American Football

Women’s college basketball top-25 preseason teams for 2024-25, ranked and explained

Published on

November 4, 2024

The women’s college basketball season begins on Monday and we break down every team in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.

Last season, South Carolina was perfect. The Gamecocks finished the season 38-0, defeating Iowa and Caitlin Clark’s crew in the national championship game to take home the trophy.

With South Carolina returning 10 players from its championship team, the Gamecocks undeniably enter this season as the favorite. However, with many teams looking different with transfers and incoming talented freshmen it should be another exciting and competitive season in women’s college basketball.

We break down the top teams ahead of the season starting on Monday. We’ve enlisted the experts from our SB Nation team communities to help preview the top-25 teams coming into the year. Here’s what you need to know about this season’s top teams.

No. 25 Indiana

The Mackenzie Holmes Era of Indiana women’s basketball drew to a close this past season when the program’s all-time leading scorer ran out of eligibility. Without her and star sharpshooter Sara Scalia, it very much feels like a page turning moment for the Hoosiers.

The team still has key pieces like Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon. Teri Moren and co added a new shooting talent, Shay Ciezki, through the portal while bolstering the frontcourt with Karoline Striplin. They’ll be looking for jumps from Lilly Meister, Lexus Bargesser, Lenee Beaumont and Jules LaMendola to compete in the new look Big Ten. — L.C. Norton, The Crimson Quarry

No. 24 Alabama

Head coach Kristy Curry will look to experienced guard and preseason All-SEC First Team selection Sarah Ashlee Barker to help lead her team to an NCAA tournament berth. Alabama will also lean on senior guard Aaliyah Nye as well to be a player-maker. The Tide made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year before falling to No. 1 seed Texas and could make the Big Dance again this year, but face a lot of tough teams in their conference. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 23 Nebraska

The Huskers are coming off their first NCAA tournament win under head coach Amy Williams. Nebraska returns three of their top four scorers including All Big Ten First Teamer and double-double machine Alexis Markowski. The hole left by WNBA draft pick Jaz Shelley should be filled by the return of Allison Weidner from injury and the arrival of five star recruit Britt Prince. Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts shined her first year in the frontcourt, which means opponents cannot game plan solely to stop Markowski. Callin Hake was the fifth starter in the exhibition game, but Florida transfer Alberte Rimdal appears to be right in the mix. The Huskers have the pieces for another solid season.

While the stars may get the early ink, the secret sauce for much of Nebraska’s success last year came from their depth. Amy Williams plays her entire roster every game, and not just token minutes either. Players know what is expected of them when they are on the floor, such as lockdown defender (Kendall Moriarty), three-point assassin (Logan Nissley), or clog the paint (Jess Petrie). The reserves play their roles well, but their experience allows them to be opportunistic and take advantage when opponents’ game plans don’t account for that depth. — Jon Johnston, Corn Nation

No. 22 Kentucky

After a tremendous run at Virginia Tech, Kenny Brooks is now leading the charge in Lexington. He hopes to bring the women’s program to unprecedented success, just as he did in Blacksburg, and he’ll do so with former Hokies All-American Georgia Amoore, who will be among the best floor generals in college basketball. She’ll look to do so alongside former Virginia Tech center Clara Strack, who has the potential to become an All-SEC-caliber player after a promising freshman season.

A more under-the-radar name to watch for will be freshman Clara Silva, an international prospect from Portugal who had a big showing in this year’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championships after playing professionally in Spain.

After failing to make the NCAA tournament in each of the past two years, look for Brooks to guide this team back to the Big Dance and potentially win multiple games there. —Jason Marcum, A Sea Of Blue, @marcum89

No. 21 Creighton

From Edwin Garcia at Swish Appeal: The Bluejays pose the biggest threat to UConn. They are ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and finished 15-3 in the Big East last year. With Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly returning for one last dance, Creighton will be as good as ever and should not be taken lightly.

