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Michael Voepel
Michael Voepel
ESPN.com
- Michael Voepel covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
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Alexa Philippou
Alexa Philippou
ESPN
- Covers women’s college basketball and the WNBA
- Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
- Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
Jul 26, 2024, 08:00 AM ET
The countdown is on: The women’s college basketball season tips off in 100 days, and after a whirlwind offseason, ESPN has you covered with an early guide to the 2024-25 campaign.
Change is the operative word to describe the upcoming season. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink are all off to the WNBA. Legendary coaches retired. Schools shuffled league affiliations amid a major wave of conference realignment, giving new looks to the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. (Pac-12, you will be missed.)
And the transfer portal and coaching carousel were in full force once more. Among the major moves: Coach Kenny Brooks and All-American Georgia Amoore left Virginia Tech to revitalize Kentucky, while Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) and Talia von Oelhoffen (Oregon State) are teaming up with JuJu Watkins at USC, automatically catapulting the Trojans into the national title conversation.
One thing that hasn’t changed? Defending national champion South Carolina is the team to beat. The Gamecocks haven’t lost since March 31, 2023, when Clark and Aliyah Boston were college foes and not Indiana Fever teammates. South Carolina seems like a Final Four lock, but the battle over who else might join the Gamecocks in Tampa — as well as which stars capture the attention of basketball fans and which rising sophomores continue to build on incredible freshman campaigns — are the storylines to watch once play tips in November.
Jump to:
Storylines | Nonconference matchups | Player of the year candidates | Coaches | Freshmen | First-time conference matchups | Transfers
Best storylines to watch
Can South Carolina run the table? South Carolina made history by becoming the 10th team to go undefeated, capping 2023-24 with a 38-0 record and a win over Iowa in the national title game. What’s scariest for the rest of the field? The Gamecocks return the bulk of that championship squad, only losing Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA, and bring in the No. 2-ranked recruit, Joyce Edwards. Another year older, wiser and more experienced, the Gamecocks have a real shot at becoming the fourth program in women’s college basketball to go back-to-back and extending their unbeaten streak through another championship run. — Philippou
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Which teams are the biggest challengers? Is this the season the injury bug stops plaguing UConn? The last time the Huskies went into the NCAA tournament feeling confident about their overall health was 2021, Paige Bueckers’ freshman season, when they lost in the national semifinals to Arizona. Injuries to Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, among several others, have kept the Huskies from being their best the past three seasons. Even so, UConn never stops being a Final Four threat. LSU has a big hole to fill without Angel Reese but still is loaded with talent. Texas and USC also project as early favorites to be Final Four teams. — Voepel
Who replaces Caitlin Clark as player of the year? After Iowa‘s Clark dominated the national player of the year awards the past two seasons, the race is open heading into the 2024-25 season. Bueckers, national player of the year as a freshman, seems poised to be in the conversation once more. So do super sophomores Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo at Notre Dame. South Carolina was so deep and balanced amid its undefeated streak that one player didn’t separate from the rest of the group. But will that pattern continue this coming season, or will someone — rising sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley perhaps — buck the trend? — Philippou
All eyes on L.A.: For the first time in decades, both USC and UCLA were nationally relevant last year. This season? A championship could be in store. The Trojans return rising sophomore Watkins while the Bruins bring back rising juniors Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts. But both teams also leveled up in the offseason thanks to transfers (Iriafen and von Oelhoffen for USC, and Charlisse Leger-Walker, Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker for UCLA) plus strong incoming freshmen classes. The Big Ten title looks like it might run through Los Angeles. — Philippou
Big names are back from injuries: Injuries are always the worst part of every season, but comebacks are some of the best storylines in sports. Three potential All-Americans — Fudd, Rori Harmon and Olivia Miles — were sidelined for most (Harmon) or all (Fudd, Miles) of 2023-24 with knee injuries. UConn, Texas and Notre Dame fared relatively well without them, but having them back this season strengthens their cases as title contenders. Basketball fans everywhere are eagerly anticipating Miles and Hidalgo finally sharing the Irish backcourt, Harmon reuniting with Madison Booker and Fudd and Bueckers hopefully getting a full season of playing together after dealing with injuries. — Philippou
In her lone year as a D-I head coach — last season at Marshall — Kim Caldwell’s Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt championship, set a record for most wins in school history (26) and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997. Ryan Hunt/Getty Images
Big-time coaching changes: For the first time since 1975, Tara VanDerveer won’t be coaching women’s basketball. The career leader in Division I victories retired after last season with three national championships in a legendary tenure at Stanford. She said she felt it was just time, but the demise of the Pac-12 and the Cardinal’s move to the ACC had to factor in. Iowa’s Lisa Bluder, another long-tenured successful coach, also retired. Meanwhile, Tennessee went away from the Lady Vol family of coaches, hoping surprising hire Kim Caldwell is the answer. And Brooks, after taking Virginia Tech to unprecedented heights, will now also try to take Kentucky to its first Final Four. — Voepel
