When the UConn Huskies won their fourth consecutive NCAA women's basketball title (11th overall) in 2016, no one would have guessed nearly a decade would pass before they celebrated a championship again.
Last season, though, the Huskies dominated Final Four foes UCLA and South Carolina, giving the program and coach Geno Auriemma a 12th national championship.
Can the Huskies win a 13th? UConn is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll despite losing standout Paige Bueckers, the top draft pick and Rookie of the Year this past WNBA season.
Many other top contending teams from last season return strong, too, though USC superstar JuJu Watkins is sitting out 2025-2026 after tearing her right ACL in the NCAA tournament in March.
Everyone had to adjust to more major shifts in conference realignment last season, but the dust has settled ... for now. Before we officially get started on the road to Phoenix -- a first-time host for the women's Final Four -- ESPN's Michael Voepel, Charlie Creme and Kendra Andrews ask and answer 10 burning questions for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Can UConn repeat?
Not only can the Huskies repeat, they should be considered the favorites to deliver another championship to Storrs. That said, this isn't the 2016 Huskies of Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson coming off three consecutive titles. UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and LSU are also viable candidates, and UConn does have to replace one of the best players in the storied history of the program in Bueckers.
But the Huskies are the preseason No. 1 team in the country for a reason. A few reasons, really.
Sarah Strong appears in line to join the group of all-time UConn greats. The 6-foot-2 sophomore was quietly dominant a year ago (16.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.3 SPG, 58.6% FG) and might be the best player in the nation. Put highly productive Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams next to Strong, plus the size of 6-5 Jana El Alfy, 6-3 Ice Brady and the talented 6-2 freshman Blanca Quiñonez, and Auriemma has as deep and versatile a frontcourt as he has had in recent memory. Now couple all that length with an array of shooters -- led by All-American contender Azzi Fudd, who was finally healthy last season and shined in the Final Four -- and these Huskies have all the elements of being champions again. -- Creme
How will Ta'Niya Latson improve the backcourt for South Carolina?
After averaging a Division I-leading 25.2 PPG last season for Florida State, Latson wanted to be on a bigger stage for her senior year. South Carolina provides that. In turn, she provides the Gamecocks with proven high-level scoring.
Only two of the Gamecocks' top eight scorers from last season's national runner-up team -- Joyce Edwards (12.7 PPG) and Tessa Johnson (8.4 PPG) -- are on the roster this season. The others either graduated, transferred or are out with injury.
Coach Dawn Staley still has many talented players. Some, such as highly touted freshmen guards Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell, might take a little time to develop. But there shouldn't be much of a learning curve for Latson, who could have been a high first-round pick in April had she decided to enter the WNBA draft (she was age-eligible). Raven Johnson is in her fifth year (she redshirted her freshman season with a knee injury) and Tessa Johnson is in her third. Combined with Latson, they make a very experienced backcourt trio.
The Gamecocks have won or tied for the SEC regular-season title nine of the past 12 years, and also won the league tournament title nine times in that stretch. Expect Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee to be South Carolina's top challengers in the conference. The Longhorns and Sooners adjusted well to the league in their first year, and the Lady Vols had a solid showing under first-year coach Kim Caldwell. All of them, along with LSU, are itching to fully knock the Gamecocks off their perch. But that will continue to be a huge challenge. -- Voepel
Can UCLA and Texas build on disappointing Final Fours?
If nothing else, how last season ended should be fuel for both teams.
"Disappointing" might sound odd, considering the Bruins had never made the Final Four in the NCAA era, and the Longhorns had not been that far since 2003. So getting to the national semifinals was a huge deal. However, both lost big there: UCLA by 34 points to UConn, and Texas by 17 to South Carolina.
This season, the Bruins' roster looks a lot different after losing most of their freshman class and key rotation players Londynn Jones and Janiah Barker to the transfer portal. But they retained most of their core, including leading scorer Lauren Betts, one of the best players in the country. UCLA is also bringing back 69% of its scoring and 55% of its rebounding from last season. The Bruins add Betts' sister, Sienna, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the nation for the 2025 class, and Lena Bilić, a top overseas prospect.
The Bruins have a challenging nonconference schedule, with multiple games against teams in the preseason top 10 -- including Texas, which went 35-4 and earned a share of the SEC regular-season title in its first year in the conference. Junior forward Madison Booker (16.3 PPG, 6.6RPG, 46.6% FG) was SEC player of the year -- an honor she's picked to repeat this season.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer is challenging Booker to continue to grow not just on the court but also as a vocal leader as the team brings in several new faces and leans more heavily on the sophomore class. -- Andrews
How will USC do without JuJu Watkins?
The pendulum could swing in either direction for the Trojans. The talent is still plentiful even without Watkins, but much of it is young. If Kennedy Smith (9.5 PPG) makes that big sophomore leap and if the nation's top-rated recruit Jazzy Davidson plays up to her status, USC could be a top-15 team and compete for a spot near the top of the Big Ten. The production and leadership of transfers Kara Dunn (Georgia Tech) and Londynn Jones (UCLA) will also be key.
This is also a team that could finish outside the top five in the Big Ten and roll into the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 or 7 seed. The Trojans relied heavily on Watkins the past two seasons, so they will need to shift their approach. Not only was Watkins the centerpiece of the offense, taking pressure off the rest of the lineup, she was one of the premier defenders in the country. Those roles and production will now be spread out across the roster and will immediately be tested by a nonconference schedule that includes NC State, South Carolina, Notre Dame, UConn and UCLA before Jan. 3. How the young and new-look Trojans survive that stretch might define how much Watkins is missed. -- Creme
How will MiLaysia Fulwiley fit at LSU?