No. 20 Ole Miss

Yolett McPhee-McCuin has legitimately built a top 25 program at Ole Miss that was in absolute ruins when she took over. From 0-16 in SEC play early on in her tenure, the head coach has brought in WNBA talent and produced consistently in one of the toughest conferences in America. The departures of Marquesha Davis and Snudda Collins can’t be understated, but last year’s team had an early setback from an injury to KK Deans who returns for another season in Oxford. Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams will lead the way for a squad looking to break back into the Sweet Sixteen. — By Ben Piper, @OneMan2BeatRCR, Red Cup Rebellion

No. 19 Florida State

From Cat Ariail at Swish Appeal: Experience also will be essential at Florida State, where junior guard Ta’Niya Latson and senior forward Makayla Timpson, both of whom were selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team, are set to lead the Seminoles. Last season, the Noles were the conference’s highest scoring team, propelled by the scoring exploits of Latson, who averaged almost 22 points a game. Look for FSU to remain a point-scoring powerhouse in 2024-25.

No. 18 Maryland

Coming off a disappointing season last year, Maryland women’s basketball looks to bounce back with a reconstructed roster. Head coach Brenda Frese and the Terps brought in seven transfers and three freshmen to pair with five returners, hoping for improvement.

Shyanne Sellers and Bri McDaniel are back after being the stars of last year’s team, and transfers Saylor Poffenbarger, Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle should round out the starting five.

The Terps may need some time to adjust with a mostly a new roster, but they will have a chance to prove themselves against the nation’s best, with eight games against ranked opponents and 12 games against teams that made the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Maryland remained in the preseason top 25 for the 15th consecutive season, after falling out of rankings last year for the first time since 2010-11. — Ben Messinger, @benmessi_, Testudo Times

No. 17 Louisville

From Cat Ariail at Swish Appeal: Louisville welcomes a five-player freshman class, headlined by three top 25 recruits in guard Imari Berry, forward Mackenly Randolph and guard Tajianna Roberts. Berry has been named to the ACC’s Newcomer Watch List. Senior guard Ja’Leah Williams also has traded the green and orange of Miami for Louisville’s red and white. However, the Cardinals success will come down to experienced returners: senior guard Jayda Curry and graduate forward Olivia Cochran. To get ready for a big season, Curry spent part of the offseason in Paris, training with Cardinals legend Angel McCoughtry.

No. 16 West Virginia

Expectations are high for the No. 16 West Virginia’s women’s basketball team as they enter their second season under head coach Mark Kellogg. The Mountaineers return eight players, including four of five starters, led by senior guard JJ Quinerly. Quinerly emerged as one of the nation’s top players last season, earning All-Big 12 and Defensive Player of the Year honors. She’s joined in the backcourt by Jordan Harrison, whose playmaking and defensive prowess earned her a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team as a freshman.

Together, Quinerly and Harrison form one of the most dynamic backcourts in the country, and they’re flanked by veterans Kylee Blacksten and Kyah Watson, both returning starters. Watson was a force on the glass last season, leading the team in rebounds.

West Virginia’s identity is built around the full-court press defense. Last year, the Mountaineers led the country in turnover margin and were among the top in forced turnovers, thanks largely to their top trio in steals — Quinerly, Harrison, and Watson — who combined for a staggering 271 steals. The defense gets an added boost this season with the arrival of transfer Sydney Woodley, who racked up 104 steals last year at Long Beach State.

The Mountaineers kick off the year on Nov. 5 against Towson at the WVU Coliseum. — Michael Miller, The Smoking Musket

No. 15 North Carolina

Things ended in pretty brutal fashion last season for the Tar Heels. After getting immediately bounced in the ACC tournament by Miami, they would make it to the second round of the NCAA tournament only to run into the brick wall that was South Carolina. After losing that game by 47 points, it was time to regroup — former UNC guard Deja Kelly packed her bags and flew out to Oregon, Courtney Banghart brought in some key transfers, and most importantly, Alyssa Utsby, Lexi Donarski, and Maria Gakdeng stuck around to try their hands at getting redemption for what was a poor 2023-24 postseason.

The name of the game for UNC this season will be spacing — Donarski will be the head on the three-point shooting snake, but Banghart also brought in Arizona State transfer Trayanna Crisp to add some firepower to this offense. This will help take care of the need for shooting, but what about playmaking? That’s where Grace Townsend comes in — the Richmond transfer averaged 5.5 assists per game with the Spiders, which was second-best in the Atlantic 10 conference.

