On3's preseason women's college basketball Top 25

Plenty has changed since the 2023-24 season concluded. The transfer portal saw more than 1,300 entries, including some of the biggest names in the sport. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink started their rookie seasons in the WNBA, and legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer retired.

We’re just three weeks away from the start of the 2024-25 season, so here are On3’s preseason Top 25 women’s college basketball teams.

1. USC

It all starts with sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins (27.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg), but the Trojans also added an incoming class of freshmen and transfers that is widely considered the most impressive in the country. 

The Trojans added former Stanford post player Kiki Iriafen (19.4 ppg, 11 rpg), as well as ex-Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen (10.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 4.1 rpg). USC’s freshman class is absolutely loaded with six rookies all ranked in the top 100, highlighted by No. 6-ranked wing Kennedy Smith and No. 13-ranked point guard Kayleigh Heckel. 

This is a team with plenty of meshing to do. It may take some time, but on paper, this is the most talented team in the country. 

2. South Carolina

South Carolina is fresh off a national title and isn’t going anywhere. Entering her 16th season with the team, coach Dawn Staley returns nearly everyone from last year’s squad with the exception of star post player Kamilla Cardoso (14.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg), and she filled that spot via the transfer portal with 6-foot-4 Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg). 

South Carolina returns sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley (11.7 ppg) and adds No. 2 recruit Joyce Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward, to a group of experienced veterans determined to stay on top. Staley didn’t have anyone enter the transfer portal, but the status of Ashlyn Watkins’ (9.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) legal situation may impact the trajectory of the team – especially in its early non-conference slate. 

3. UConn

UConn will have no shortage of talent, as long as the Huskies can stay healthy. Paige Bueckers (21.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg) returns for her final season in Storrs and Azzi Fudd (15.1 ppg – 2022-23) will hopefully be recovered from injury shortly into the season. She hasn’t played a full season since her freshman campaign, but she’ll be a large factor in the Huskies’ fate this season. 

UConn also adds the No. 1 freshman in the country, Sarah Strong, who should have an immediate impact. Their lone offseason addition is grad transfer Kaitlyn Chen (15.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.9 apg), who’s coming off of a phenomenal senior campaign at Princeton. Last season, six players suffered season-ending injuries. Health will be key for the Huskies. 

4. Texas

Health is also key for the Longhorns, but assuming everyone is close to 100% by opening day, this is a team with legitimate title hopes. They return sophomore All-American Madison Booker (16.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg), who filled in for Rori Harmon (11.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 2.3 spg – 2022-23) as point guard when Harmon tore her ACL. Booker returns to her normal position on the wing and Harmon, also an All-American honorable mention, is nearing full health. 

Along with that, fifth-year coach Vic Schaefer added more veteran talent in Michigan transfer Laila Phelia (16.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a 6-foot guard who’s recovering from a non-basketball related eye injury, but is expected to be cleared by the season’s start. Guard play will be Texas’ biggest strength this season, and veteran Shay Holle (7.6 ppg) is considered the “glue” to the squad and will play a huge part in this team’s success, whether she starts or comes off the bench. Texas made the Elite Eight a season ago – and they have arguably even more talent this season. 

5. UCLA

Although the Bruins lost Charisma Osborne to the WNBA, they return one of the best post players in the country in junior Lauren Betts (14.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2 bpg), and also bring back point guard Kiki Rice (13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.5 apg) – who will start for the third straight season. 

The Bruins made three key transfer additions: Former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State – 13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.1 apg), 6-foot-3 forward Timea Gardiner (Oregon State – 11.6 ppg, 7 rpg) and former top-three recruit Janiah Barker (Texas A&M – 12.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg). 

That trio will all be expected to see significant minutes, and the Bruins also bring in a freshman class that includes three top-30 recruits – Kendall Dudley (No. 14), Avary Cain (No. 24) and Zania Sockwell-Ngueman (No. 27).

