5 bold WCBB predictions for 2025-26 season

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Every autumn, the hardwood awakens with renewed promise, and this year, the 2025-26 women’s college basketball season feels particularly electric. The sport is in a golden age: Television ratings have surged, parity has deepened, and star power has never been brighter. But amid the chaos and the constant motion of conference realignment, one question rises above all others is whether anything will be predictable this upcoming season.

Geno Auriemma’s Huskies reclaimed the throne in 2025 after a significant wait, taking care of South Carolina with a decisive performance that reasserted their dynasty’s relevance. But repeating is the hardest feat in college sports, and this season will test their mettle, depth, and staying power.

Beyond UConn, the rest of the nation is shifting like tectonic plates. UCLA and USC now live in the Big Ten, Texas has migrated out of the Big 12, and new contenders are emerging from every region. Programs that soared in 2024-25, such as Iowa, LSU, and USC, are facing roster rebuilds and fresh realities. Meanwhile, sleeping giants like Notre Dame and Louisville are stirring once more. Let’s dive deep into bold predictions for the new season.

Will UConn repeat as National Champion?

Connecticut enters 2025-26 as the undisputed No. 1 team in the nation. Their run through the 2025 NCAA Tournament was clinical — an 82-59 dismantling of South Carolina that ended years of frustration and silenced doubts about Geno Auriemma’s longevity. Paige Bueckers, the face of the program since 2020, departed after lifting the trophy, but her legacy lingers in the confidence of her successors. Azzi Fudd, the sharpshooting guard finally healthy after years of setbacks, returns as the unquestioned leader. Alongside her is Sarah Strong, the sensational sophomore forward whose inside-out versatility may make her the most complete player in the country. Add to that a loaded recruiting class and steady veterans, and UConn seems built not just to defend their title, but to dominate the sport once again.

Skeptics point out that repeating as champions in modern women’s college basketball is exceedingly rare. Depth of talent across programs like South Carolina, LSU, UCLA, and Stanford means no path is easy. Moreover, Auriemma faces the challenge of keeping his roster motivated after reaching the mountaintop. The Huskies’ 2024-25 season was fueled by hunger and the desire to prove doubters wrong, and 2025-26 will demand focus against complacency.

Still, the smart money is on UConn. They return more than 70 percent of their scoring from the championship team and remain unmatched in terms of experience and cohesion. Their defense projects to be the best in the nation, and their ball movement remains textbook Auriemma. The Big East, while improved, offers little resistance, meaning UConn should cruise through conference play and enter March rested and confident.

The Huskies will repeat. They’ll perhaps drop a tight road game or a neutral-site showdown, but they will cut down the nets again in 2026, cementing another national title for Auriemma and solidifying Fudd’s place among UConn legends.

Who wins each conference?

Big East: UConn

There is little suspense here. UConn remains the giant among peers in a Big East landscape that continues to rebuild around them. Creighton and Marquette are dangerous at times, and Villanova is steady, but none possess the roster depth or star power to challenge the Huskies for either the regular-season or tournament crown. Expect UConn to run the table in conference play, undefeated in both the regular season and the Big East Tournament.

Big Ten: UCLA

The Big Ten looks dramatically different than it did a couple of years ago, having absorbed UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington from the dissolved Pac-12. While traditional powers like Iowa, Indiana, and Maryland have defined the conference in recent years, UCLA arrives with serious momentum after a Final Four appearance last spring. Coach Cori Close’s Bruins blend elite athleticism with disciplined defense, and the returning star in Lauren Betts helps form one of the nation’s most complete lineups.

The adjustment to Big Ten travel will test them, but their size and balance are superior to most of the conference. With Iowa rebuilding post-Caitlin Clark and Indiana retooling after graduations, UCLA has a clear path to the top. They will win both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, marking their first conference championship in their inaugural Big Ten season.

Big 12: Texas

Though Texas officially transitions to the SEC in 2024-25, its final Big 12 season last year was a statement of strength. Now, with new members like Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati shifting the geography of the league, the Big 12’s competitive landscape remains fluid. Still, the Longhorns are the class of the field. Coach Vic Schaefer’s defensive system continues to stifle opponents, and star guard Rori Harmon’s return from injury restores leadership and tempo.

Texas’s physicality and depth should carry them through the gauntlet. Expect them to post a conference record around 14-2, securing both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and positioning themselves for a deep March run.

SEC: South Carolina

Few programs reload like Dawn Staley’s. Despite losing several seniors and watching UConn celebrate in April, South Carolina returns with vengeance. Freshman phenom Joyce Edwards headlines the nation’s top recruiting class, and veterans like Ta’Niya Latson and Raven Johnson anchor a battle-tested rotation.

The SEC remains the most physical league in women’s basketball, but LSU has shown cracks since its 2023 title, and Tennessee continues to rebuild. That leaves South Carolina as the conference’s gold standard once again. Expect the Gamecocks to go undefeated in SEC play and dominate the tournament, setting up yet another Final Four appearance.

ACC: Louisville

The ACC’s parity has been both its strength and its curse. NC State, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina have each taken turns at the top, but Louisville’s sustained consistency under Jeff Walz gives them the edge. After a Sweet Sixteen exit last season, the Cardinals return most of their core, led by Hailey Van Lith’s successor Mykasa Robinson and sophomore guard Nina Rickards.

