President Biden welcomes NCAA basketball champions to the White House
The White House hosted the men’s NCAA college basketball champions the UConn Huskies, and the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s championship team.
After a season of massive television ratings and attendance records, women’s college basketball will have a much different look in 2024-25. Gone are two of the sport’s biggest stars – Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Angel Reese of LSU.
But there will be new faces and some familiar faces who become stars, as well as several teams looking to dethrone South Carolina.
Here is USA TODAY Sports’ annual outlook for the Top 25 teams in the preseason women’s college basketball coaches poll.
Points: 770 (27 first-place votes). Last year’s final ranking: 1
The question for the Gamecocks is who will be the next dominant post player? Freshman Joyce Edwards could be the one. But South Carolina has plenty of firepower to make another national title run with MiLaysia Fulwiley, Te-Hina Paopao and Tessa Johnson back in the mix. Dawn Staley’s steady hand will eliminate any signs of complacency to ensure her team is there at the end.
Points: 734 (3 first-place votes). Last year’s final ranking: 3.
It’s hard to believe, but UConn hasn’t won a national championship since Breanna Stewart left Storrs in 2016. Most of that has to do with significant injuries, but Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd are healthy, and the team has sufficient depth that was missing in previous years, including KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen, a Princeton transfer and 2023 Ivy League player of the year.
Points: 716 (1 first-place vote). Last year’s final ranking: 6.
It’s all about Juju Watkins. But the Trojans are absolutely loaded with Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen and returning center Rayah Marshall there to help take the pressure off Watkins, who averaged 27.1 points per game as a freshman. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb brought in a talented recruiting class, and anything outside a Final Four appearance would be a major disappointment for the women of Troy.
Points: 670. Last year’s final ranking: 5.
Talented forward Madison Booker has a chance to be the national player of the year, and point guard Rori Harmon should be back from a torn ACL, but the Longhorns lose depth as DeYona Gaston, the Big 12 sixth woman of the year in 2024, transferred to Auburn. Finding a consistent outside shooter will be critical, as no rotation player shot over 40% from long-distance last season.
Points: 629. Last year’s final ranking: 11.
The duo of Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, who is returning from injury, forms one of the best backcourts in America. Maddy Westbeld is a solid scoring threat but won’t be ready for the start of the season due to a foot injury and is one of nine returning players for the ACC tournament champions. The X-factor could be Liatu King, who is an automatic double-double machine.
Points: 612. Last year’s final ranking: 9.
For all the talent the Bruins have, long-distance shooting may be their undoing. Even if that is a deficiency, UCLA can ride the talent of Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts as they adjust to the Big Ten. Like most teams in the top 10, transfers add depth and balance as Washington State’s Charlisse Leger-Walker and Timea Gardiner from Oregon State join the roster in Westwood.
Points: 567. Last year’s final ranking: 7.
The two names to know are Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow, who are expected to put up monster numbers. Kim Mulkey’s group will also rely heavily on guard play, which might be the ingredient to get the Tigers back to the Final Four and compete for a title.
Points: 533. Last year’s final ranking: 4.
The Wolfpack got a taste of the Final Four last year and are looking for more. The backcourt with Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers is solid and can compete with the nation’s best. River Baldwin, who was a good post presence, will need to be replaced. NC State’s 6-4 transfer Caitlin Weimar and 6-5 freshman Lorena Awou will need to contribute, especially on the defensive end.
Points: 487. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Audi Crooks may be the best player some fans haven’t heard of, but that’s about to change. She is the dominant focal point of the Cyclones and will benefit from Emily Ryan returning for a fifth season. And the addition of Marquette transfer Kenzie Hare gives Iowa State a deep threat from the outside. This is the Big 12’s best team, but the Cyclones aren’t sneaking up on teams like they did in 2023.
Points: 457. Last year’s final ranking: 20.
The return of Liz Scott from injury is big for Oklahoma, even though the Sooners won the Big 12 last year without her. Now in the SEC, the experience of Payton Verhulst, Sahara Williams and Oregon State transfer Raegan Beers gives them an inside-outside punch that will provide the physical style they will need to endure in the SEC.
Points: 449. Last year’s final ranking: 21.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson has preached chemistry, and the Blue Devils bring loads of it with four returning starters. In any other year, they would be the ACC favorite. The undisputed leader is senior guard Reigan Richardson, but Tania Mair and Oluchi Okananwa, the ACC sixth player of the year, will be tested with early season matchups against Maryland and South Carolina.
