Women’s college basketball season is coming up soon, bringing on new contenders and star freshman in addition to a whole new round of conference realignment. There are some who will remain their dominant selves, but some traditional powerhouses might struggle in these new-look conferences.
While the official Associated Press rankings recently came out, they had some things wrong.
The AP’s top five in order was South Carolina, UConn, USC, Texas, and UCLA
Here is what the top five should actually look like.
1. South Carolina
The defending champs have to be first. The Gamecocks dominate every single year and were undefeated last year. In the previous five years, they’ve only lost seven regular season games. That trend should not stop anytime soon.
At the beginning of last season, no one expected them to win because they lost several of their senior players. However, despite the odds, they completely dominated.
The only player they lost this year is forward Kamilla Cardoso. While she was super impactful, their core that secured the National Championship remains intact. They’re a young and scrappy team. Since their team is younger, they’re only going to continue to get better.
Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley will have an explosive sophomore season. She showcased her talent during March Madness last year, consistently creatively creating shot opportunities for herself and forcing turnovers for transition scoring.
Fulwiley will start alongside senior guards Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao. Paopao was overshadowed by Cardoso last year, but this is going to be the year everyone learns her name.
As a last note, they’re being coached by the legendary Dawn Staley. That alone signals that they’re not here to play.
2. USC
The Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year on the same team is a recipe for success.
Who could ever have that?
Oh yeah, USC.
The duo of sophomore guard Juju Watkins and graduate forward Kiki Iriafen is poised to be lethal.
USC wasn’t expected to advance far in the NCAA Tournament but was powered mainly by Watkins. The team made it to the Elite Eight before ultimately falling to UConn.
They’ll get past hurdles this year due to their strategic pickups in the transfer portal and a top-ranked recruiting class. In addition to Iriafen, they picked up graduate guard Talia Von Oelhoffen from the transfer portal and freshman guard Kennedy Smith, the No. 6-ranked high school player.
Oelhoffen made waves last year during Oregon State’s run in March Madness and her versatility and mentorship will be valuable for USC this season.
Returning to the lineup is senior center Rayah Marshall, who, paired with Iriafen, will be an unstoppable presence in the paint.
Last year, USC was missing a reliable player to take the pressure off of Watkins, but they have that now with the depth of their lineup.
Call me biased if you want, but USC is ready for the Big Ten and will dominate.
3. Texas
Texas has all the fire behind them after coming off of a 30-4 season. The Longhorns had not reached the 30-win mark in a season since 2015. Despite an earlier-than-expected exit during March Madness, they still deserve this third spot.
Remarkably, they achieved this success without one of their best players, now-senior guard Rori Harmon. Harmon will be making an anticipated return this year, meaning Texas has the opportunity to reach new heights.
Sophomore forward Madison Booker had an underrated freshman season, averaging 16.5 points, five rebounds and five assists. Booker led her team as a freshman and, assuming she does not have a sophomore slump, will be even better this year.
With Booker being allowed to return to her original spot as a wing instead of the point, she’ll flourish even more. This duo will be one to watch this year for sure.
Texas has also added two transfers that’ll help enhance their scoring and defense. Junior forward Kyla Oldacre will give them additional height, while senior guard Laila Phelia adds her sharp shooting skills.
On top of the preexisting talent, the Longhorns secured one of the best recruiting classes of the year. The No. 9 recruit, guard Jordan Lee, will boost Texas’ perimeter defense and three-point shooting, which the Horns lacked last season.
The Longhorns also welcomed another strong freshman in No. 12 forward Justice Carlton, who is also a good three-point shooter and uses her passing and physicality to her advantage in the paint.
The new additions will boost an already stacked team.
4. UConn
The only reason the Huskies aren’t higher is due to the uncertainty of their lineup right now.
Due to injuries last year, UConn had to play with six players during its last game in March Madness. Injuries are still a concern for them this year.
Only one player who was injured last season, redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy, will be ready to play at the beginning of the season. Other players, including redshirt junior guard Azzi Fudd, are still rehabbing, and it’s unclear when they’ll be back.
Additionally, UConn lost two key players from its starting five — Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards — leaving gaps in the lineup and it isn’t clear who will fill them.
El Alfy will most likely get a starting spot because she’s the only listed center for UConn. This brings up another issue, the Huskies only have three true forwards on their roster and one of them is hurt, limiting their depth — a factor that hindered them during last year’s tournament.
On the bright side, UConn has a future star forward in No.1-ranked player Sarah Strong. The forward is what the Huskies need since the Huskies don’t have many forwards. She brings strong defense to the squad and a killer three-point shot. Additionally, UConn also grabbed the No. 7 and No. 11 recruits in the country, ensuring a bright future.
All in all, they still have redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers who proved last year, especially during March Madness, that she didn’t miss a beat while coming back from an injury. Bueckers will carry them once again while they’re dealing with injuries, they just have to hope she stays healthy too. She’s the reason why they’re so high in the rankings because she’s proved that even if her team is lacking, she’ll step up.
Even with all the uncertainty, head coach Geno Auriemma has always found a way to get it done, and this year will be no different.
5. LSU
A hot take. I know. But, this is the year junior guard Flau’jae Johnson really comes out of her shell. She’s been impactful since her national championship as a freshman. However, she was in the shadow of former LSU forward Angel Reese. Now with Reese gone to the WNBA, this is truly Johnson’s team and she’s going to flourish.
In addition to Johnson, LSU lost most of its 2023-24 starting lineup. Most notably, senior guard Aneesah Morrow will get even more numbers with Reese leaving.
LSU guard Hailey Van Lith transferred, which was probably the best case scenario for all parties. The Olympic bronze medalist wasn’t producing last year, so the move to TCU gives her an opportunity to start over and gives LSU an easy transition to give the spot to a new guard.
The guards, Johnson, Morrow and Mikaylah Williams, are all players who averaged over 14 points per game last year so a strong offensive presence is ensured for this team.
In their backcourt, sophomore center Aalyah Del Rosario showed promise last season and will need to take a big step forward for the Tigers this season. Also, redshirt sophomore forward Sa’myah Smith is set to return from injury and should make an immediate impact.
A downside is that the only top-100 recruit they got was guard Jada Richard. While this may not affect them this season, it might down the line.
In true Trojan fashion, no UCLA or Notre Dame in the top five. But this isn’t just the Trojan spirit talking.
Hopes were high for UCLA last year, but the Bruins didn’t follow through. After their upset loss to LSU, it became clear they were not a top-five team. A key to their previous success, Charisma Osborne, is now in the WNBA. They’ve acquired three top recruits, but only time will tell if they make a difference or not.
As for Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish have too many uncertainties and injuries. From their starting lineup last year, a center transferred, a forward was injured, another forward graduated, and while junior guard Olivia Miles is expected to return, it’s hard to tell how impactful she’ll be after being out due to injury. Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo and senior guard Sonia Citron will certainly do well, but they can’t do it all themselves.
By no means are these teams bad. At all.
They’re just not worthy of the top five yet.