Louisville’s combination of defensive toughness and improved 3-point shooting should separate them from the pack. They will win the ACC regular-season crown and secure a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

AAC: Cincinnati

The AAC is in flux, with several of its former top programs realigned elsewhere. This creates an opportunity for an ambitious Cincinnati squad. The Bearcats’ 2024-25 campaign ended just shy of the NCAA tournament, but coach Katrina Merriweather’s program now has the right mix of size, quickness, and experience. Senior guard Jillian Hayes leads a defense-first unit capable of grinding out wins.

In a conference lacking a dominant power, Cincinnati’s balance and discipline should make them favorites to claim the AAC regular-season and tournament titles, earning their first NCAA berth since realignment.

Ivy League: Princeton

Some traditions hold steady. Princeton remains the class of the Ivy League, blending academic rigor with athletic excellence. Their 2024-25 campaign was marked by narrow losses and youthful promise, and those lessons will pay off this season. Senior guard Kaitlyn Chen, one of the most poised players in the country, returns for a final run, and the Tigers’ motion offense continues to frustrate defenders. Expect an impressive conference record and another Ivy tournament victory.

Team poised for the biggest improvement

Every season brings a breakout story where a team that leaps from obscurity to prominence. In 2025-26, that team will be Notre Dame.

Coach Niele Ivey’s Fighting Irish endured inconsistency last year, relying heavily on young stars like Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, and Sonia Citron. But with experience comes poise, and Hidalgo’s sophomore campaign could be transcendent. Her two-way brilliance — lightning-fast hands on defense, fearless shot creation on offense — makes her a dark-horse candidate for National Player of the Year.

Notre Dame’s recruiting class adds frontcourt depth, solving last year’s rebounding issues, and its schedule gives the team early opportunities for statement wins against UCLA and South Carolina. Expect the Irish to climb from a middle-seeded NCAA team to a legitimate Final Four contender. They will win at least 28 games, improve their win total by double digits, and reassert themselves among the sport’s elites.

Postseason team that will miss out on March Madness

Bold predictions demand at least one fall from grace, and unfortunately for the faithful in Iowa City, Iowa, is the likeliest casualty.

The program’s recent success revolved around the transcendent talent of Caitlin Clark, whose departure to the WNBA left a vacuum impossible to fill. Coach Jan Jensen, now in her first full season replacing Lisa Bluder, faces the unenviable task of rebuilding both roster identity and offensive rhythm. While Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter are capable players, the Hawkeyes no longer have the perimeter firepower that made them a national draw.

Moreover, the new-look Big Ten offers no respite. UCLA, USC, and Oregon bring waves of athleticism, and Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio State remain competitive. Iowa could easily find itself hovering around .500 in league play, a record that may not be enough to secure an at-large bid.

Iowa misses the 2026 NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons, settling for a WNIT berth instead. The drop-off from Final Four contender to bubble team will be one of the season’s defining storylines.

First NCAA Tournament team eliminated

March Madness always provides heartbreak, and in 2026, the first shock exit will belong to Michigan State.

The Spartans enjoyed a solid 2024-25 campaign, earning a middle seed and winning 21 games. But roster turnover and a brutal Big Ten schedule may leave them vulnerable. Their new-look offense, built around freshman guard Laila Phelia, lacks experience, and inconsistency plagued them in close games last season.

In March, they will draw a dangerous mid-major and stumble under the weight of expectation. Within 36 hours of the tournament’s opening tip, Michigan State will be heading home, another example of how parity makes March both beautiful and cruel.

The predictions above tell a story of both stability and flux. UConn, South Carolina, and Texas represent continuity as the institutions that have mastered the formula of sustained success: Elite coaching, disciplined culture, and layered recruiting classes. Meanwhile, programs like UCLA and Louisville symbolize the sport’s fluidity, demonstrating that conference realignment and recruiting mobility can reshape hierarchies almost overnight.

What makes 2025-26 especially fascinating is that the gap between the elite and the rest has narrowed without vanishing. Parity has improved, yet dominance remains possible. UConn’s bid for back-to-back titles will face legitimate threats from UCLA’s depth, South Carolina’s length, and perhaps even Notre Dame’s rejuvenation. The season’s narrative will oscillate between the familiar and the unexpected — a hallmark of women’s basketball’s modern evolution.

On a broader level, the sport is entering a new commercial and cultural era. The transfer portal, NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities, and expanded media coverage have professionalized aspects of college basketball that once seemed distant. Players are building brands, not just résumés, and programs are leveraging national exposure to attract top recruits. The result is a product more competitive and compelling than ever before.

The 2025-26 women’s college basketball season promises to be a thrilling intersection of tradition and transformation. As the game grows in popularity, so too does its unpredictability. But amidst the noise, one truth endures: Excellence still demands continuity, leadership, and identity. UConn embodies those virtues better than any other program. Led by Azzi Fudd’s shooting brilliance and Geno Auriemma’s unrelenting discipline, the Huskies stand poised to repeat as national champions, reinforcing their dynasty in a new era of balance.

Around them, UCLA will christen its Big Ten era with a championship, South Carolina will reassert itself in the SEC, and Notre Dame will rediscover its championship DNA. Meanwhile, Iowa will learn the harsh lesson of life after generational talent, and a mid-seed like Michigan State will discover that March spares no one.

Ultimately, the coming season will be remembered not just for who wins but for how the sport continues to evolve to be faster, deeper, and more widely celebrated than ever before. The women’s game no longer lives in the shadow of its past — it commands the spotlight. And when the confetti falls next April, don’t be surprised if it once again glitters in UConn blue and silver.

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