Realignment is here, but the same dominant power tops the SEC: This remains a conference with one primary superpower: South Carolina. Newcomer Texas is likely to join LSU in at least being powers within striking distance. Oklahoma, which won the Big 12 regular-season title in 2024, is the other newcomer. Texas’ Vic Schaefer previously coached in the SEC at Mississippi State and plays the same style with the Longhorns. Their transition to the SEC should be relatively smooth. Oklahoma is a more offense-based team that doesn’t match the SEC’s typical style as well. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and should set the Sooners apart. — Voepel
New ACC trio might need time to find footing: The ACC welcomed three new schools this summer in Stanford, the California Bears and SMU, though in women’s basketball none might shake up the league upon arrival. Cal and SMU were near the bottom of the Pac-12 and AAC, respectively, last season, while the Cardinal are undergoing a massive transition with VanDerveer’s retirement. Though longtime assistant/associate head coach Kate Paye was a logical choice to take the reins, Stanford must establish a new identity in Year 1 in the ACC with Cameron Brink (WNBA) and Iriafen (USC) departing the Farm. — Philippou
How much will new members impact the Big Ten? Oregon, Washington and USC have been to the NCAA Final Four and UCLA played in the AIAW Final Four in 1978 and 1979. By far the most recent of those successes is Oregon in 2019 and Washington in 2017. But with an infusion of stars at USC, the Trojans right now are the most exciting of the four programs coming into the Big Ten, with UCLA not far behind. Maryland had immediate success in the Big Ten when it joined for the 2014-15 season, lifting the conference as a whole. Considering overall conference travel changes will be more burdensome for these four newcomers than they were for the Terps, we’ll see if any of them can adjust as quickly. — Voepel
Big 12 gets new quartet for second straight season: Oklahoma won eight regular-season Big 12 championships and four conference tournament titles. Texas won three and three. Both went to the Final Four as Big 12 members, so those are big losses in terms of national prestige. The league brings in four Pac-12 teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado (the last being a former Big 12 member); only the Wildcats have made it to the Final Four (2021). The other three have advanced as far as the Elite Eight. In women’s basketball success, this group of new Big 12 members brings more historically than the quartet that joined last season (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF). — Voepel
Best nonconference matchups
NC State vs. South Carolina (Nov. 10): This rematch of a 2024 national semifinal — a 19-point Gamecocks win — will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of the Ally Tipoff, and should garner a great crowd with both schools well within driving distance. NC State’s Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks — one of the most dynamic backcourts in the country — will be eager to avenge their disappointing performance from April.
Notre Dame at USC (Nov. 23): Hidalgo and Watkins were two of the most electric players in the country last year, both making cases for not just freshman of the year but national player of the year. Come November, we’ll get treated to a meeting between the two rising sophomores, the first of a home-and-home series between their programs, and it’ll offer a good opportunity to see how two squads eyeing Tampa look early in the season.
South Carolina at UCLA (Nov. 24): Early in nonconference play last year, UCLA appeared the part of national title contender. It didn’t quite pan out for the Bruins, who fell to LSU in the Sweet 16, but coach Cori Close has compiled, on paper, her most talented squad yet. Having to face the defending champions in the first month of the season will be no easy task, but this matchup serves as a great litmus test for both programs.
Texas at Notre Dame (Dec. 5): One of the premier matchups of the ACC/SEC Challenge pits two schools that have been knocking on the door of a Final Four. Schaefer came to Austin with that goal in mind after twice taking Mississippi State to that stage, while Niele Ivey also is angling for her first Final Four appearance since taking over for the legendary Muffet McGraw. Could this showdown be a harbinger of what’s to come in March?
USC at UConn (Dec. 21): A rematch of their recent Elite Eight matchup, USC and UConn will clash in Connecticut this season as the first matchup of a home-and-home. These squads look slightly different than the ones that battled for a spot in Cleveland this past April as both teams graduated key seniors, but they return their superstars in Watkins and Bueckers and bring in new, exciting talent in what should be a must-watch showdown. — Philippou
Player of the year candidates
Paige Bueckers, UConn: Bueckers has indicated this is likely her last season in Storrs (she’ll have another season of NCAA eligibility remaining but will also be eligible for the WNBA draft). But for as remarkable of a collegiate career as she has had, there’s one thing missing from her list of accolades: a national championship. Last season Bueckers reminded the country how good she is, leading UConn back to the Final Four. This year is about doing whatever it takes to fulfill that unfinished business.
JuJu Watkins, USC: The Trojans’ Ivy League graduate student transfers are gone, but a stacked freshman class and two top transfers are coming in. Watkins might have more talent around her now as a sophomore, but her consistency and leadership will be critical as the Trojans look to build upon their historic run, now with a target on their backs.