We will likely learn a lot about what this team is made of very quickly, as they will face off against UConn on November 15th. Much like the men’s team, the potential for the women to have a fun season is there, but whether or not they will is anybody’s guess. Consistent shooting and more resilience will be needed if this team wants to make a lot of noise in the NCAA tournament instead of leaving early in a whimper. — Brandon Anderson @thbbrandon, Tar Heel Blog

No. 14 Ohio State

It might come as a shock seeing Ohio State women’s basketball back in the top 25 considering all the team lost. After an early second round NCAA tournament exit, AP All-American Jacy Sheldon and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor each left for the WNBA. Plus the graduation of starting forward Rebeka Mikulasikova and Ohio State is replacing over half its starting five.

However, head coach Kevin McGuff used the transfer portal and the 2024 recruiting class to keep the Buckeyes competitive. Former Kentucky and LSU forward Ajae Petty brings a 10.6 rebounds per game average in the SEC to a Scarlet and Gray side who ranked last in the Big Ten in rebounds per game. Then, sharpshooter Chance Gray returned to her home state after two seasons in Oregon. Then, No. 1 overall point guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge enters the team following a national championship-winning final high school season.

Jaloni Cambridge #15 could make a major impact for Ohio State this season.

Add AP All-American Honorable Mention Cotie McMahon and a guard/forward hybrid who hurts teams on both sides of the court in Taylor Thierry and Ohio State will still challenge near the top of the conference. Coach McGuff still has his havoc-inducing full court press, and the speed added through Cambridge and Gray shouldn’t slow down the pace for the Buckeyes.

The big question is can all the new pieces get on the same page in enough time to make an impact by the time postseason play comes around? — Thomas Costello, @1thomascostello, Land-Grant Holy Land

No. 13 Kansas State

K-State has been a strong program the last few years, but injuries to star center Ayoka Lee has hampered their ability to get over the top. The Wildcats were potent enough to go 2-1 over two seasons against Caitlin Clark and Iowa, but withered down the stretch in Big 12 play both seasons and made early exits from the big dance. This season will be Lee’s last rodeo, and she brings experienced help to try and cash in finally.

A No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament last year, the Cats return over 85% of their production, with All-Big 12 first teamer senior Serena Sundell returning and the Glynn Twins — Jawlyn and Brylee — back in support. The big loss is guard Gabby Gregory, whose 2023-24 season was less productive than prior years; stepping into her shoes will be Tulsa transfer Temira Pointdexter, the player of the year in the American last season.

Jeff Mittie has done a fantastic job bringing complementary pieces in on the recruiting trail, and K-State has high hopes after being named the preseason No. 1 in the Big 12. But Iowa State and Baylor lurk, and TCU and West Virginia are going to be tough outs as well; No. 21 Creighton and No. 11 Duke are also looming on the non-conference schedule. Keeping Lee healthy will be the priority; as she goes, so will go the Wildcats. — Jon Morse, Bring on the Cats

No. 12 Baylor

Last season, the Bears were strong at the guard position, especially with Sarah Andrews and Jada Walker leading the way. This season, Baylor picked up transfer center Aaronette Vonleh from Colorado. Led by head coach Nicki Collen, Baylor has an opportunity to really make waves in the Big 12 and will look to compete for the top team in the conference against Iowa State and Kansas State.

Baylor should face decent competition at the Battle 4 Atlantis holiday tournament around Thanksgiving. How the team preforms there could be a key indicator for how ready they are to lead the Big 12 conference and ultimately what they could bring come tournament time in March. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 11 Duke

Duke made it to the Sweet 16 round in last year’s NCAA tournament and upset 2-seed Ohio State in the round of 32. Led be head coach Kara Lawson, the Blue Devils should find their way back to the NCAA tournament again this season.

Duke is a well-balanced team with plenty of depth. Senior guard Reigan Richardson leads the Blue Devils along with a handful of returning players. The Blue Devils also welcome in freshman Toby Fournier, a top-10 recruit for the 2024 class, and known as a talented, young Canadian who went viral at 14 years old for her impressing dunking skills. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 10 Oklahoma

The Sooners enter the SEC with many returning players and a key new transfer in former Oregon State star Reagan Beers. Last season, Beers lead the nation in field goal percentage (66.37%) and averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds a game. Oklahoma also returns last year’s Co-Big 12 Player of the Year, Skylar Vann, who averaged 15 points and seven rebounds last season. Vann was honored as a preseason All-SEC Second Team nominee.

