Top teams to watch in the 2023-24 season

LSU

It's easy to put LSU at the top of the preseason poll. The 2022-2023 season included an electric tournament run, resulting in a National Championship. This year, LSU's players and Head Coach Kim Mulkey have plenty going for them. Mulkey is a controversial and problematic figure off the court, but she does know how to win. The Tigers returned unmatched talent in Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson and added second-team All-American Hailey Van Lith from Louisville. Van Lith is hungry for a championship, and with her and No. 2 recruit Mikayla Williams and Reese as the foundation, LSU could claim a second national title.

UConn

UConn's star dimmed in the 2022-2023 season from a plague of injuries. Top players Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers missed games last year for various ailments, and neither has put together a healthy season in the past two years. However, other players stepped up. Nika Muhl set a school record for assists, and Aaliyah Edwards, one of the nation's best players, showcased remarkable leadership. UConn has the potential depth needed to make a deep run with Fudd and Buecker's return and thanks to Aubrey Griffin, Caroline Ducharme, and Ayanna Patterson, all showing their prowess last season. Geno Auriemma is one of the best women's basketball coaches and is looking for his 15th Final Four with the Huskies.

Iowa

Iowa returns National Player of the Year AND hometown hero Caitlin Clark for her senior season. A standout who has claimed the hearts of diehard Hawkeyes fans and basketball enthusiasts alike, Clark is a major force in bringing unmatched attention to women's college basketball. Fifth-year returners Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin will be an enormous help to Iowa. Addison O'Grady and Hannah Stuelke should continue to develop and fill in the gaps Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock left. Coach Lisa Bluder largely flew under the radar before Clark's arrival; however, her tenure coaching for the women's national team and accolades as Big Ten Coach of the Year and 2019 Naismith Coach of the Year should not go unnoticed.

South Carolina

Dawn Staley prioritizes cultivating culture as an approach to winning. Raven Johnson, transfer Te-Hina Paopao (Oregon), Kamilla Cardoso, Bree Hall, and Milaysia Fulwiley are one of the best starting rosters in the league this year; with Staley's coaching prowess, South Carolina has much to look forward to. The Gamecocks must fill the big shoes of rebounding and shot-block numbers clocked by Aliyah Boston, who led the team in rebounds and shot blocks. South Carolina needs to increase their 3-point range for this season to return to the Final Four again. Thankfully, Paopao shot 42.7% from the 3-point range last season and could make a big splash in the SEC this year. As an addendum, South Carolina fans and Coach Staley can rejoice as alums Boston earned WNBA Rookie of the Year, and A'ja Wilson received the WBNA Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP.

Ohio State

Ohio State's defense is one of the best in the country, and with the addition of Celeste Taylor from Duke, Kevin McGuff is locking down the Buckeyes in front of the net. With the return of native Ohioans Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon, the Buckeyes could be even better this year. Taylor Thierry and Rikki Harris need to continue the up-tempo of Ohio's attack and fill in the shooting dominance of Taylor Mikesell. Ohio State is a likely contender for the Elite Eight again this year and should have their sights set on the Final Four.

UCLA

Put simply, UCLA is a young team. The Bruins welcomed the nation's top recruiting class last year, and the class of 2026 got even better with the addition of former No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts (Stanford). Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones, Emily Bessoir, and Gabriela Jaquez have much to offer as sophomores. UCLA may have the best team it's ever had, with Guard Charisma Osborne forgoing the WNBA for another season. The Bruins signed the first-ever full-team NIL deal with Wescom Credit Union, the official home court sponsor for both UCLA basketball teams. UCLA's contract is emblematic of a team culture that a rising tide lifts all boats.

Utah

Utah is this author's favorite to win the Pac-12 title this year. Utah went 27-5 last season and lost in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual champions, LSU. All five starters return, and Utah must only adjust slightly to see success again this year. Utah's most impressive quality might be their consistency for three-pointers. Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili shot 42.6% from the three-point range as sophomore duo Gianna Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson averaged 27 points per game each. Utah can call up any of its starters to have an outstanding game and has the flexibility to score. Coach Lynne Roberts, last year's Pac-12 Coach of the Year, reinvigorated the program. Rest assured, her team can be successful once again.

