Girls’s school basketball top-25 preseason groups for 2024-25, ranked and defined

Final season, South Carolina was excellent. The Gamecocks completed the season 38-0, defeating Iowa and Caitlin Clark’s crew within the nationwide championship recreation to take residence the trophy.

With South Carolina returning 10 gamers from its championship crew, the Gamecocks undeniably enter this season as the favourite. Nonetheless, with many groups wanting completely different with transfers and incoming proficient freshmen it must be one other thrilling and aggressive season in girls’s school basketball.

We break down the highest groups forward of the season beginning on Monday. We’ve enlisted the specialists from our SB Nation crew communities to assist preview the top-25 groups coming into the yr. Right here’s what you want to find out about this season’s prime groups.

No. 25 Indiana

The Mackenzie Holmes Period of Indiana girls’s basketball drew to an in depth this previous season when this system’s all-time main scorer ran out of eligibility. With out her and star sharpshooter Sara Scalia, it very a lot looks like a web page turning second for the Hoosiers.

The crew nonetheless has key items like Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon. Teri Moren and co added a brand new taking pictures expertise, Shay Ciezki, by the portal whereas bolstering the frontcourt with Karoline Striplin. They’ll be on the lookout for jumps from Lilly Meister, Lexus Bargesser, Lenee Beaumont and Jules LaMendola to compete within the new look Huge Ten. — L.C. Norton, The Crimson Quarry

No. 24 Alabama

Head coach Kristy Curry will look to skilled guard and preseason All-SEC First Group choice Sarah Ashlee Barker to assist lead her crew to an NCAA event berth. Alabama may also lean on senior guard Aaliyah Nye as effectively to be a player-maker. The Tide made it to the second spherical of the NCAA event final yr earlier than falling to No. 1 seed Texas and will make the Huge Dance once more this yr, however face quite a lot of powerful groups of their convention. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 23 Nebraska

The Huskers are coming off their first NCAA event win beneath head coach Amy Williams. Nebraska returns three of their prime 4 scorers together with All Huge Ten First Teamer and double-double machine Alexis Markowski. The outlet left by WNBA draft decide Jaz Shelley must be crammed by the return of Allison Weidner from damage and the arrival of 5 star recruit Britt Prince. Reigning Huge Ten Freshman of the 12 months Natalie Potts shined her first yr within the frontcourt, which implies opponents can’t recreation plan solely to cease Markowski. Callin Hake was the fifth starter within the exhibition recreation, however Florida switch Alberte Rimdal seems to be proper within the combine. The Huskers have the items for one more stable season.

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Whereas the celebrities might get the early ink, the key sauce for a lot of Nebraska’s success final yr got here from their depth. Amy Williams performs her total roster each recreation, and never simply token minutes both. Gamers know what is anticipated of them when they’re on the ground, equivalent to lockdown defender (Kendall Moriarty), three-point murderer (Logan Nissley), or clog the paint (Jess Petrie). The reserves play their roles effectively, however their expertise permits them to be opportunistic and take benefit when opponents’ recreation plans don’t account for that depth. — Jon Johnston, Corn Nation

No. 22 Kentucky

After an incredible run at Virginia Tech, Kenny Brooks is now main the cost in Lexington. He hopes to carry the ladies’s program to unprecedented success, simply as he did in Blacksburg, and he’ll accomplish that with former Hokies All-American Georgia Amoore, who will probably be among the many greatest ground generals in school basketball. She’ll look to take action alongside former Virginia Tech middle Clara Strack, who has the potential to change into an All-SEC-caliber participant after a promising freshman season.

A extra under-the-radar identify to look at for will probably be freshman Clara Silva, a world prospect from Portugal who had a giant displaying on this yr’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championships after enjoying professionally in Spain.

After failing to make the NCAA event in every of the previous two years, search for Brooks to information this crew again to the Huge Dance and doubtlessly win a number of video games there. —Jason Marcum, A Sea Of Blue, @marcum89

No. 21 Creighton

From Edwin Garcia at Swish Attraction: The Bluejays pose the most important risk to UConn. They’re ranked No. 21 within the AP ballot and completed 15-3 within the Huge East final yr. With Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly returning for one final dance, Creighton will probably be pretty much as good as ever and shouldn’t be taken calmly.