It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma stands up in its new conference, as the SEC had eight teams make the NCAA tournament last season. The Sooners will look to make their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth and should be able to given the strength of their returning talent. The start of their schedule isn’t too grueling, so how they show up to conference games will be the true test for how the Sooners’ season could go. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 9 NC State

NC State had an amazing run last season, going to the Final Four and calling themselves the “party crashers” as the No. 3 seed upset Texas to make it to Cleveland. The Wolfpack return the dynamic duo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, along with guard Zoe Brooks. NC State, led by head coach Wes Moore, could find themselves making another run in March due to their experience and returners. The Wolfpack also add the No. 21 recruit in the nation in incoming freshman Zamareya Jones, who will add to the already impressive backcourt.

NC State will have a test early in the season when the team takes on South Carolina on Nov. 10 in a rematch for the semifinals last season. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 8 Iowa State

From Beckett Harrison at Swish Appeal: Audi Crooks, stomping into her sophomore season, may never be overlooked again. Crooks was only the No. 57-ranked women’s basketball recruit in the class of 2023 according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz. She ended her freshman year as one of the most promising young players in the country. Crooks set the Iowa State record for most field goals made in a season, and was the first freshman in school history to be named an AP All-American honorable mention. She was the third highest scoring freshman in the country, trailing USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo.

Don’t let the heliocentric nature of Crook’s usage fool you—this Iowa State team has depth. Last season they took No. 9 ranked Stanford to overtime in the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing by only six despite Crooks shooting an abysmal 3-for-21. Addy Brown, also entering her second season, averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists as a freshman.

Iowa State will make the NCAA tournament. That seems like a foregone conclusion. However, their ability to contend for a Big 12 championship, and a national championship, may be intrinsically tied to whether Crooks can take a sophomore playmaking leap and expand her horizons beyond scoring.

No. 7 LSU

The Angel Reese era at LSU has ended and it will be interesting to see how Kim Mulkey’s squad looks with the dominant superstar no longer there. However, the Tigers do have plenty of talent that has experienced NCAA tournament runs before. Returners Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams will be key to the Tigers’ success for this upcoming season.

Along with Reese, LSU lost guard Hailey Van Lith, who transferred to TCU in the offseason. However, LSU picked up Shayeann Day-Wilson (Miami) and Kailyn Gilbert (Arizona) from the transfer portal. What potentially stands in LSU’s way are tough conference foes in Texas and South Carolina. However, as they have proven before, the Tigers can make it to the Final Four even when people doubt them. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 6 Notre Dame

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is back to being one of the elite teams in the ACC after a rebuilding process via head coach Niele Ivey after the retirement of Irish legend Muffet McGraw. Notre Dame won the ACC last season and were as hot as any team in the country until they fell in the Sweet 16 matchup to the Oregon State Beavers.

Things are projected to be a little different for the Irish this season — better, even.

Notre Dame has had multiple star players go down with serious injuries over the last few years, but the health of the roster is in great shape to start the new season — and what a magnificent roster it is. The Irish return three of the best guards in the country with Sonia Citron (14.4 career ppg), Olivia Miles (13.6 career ppg), and Hannah Hidalgo (22.6 career ppg).

If there has been a roster weakness for the Irish over the last few years, it has been the lack of depth in the frontcourt. Notre Dame returns forward Maddy Westbeld for a fifth season along with senior Kylee Watson, and their injuries last season caught up to the Irish in the NCAA Tournament.

Notre Dame hit the transfer portal for Liatu King from the Pitt Panthers. Last season, King averaged 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game on her way to a 1st-team All ACC selection.

Ivey also did a wonderful job on the recruiting trail and signed the top post player in the country in Kate Koval. Even as a freshman, Koval will be expected to provide a lot of minutes for the Irish this season.

Notre Dame will start the season ranked No. 6, and will need all of that healthy depth right away. By the middle of December, Notre Dame will have played No. 3 Southern Cal, No. 4 Texas Longhorns, and No. 2 UConn Huskies, so we should know fairly early how good the Irish can be this season.

Another ACC Championship is on the table for Notre Dame, but if they can stay healthy and a couple of newcomers play their part — Ivey will have this team fighting for another National Championship. — Joshua Vowels, One Foot Down

No. 5 UCLA

The Bruins have top returning talent in KiKi Rice and Lauren Betts to lead UCLA to success in its first year of Big Ten conference play. Head coach Cori Close also added former Pac-12 transfer talent in Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker and Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner, as well as Texas A&M transfer Janiah Barker.

