USA TODAY Sports released its preseason Women's College Basketball Coaches' Poll on Tuesday, Oct. 20, unveiling the 25 teams that coaches around the country believe will be the very best this season.
It’s no surprise that the sport’s two Goliaths, South Carolina and UConn, topped the preseason poll. The Gamecocks and Huskies are followed by a USC squad that returns JuJu Watkins, a Duke team coached by Kara Lawson, and a talented Michigan team coming off a trip to the Elite Eight.
Ahead of the season starting in less than two weeks with a matchup between Notre Dame and Villanova in Rome, Italy on Nov. 1, it’s time to take a closer look at each of the top 25 teams:
1. South Carolina
- Points in preseason poll: 792 (26 first-place votes)
- 2025-26 record: 36-4
- Head coach: Dawn Staley (19th season)
The Gamecocks have gone to six consecutive Final Fours and will be expected to reach
the national semifinals again this season. South Carolina returns All-American Joyce Edwards and will once again have strength in frontcourt depth with Chloe Kitts, Ashlyn Watkins, Oliviyah Edwards and Alicia Tournebize rotating through the post.
2. UConn
- Points in preseason poll: 772 (six first-place votes)
- 2025-26 record: 38-1
- Head coach: Geno Auriemma (42nd season)
A longtime power in the sport, the 12-time national champions are projected to be a strong contender again. Reigning consensus National Player of the Year Sarah Strong will lead the Huskies on the court, while KK Arnold, Blanca Quiñonez and Olivia Vukosa are expected to have big roles as well.
3. USC
- Points in preseason poll: 686
- 2025-26 record: 18-14
- Head coach: Lindsay Gottlieb (Sixth season)
JuJu Watkins is back after sitting out all of last season to recover from knee surgery. With the 2025 National Player of the Year leading the way, the Trojans look like the favorites in the Big Ten. Alongside Watkins will be National Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson and No. 1 recruit Saniyah Hall.
4. Duke
- Points in preseason poll: 664
- 2025-26 record: 27-9
- Head coach: Kara Lawson (Seventh season)
The Blue Devils have gone to back-to-back Elite Eights and have won the last two ACC Tournaments under Lawson’s direction, emphasizing a defense-first mindset. Duke picked up Aaliyah Crump in the transfer portal to pair her with an already strong returning core of Toby Fournier, Riley Nelson, Delaney Thomas, Jordan Wood and Arianna Roberson.
5. Michigan
- Points in preseason poll: 652
- 2025-26 record: 28-7
- Head coach: Kim Barnes Arico (15th season)
The Wolverines won a program-record 15 games in the Big Ten last season and made the Elite Eight for the second time in team history. Michigan returns a stellar core in Syla Swords, Olivia Olson, Mila Holloway and Ashley Sofilkanich, and added Courtney Ogden via the transfer portal from Stanford.
6. Texas
- Points in preseason poll: 632
- 2025-26 record: 35-4
- Head coach: Vic Schaefer (Seventh season)
Powered by Madison Booker, the Longhorns won the SEC Tournament for the first time last season and went to the Final Four for the second consecutive season. Booker, a three-time All-American, is back for her fourth season at Texas, but much of her supporting cast has changed. The Longhorns will likely have to lean on what is being billed as an incredibly talented freshmen class that includes Addison Bjorn, Brihanna Crittendon and Aaliah Spaight.
7. Louisville
- Points in preseason poll: 578
- 2025-26 record: 29-8
- Head coach: Jeff Walz (20th season)
The Cardinals have perhaps the deepest team in the ACC. They return four of their top five scorers from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16, then added Zam Jones, Carys Baker and Deniya Prawl in the transfer portal. A leader for Louisville this season could be Elif Istanbulluoglu, who featured for Turkey at the FIBA World Cup this summer.
8. LSU
- Points in preseason poll: 572
- 2025-26 record: 29-6
- Head coach: Kim Mulkey (Sixth season)
Even with Flau’Jae Johnson moving on to the WNBA, LSU brings back a talented collection of guards with Mikaylah Williams, MiLaysia Fulwiley, ZaKiyah Johnson and Lola Lampley in the mix, plus Florida transfer Laila Reynolds and Iowa State transfer Jada Williams. Expect LSU to be a fast-paced team that scores in bunches.
