Inside outlook for each Top 25 team
College hoops is right around the corner, and if you love women’s basketball, you know that means that trash-talking queens Angel Reese of LSU and Caitlin Clark of Iowa are about to be back on your TV, chattering to everyone on the court.
The women’s game continues to grow exponentially in popularity, evidenced by another March Madness of record TV ratings and the fact that Iowa just packed 55,464 fans into the university’s football stadium for an exhibition game against DePaul.
We’re not entirely sure what the 2023-24 season will hold, but we know it’ll be star-studded with the return of Reese, Clark, Stanford’s Cameron Brink and (finally!) Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers.
Here are season outlooks for the 25 teams in the USA TODAY Sports preseason women’s basketball coaches’ poll:
1. LSU (34-2)
Points: 797 (29 first-place votes). Last year’s final ranking: 1.
The 2023 champs were already going to be loaded again, with the return of double-double ace Reese (23.0 ppg, 15.4 rpg) and superstar sophomore Flau’jae Johnson (11.0 ppg). Then they added Hailey Van Lith, an All-American guard at Louisville and the best overall player in the portal. The Tigers, under thirdyear coach Kim Mulkey, will be heavily favored to return to their second consecutive Final Four.
2. Connecticut (31-6)
Points: 727 (3 first-place votes). Last year’s final ranking: 9.
Bueckers is healthy! Bueckers is healthy? If you’re a UConn fan, you oscillate between these. Provided the 6foot guard is completely healed from a torn ACL suffered before the start of last season, the Huskies will again be contenders, especially when coupled with Azzi Fudd (15.1 ppg) to form what should be an elite backcourt. In UConn time, it’s been forever since the Huskies won a title (2016, to be exact). Can they fix that this year?
3. Iowa (31-7)
Points: 713. Last year’s final ranking: 2.
Clark (27.8 ppg, 8.6 apg) is back. Is her shooting range even more impressive than last year, when she won every national player award and led Iowa to the Final Four? We’ll find out soon enough. The Hawkeyes are more than just Clark – Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall will up their production this year – though they’ll badly miss the inside presence of Monika Czinano.
4. South Carolina (36-1)
Points: 671. Last year’s final ranking: 3.
The Gamecocks’ biggest strength last year was depth, which is why they’ll be a top team in 2023-24, too. Yes, they’ll miss Aliyah Boston. But life is good with 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso (9.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and 5-foot-8 point guard Raven Johnson (3.4 apg) on the court, and South Carolina added Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao, a point guard who, when healthy, is a lethal shooter.
5. Virginia Tech (31-5)
Points: 617. Last year’s final ranking: 4.
This might be too low a ranking for the Hokies, considering they went to the Final Four last season and return twotime ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley (18.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg) as well as point guard Georgia Amoore (16.3 ppg), who lit up the tournament during their run last year. No one is really talking about Virginia Tech as a national title contender, which means they likely feel disrespected and overlooked – which is usually when the Hokies thrive.
6. Ohio State (28-8)
Points: 598. Last year’s final ranking: 6.
Cotie McMahon (15.1 ppg) was one of the top freshmen in the country last year, playing with a confidence and poise unusual for a first-year player. The Buckeyes have her back and got one of the best defensive guards in the country when Celeste Taylor transferred from Duke. The addition of Taylor will make the Ohio State Buckeyes’ press even more suffocating.
7. Utah (27-5)
Points: 565 Last year’s final ranking: 8.
The Utes are looking to build off a record-breaking season in 2022-23 that ended in the Sweet 16 and will have all five starters back to help them do it, including 2023 Pac-12 player of the year Alissa Pili (20.7 ppg). Utah’s offense is scary efficient, but the defense has to get better if the Utes want to make another deep run.
8. UCLA (27-10)
Points: 555. Last year’s final ranking: 13.
The Bruins got a huge boost when Charisma Osborne (15.9 ppg), one of the best in the country at stuffing the stat sheet, decided to come back for a super senior year. Then they got more good news when Lauren Betts, the top freshman in the 2022 class, chose to transfer from Stanford to UCLA. Add sophomores Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez and the Bruins are loaded with talent and experience.
9. Indiana (28-4)
Points: 534. Last year’s final ranking: 7.
Mackenzie Holmes, the Hoosiers’ 6foot-3 All-American who averaged 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, is back and the perfect piece to build around. Yarden Garzon, a sophomore from Israel, is clutch from deep, connecting on 45.8% of her 3-point attempts as a freshman. The Hoosiers aren’t flashy, but they’re solid, especially defensively, and extremely tough to beat home.
10. Notre Dame (27-6)
Points: 511. Last year’s final ranking: 11.
Point guard Olivia Miles is one of the top playmakers in women’s basketball and as soon as she gets healthy from a knee injury, the Irish will be a nightmare in the open floor. While Miles rehabs, look for freshman point guard Hannah Hidalgo to make an immediate impact. Cass Prosper, one of the best newcomers in the country last season, is also ready for a big jump.
