South Carolina tops preseason poll

South Carolina sits at No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll for the 2026-27 season. This marks the fifth time in the last seven years the Gamecocks have opened as the national favorite. The team enters the new campaign with a roster that lost four seniors, three of whom entered the WNBA draft. Despite those departures, the program retains significant depth in the post with Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts, Alicia Tournebize, Ashlyn Watkins, and freshman Oliviyah Edwards.

Guard Tessa Johnson returns for her final year. She is joined by transfers Jordan Lee from Texas and Brooke Quarles Daniels from Michigan. ESPN analysts Michael Voepel and Alexa Philippou both selected South Carolina as their preseason No. 1 pick. Voepel noted that the team’s talent is too deep for opponents to stop, while Philippou expressed interest in how coach Dawn Staley integrates the new players.

The race for national player of the year is tighter than in previous seasons. Four players are considered capable of winning the award: JuJu Watkins, Sarah Strong, Hannah Hidalgo, and Mikayla Blakes. Strong is the reigning national player of the year and remains the favorite for many analysts. However, the return of Watkins presents a strong challenge. Watkins last played in March 2025 before suffering a torn left ACL.

Watkins returned to the court for USC’s first exhibition game on October 25, 2026. During her freshman year, she averaged 27.1 points per game. In her sophomore season, she led the Big Ten in scoring with 23.9 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. USC finished 31-4 that year but lost in the Elite Eight two games after her injury. Without her last season, the Trojans posted an 18-14 record and went .500 in conference play.

The SEC is expected to be a competitive conference this year. Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Tennessee will challenge the top teams. In the Big Ten, UCLA enters as the defending national champion despite losing six players to the WNBA. USC and Michigan are also viewed as strong contenders. Michigan has never reached a Final Four, but its core of Olivia Olson, Syla Swords, Mila Holloway, and Te'Yala Delfosse enters its third year together.

The ACC is predicted to remain competitive without a single dominant team. Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina are all expected to improve. The women’s Final Four will be held in Columbus, Ohio. Games tip off Sunday, beginning the five-month journey to the national championship.