Where LSU, South Carolina, Uconn ranks in the post-transfert Top 25 portal for female university basketball
The transfer portal in female university basketball has closed and most of the best remaining players in the portal – with a large exception being Kayleigh Heckel of the USC – have chosen their new destinations.
As the lists have changed, expectations also have expectations for the best teams before next season. There were teams that were big winners in the portal – like OLE MISS,, TucuMaryland and Lsu – who have considerably increased their ceilings for next year. Meanwhile, large questions remain about the teams that have lost a lot of talent, as Our Lady.
The lists being reworked, it is time for another way to look at the contenders next season. At six months after the start of the 2025-26 season, here is a preview of a writer on the top 25 of the pre-season:
I just missed: USF, Clemson, SMU, Illinois, Louisville, Virginie-Western
25. Iowa
24. Notre Dame
23.
The Hawkeyes remain in the path of the Top 25 after having essentially broken even in the portal by losing Aaliyah Guyton against Illinois, but adding a young promising child at Chit-Chat Wright of Georgia Tech. Notre Dame and NC State were two of the best ACC teams last season, but have not yet been impressive impressive in the portal after losing the majority of their departure fives from Sweet 16 Squads. The two return two players who could face the ACC player of the year at Hannah Hidalgo and Zoe Brooks, but will they be enough to transport the Irish and Wolfpack deeply in the eliminatory series?
22. Ohio condition
21. Richmond
20. Iowa statement
19. Michigan
18.
In addition to bringing three top 100 recruits, the Wildcats also add three solid transfers to Tess Heal, Izela Arenas and Ramiya White. HEAL-A player of almost 50-40-90 last season in Stanford-should be able to fill the void left by Serena Sunday to the leader of the Wildcats, but the Wildcats will have to understand how to play without an imposing presence of a front zone in the post-Ayoka era.
17. Oklahoma condition
16. Baylor
15. Kentucky
14. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
One of the greatest winners of the transfer portal season, the rebels of Yolett McPhee-Mccuin have what seems to be an incredibly talented list on paper anyway. After a race for Sweet 16, Ole Miss added eight players in the portal, led by attacker All-Big Té Cotie McMahon, one of the country's best scorers in Kaitlin Peterson of the UCF, and a solid post player in Latasha Lattimore. The class also includes two players with a dry experience in Denim Deshields and Debreasha Powe, who join the other side of the Egg Bowl rivalry in the state of the Mississippi.
12. Duke
11. North Carolina
North Carolina has done enough in the portal to stay like a team that should again compete for a seeded top 16 in the next NCAA tournament by adding Nyla Harris de Louisville and Elina Aarnisalo de l'Ucla. Duke will have to understand how to replace the production of the MVP of the ACC Olichi Okananwa tournament and the regular hand of the Vanessa Dejesus reserve guard.
10. Texas
9. Oklahoma
8. USC
7. Tennessee
Due to the way Lady Flights play under Kim Caldwell – at a quick pace and deeply in their bench – adding three talented rotation players like Nya Robertson de Smu, the LSU, Wolfenbarger and Janiah Barker de l'Ucla jersey, should fill the holes in Tennessee. Barker is a player who, according to many, has not yet reached her full potential, and she should have the chance to do it in Knoxville and could be a hardy player.
6. TCU
5. Maryland
4. UCLA
After their best season in the history of the program, the horns in horns had to rebuild after losing Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner. Mark Campbell came out and undoubtedly obtained the best leader of the Olivia Miles of Notre Dame portal, then put more intriguing pieces around her in Kentucky Post Clara Silva, Texas A & M Guard Taliyah Parker, Arizona State The Kennedy Basham center, Cal Wing Marta Suarez and the state -of -the -art guardian Veronica Sheffey. Associating these additions with key returners like Donovyn Hunter, Taylor Bigby and Aaliyah Roberson should give TCU a chance to do another deep tide race.
Maryland was another big winner of the portal by adding Olichi Okananwa de Duke and a pair of all-Big Ten talent in the Yarden Garzon of Indiana and Gracie Merkle de Penn State. Okananwa is a dynamic goalkeeper who can swing the matches – as evidenced by his performance in the playoffs last March – Garzon was probably the best 3 -and -d gate player, and Merkle established himself as a dominant post threat.
The UCLA has lost a large part of its depth compared to its list of the last four, but undoubtedly landed the best 3 -point shooter available in the portal of Gianna Kneepkens of Utah. Playing alongside Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalić should lead to many looks open for the old ute. The Bruins also add recruits n ° 2 of the country in the younger sister of Betts, Sienna.
3. South Carolina
2. Uconn
1. LSU
We could plead hard for one or the other of these teams to be pre-season n ° 1, but the Tigers of Kim Mulkey did an impressive job in the portal by perhaps landing the most exciting player in the country of Milaysia Fulwiley, the steering wheel in their dry rival. LSU also won a center with a high ceiling in Kate Koval from Notre Dame, and a versatile wing in Amiya Joyner in East Caroline, which has an average of 15 points and nine rebounds last season. Combine this trio with Flau'jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and three best recruits should make LSU a competitor for the national title.
Uconn Of course, will be in an excellent position to defend their crown with Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold Returning, and the addition of a double -Serth Williams of Wisconsin should only stimulate their chances of doing so. The Huskies also bring two best recruits and refer key players to Ashlynn Shade, Ice Brady, Jana El Alfy and a healthy Caroline Ducharme.
South Carolina lost Fulwiley and three starters against the WgbBut recharged by adding the country's top scorer Florida StateTa'niya Latson and a player who almost on average a double-double last season in the dry at Madina Okot in the state of Mississippi. With Raven Johnson, Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson who come back around them, it is reasonable to expect the Dawn Staley team to be in a position to redo the Final Four.