11. Maryland (28-7)
Points: 451. Last year’s final ranking: 5.
North Carolina State transfer Jakia Brown-Turner will be an instant contributor behind All-Big Ten guard Shyanne Sellers (13.9 pgg). The Terps love to play fast and score in bunches and are always one of the toughest teams to slow down.
12. Tennessee (25-12)
Points: 431. Last year’s final ranking: 20.
Rickea Jackson, one of the best scorers in the SEC, is back, and Tamari Key rejoins the party after missing 2022-23 with medical issues. Together, they give the Lady Vols a formidable one-two punch.
13. Stanford (29-6)
Points: 427. Last year’s final ranking: 10.
The Cardinal lost a fair amount to graduation and the transfer portal but will rebuild behind Cameron Brink (15.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg), the shot-blocking sensation who is the best defensive player in women’s college hoops.
14. Texas (26-10)
Points: 357. Last year’s final ranking: 19.
Do-everything guard Rori Harmon (11.2 ppg, 7.4 apg) is one year older and wiser and again has DeYona Gaston (12.7 ppg) and Taylor Jones inside to help. The Longhorns defense keeps them in every game.
15. Louisville (26-12)
Points: 309. Last year’s final ranking: 14.
The Cardinals lost Hailey Van Lith but brought in another terrific scoring guard in Jayda Curry from California. Three other big portal pickups, plus improved play from Olivia Cochran, will put Louisville in a position to contend for the ACC title.
16. Ole Miss (25-9)
Points: 304. Last year’s final ranking: 22.
No one loves working the portal like Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, better known as “Coach Yo,” and she got Kennedy Todd-Williams, one of North Carolina’s top players, off the transfer portal this spring. Add returners and a couple of other top-notch transfers, and things should keep rolling in Oxford for Mississippi.
17. North Carolina (22-11)
Points: 278, Last year’s final ranking: 21.
Few players in college hoops stuff a stat sheet like Deja Kelly (16.5 ppg), who returns to Chapel Hill along with fellow first-team All-ACC guard-forward Alyssa Ustby (13.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg).
18. Colorado (25-9)
Points: 212. Last year’s final ranking: 18.
Led by Quay Miller (13.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg), the Buffaloes return their top four scorers from last season and are looking to build on the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in 20 years. Jaylyn Sherrod (11.3 ppg) is a fun, feisty guard who oozes competitiveness and her ability to turn the corner causes problems for defenders.
19. Duke (26-7)
Points: 152. Last year’s final ranking: 16.
The Blue Devils lost two starters to the transfer portal and one to graduation, which means more will be expected of returners Reigan Richardson and Kennedy Brown. Graduate transfer Camilla Emsbo, a first-team All-Ivy League selection two years ago at Yale, should help Duke again be one of the top defensive teams in the country.
20. Baylor (20-13)
Points: 151. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
The Bears return leading scorer Sarah Andrews (14.7 ppg) and conference freshman of the year Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (10.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and add Kentucky transfer Jada Walker.
21. Southern Cal (21-10)
Points: 138. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Rayah Marshall (12.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg) is one of the most athletic bigs in the country, and her ability to score, rebound and defend should help USC make another tournament – and this time, a run. National high school player of the year Juju Watkins will make an immediate impact.
22. Florida State (23-10)
Points: 128. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Ta’Niya Latson, the national freshman of the year who led the ACC in scoring (21.3 ppg), is back and looking to lead the Seminoles to their 11th consecutive NCAA women’s tournament.
23. Oklahoma (26-7)
Points: 95. Last year’s final ranking: 17.
The Sooners shared the regular-season Big 12 title last year with Texas, but senior forward Skylar Vann would like a banner all to herself this season. Vann, who averaged 11.5 point and 6.8 rebounds off the bench last season, is the only player to win the conference’s sixth player award in consecutive seasons.
23. Creighton (22-9)
Points: 95. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
The Blue Jays run one of the best, most efficient offenses in the country, and when they’re hot, everyone is hitting from three and scoring layups at will. Three double-digit scorers return from last season, led by Lauren Jensen (16.1 ppg).
25. Miami (Fla.) (22-13)
Points: 75. Last year’s final ranking: 18.
The Hurricanes were one of the surprises of last year’s tournament, stunning top-seeded Indiana on the Hoosiers’ home floor to reach the program’s first-ever Elite Eight. Miami lost its top two scorers but added former Duke standout Shayeann Day-Wilson via the transfer portal.
25. Michigan (23-10)
Points: 75. Last year’s final ranking: 23.
Laila Phelia was one of the breakout players of the Big Ten last season, averaging 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. She’ll lead a talented roster featuring three graduate transfers, all of whom have topped the 1,000-point mark already in their careers.