No. 20 Ole Miss

Yolett McPhee-McCuin has legitimately constructed a prime 25 program at Ole Miss that was in absolute ruins when she took over. From 0-16 in SEC play early on in her tenure, the top coach has introduced in WNBA expertise and produced constantly in one of many hardest conferences in America. The departures of Marquesha Davis and Snudda Collins can’t be understated, however final yr’s crew had an early setback from an damage to KK Deans who returns for one more season in Oxford. Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams will prepared the ground for a squad trying to break again into the Candy Sixteen. — By Ben Piper, @OneMan2BeatRCR, Purple Cup Rise up

No. 19 Florida State

From Cat Ariail at Swish Attraction: Expertise additionally will probably be important at Florida State, the place junior guard Ta’Niya Latson and senior ahead Makayla Timpson, each of whom have been chosen to the Preseason All-ACC Group, are set to steer the Seminoles. Final season, the Noles have been the convention’s highest scoring crew, propelled by the scoring exploits of Latson, who averaged nearly 22 factors a recreation. Search for FSU to stay a point-scoring powerhouse in 2024-25.

No. 18 Maryland

Coming off a disappointing season final yr, Maryland girls’s basketball appears to bounce again with a reconstructed roster. Head coach Brenda Frese and the Terps introduced in seven transfers and three freshmen to pair with 5 returners, hoping for enchancment.

Shyanne Sellers and Bri McDaniel are again after being the celebrities of final yr’s crew, and transfers Saylor Poffenbarger, Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle ought to spherical out the beginning 5.

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The Terps may have a while to regulate with a principally a brand new roster, however they may have an opportunity to show themselves towards the nation’s greatest, with eight video games towards ranked opponents and 12 video games towards groups that made the 2024 NCAA Event.

Maryland remained within the preseason prime 25 for the fifteenth consecutive season, after falling out of rankings final yr for the primary time since 2010-11. — Ben Messinger, @benmessi_, Testudo Occasions

No. 17 Louisville

From Cat Ariail at Swish Attraction: Louisville welcomes a five-player freshman class, headlined by three prime 25 recruits in guard Imari Berry, ahead Mackenly Randolph and guard Tajianna Roberts. Berry has been named to the ACC’s Newcomer Watch Checklist. Senior guard Ja’Leah Williams additionally has traded the inexperienced and orange of Miami for Louisville’s pink and white. Nonetheless, the Cardinals success will come all the way down to skilled returners: senior guard Jayda Curry and graduate ahead Olivia Cochran. To prepare for a giant season, Curry spent a part of the offseason in Paris, coaching with Cardinals legend Angel McCoughtry.

No. 16 West Virginia

Expectations are excessive for the No. 16 West Virginia’s girls’s basketball crew as they enter their second season beneath head coach Mark Kellogg. The Mountaineers return eight gamers, together with 4 of 5 starters, led by senior guard JJ Quinerly. Quinerly emerged as one of many nation’s prime gamers final season, incomes All-Huge 12 and Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors. She’s joined within the backcourt by Jordan Harrison, whose playmaking and defensive prowess earned her a spot on the All-Huge 12 Second Group as a freshman.

Collectively, Quinerly and Harrison kind one of the vital dynamic backcourts within the nation, and so they’re flanked by veterans Kylee Blacksten and Kyah Watson, each returning starters. Watson was a pressure on the glass final season, main the crew in rebounds.

West Virginia’s id is constructed across the full-court press protection. Final yr, the Mountaineers led the nation in turnover margin and have been among the many prime in pressured turnovers, thanks largely to their prime trio in steals — Quinerly, Harrison, and Watson — who mixed for a staggering 271 steals. The protection will get an added enhance this season with the arrival of switch Sydney Woodley, who racked up 104 steals final yr at Lengthy Seashore State.