Virginia Tech

The apparent camaraderie relationship between Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore makes them the best point-post combo in the NCAA. We're thrilled to see them back on the court again this season. Amoore averaged 36.8 minutes per game last year, and her high-energy style of play never wavered. Add the return of three-point specialist Cayla King, and the Hokies lineup looks very similar to last season. The Hokies added Rose Micheaux (Minnesota) and Matilda Ehk (Michigan State), which will help compensate for Taylor Soule's graduation. Virginia Tech had a breakout postseason last year, winning the ACC championships and making its first Elite Eight and Final Four appearance in program history. Coach Kenny Brooks, who took over the program in 2016, is just getting warmed up.

Indiana

The Big Ten will be the conference to watch this year, with Iowa, Ohio State, and Indiana all vying for the top slot. Senior Sara Scalia is one of the NCAA's best point guards and is a player to watch this year. The program will depend on her leadership with the departure of Grace Berger to the WNBA's Indiana Fever. In 2022-2023, The Hoosiers won their first Big Ten regular season title in thirty years and went into the tournament with high expectations. However, Miami dashed Indiana's hopes with an upset in the NCAA Round of 32. Indiana added one player from the transfer portal. It recruited a small class of two, Lenee Beaumont and Jules LaMendola, the top players from their respective states of Illinois and Texas. This author has a particular soft spot for Maine native Mackenzie Holmes, who averaged 22.3 PPG last season, swatted 58 blocks, and shattered her field goal percentage record at 68 percent.

Tennessee

The story of the Volunteers for the past few seasons has been one of turnovers, but with new additions in the backcourt, things are looking up. Destinee Wells (Belmont) and Jewel Spear (Wake Forest) were two of the best scorers in their respective conferences last year, giving Coach Kellie Harper more to work with. Rickea Johnson's decision to play a fifth year should be a comfort to Harper as Johnson ranked third in points per game in the SEC last year, averaging 19.2 PPG. Johnson is on the 2023 preseason All-SEC team and will be a player to watch all winter long. Tennessee will have height to its advantage in the conference, with Tamari Key and Jillian Hollingshead standing above 6'5, which should help in the rebounding department.

Maryland

Maryland, without a doubt, will miss Diamond Miller and Abby Meyers, who were picked up by the Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings, respectively. The Terps need returners Faith Masonius, Shyanne Sellers, Brinae Alexander, Bri McDaniel, and Lavender Briggs to provide leadership, size, and steady shooting to carry the program back to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Brenda Frese hopes that North Carolina State graduate transfer Jakia Brown-Turner will make a significant impact after earning All-American and All-ACC honors in 2021. Maryland is not expected to take home a Big-10 championship but could make an NCAA tournament appearance again if they can hold their own against Ohio State, Iowa, and Indiana.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame's exiting last year's NCAA tournament in the Sweet Sixteen shocked fans but can be attributed to star Olivia Miles' February knee injury. Notre Dame has a demanding schedule this year, with early games against No. 6 South Carolina, No.23 Illinois, and No. 10 Tennessee before November 30th. Coach Niele Ivey enters her fourth season as head coach. In the off-season, she picked up All-American recruits Hannah Hildalgo and Emma Risch. Notre Dame needs veterans Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, Kylee Watson, and KK Bransford to support Miles as she recovers. Hannah Hildalgo, the No. 1 high school point guard, is slated to fill in for Miles, but for any chance of a tournament victory, Notre Dame needs Miles on the court. The story of the Fighting Irish this season may be all potential, not promise.​

Louisville

Despite losing e standout Hailey Van Lith to LSU, Louisville remains a team to watch, thanks to the aggressive coaching style of Jeff Walz. During the 2022-2023 season, the Cardinals went 26-12 overall, their best record. Louisville made their fifth consecutive Elite Eight appearance before losing to runner-up Iowa. Louisville must rebuild after losing 11 players to graduation and the transfer portal. While Walz may have lost Van Lith to LSU, he welcomes five transfers from other competitive D1 programs, including the University of California, Georgia Tech, and the University of Florida.