6. Notre Dame

Hannah Hidalgo (22.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.5 apg), Maddy Westbeld (14.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg), Sonia Citron (17.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Olivia Miles’ (14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg – 2022-23) return was enough for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to be a preseason top-10 team, and then they went ahead and added two big names from the transfer portal. 

The additions of Marquette transfer Liza Karlen (17.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Pittsburgh transfer Liatu King (18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg) give the Irish depth and experience to an already-loaded roster. Coach Niele Ivey also brings in the No. 5 freshman in Kate Koval. 

Westbeld will miss part of the season with a lingering foot issue, and KK Bransford will redshirt the season with a leg injury, but this is a team with high potential regardless. 

7. LSU

The LSU Tigers will look different, but they still have a pair of veterans in guards Aneesah Morrow (16.4 ppg, 10 rpg) and Flau’jae Johnson (14.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg) in Baton Rouge. Without post player Angel Reese (18.6 ppg, 13.4 rpg), fourth-year coach Kim Mulkey will play a smaller lineup than she has in the past, but she added a few transfer additions to further bolster their guard play in Miami’s Shayeann Day-Wilson (11.9 ppg, 3.5 apg), Arizona’s Kailyn Gilbert (15.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Mississippi State’s Mjracle Sheppard (5 ppg). 

Mikaylah Williams (14.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is the third returning starter from last season, and 6-foot-6 center Aalyah Del Rosario (4.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg), isn’t yet at full health but could be key to taking this LSU team to the next level. Junior Sa’Myah Smith has also been cleared to play after suffering a knee injury that kept her off the court for most of last season. 

8. Iowa State

The Iowa State Cyclones had a phenomenal offseason, between retaining their two impact freshmen, keeping fifth-year senior Emily Ryan (11.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.9 apg) and surrounding Audi Crooks (19.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg) with talented pieces. Crooks and Addy Brown (13 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.8 apg) each had incredible freshmen campaigns – and they’ll build this team with that pair in mind. 

Iowa State brings in Marquette transfer Mackenzie Hare (10.6 ppg), TCU’s Sydney Harris (9.4 ppg), Oregon State sharpshooter Lily Hansford (5.1 ppg) and UMass transfer Lily Taulelei (6.7 ppg). That’s one heck of a haul. With all those options, the Cyclones could be unguardable this season. 

9. NC State

The NC State Wolfpack returns a key core including Aziaha James (16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg), Saniya Rivers (12.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.7 apg), Zoe Brooks (9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg) and Madison Hayes (10.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) following their Final Four run last season. 

They’ll surely miss the leadership and experience of Mimi Collins (10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and River Baldwin (10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg), but the Wolfpack didn’t need to go digging for too much in the portal. They made one lone addition, Patriot League player of the year Caitlin Weimar (18.7 ppg, 10.6 rpg) out of Boston University. 

10. Duke

Duke has the potential to be really good this season, but there are a lot of unknowns. The Blue Devils were young last season, so on the plus side, they’ll return nearly everyone from a season ago. 

But there was a lot of inconsistency in Duke’s 2023-24 season. They made it to the Sweet 16 after taking down Ohio State, but the question marks stem from the offseason improvements of the youngsters. There’s no lack of depth here – the Blue Devils were one of few Power Four schools that didn’t have a player enter the transfer portal. Duke also adds Maryland transfer Riley Nelson (5.1 ppg) and a freshman class that includes two top-20 recruits.

11. Oklahoma

The Sooners return all five starters from last season and also have a big-time transfer addition who will make an impact from day one. Oregon State 6-foot-4 transfer Raegan Beers (17.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg) chose the Sooners over UConn, and there’s no overstating how huge that is for Oklahoma – both in size and talent. 

Beers was one of the best forwards in the country and still has two seasons of eligibility, and fourth-year Sooners coach Jennie Baranczyk also returns a loaded core of co-Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann (15.1 ppg, 7 rpg), Payton Verhulst (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg), Lexy Keys (8.4 ppg) and sophomore Sahara Williams (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg). This is a team full of experience and depth that’s looking to make their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2013. 

