The comprehensive guide to the women's hoops season, including preseason picks

The Road to Phoenix and the women's Final Four starts Monday, erstwhile the 2025-26 women's assemblage hoops play opens.

Reigning NCAA champion UConn returns arsenic the favorite, but immoderate caller names volition beryllium vying for nationalist subordinate of the year. UConn's Paige Bueckers has moved connected to the WNBA, and USC's JuJu Watkins volition beryllium retired this play aft a genu wounded prematurely ended her NCAA tourney tally successful March.

In their stead, Huskies teammates Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd volition beryllium successful the premix successful a crowded subordinate of the twelvemonth race. Who volition articulation them? And what other volition signifier the season?

ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel reply those questions and marque predictions connected what we mightiness spot implicit the adjacent 5 months of women's hoops.

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Awards, All-America predictions

Will UConn repeat?

Creme: Yes, and the Huskies mightiness beryllium adjacent much ascendant this season.

It seems unusual to accidental that a squad that mislaid Bueckers mightiness beryllium amended than it was a twelvemonth ago, but this Huskies squad could beryllium adjacent much palmy than the 2024-25 mentation that mislaid 3 games en way to the nationalist title. In adding Wisconsin transportation Serah Williams, manager Geno Auriemma provides assistance that Strong mightiness not adjacent request but volition surely welcome. Strong has a accidental to beryllium the champion subordinate successful the country, and a steadfast Fudd could springiness UConn 2 All-Americans. The Huskies person the size, shooters and big-game acquisition to marque a tally astatine a 2nd consecutive nationalist title and 13th overall.

Voepel: Yes, the Huskies look to beryllium successful large signifier to repeat.

We tin expect them to cruise done the Big East again, truthful a beardown nonconference showing should get UConn the No. 1 effect that volition marque reaching the Final Four smoother. That said, if the aforesaid 4 teams scope the Final Four arsenic past season, that acquisition volition assistance UCLA and Texas, teams that seemed overwhelmed by the infinitesimal this past April. That wasn't an contented with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks didn't play good against the Huskies successful the rubric game. If each 4 teams are successful Phoenix, we mightiness spot 3 closer, much breathtaking games than past season.

Which league contention are you astir looking guardant to?

Andrews: The ACC volition beryllium entertaining and somewhat unpredictable.

The offseason brought a batch of alteration to the ACC's rosters and prima powerfulness arsenic conscionable 8 of 25 all-conference selections instrumentality this season. But it should pb to a somewhat wide-open league race. Duke, NC State and Read Entire Article