The Mountaineers kick off the yr on Nov. 5 towards Towson on the WVU Coliseum. — Michael Miller, The Smoking Musket

No. 15 North Carolina

Issues led to fairly brutal trend final season for the Tar Heels. After getting instantly bounced within the ACC event by Miami, they’d make it to the second spherical of the NCAA event solely to run into the brick wall that was South Carolina. After shedding that recreation by 47 factors, it was time to regroup — former UNC guard Deja Kelly packed her luggage and flew out to Oregon, Courtney Banghart introduced in some key transfers, and most significantly, Alyssa Utsby, Lexi Donarski, and Maria Gakdeng caught round to attempt their arms at getting redemption for what was a poor 2023-24 postseason.

The secret for UNC this season will probably be spacing — Donarski would be the head on the three-point taking pictures snake, however Banghart additionally introduced in Arizona State switch Trayanna Crisp so as to add some firepower to this offense. It will assist deal with the necessity for taking pictures, however what about playmaking? That’s the place Grace Townsend is available in — the Richmond switch averaged 5.5 assists per recreation with the Spiders, which was second-best within the Atlantic 10 convention.

We are going to doubtless study quite a bit about what this crew is made from in a short time, as they may face off towards UConn on November fifteenth. Very like the lads’s crew, the potential for the ladies to have a enjoyable season is there, however whether or not or not they may is anyone’s guess. Constant taking pictures and extra resilience will probably be wanted if this crew needs to make quite a lot of noise within the NCAA event as a substitute of leaving early in a whimper. — Brandon Anderson @thbbrandon, Tar Heel Weblog

No. 14 Ohio State

It would come as a shock seeing Ohio State girls’s basketball again within the prime 25 contemplating all of the crew misplaced. After an early second spherical NCAA event exit, AP All-American Jacy Sheldon and Defensive Participant of the 12 months finalist Celeste Taylor every left for the WNBA. Plus the commencement of beginning ahead Rebeka Mikulasikova and Ohio State is changing over half its beginning 5.

Nonetheless, head coach Kevin McGuff used the switch portal and the 2024 recruiting class to maintain the Buckeyes aggressive. Former Kentucky and LSU ahead Ajae Petty brings a ten.6 rebounds per recreation common within the SEC to a Scarlet and Grey aspect who ranked final within the Huge Ten in rebounds per recreation. Then, sharpshooter Probability Grey returned to her residence state after two seasons in Oregon. Then, No. 1 general level guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge enters the crew following a nationwide championship-winning last highschool season.

Photograph by Pamela Costello/NBAE through Getty Pictures

Add AP All-American Honorable Point out Cotie McMahon and a guard/ahead hybrid who hurts groups on each side of the courtroom in Taylor Thierry and Ohio State will nonetheless problem close to the highest of the convention. Coach McGuff nonetheless has his havoc-inducing full courtroom press, and the pace added by Cambridge and Grey shouldn’t decelerate the tempo for the Buckeyes.

The large query is can all the brand new items get on the identical web page in sufficient time to make an impression by the point postseason play comes round? — Thomas Costello, @1thomascostello, Land-Grant Holy Land

No. 13 Kansas State

Ok-State has been a robust program the previous couple of years, however accidents to star middle Ayoka Lee has hampered their potential to get excessive. The Wildcats have been potent sufficient to go 2-1 over two seasons towards Caitlin Clark and Iowa, however withered down the stretch in Huge 12 play each seasons and made early exits from the large dance. This season will probably be Lee’s final rodeo, and he or she brings skilled assist to try to money in lastly.

A No. 4 seed within the NCAA event final yr, the Cats return over 85% of their manufacturing, with All-Huge 12 first teamer senior Serena Sundell returning and the Glynn Twins — Jawlyn and Brylee — again in assist. The large loss is guard Gabby Gregory, whose 2023-24 season was much less productive than prior years; getting into her sneakers will probably be Tulsa switch Temira Pointdexter, the participant of the yr within the American final season.