12. Baylor

The Baylor Bears added only one transfer during the offseason, but it was a splashy addition. Aaronette Vonleh out of Colorado should be a great fit at Baylor. She averaged 14 points and 5.2 rebounds last season and will aid an already talented backcourt.  

Baylor returns forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (10.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Sarah Andrews (11.4 ppg, 3.9 apg) and Jada Walker (8.4 ppg, 3.3 apg) as well. They’ll be without last season’s leading scorer Dre’Una Edwards (12.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg), but they’ll have options to replace that scoring elsewhere. 

13. Kansas State

Returning leading scorer and rebounder Ayoka Lee is massive for this Kansas State squad. She averaged 19.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season while shooting 62% from the field. They’ll also return Serena Sundell (12.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.6 apg), Jaelyn Glenn (7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Zyanna Walker (6.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and landed two additions from the portal. 

The most significant newcomer is Tulsa transfer Temira Poindexter (21 ppg, 5.3 rpg), who averaged 21 points last season as a junior. The Wildcats have a talented, proven roster heading into the season.  

14. Louisville

Louisville didn’t hit the portal hard, but that’s because they really didn’t have to. The Cardinals return Olivia Cochran (10.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Jayda Curry (9.2 ppg) and Nyla Harris (10.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg), while also adding two top-25 freshmen.

They’ll lose a decent chunk of production but will look for the underclassmen to fill in some gaps and the addition of Miami transfer Ja’Leah Williams (7.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) to aid on the defensive end. 

15. West Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers will return their two leading scorers in Jordan Harrison (13.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.1 apg) and JJ Quinerly (19.8 ppg, 2.7 apg) after nearly knocking off Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. 

Coach Mark Kellogg’s first season at the helm was a success, and the Mountaineers return a big chunk of their production. The Mountaineers also added Auburn transfer Sydney Shaw (6.6 ppg). 

16. Ohio State

Junior guard Cotie McMahon (14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is back and the Buckeyes also return Taylor Thierry (11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and add the No. 2 freshman in the country in floor general Jaloni Cambridge. 

Along with that, the Buckeyes hit the portal early and made a couple of under-the-radar acquisitions: Oregon transfer Chance Gray (13.9 ppg), who will likely slot into the role Jacy Sheldon served in past years, and Kentucky’s Ajae Petty (14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg) who’s a much-needed post threat for the Buckeyes. 

Ohio State will miss the likes of Sheldon (17.8 ppg), Celeste Taylor (10.1 ppg) and Rebeka Mikulášiková (9.4 ppg) who all graduated, but the Buckeyes have enough veteran talent to remain atop the Big Ten. 

17. North Carolina

North Carolina returns Lexi Donarski (10.5 ppg) and Alyssa Ustby (12.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.6 apg) for their fifth seasons, but Deja Kelly (16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.2 apg) entered the transfer portal and committed to Oregon. 

There are a decent amount of unknowns in how newcomers Grace Townsend (13.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.2 apg), a transfer from Richmond, and a group of highly-ranked freshmen will slot into this squad. Donarski and Ustby will hold a lot of responsibility heading into this season, and the Tar Heels can afford to take some time to mesh before ACC play starts up. 

18. Maryland

Maryland brings back some of their best talent in Shyanne Sellers (15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.5 apg) and Bri McDaniel (12.6 ppg), who combined for 28.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and three steals last season. They lost a decent amount of their bench pieces, but they added a haul from the portal. 

Between Arkansas transfer Saylor Poffenbarger (10.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg), VCU point guard Sarah Te-Biasu (16 ppg), Rutgers’ Kaylene Smikle (16.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and UConn transfer Amari DeBerry, the Terps were making big-time moves all spring. Chemistry is the biggest concern, but there are a lot of positives to be taken from this Maryland roster. 

19. TCU

Not only does TCU return Sedona Prince for her final year of eligibility, but they still have Madison Conner who thrived in her first season after transferring from Arizona. Combined, the pair averaged 38.9 points and 14.4 rebounds. 

