The switch portal in girls’s faculty basketball has closed and a lot of the greatest gamers left within the portal — with one large exception being USC’s Kayleigh Heckel — have chosen their new locations.
As rosters have modified, so have expectations for the very best groups heading into subsequent season. There have been some squads who have been large winners within the portal — like Ole Miss, TCU, Maryland and LSU — which have dramatically elevated their ceilings for subsequent 12 months. In the meantime, large questions stay about groups who misplaced numerous expertise, like Notre Dame.
With rosters being reshuffled, it’s time for one more way-too-early have a look at the contenders for subsequent season. Six months away from the beginning of the 2025-26 season, right here’s one author’s have a look at the preseason prime 25:
Simply missed: USF, Clemson, SMU, Illinois, Louisville, West Virginia
25. Iowa
24. Notre Dame
23. N.C. State
The Hawkeyes stay within the way-too-early prime 25 after primarily breaking even within the portal by shedding Aaliyah Guyton to Illinois, however including a promising younger guard in Chit-Chat Wright from Georgia Tech. Notre Dame and N.C. State have been two of the very best groups within the ACC this previous season, however haven’t carried out something spectacular within the portal but after shedding the vast majority of their beginning fives from Candy 16 squads. Each return two gamers that might contend for ACC Participant of the 12 months in Hannah Hidalgo and Zoe Brooks, however will they be sufficient to hold the Irish and Wolfpack deep into the postseason once more?
22. Ohio State
21. Richmond
20. Iowa State
19. Michigan
18. Kansas State
Along with bringing in three prime 100 recruits, the Wildcats are additionally including three stable transfers in Tess Heal, Izela Arenas and Ramiya White. Heal — a close to 50-40-90 participant this previous season at Stanford — ought to be capable of fill the void left by Serena Sundell at level guard, however the Wildcats should determine methods to play with out an imposing frontcourt presence within the post-Ayoka Lee period.
17. Oklahoma State
16. Baylor
15. Kentucky
14. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
One of many greatest winners of switch portal season, Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s Rebels have what appears to be an extremely proficient roster, on-paper in any case. After a run to the Candy 16, Ole Miss added eight gamers within the portal, led by All-Massive Ten ahead Cotie McMahon, one of many nation’s prime scorers in UCF’s Kaitlin Peterson, and a powerful publish participant in Latasha Lattimore. The category additionally contains two gamers with SEC expertise in Denim DeShields and Debreasha Powe, who be part of the opposite aspect of the Egg Bowl rivalry from Mississippi State.
12. Duke
11. North Carolina
North Carolina did sufficient within the portal to stay trying like a crew that ought to once more compete for a prime 16 seed within the subsequent NCAA Event by including Louisville’s Nyla Harris and UCLA’s Elina Aarnisalo. Duke should determine methods to substitute the manufacturing of ACC Event MVP Oluchi Okananwa and the regular hand of reserve guard Vanessa DeJesus.
10. Texas
9. Oklahoma
8. USC
7. Tennessee
Due to the best way the Girl Vols play underneath Kim Caldwell — at a quick tempo and deep into their bench — including three proficient rotation gamers like SMU’s Nya Robertson, LSU’s Jersey Wolfenbarger and UCLA’s Janiah Barker ought to fill any holes Tennessee needed to fill. Barker is a participant who many imagine hasn’t reached her full potential but, and he or she ought to get the prospect to try this in Knoxville and could possibly be an impactful participant.
6. TCU
5. Maryland
4. UCLA
Coming off their greatest season in program historical past, the Horned Frogs needed to rebuild after shedding Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner. Mark Campbell went out and bought arguably the very best level guard within the portal in Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles after which put extra intriguing items round her in Kentucky publish Clara Silva, Texas A&M guard Taliyah Parker, Arizona State middle Kennedy Basham, Cal wing Marta Suarez, and San Diego State guard Veronica Sheffey. Pairing these additions with key returners like Donovyn Hunter, Taylor Bigby and Aaliyah Roberson ought to give TCU an opportunity to make one other deep March Insanity run.
Maryland was one other big portal winner by including Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa and a pair of All-Massive Ten skills in Indiana’s Yarden Garzon and Penn State’s Gracie Merkle. Okananwa is a dynamic guard who can swing video games — as evidenced by her performances within the postseason this previous March — Garzon was most likely the very best 3-and-D participant within the portal, and Merkle has established herself as a commanding publish risk.
UCLA misplaced a lot of its depth from its Last 4 roster, however landed arguably the very best 3-point shooter out there within the portal in Utah’s Gianna Kneepkens. Enjoying alongside Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalić ought to end in plenty of open seems for the previous Ute. The Bruins additionally add the nation’s No. 2 recruits in Betts’ youthful sister, Sienna.
3. South Carolina
2. UConn
1. LSU
One might make a powerful case for both of those groups to be the preseason No. 1, however Kim Mulkey’s Tigers did spectacular work within the portal by touchdown maybe essentially the most thrilling participant in the nation in MiLaysia Fulwiley, stealing her away from their SEC rival. LSU additionally landed a middle with a excessive ceiling in Notre Dame’s Kate Koval, and a flexible do-it-all wing in East Carolina’s Amiya Joyner, who averaged 15 factors and 9 rebounds this previous season. Pairing that trio with Flau’Jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and three prime 25 recruits ought to make LSU a contender for the nationwide title.
UConn in fact might be in an awesome place to defend their crown with Sarah Sturdy, Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold returning, and the addition of double-double machine Serah Williams from Wisconsin ought to solely increase their probabilities of doing so. The Huskies additionally herald two prime 100 recruits and return key function gamers in Ashlynn Shade, Ice Brady, Jana El Alfy and a wholesome Caroline Ducharme.
South Carolina misplaced Fulwiley and three starters to the WNBA, however reloaded by including the nation’s main scorer in Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson and a participant who practically averaged a double-double final season within the SEC in Mississippi State’s Madina Okot. With Raven Johnson, Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson returning round them, it’s affordable to anticipate Daybreak Staley’s crew to be in place to make the Last 4 once more.
