UConn starts the 2025–26 season right where it left off: on top of the mountain. Last spring’s title and a bolstered roster have BetMGM putting the Huskies at +250 to repeat, ahead of their title game foe South Carolina (+290). Just behind these two leaders are the other two most recent visitors to the Final Four, UCLA (+425) and Texas (+800).
UConn’s +250 odds imply about 28.6 percent to repeat (South Carolina 25.6 percent, UCLA 19 percent).
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USC’s odds took a hit after star JuJu Watkins was ruled out for the season, while LSU’s shortened on the back of transfer wins (including MiLaysia Fulwiley) and a top-ranked 2025 class.
Here are the odds for the women’s NCAA title, plus a quick rundown of the favorites and returning players/roster moves.
Odds for 2026 women’s college basketball champion
UConn (+250): New season, same target. Paige Bueckers went No. 1 in the WNBA draft, but Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd headline the new roster. Transfers Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel deepen the rotation, and KK Arnold runs the show. That’s why the price is short.
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South Carolina (+290): Dawn Staley lost Fulwiley to LSU but added Ta’Niya Latson (last season’s Division I scoring leader) and 6-foot-6 Madina Okot. Raven Johnson steers, while Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards boost the defensive balance. The market respects the reload.
UCLA (+425): Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice return from the Final Four team. Sienna Betts, a potential incoming star and No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class, was day-to-day after a minor leg issue; a notable injury, but not going to change the season-long outlook for the Bruins.
Texas (+800): Madison Booker and a fully healthy Rori Harmon give Texas an elite backcourt and scheme stability. The team showed depth in exhibitions, and this number fits a real path to the final weekend.
LSU (+900): The Tigers are reloaded. Fulwiley joins Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams as the No. 1 class arrives. Kate Koval, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Notre Dame, adds size. At this price, potential volatility comes with upside.
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USC (+1400): No Watkins this year (ACL), so Lindsay Gottlieb leans on a freshman wave led by Jazzy Davidson. The price bakes in both the team’s ceiling and uncertainty.
Notre Dame (+2000): Hannah Hidalgo is a one-woman accelerator, but heavy portal hits (including Olivia Miles to TCU) keep the Irish outside Tier 1.
Why the board looks like this
Markets caught up to UConn’s depth. The Huskies didn’t just return stars; they got older and bigger. Transfer hits solved last year’s availability issues.
South Carolina’s offense adds self-creation and Latson changes their late-clock math. Staley’s teams already guard, but now the scoring floor rises without outlier shooting.
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Second-tier paths are clean. Texas has guard continuity; LSU has raw talent and Fulwiley.
What to watch next
The numbers won’t be too reactive to early season results, but there will be breakout players all over the country that will move the needle. A team like USC could end up being further off the pace without its star or the freshmen could integrate quickly and keep the Trojans as a contender.
It’s worth keeping an eye on South Carolina’s offense with Latson. Will she be the go-to scorer like she was at Florida State or will she have a more balanced role? The same goes for Texas’s offense as it looks for scoring outside of Booker and Harmon.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, South Carolina State Bulldogs, UCLA Bruins, Connecticut Huskies, LSU Lady Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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