The 2025-26 NCAA women’s basketball season tipped off on Monday, and even with the departure of Paige Bueckers to the WNBA and the loss of Juju Watkins to an ACL tear, it is still shaping up to a fascinating and competitive season. There is no easing into things this fall – the nonconference schedule is packed, with three top-25 match-ups right out of the gate: No. 7 Duke vs. No. 16 Baylor tip off on Monday in Paris. On Tuesday, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 9 N.C. State face off in Greensboro, North Carolina and No. 1 UConn and No. 20 Louisville meet in Annapolis, Maryland.

UConn is the preseason No. 1 and look to be in a good spot to repeat as national champions, but there will be plenty of challengers ready to make things interesting, especially in the SEC, where South Carolina, LSU and Texas are all threats to win the conference and make it to the Final Four.

Here are our predictions for conference champions, the Final Four, the national champion, Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and All-Americans.

Conference champion predictions

	Erica Ayala	Lindsay Gibbs	Isabel Gonzalez	Jack Maloney
ACC	Blue Devils	Wolfpack	Blue Devils	Blue Devils
Big Ten	Trojans	Terrapins	Bruins	Bruins
Big 12	Horned Frogs	Horned Frogs	Cyclones	Horned Frogs
SEC	Longhorns	Longhorns	Gamecocks	Gamecocks

Final Four predictions

	Erica Ayala	Lindsay Gibbs	Isabel Gonzalez	Jack Maloney
	Bruins	Lady Tigers	Huskies	Huskies
	Huskies	Huskies	Gamecocks	Bruins
	Gamecocks	Gamecocks	Longhorns	Gamecocks
	Trojans	Longhorns	Bruins	Longhorns

National Champion prediction

	Erica Ayala	Lindsay Gibbs	Isabel Gonzalez	Jack Maloney
National champion pick	Huskies	Longhorns	Huskies	Huskies

Player award predictions

Award	Erica Ayala	Lindsay Gibbs	Isabel Gonzalez	Jack Maloney
National Player of the Year	Lauren Betts	Lauren Betts	Sarah Strong	Sarah Strong
Freshman of the Year	Jazzy Davidson	Aaliyah Chavez	Jazzy Davidson	Jazzy Davidson

All-American predictions

Award	Erica Ayala	Lindsay Gibbs	Isabel Gonzalez	Jack Maloney
	Lauren Betts	Lauren Betts	Sarah Strong	Sarah Strong
	Sarah Strong	Sarah Strong	Lauren Betts	Lauren Betts
	Madison Booker	Madison Booker	Hannah Hidalgo	Flau’jae Johnson
	Jazzy Davidson	Hannah Hidalgo	Flau’jae Johnson	Madison Booker
	Ta’Niya Latson	Olivia Miles	Madison Booker	Olivia Miles

Expert explanations

**Ayala: **With one season of Big Ten play under their belts, USC and UCLA have already proven they are worthy contenders. The Bruins were at the top of the national poll for 12 consecutive weeks and posted their best finish since the Annie Meyers and AIAW era at UCLA. The returning players, led by Lauren Betts, are equal parts proud of last season and heartbroken by their Final Four exit. The team isn’t shying away from the high or lows of last season as they gear up for the 2025-26 campaign.

Perhaps their biggest test will be conference play. USC proved to be a worthy rival both on the court - celebrities are now a courtside feature at women’s college basketball games in Los Angeles. But don’t sleep on Maryland and Ohio State! Overall, I think the Big Ten is shifting the national conversation. Last season, the Big Ten sent a record 12 programs to the NCAA Tournament. I’m keen to see if they can match that number this year.

Gibbs: Goodness is this season going to be a blast! As you can tell from my picks, I am very high on the SEC this year, as I’ve picked three teams - South Carolina, LSU and Texas - to get to the Final Four. I picked Texas as the winner, though, both in the conference and the NCAA tournament, because I’m just that confident in Rori Harmon and Madison Booker as a duo.

Elsewhere, I’m more bullish than the consensus on Zoe Brooks at N.C. State, and I think she will be able to carry on the legacy of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers with aplomb; and I believe this is Brenda Frese’s best Maryland team in about a decade - I can’t wait to see what Oluchi Okananwa does in that system. Jazzy Davidson will have a great freshman year, but I see Aaliyah Chavez edging her out to win freshman of the year honors.

Gonzalez: The winner of the ACC was probably the toughest decision because there are a few teams that look like strong contenders. Duke, NC State and North Carolina seem like the top three, but I also feel that even a team in rebuilding mode like Notre Dame or Louisville has a lot of potential to shake things up. Ultimately, I chose the Blue Devils because we have a good idea of what to expect from this roster. Duke is fresh off its first Elite Eight since 2013 and returns four starters, as well as Toby Fournier, who led the team in scoring as a freshman coming off the bench.

When it comes to Freshman of the Year, I made my decision based on potential impact. With JuJu Watkins out with a torn ACL, Kiki Iriafen graduated and USC losing key players in the transfer portal, the Trojans don’t seem quite like a championship team, at least not yet. However, this situation gives Jazzy Davidson the opportunity to stand out from the other talented freshmen in this class by helping USC surpass expectations. At 6-foot-1, Davidson’s length pairs well with her versatile skills on both sides of the court. The expectations are high, but she has Watkins to lean on for advice on how to navigate the transition to college basketball as a high-profile freshman.

Maloney: Sarah Strong has entered a rare zone where everyone is picking her to win Player of the Year and it still doesn’t feel like she’s getting enough recognition. She is going to be awesome, and UConn, even without Paige Bueckers, is the clear favorite to win it all. The SEC is going to be a bloodbath, and it genuinely feels wide open this season, especially with South Carolina’s injuries and absences. I’m still betting on Dawn Staley’s group, but Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts are major losses. I deliberated the most on the fifth spot on the All-American list and eventually went with Olivia Miles, who should thrive in Mark Campbell’s spread pick-and-roll system.