Apr. 8—This is truly a fool’s errand with so many changes expected amid the transfer portal opening the day after the UCLA women’s basketball team won its first national title on Sunday with a rout of South Carolina in the final. The portal won’t close until end of the day on April 20. But that doesn’t stop me from coming up with my first way-too-early top 10 rankings ahead of the 2026-27 women’s college basketball season. Illinois should be on many early Top 25 lists, with ESPN’s having the Illini at 16th with ‘s team taking the youngest roster in the NCAA tournament to the second round. Back to my list, here goes …
Might I be a little too high on the Trojans? Perhaps. But the talent L has assembled in Los Angeles is undeniable. Two-time All-American and 2025 National Player of the Year is back after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury. Pairing Watkins with top freshman and All-Big Ten defensive selection is one thing, but Gottlieb also landed the nation’s No. 1 recruit again with 6-foot guard on board. Buy stock in USC right now.
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The Huskies will be back despite a really disappointing Final Four showing that was made even worse by ‘s antics (might be time to grow up, coach). Still, was the best player in the game this past season and is only a sophomore. Strong’s defensive abilities elevate UConn to another level. could be the key to unlocking the Huskies true potential to win it all in Columbus, Ohio, in 2027 after the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 10.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a freshman.
All does is keep stacking top-five recruiting classes in Austin. He’s done it again in 2026 with the second-ranked class according to ESPN. , , are among the headliners. Even more significant? All-American forward is running it back for her senior year. The loss of point guard will hurt, but the Longhorns appear to have a ready-made replacement in . That means Texas is poised to make a third straight Final Four.
Few coaches hit the portal lottery better than last offseason in landing two major contributors in and . Now, they must be replaced. is a significant loss, too. But here’s the thing about the Gamecocks. Their roster is still rich with talent, thanks to , , and .That gives Staley and Co. as good a chance as any to play in a seventh consecutive Final Four.
isn’t for everyone. Let’s get that out of the way. But she has the Tigers as one of the perennial national title contenders. Even if South Carolina and Texas have passed LSU in the SEC pecking order of late. Losing the big personality of Flau’jae Johnson won’t be easy. But the Tigers have a potential loaded backcourt if the trio of , and stays in Baton Rouge, La. There have been rumors circulating Fulwiley could enter the portal, however.
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So much of whether the Commodores can be a second weekend NCAA tournament team will rest on ‘ shoulders. But the sophomore guard has been one of the best scorers in the country since arriving in Nashville, Tenn. Blakes, who averaged 23.3 points in year one, upped that total to 27.0 points per game to be the nation’s leading scorer. But Blakes isn’t alone, with point guard giving National Coach of the Year not only one of the country’s top backcourts but a duo capable of bring Vandy back to the Sweet 16 — and maybe reaching the Elite Eight.
The Wolverines have a really good starting point as coach looks to lead the program to a Final Four breakthrough. Michigan has only twice been to the Elite Eight — and never further. But the Wolverines will have sour taste after Texas demolished them, 77-41, in the Elite Eight last month. , , and will all be juniors and have a legitimate chance to right that wrong next season.
has quietly built the Blue Devils into a consistent bet to go on a deep run in March. Lawson, after all, has led Duke to a pair of Elite Eights and another Sweet 16. is one of the more unheralded good post players despite a wide ranging set of skills, and , who was the No. 4-rated recruit in the 2025 class before injuries basically derailed her freshman year in Durham, N.C., before it even got started could be due for a potential breakthrough.
Here’s the crux of the matter about the Cardinals. Do they have a superstar? No. Do they need one? No. has a very good roster with five of the his top six rotation players potentially all coming back. There’s a lot to like about this Louisville team that advanced to the Sweet 16 and won 29 games.
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So much of the Irish finding a place in this top 10 is based on just how good is. Few players in the county can menace opponents like Hidalgo can. That’s because the 5-foot-6 guard put up 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a remarkable 4.6 steals per game in sparking Notre Dame on an Elite Eight run. Now, to the question of the Irish’s ceiling. That will depend largely on coach ‘s offseason work in the portal.