9. Vanderbilt
- Points in preseason poll: 521
- 2025-26 record: 29-5
- Head coach: Shea Ralph (Sixth season)
With an electric backcourt of Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan leading the way, the Commodores reached a turning point in Ralph’s rebuild last season, securing a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. Blakes led the nation in scoring and Ralph was the National Coach of the Year as Vandy made the Sweet 16. Now, they’re ready for an encore.
10. Iowa
- Points in preseason poll: 476
- 2025-26 record: 27-7
- Head coach: Jan Jensen (Third season)
Iowa was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season but was upset on its home floor in the second round by a Cinderella-minded Virginia team. Still, the future looks bright for the Hawkeyes. All-Big Ten center Ava Heiden returns after a breakout season, and Iowa added All-SEC guard Dani Carnegie in the transfer portal to pair with Chit-Chat Wright in the backcourt.
11. North Carolina
- Points in preseason poll: 432
- 2025-26 record: 28-8
- Head coach: Courtney Banghart (Eighth season)
The Tar Heels were a top-16 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year last season. However, North Carolina lost each of its top four scorers and will enter the season as an unknown. Freshman point guard Kate Harpring is expected to be impactful right away, and she’ll be surrounded by a slew of transfers including Achol Akot of Oklahoma State, Chloe Clardy of Stanford, Sophie Burrows of Syracuse and Gabby White of Virginia.
12. UCLA
- Points in preseason poll: 422
- 2025-26 record: 37-1
- Head coach: Cori Close (16th season)
The Bruins won the national championship last season and then sent its six best players off to the WNBA. UCLA had to reload through the transfer portal, bringing in All-Big 12 forward Addy Brown, All-Big 12 defender Donovyn Hunter, Bonnie Deas of Arkansas and KK Bransford of Notre Dame. Elina Aarnisalo is back after spending a year at North Carolina. On paper, UCLA has enough talent to contend in the Big Ten.
13. Notre Dame
- Points in preseason poll: 403
- 2025-26 record: 403
- Head coach: Niele Ivey (7th season)
Once again, Notre Dame will go as far as Hannah Hidalgo can take them. Which, as it turns out, is pretty far. The Fighting Irish made the Elite Eight last season as Hidalgo took home All-American honors and was named ACC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Notre Dame brought in a strong recruiting class and two-time All-Ivy League selection Madison St. Rose through the transfer portal.
14. Kentucky
- Points in preseason poll: 352
- 2025-26 record: 25-11
- Head coach: Kenny Brooks (Third season)
With towering center Clara Strack leading the way, the Wildcats made the Sweet 16 last season for the first time in a decade. Kentucky should have a strong presence in the frontcourt again as Strack will be paired with Florida transfer Me’Arah O’Neal (yes, the daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal). Kentucky also added Ajša Sivka, a 6-4 guard from Slovenia who was selected 10th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, but never signed with the team.
15. Washington
- Points in preseason poll: 319
- 2025-26 record: 22-11
- Head coach: Tina Langley (Sixth season)
The Huskies have gone to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments under the direction of Langley and threw a real scare into TCU in the second round last season. Washington’s three top scorers are back, and the Huskies added 6-foot-6 junior forward Tilda Trygger via the transfer portal from NC State to bolster their frontcourt.
16. TCU
- Points in preseason poll: 270
- 2025-26 record: 32-6
- Head coach: Mark Campbell (Fourth season)
In each of the past two seasons, Campbell has looked like the transfer portal king at TCU, flipping rosters and turning them into squads that went to back-to-back Elite Eights. Can he do it again? The Horned Frogs once again brought in a talented portal class, featuring Lanie Grant of North Carolina, Stanford’s Lara Somfai, Oklahoma State’s Jadyn Wooten and LSU’s Bella Hines. Grant shot 42% from behind the arc and Hines 37% last season. Wooten ranked 10th nationally in assists per 40 minutes with 7.7.