UCLA also has three top-100 recruits that join the roster this season. In what should be a very competitive Big Ten conference, the Bruins will be tested throughout the season. How they show up in March and their tournament hopes will be interesting to watch play out.

UCLA opens the season facing No. 17 Louisville in Paris, France and take on No. 1 South Carolina at home on November 24. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 4 Texas

If questions surround head coach Rodney Terry’s ability to coach at the highest level on the men’s side of the Texas basketball facility, fifth-year head coach Vic Schaefer is trying to prove that he can lead the Longhorns back to the Final Four for the first time in more than 20 years. Texas has been close under Schaefer, making the Elite Eight in three of his first four seasons on the Forty Acres, but he hasn’t broken through to the final weekend since leading Mississippi State to back-to-back national runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018.

The pieces certainly appear to be in place – star point guard Rori Harmon is back after tearing his ACL late last year and star point forward Madison Booker, who took over as the lead ball-handler when Harmon went down, becoming the first freshman to win the Big 12 Player of the Year award. So too are forward Aaliyah Moore, looking to build on a sensational run to the Big 12 tournament title, guard Shay Holle, the team’s emotional center, and forward Taylor Jones, a stout interior presence.

Schaefer’s teams are always known for their toughness and gritty defense, but the limiting factor in the team’s upside over the last several seasons has been the lack of three-point shooting. Harmon and Booker are both low-volume long-distance shooters, although Holle provides more of a threat. The real three-point shooting will have to come from the transfers and signees, a group that includes Michigan transfer guard Laila Phelia, who shot 41.7 percent from three on 3.2 attempts per game, and the nation’s No. 9 prospect, guard Jordan Lee. — Wescott Eberts, @SBN_Wescott, Burnt Orange Nation

No. 3 Southern California

As far a experienced talent, USC looks like a squad that could compete with some of the best teams in the country this upcoming season. Led by star JuJu Watkins, who now enters her second season of college hoops, the Trojans picked up some impressive names via the transfer portal this offseason. Graduate transfers Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen should certainly help a USC team who made it to the Elite Eight in last year’s NCAA tournament.

To add to the potential for the Trojans, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has the No. 1-ranked freshman class led by top recruit Southern California native Kennedy Smith. USC opens its season in Paris against fellow-ranked Ole Miss on Monday. How good the team looks to start the season before entering Big Ten play will be telling on what we could expect some March. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 2 UConn

Last season, UConn reached the Final Four with an injury-ravaged roster thanks to a veteran core of Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl. Now, the Huskies will try to do it a different way, trading experience for depth and talent. Bueckers is back as the lone healthy upperclassman, though Aubrey Griffin and Azzi Fudd are expected to return from injury after the season begins.

Beyond them, there’s a bunch of sophomores in vastly different stages of their development, headlined by KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade, who started the final 33 games and helped keep UConn afloat after injuries struck last year.

In terms of newcomers, the Huskies added Kaitlyn Chen, a two-time First Team All-Ivy selection at Princeton, alongside a freshman class that features Sarah Strong (ESPN’s top 2024 prospect), Allie Ziebell (No. 7) and Morgan Cheli (No. 11).

With all the youth and new faces, the Huskies won’t be a finished product on day one. They’ll have a few weeks to get everything sorted before they begin a defining stretch that includes No. 17 Louisville, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 8 Iowa State and No. 3 USC in a five-game span.

Still, UConn’s seasons are measured by what happens in April, not December — and there shouldn’t be much doubt that the Huskies will be among the last teams standing. Bueckers will get the Huskies to the Final Four but the rest of the roster will decide whether they win it all. — Daniel Connolly, The UConn Blog

No. 1 South Carolina

It will be hard to top last year’s perfect season for the Gamecocks, but we know head coach Dawn Staley and squad will certainly try. With all the returning talent for South Carolina, it would not be surprising to see them once again back at the Final Four.

South Carolina did lose a key piece to its success last season, as star center Kamilla Cardoso graduated and headed to the WNBA. However, the team returns 10 players from the 2024 national championship roster. In addition, Staley adds two freshman to the roster, the overall No. 3 recruit Joyce Edwards and a top-100 recruit in Maddy McDaniel. With a stacked roster, whether they see lots of playing time is unknown right now.

Expectations will be high for South Carolina, as the Gamecocks should remain the team to beat all season long. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

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