Jeff Mittie has performed a implausible job bringing complementary items in on the recruiting path, and Ok-State has excessive hopes after being named the preseason No. 1 within the Huge 12. However Iowa State and Baylor lurk, and TCU and West Virginia are going to be powerful outs as effectively; No. 21 Creighton and No. 11 Duke are additionally looming on the non-conference schedule. Maintaining Lee wholesome would be the precedence; as she goes, so will go the Wildcats. — Jon Morse, Deliver on the Cats

No. 12 Baylor

Final season, the Bears have been sturdy on the guard place, particularly with Sarah Andrews and Jada Walker main the way in which. This season, Baylor picked up switch middle Aaronette Vonleh from Colorado. Led by head coach Nicki Collen, Baylor has a possibility to essentially make waves within the Huge 12 and can look to compete for the highest crew within the convention towards Iowa State and Kansas State.

Baylor ought to face first rate competitors on the Battle 4 Atlantis vacation event round Thanksgiving. How the crew preforms there could possibly be a key indicator for the way prepared they’re to steer the Huge 12 convention and in the end what they may carry come event time in March. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 11 Duke

Duke made it to the Candy 16 spherical in final yr’s NCAA event and upset 2-seed Ohio State within the spherical of 32. Led be head coach Kara Lawson, the Blue Devils ought to discover their manner again to the NCAA event once more this season.

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Duke is a well-balanced crew with loads of depth. Senior guard Reigan Richardson leads the Blue Devils together with a handful of returning gamers. The Blue Devils additionally welcome in freshman Toby Fournier, a top-10 recruit for the 2024 class, and referred to as a proficient, younger Canadian who went viral at 14 years previous for her impressing dunking expertise. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 10 Oklahoma

The Sooners enter the SEC with many returning gamers and a key new switch in former Oregon State star Reagan Beers. Final season, Beers lead the nation in area aim share (66.37%) and averaged 17 factors and 10 rebounds a recreation. Oklahoma additionally returns final yr’s Co-Huge 12 Participant of the 12 months, Skylar Vann, who averaged 15 factors and 7 rebounds final season. Vann was honored as a preseason All-SEC Second Group nominee.

Will probably be fascinating to see how Oklahoma stands up in its new convention, because the SEC had eight groups make the NCAA event final season. The Sooners will look to make their fourth consecutive NCAA event berth and will be capable to given the power of their returning expertise. The beginning of their schedule isn’t too grueling, so how they present as much as convention video games would be the true check for the way the Sooners’ season may go. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 9 NC State

NC State had an incredible run final season, going to the Ultimate 4 and calling themselves the “celebration crashers” because the No. 3 seed upset Texas to make it to Cleveland. The Wolfpack return the dynamic duo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, together with guard Zoe Brooks. NC State, led by head coach Wes Moore, may discover themselves making one other run in March on account of their expertise and returners. The Wolfpack additionally add the No. 21 recruit within the nation in incoming freshman Zamareya Jones, who will add to the already spectacular backcourt.

NC State may have a check early within the season when the crew takes on South Carolina on Nov. 10 in a rematch for the semifinals final season. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 8 Iowa State

From Beckett Harrison at Swish Attraction: Audi Crooks, stomping into her sophomore season, might by no means be ignored once more. Crooks was solely the No. 57-ranked girls’s basketball recruit within the class of 2023 in keeping with ESPN’s HoopGurlz. She ended her freshman yr as one of the vital promising younger gamers within the nation. Crooks set the Iowa State file for many area targets made in a season, and was the primary freshman at school historical past to be named an AP All-American honorable point out. She was the third highest scoring freshman within the nation, trailing USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo.

Don’t let the heliocentric nature of Criminal’s utilization idiot you—this Iowa State crew has depth. Final season they took No. 9 ranked Stanford to additional time within the second spherical of the NCAA event, shedding by solely six regardless of Crooks taking pictures an abysmal 3-for-21. Addy Brown, additionally coming into her second season, averaged 13 factors, eight rebounds, and 5 assists as a freshman.

Iowa State will make the NCAA event. That looks like a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, their potential to contend for a Huge 12 championship, and a nationwide championship, could also be intrinsically tied as to whether Crooks can take a sophomore playmaking leap and broaden her horizons past scoring.