The Horned Frogs also added three significant portal pieces, including former Louisville Cardinal and LSU Tiger Hailey van Lith (11.6 ppg, 3.6 apg), who elected to play one more year of college basketball instead of declaring for the WNBA Draft. TCU also adds Kentucky transfer Maddie Scherr (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.4 apg) and USC transfer Taylor Bigby for a roster full of talent.

20. Florida State

Florida State retains most of its starting core, including Ta’Niya Latson, who averaged 21.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals as a sophomore last season. 

Makayla Timpson (14.3 ppg, 10 rpg) and point guard O’Mariah Gordon (13.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) will also return and the Seminoles added Malea Williams (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) out of Cincinnati and junior college transfer Raiane Dias Dos Santos.

21. Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide return four of their top five leading scorers from a year ago, including Sarah Ashlee Barker (16.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Jessica Timmons (11.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg). Aaliyah Nye (14.1 ppg) entered the transfer portal but ultimately decided to return to Tuscaloosa. 

Veteran coach Kristy Curry also added a few pieces from the portal, including Ohio State transfer Diana Collins (3.0 ppg), Campbell forward Christabel Ezumah (12.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Arkansas Pine-Bluff’s Zaay Green, who averaged 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals last season. The Crimson Tide haven’t made a Sweet 16 since 1998, but Alabama’s depth and experience at nearly every position will be their biggest strength this year to do so. 

22. Utah

The Utah Utes lost Alissa Pili (21.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) to the WNBA but will return Gianna Kneepkens (15.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg – 2022-23), who missed much of last season due to injury. 

They’ll also retain plenty of veteran talent and add Michigan transfer Chyra Evans (6.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Rhode Island’s Mayé Touré (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), who flipped her commitment from Maryland to the Utes.

23. Indiana

The Hoosiers lost their best player in power forward Mackenzie Holmes (19.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg), but their guard play will keep them at the top of the Big Ten this season. Fifth-year guards Sydney Parrish (10.8 ppg, 6 rpg) and Chloe Moore-McNeil (10.2 ppg, 5 apg) will both return as veteran starters. 

At the post position, it’ll be a battle between returning junior Lilly Meister (3.7 ppg) and Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin (7.2 ppg). It sounds like Meister may get the nod to start, but it’ll be a joint effort in the post this season. The Hoosiers will look different but will have plenty of shooters this year between Parrish, Israeli junior Yarden Garzon (11.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg)  and Penn State transfer Shay Ciezki (11.5 ppg), who shot 39.2% from deep over her first two seasons.

24. Ole Miss

Ole Miss returns a veteran core of Kennedy Todd-Williams (10.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Madison Scott (12.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.4 apg) and KK Deans (14.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg – 2022-23) – who’s coming back from a knee injury she suffered early last season. Leading scorer Marquesha Davis (14.0 ppg) was drafted by the New York Liberty this off season, which is a major loss for the Rebels, but there’s still plenty of talent to work with. 

Entering her seventh year with the team, coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin also made an impact in the portal, adding UCLA’s Christeen Iwuala (3.7 ppg) Colorado’s Tameiya Sadler (5.5 ppg) and Arkansas Pine-Bluff transfer Starr Jacobs (18.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg), who last played in the 2022-23 season. This added depth will aid Ole Miss this season in a tough SEC conference as the Rebels look to make a fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. 

25. Iowa

Not only is generational talent Caitlin Clark (31.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 8.9 apg) off to the WNBA with Kate Martin (13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg), but Gabbie Marshall (6.1 ppg) and Molly Davis (5.9 ppg) have also graduated out of the Hawkeyes program. In addition, longtime coach Lisa Bluder retired this season, and her associate head coach Jan Jensen took over. 

This is going to be a Hawkeye team that differs drastically from the powerhouse they’ve been recently. But with post player Hannah Stuelke (14 ppg, 6.6 rpg) back and the addition of do-it-all Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen (23.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg), who aims to replace some of Clark’s production, this is a team with no shortage of talent.