 5 Kateryna Koval to bolster what was a very underwhelming frontcourt last season. With Westbeld missing time to begin the season, that trio will be even more important. Sophomore Emma Risch (2023 ESPN100 No. 20) should fulfill the Anna DeWolfe role off the bench. As long as Westbeld’s injury sees her back on the floor for the March Madness run, this is a dangerous Notre Dame team with serious championship aspirations.

No. 7 LSU Tigers

Last Season: 31-6, Elite Eight
Key Additions: Jersey Wolfenbarger (Arkansas), Kailyn Gilbert (Arizona), Mjracle Sheppard (Mississippi State), Sheyann Day-Wilson (Miami)
Key Subtractions: Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith
Projected Starting Lineup: Kailyn Gilbert, Flau’Jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, Aneesah Morrow, Sa’Myah Smith

NIL University is at it again. While the foundation of their core from the 2023 championship team is no longer with the program, including of course, Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey has done a tremendous job rebuilding her program through the transfer portal. LSU will have Aneesah Morrow, Flau’Jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, Last-Tear Poa and Sa’Myah Smith returning, while they’ve added several transfers, including Kailyn Gilbert, Sheyann Day-Wilson, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Mjracle Sheppard. The former should crack the opening night starting lineup, while Wolfenbarger, Day-Wilson and Sheppard will provide some much-needed depth, alongside sophomore Aalyah Del Rosario, and Poa. This isn’t going to be the same LSU team from the previous two seasons under Mulkey. They’re going to need to establish their identity early and Flau’Jae Johnson will now need to take on the leadership role. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, I have the Tigers as the No. 4 team in the conference, despite their preseason top 25 No. 7 ranking.

No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones

Last Season: 21-12, Second Round
Key Additions: Lily Hansford (Oregon State), Sydney Harris (TCU), Lily Taulelei (UMass)
Key Subtractions: Hannah Belanger, Nyamer Diew, Jalynn Bristow
Projected Starting Lineup: Emily Ryan, Arianna Jackson, Lily Hansford, Addy Brown, Audi Crooks

This should be an interesting year for the Cyclones. Despite having the highest AP Poll ranking among Big 12 teams, Iowa State was actually projected to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll, behind Kansas State. The Cyclones return four of five starters, including Audi Crooks, who is a unanimous preseason All-Big-12 selection. Emily Ryan averaged a 43.2% assist rate last season, fourth highest in the nation. In addition to four returning starters, they did bring in Lily Hansford, a transfer out of Oregon State, who should slide into the starting small forward role for the Cyclones. This is a team who started off slow last season but finished strong. They were a young, inexperienced team, who needed some time to figure things out. Now heading into year two as a unit, with Oklahoma and Texas now in the SEC, Iowa State should make quite a bit of noise in the Big 12.

No. 9 North Carolina State Wolfpack

Last Season: 31-7, Final Four
Key Additions: Caitlin Weimar (Boston)
Key Subtractions: River Baldwin, Mimi Collins
Projected Starting Lineup: Saniya Rivers, Zoe Brooks, Aziaha James, Madison Hayes, Caitlin Weimar

The Wolfpack are an interesting group heading into the 2024-25 season. They return three of five starters from their Final Four squad, but they lost one of their only perimeter threats in Mimi Collins. This is a team that will struggle at the perimeter in 2024-25, with Aziaha James, Madison Hayes and Laci Steele being the only true threats. They additionally lost their starting center River Baldwin, and they struggled at times last regular season when Baldwin missed time. They did get Caitlin Weimar from Boston University out of the transfer portal, who I believed was the top big in the portal. Per head coach Wes Moore however, Weimar is dealing with an injury, and they do not know how long she will be out. If Weimar were to miss significant time, this frontcourt would have a massive void. They have plenty of size, but very little experience, as beyond their two frontcourt freshmen, their three returning bigs played a combined 19.6 minutes per game last season, making just one combined start. There’s plenty of backcourt talent on this roster, including James, Hayes and Saniya Rivers, but if Weimar misses significant time, it’ll be tough to expect this Wolfpack team to match their Final Four run from last season.

No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners

Last Season: 23-10, Second Round
Key Additions: Raegan Beers (Oregon State)
Key Subtractions: None
Projected Starting Lineup: Nevaeh Tot, Payton Verhulst, Lexi Keys, Skylar Vann, Raegan Beers

As we close out the top 10, we’re left with the only team in the top 10 to return all five starters from last season. Not only will the Sooners return all five starters, but they’ll actually have the luxury of shifting one to the bench with the addition of Raegan Beers. As good as Texas was last season, it’s easy to forget the Sooners were actually the Big 12 regular season champions. While they’ll move to the SEC this season, projected to finish fourth per the preseason poll, this is an experienced group, adding one of the top players from the transfer portal. Their biggest weakness last season was a lack of size on the interior and that is something Beers should solve.

No. 11 Duke Blue Devils