17. Maryland
- Points in preseason poll: 267
- 2025-26 record: 24-9
- Head coach: Brenda Frese (25th season)
The motto for Maryland under Frese has been consistency. Amid all the changes in college basketball, the Terps have gone to 15 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and seem to have a roster capable of making another deep run in March. All-Big Ten selection Oluchi Okananwa is back, Bri McDaniel is healthy and Nunu Agara transferred in from Stanford.
18. Minnesota
- Points in preseason poll: 252
- 2025-26 record: 24-9
- Head coach: Dawn Plitzuweit (Fourth season)
The Gophers had a breakthrough season last year, making the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. Minnesota’s big transfer portal addition was 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merke from Penn State, who has twice led the NCAA in field goal percentage.
19. Oklahoma State
- Points in preseason poll: 239
- 2025-26 record: 24-10
- Head coach: Jacie Hoyt (Fifth season)
Expectations are high for the Cowgirls this season after bringing in arguably the best transfer portal class in the country to play with All-Big 12 talent Stailee Heard. The additions include the nation’s second-leading scorer Audi Crooks, All-SEC guard Liv McGill, sharpshooter Ellie Brueggemann, versatile Rutgers forward Nènè Ndiaye and veteran guard Callin Hake.
20. Ohio State
- Points in preseason poll: 233
- 2025-26 record: 27-8
- Head coach: Kevin McGuff (14th season)
As a sophomore last season, Jaloni Cambridge was sixth in the nation in scoring with 23.2 points per game. But for the third consecutive season, the Buckeyes lost on their home floor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Is the supporting cast around Cambridge good enough to get Ohio State into the second weekend this year?
21. Oklahoma
- Points in preseason poll: 211
- 2025-26 record: 26-8
- Head coach: Jennie Baranczyk (Sixth season)
The Sooners will have to figure out how to replace the production of Raegan Beers, but they do return electric guard Aaliyah Chavez and versatile forward Sahara Williams. Former Virginia and LSU forward Sa'Myah Smith should bolster the frontcourt depth.
22. Illinois
- Points in preseason poll: 163
- 2025-26 record: 22-12
- Head coach: Shauna Green (Fifth season)
A young team last season, Illinois returns each of its top five scorers from last season, a group led by All-Big Ten selection Berry Wallace’s 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Illinois also added former five-star recruit Divine Bourrage via the transfer portal out of LSU.
23. Ole Miss
- Points in preseason poll: 95
- 2025-26 record: 24-12
- Head coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin (Ninth season)
Under Coach Yo, Ole Miss has consistently done two things: Play in March Madness and do damage in the transfer portal. Ole Miss went to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season last year, the longest such streak in program history since the early 1990s when Van Chancellor was leading the program. And in the offseason, Ole Miss landed nine transfers, led by Tennessee leading scorer Talaysia Cooper and LSU starting guard Jada Richard.
24. West Virginia
- Points in preseason poll: 92
- 2025-26 record: 28-7
- Head coach: Mark Kellogg (Fourth season)
The Mountaineers won the Big 12 Tournament for the second time in program history last year and hosted NCAA Tournament games in Morgantown. After a second round exit, Kellogg retooled his roster with some key additions in the transfer portal, landing three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection Zahirah Walton, All-Big East defender Skylar Forbes and Duquesne sharpshooter Alexis Bordas.
25. NC State
- Points in preseason poll: 67
- 2025-26 record: 21-11
- Head coach: Wes Moore (14th season)
Rumors of 69-year-old Wes Moore retiring were greatly exaggerated. The native Texan who has guided the Wolfpack to nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments — a stretch that includes a Final Four berth and three ACC titles — is back on the sidelines. On the court, his team will once again be led by seniors Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre. The questions are about the supporting cast. Will all the new pieces fit and have NC State contending in the ACC again? More often than not under Moore, the answer has typically been yes.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's college basketball preview: Breaking down each Top 25 team