Through her two college seasons at South Carolina, Fulwiley's career could be defined as electrifying: She was called a walking highlight reel. Her career was also characterized by wild fluctuations in reliability and production. Her 11.7 points and 2.0 assists per game last season were accompanied by a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio and 25.8% 3-point shooting.
Now an opportunity awaits in Baton Rouge to be a full-time point guard. If Fulwiley embraces the job, and the consistency it requires, she will flourish -- especially since she will be flanked by two other potential All-Americans in Flau'Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams.
Fulwiley's future as a pro is likely playing the point. With Raven Johnson returning to South Carolina for one more season, the chance for Fulwiley to hone those skills full-time wasn't going to happen until 2026-27. So the move to LSU makes sense. Although she's leaving one of the all-time great point guards in coach Dawn Staley, she'll now be mentored by another Hall of Famer who knows a fair amount about the position in Kim Mulkey. -- Creme
Is Duke ready to take that next step under Kara Lawson?
Lawson took over in the 2020-21 season, which lasted just four games before being cancelled due to COVID-19. But it has been a steady build since in Durham.
The Blue Devils missed the 2022 NCAA tournament, made the second round in 2023, the Sweet 16 in 2024 and the Elite Eight last season with a 29-8 record. Now, what is perhaps the most talented Duke team under Lawson could take the next step to the Final Four. It is also the favorite in the ACC.
Duke's recruiting has also continued to improve. In each of the past two years Lawson has landed a top-10 high school player: Toby Fournier, the 2025 ACC rookie of the year, and Emilee Skinner, who should be the Blue Devils' starting point guard when they open the season Nov. 3 against Baylor in Paris.
The Blue Devils' defense has been the program's calling card under Lawson. If veterans such as Ashlon Jackson (12.4 PPG), Delaney Thomas (7.1 PPG) and Taina Mair (3.6 APG) can produce enough offense, and the NCAA tournament matchups are more favorable (South Carolina and UConn eliminated the Blue Devils the previous two seasons), Duke could break through to its first Final Four since 2006. -- Creme
Can TCU repeat the transfer magic?
The Horned Frogs are coming off their best-ever season: They went 34-4, won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and made the Elite Eight, all program firsts. But TCU lost four senior starters, all of whom were transfers -- including leading scorers Hailey Van Lith (17.9 PPG) and Sedona Prince (17.2).
Nevertheless, TCU is the Big 12 preseason favorite, in large part because coach Mark Campbell has restocked from the portal. That talent infusion is led by point guard Olivia Miles (Notre Dame), forward Marta Suarez (Cal) and 6-7 centers Clara Silva (Kentucky) and Kennedy Basham (Arizona State). Transfer guard Maddie Scherr, who joined the team last season but didn't play because of an injury, is healthy and should also significantly contribute.
Miles said recently that the group has bonded quickly, and that she is looking forward to having several big posts to work with in the pick-and-roll. TCU's top challengers in the Big 12 should be similar to last season: Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. -- Voepel
Is Hannah Hidalgo ready to be Notre Dame's sole leader?
Miles' departure to TCU put the keys to the Irish offense back firmly in the hands of Hidalgo, who was the lead point guard in 2023-24 when Miles was injured and sat out the season. Plus, three other Irish starters and a top reserve from last season are no longer in South Bend.
So, this is the junior guard's show even more than it has ever been. In her two seasons at Notre Dame, she averaged 23.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.2 steals. She won the ACC's player of the year and defensive player of the year honors last season and is expected to win them again. Notre Dame is predicted to finish fifth in the ACC, so we will see if Hidalgo can lead them to a better finish than that. -- Voepel
Will Stanford bounce back from a non-NCAA tournament season?
It's likely no program felt the effects of change more than Stanford last season. Tara VanDerveer, the architect of Stanford as a powerhouse program going back to her arrival in 1985, retired. Her longtime assistant and former player Kate Paye took over as coach, but had to face a new conference, with both Stanford and Cal moving to the ACC. That meant cross-country travel for conference play. The Cardinal finished 16-15 overall and 8-10 in the ACC, missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987.
They will look to reclaim their contender identity this season -- or at least start on the path to that. Stanford is projected to finish sixth in the ACC behind Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Louisville and Notre Dame. Junior forward Sunaja "Nunu" Agara was named to the preseason All-ACC team, while guard Hailee Swain and forward Lara Somfai were named to the conference's preseason All-Freshman team. Stanford's five-player recruiting class was ranked No. 3 by ESPN's Shane Laflin, and this could be the group that helps define the Cardinal's next era. -- Voepel
Which conference will earn the most NCAA tournament bids?
Our preseason Bracketology has 13 Big Ten teams in the NCAA tournament field, 11 ACC and nine SEC. Heading into the new season, the Big Ten looks like the deepest conference and should be in a position to break its own mark of 12 tournament teams set last spring.
Seven of those 12 were seeded No. 6 or lower, and this season's projection sets that number at eight. But UCLA looks like the only national title contender from the conference. The SEC has five of its projected nine teams in the top 16, and produced two Final Four teams last season. The middle and bottom of this league do not have as many good teams as the Big Ten, but the SEC has more teams who are considered elite and have produced more in recent NCAA tournaments.
Before Iowa guard Caitlin Clark's national takeover in 2023, the Big Ten hadn't produced a Final Four team since the 2015 Maryland Terrapins in their first season after leaving the ACC. The argument about which is the better measuring stick of a conference's strength will rage on, but expect the Big Ten to produce the most bids. -- Creme