No. 7 LSU

The Angel Reese period at LSU has ended and it will likely be fascinating to see how Kim Mulkey’s squad appears with the dominant famous person now not there. Nonetheless, the Tigers do have loads of expertise that has skilled NCAA event runs earlier than. Returners Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams will probably be key to the Tigers’ success for this upcoming season.

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Together with Reese, LSU misplaced guard Hailey Van Lith, who transferred to TCU within the offseason. Nonetheless, LSU picked up Shayeann Day-Wilson (Miami) and Kailyn Gilbert (Arizona) from the switch portal. What doubtlessly stands in LSU’s manner are powerful convention foes in Texas and South Carolina. Nonetheless, as they’ve confirmed earlier than, the Tigers could make it to the Ultimate 4 even when folks doubt them. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 6 Notre Dame

The Notre Dame girls’s basketball crew is again to being one of many elite groups within the ACC after a rebuilding course of through head coach Niele Ivey after the retirement of Irish legend Muffet McGraw. Notre Dame gained the ACC final season and have been as sizzling as any crew within the nation till they fell within the Candy 16 matchup to the Oregon State Beavers.

Issues are projected to be a bit of completely different for the Irish this season — higher, even.

Notre Dame has had a number of star gamers go down with severe accidents over the previous couple of years, however the well being of the roster is in nice form to begin the brand new season — and what a powerful roster it’s. The Irish return three of the perfect guards within the nation with Sonia Citron (14.4 profession ppg), Olivia Miles (13.6 profession ppg), and Hannah Hidalgo (22.6 profession ppg).

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If there was a roster weak point for the Irish over the previous couple of years, it has been the dearth of depth within the frontcourt. Notre Dame returns ahead Maddy Westbeld for a fifth season together with senior Kylee Watson, and their accidents final season caught as much as the Irish within the NCAA Event.

Notre Dame hit the switch portal for Liatu King from the Pitt Panthers. Final season, King averaged 18.7 factors and 10.3 rebounds per recreation on her technique to a 1st-team All ACC choice.

Ivey additionally did a beautiful job on the recruiting path and signed the highest publish participant within the nation in Kate Koval. Whilst a freshman, Koval will probably be anticipated to offer quite a lot of minutes for the Irish this season.

Notre Dame will begin the season ranked No. 6, and can want all of that wholesome depth straight away. By the center of December, Notre Dame may have performed No. 3 Southern Cal, No. 4 Texas Longhorns, and No. 2 UConn Huskies, so we should always know pretty early how good the Irish may be this season.

One other ACC Championship is on the desk for Notre Dame, but when they will keep wholesome and a few newcomers play their half — Ivey may have this crew preventing for one more Nationwide Championship. — Joshua Vowels, One Foot Down

No. 5 UCLA

The Bruins have prime returning expertise in KiKi Rice and Lauren Betts to steer UCLA to success in its first yr of Huge Ten convention play. Head coach Cori Shut additionally added former Pac-12 switch expertise in Washington State switch Charlisse Leger-Walker and Oregon State switch Timea Gardiner, in addition to Texas A&M switch Janiah Barker.

UCLA additionally has three top-100 recruits that be part of the roster this season. In what must be a really aggressive Huge Ten convention, the Bruins will probably be examined all through the season. How they present up in March and their event hopes will probably be fascinating to look at play out.

UCLA opens the season going through No. 17 Louisville in Paris, France and tackle No. 1 South Carolina at residence on November 24. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 4 Texas

If questions encompass head coach Rodney Terry’s potential to educate on the highest degree on the lads’s aspect of the Texas basketball facility, fifth-year head coach Vic Schaefer is making an attempt to show that he can lead the Longhorns again to the Ultimate 4 for the primary time in additional than 20 years. Texas has been shut beneath Schaefer, making the Elite Eight in three of his first 4 seasons on the Forty Acres, however he hasn’t damaged by to the ultimate weekend since main Mississippi State to back-to-back nationwide runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018.