Points: 434. Last year’s final ranking: 15.
Expect guard Jada Walker to have an uptick in scoring production, and backcourt mate Sarah Andrews returns as the Bears look to improve on their Sweet 16 showing from last season. They will do it with four or five players capable of taking the scoring load, including Aaronette Vonleh and veterans Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy.
Points: 407. Last year’s final ranking: 18.
Jeff Mittie continues to push Kansas State in the right direction. After being a top-four regional seed in the NCAA women’s tournament for the first time since 2005, the Wildcats have a chance to win the Big 12. Most of last year’s team is back, headlined by Ayoka Lee, who could be the best center in the country. They’ve also added Temira Poindexter from Tulsa, who is a scoring machine and will complement Lee well in the frontcourt.
Points: 405. Last year’s final ranking: 14.
Last season’s Big Ten regular season champion will face a tougher conference thanks to the additions of USC and UCLA, but the Buckeyes should be near the top of the standings. They’ve lost a handful of key contributors, but Cotie McMahon is a star. Transfers Ajae Perry (Kentucky) and Chance Gray (Oregon) will give a boost, and there will be big expectations for prized freshman Jaloni Cambridge.
Points: 285. Last year’s final ranking: 25.
Mark Kellogg had an impressive debut in West Virginia that resulted in a second-round appearance in the NCAA tournament. Most of the starting unit is back, headlined by JJ Quinerly, who was last season’s Big 12 defensive player of the year. The Mountaineers were one of the best defensive teams in the country as they ranked third with 23.6 forced turnovers per game.
Points: 263. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
The loss of Deja Kelly was a big blow to the Tar Heels, but North Carolina still has forward Alyssa Ustby who became a double-double machine during conference play. Richmond transfer Grace Townsend should help run the backcourt, and North Carolina will also be welcoming some talented recruits in Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant to help get past the first weekend of the tournament.
Points: 261. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
After failing to win a tournament game for the first time since 2010, Jeff Walz brings in a talented recruiting class. McDonald’s All-Americans Imari Berry and Mackenly Randolph, as well as Tajianna Roberts, headline the new faces coming to Louisville and will join returners in Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris.
Points: 254. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Maryland had a disappointing 2023-24, but Brenda Freese went deep into the transfer portal to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The revamped roster includes Arkansas transfer Saylor Poffenbarger and last season’s Atlantic 10 player of the year Sarah Te-Biasu. With guard Shyanne Sellers back, Maryland should bounce back in a big way.
Points: 177. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
One of the top scorers in the nation, Ta’Niya Latson, returns, as well as forward Makayla Timpson. The Seminoles boast an experienced roster with no freshmen, but they did go in the portal for Texas A&M transfer Sydney Bowles. The mission for Florida State will be to win an NCAA game for the first time since 2019.
Points: 150. Last year’s final ranking: 19.
The best candidate to dethrone Connecticut as Big East champion, Creighton returns seven players, including four starters. Lauren Jensen is a conference player of the year candidate, and they also return Morgan Maly.
Points: 135. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has done a great job putting Mississippi on the map. Marquesha Davis is gone, but veterans Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams return for a team that will try to stay near the top of what is now a crowded SEC.
Points: 106. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
After a dismal last season, Kenny Brooks comes into Lexington as the new head coach, and he’s added a bunch of talent. The roster is new, but Georgia Amoore follows Brooks from Virginia Tech and gives the Wildcats star power to become a dark horse in the SEC.
Points: 92. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
Nebraska got some solid contributions from freshmen last season, and leader Alexis Markowski is back on a team that nearly won the Big Ten tournament title. The Cornhuskers also have a prized recruit in Britt Prince.
Points: 75. Last year’s final ranking: 12.
There’s no way to replace the production of Mackenzie Holmes, but don’t sleep on the Hoosiers. Several key players from last season, including Chloe Moore-McNeil, are back, along with a mix of transfers and freshmen.
Points: 57. Last year’s final ranking: Not ranked.
With three-point shooting threat Aaliyah Nye returning, the Crimson Tide bring back their top three scorers and have plenty of talent to build on their second-round appearance in the NCAA tournament last season.