Stanford

Tara Van Der Veer enters her 46th consecutive year of coaching largely unbothered. She and the entire Stanford lineup are ready for a "comeback" year. Saying "comeback year" is relative when your program is as successful as Stanford's, but the Cardinal failed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2007 last year. The early exit was a shock after Stanford's historic twenty-game win streak in the 2020-2021 season. Furthermore, two of Stanford's top players are gone. Haley Jones to the Atlanta Dream and Lauren Betts to UCLA. Preseason All-American Cameron Brink, who led the team in scoring and rebounds last year, is ready to embrace an even more significant role for the Cardinal. Hannah Jump, Talana Lepolo, and Kiki Iriafen are all expected to expand their presence on the court. Coach Van Der Veer takes team culture so seriously that Stanford even has a "Happiness Professor" who periodically visits the team and leads exercises in positive psychology.

Texas

Texas wants to defend its title as the Big 12 regular-season champion and reclaim it as the conference tournament champion. Coach Vic Schafer enters his fourth season in Austin and has advanced the Longhorns to the NCAA Elite Eight in five of the last six seasons. He was also named Big 12 Coach of the Year and is in Austin to stay.

Ole Miss

Ole Miss were cinderellas of the NCAA, crashing the Sweet Sixteen as a 12 seed - it marked the program's 11th Sweet Sixteen appearance. Seven Rebels return, but Ole Miss will feel the loss of Angel Baker's and Myah Taylor's graduation. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin added KK Deans from the University of Florida and Kennedy Todd-Williams from North Carolina. Five incoming freshmen will bolster the team, including Marija Aviljas from Belgrade, a Top 20 Freshman to watch. Madison Scott also deserves mention in this evaluation. She averaged 11.6 points per game and nearly 30 minutes per game.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels were both the victor and loser of the transfer portal this spring. They made a two-for-two swap - losing Kennedy Todd-Williams and Destiny Adams but added Lexi Donarski (Iowa State) and Maria Gakdeng (Boston College). North Carolina could have the defense necessary to withstand the physicality of the ACC. Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby are ready to show the prowess of three years on the court for the Carolina Blue offense. With Ciera Toomey and Paulina Paris rounding out the offensive lineup, the Tar Heels shouldn't eliminate a Tournament Run just yet.​

USC

USC made its first NCAA tournament appearance in almost a decade in 2023. Head Coach Lindsey Gottlieb completely revamped the program in less than three years. Veterans Rayah Marshall and Kayla Williams are the backbone of the team. Last season, Marshall averaged a double-double and set a program record in single blocks. Add No. 1 recruit and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, Juju Watkins, and USC is cooking. Gottlieb also pulled two transfer players from the Ivy League to add to her roster. After a close, tough first-round loss to South Dakota State, the Trojans have their eyes set on redemption this year.

Baylor

For the first time since 2007, Baylor didn't have a conference regular-season championship conference title or a Sweet 16 appearance. Kim Mulkey once coached the Bears, and Nicki Collen is in her third year in the position. The foundation of Sarah Andrews, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Bella Fontleroy, and Aijha Blackwell should assuage fears of another disappointing season. With the bar set so high for the Bears, it's easy to see last as a flop, but they still had a 20-13 season. Littlepage-Biggs was Big-12 Freshman of the Year, indicating she still has more to offer the program.

Florida State

The Seminoles are gunning for an 11th straight trip to the NCAA tournament with all eyes on Ta'Niya Latson, who won nearly every possible Freshman of the Year award. Latson averaged 29.5 minutes per game and 21.3 points. Her late-season undisclosed injury contributed to Florida State dropping out of the ACC and NCAA tournaments. While Florida State's second and third top scorers return, the Seminoles are still a single-individual playmaking team. This system does not provide Coach Wyckoff many options if Latson gets injured again. Seeing more of Latson this year is exciting for the program. The need for alternatives places Florida State at the bottom of this list.