The items definitely seem like in place – star level guard Rori Harmon is again after tearing his ACL late final yr and star level ahead Madison Booker, who took over because the lead ball-handler when Harmon went down, turning into the primary freshman to win the Huge 12 Participant of the 12 months award. So too are ahead Aaliyah Moore, trying to construct on a sensational run to the Huge 12 event title, guard Shay Holle, the crew’s emotional middle, and ahead Taylor Jones, a stout inside presence.

Photograph by Steph Chambers/Getty Pictures

Schaefer’s groups are at all times identified for his or her toughness and gritty protection, however the limiting issue within the crew’s upside during the last a number of seasons has been the dearth of three-point taking pictures. Harmon and Booker are each low-volume long-distance shooters, though Holle offers extra of a risk. The true three-point taking pictures should come from the transfers and signees, a bunch that features Michigan switch guard Laila Phelia, who shot 41.7 % from three on 3.2 makes an attempt per recreation, and the nation’s No. 9 prospect, guard Jordan Lee. — Wescott Eberts, @SBN_Wescott, Burnt Orange Nation

No. 3 Southern California

As far a skilled expertise, USC appears like a squad that would compete with a number of the greatest groups within the nation this upcoming season. Led by star JuJu Watkins, who now enters her second season of school hoops, the Trojans picked up some spectacular names through the switch portal this offseason. Graduate transfers Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen ought to definitely assist a USC crew who made it to the Elite Eight in final yr’s NCAA event.

So as to add to the potential for the Trojans, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has the No. 1-ranked freshman class led by prime recruit Southern California native Kennedy Smith. USC opens its season in Paris towards fellow-ranked Ole Miss on Monday. How good the crew appears to begin the season earlier than coming into Huge Ten play will probably be telling on what we may count on some March. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation

No. 2 UConn

Final season, UConn reached the Ultimate 4 with an injury-ravaged roster due to a veteran core of Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl. Now, the Huskies will attempt to do it a special manner, buying and selling expertise for depth and expertise. Bueckers is again because the lone wholesome upperclassman, although Aubrey Griffin and Azzi Fudd are anticipated to return from damage after the season begins.

Past them, there’s a bunch of sophomores in vastly completely different phases of their growth, headlined by KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade, who began the ultimate 33 video games and helped maintain UConn afloat after accidents struck final yr.

When it comes to newcomers, the Huskies added Kaitlyn Chen, a two-time First Group All-Ivy choice at Princeton, alongside a freshman class that options Sarah Robust (ESPN’s prime 2024 prospect), Allie Ziebell (No. 7) and Morgan Cheli (No. 11).

With all of the youth and new faces, the Huskies gained’t be a completed product on day one. They’ll have a couple of weeks to get every little thing sorted earlier than they start a defining stretch that features No. 17 Louisville, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 8 Iowa State and No. 3 USC in a five-game span.

Nonetheless, UConn’s seasons are measured by what occurs in April, not December — and there shouldn’t be a lot doubt that the Huskies will probably be among the many final groups standing. Bueckers will get the Huskies to the Ultimate 4 however the remainder of the roster will determine whether or not they win all of it. — Daniel Connolly, The UConn Weblog

No. 1 South Carolina

Will probably be exhausting to prime final yr’s excellent season for the Gamecocks, however we all know head coach Daybreak Staley and squad will definitely attempt. With all of the returning expertise for South Carolina, it could not be shocking to see them as soon as once more again on the Ultimate 4.

South Carolina did lose a key piece to its success final season, as star middle Kamilla Cardoso graduated and headed to the WNBA. Nonetheless, the crew returns 10 gamers from the 2024 nationwide championship roster. As well as, Staley provides two freshman to the roster, the general No. 3 recruit Joyce Edwards and a top-100 recruit in Maddy McDaniel. With a stacked roster, whether or not they see a lot of enjoying time is unknown proper now.

Expectations will probably be excessive for South Carolina, because the Gamecocks ought to stay the crew to beat all season lengthy. — Beth Maiman, SB Nation