Lauren Betts: UCLA After seeing a smaller role as a freshman at Stanford, Betts shined in her first season at UCLA, catapulting the Bruins into the national contender conversation. She’ll have more help around her with UCLA’s transfer additions, but a big year from Betts is needed for the Bruins to make their first NCAA Final Four, or go even further.
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame: Hidalgo should have less of a burden on her shoulders with Miles back in the rotation and the Irish’s overall depth improved. How well Hidalgo and Miles’ synergy in the backcourt develops is a key storyline. But Hidalgo’s fearlessness and ability to impact the game on both ends will remain the heartbeat of a Notre Dame squad that should easily be the most talented group in Niele Ivey’s tenure.
Rori Harmon, Texas: Harmon played her way into the early national player of the year conversation prior to her December 2023 ACL tear. If the standout two-way guard can find her way back to that level once she returns to the court, the Longhorns could finally get over the hump for the program’s first Final Four since 2003. — Philippou
Coaching changes to watch
Kate Paye, Stanford: For a while, it will be surreal not having VanDerveer at Stanford, as every significant Cardinal accomplishment in nearly 40 years is associated with her. But Paye, VanDerveer’s former player and longtime assistant, also has Stanford in her blood.
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Jan Jensen, Iowa: Same goes for Jensen replacing Bluder, her former college coach at Drake and longtime boss at Iowa.
Kim Caldwell, Tennessee: If the Cardinal and Hawkeyes can stay fairly status quo, fans should be happy with their new coaches. That’s not the case at Tennessee, which fired former Lady Vol player Kellie Harper apparently because she didn’t regain the level of success Pat Summitt did (which was never a realistic goal). Caldwell will have a lot of support to start, but if things don’t go well, her lack of Division I experience will have Tennessee fans panicking.
Kenny Brooks, Kentucky: Brooks will have a clean slate at Kentucky, like what he had when he went to Virginia Tech in 2016. Expectations are there, but they aren’t overwhelming.
Megan Duffy, Virginia Tech: That’s also the case for Brooks’ replacement with the Hokies. However, it could be challenging for her to keep up the level of fan engagement the program has had the past couple of years. — Voepel
Freshmen to watch
Sarah Strong, UConn: It took until April for Strong, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, to make her collegiate decision, but she might be worth the wait. With Aaliyah Edwards’ departure, UConn has a relatively inexperienced post group, and this 6-foot-2 forward and 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year is likely to seize a sizable role on this Huskies team.
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina: The last time a top-five recruit from South Carolina stayed home to play for Dawn Staley — A’ja Wilson — it worked out pretty well for all involved. This time it’s Edwards, a 6-3 forward, the 2024 Gatorade National Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year and recent MVP of the FIBA U18 AmeriCup for Team USA. The rich get richer with Edwards’ arrival in Columbia as the program seeks to repeat with a fourth national title.
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Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State: Ohio State will miss Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor, but Cambridge’s arrival softens the blow. The 5-6 point guard (whose sister, Kennedy, is also a Buckeye) figures to be an immediate impact player who along with Cotie McMahon can make this new-look Ohio State squad a tough opponent in the Big Ten.
Kate Koval, Notre Dame: After moving from Ukraine to Long Island three years ago, Koval has established herself as one of the best players in her class in her short time in the United States. The 6-5 forward will bring much-needed interior depth to a Notre Dame team that could use a dominant post presence to complement its strong guard play.
Kennedy Smith, USC: Smith and Watkins battled as high school rivals in L.A. at Etiwanda and Sierra Canyon, respectively. Now, Smith, a 6-1 guard, and Watkins, the reigning national freshman of the year, get to team up for their hometown squad as they look to propel USC back to the Final Four for the first time since 1986. — Philippou
First-time conference matchups
Stanford vs. Duke: The geniuses meet the geniuses. The Cardinal have had more national success, but Duke isn’t a slouch. The Blue Devils’ four Final Four trips were under Gail Goestenkors, a level that current coach Kara Lawson hopes to regain.
USC vs. Iowa: Clark transformed Iowa’s program the past four seasons. Watkins is in the midst of doing the same with USC. While it would have been fun to see them go head-to-head, we will have to wait until Watkins gets to the WNBA.
Washington vs. Maryland: Huskies coach Tina Langley was an assistant to Terps coach Brenda Frese from 2008-2015. Langley took over at Rice, and then Washington in 2021. Neither Langley, Frese nor anyone else could have guessed then that Washington and Maryland would somehow end up in the same conference.
Utah vs. BYU: This isn’t their first time as league foes, of course, as both used to be in the Western Athletic Conference and then the Mountain West. But the schools resume their contentious in-state rivalry, this time in a power league, the Big 12.
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Same situation here: They were league foes in the Southwest Conference and the Big 12. Now these two rivals are together in the SEC. — Voepel
Transfers to watch
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New UConn player Kaitlyn Chen’s top plays from last season
With Kaitlyn Chen set to join UConn, relive her best plays from last season with Princeton.
Kiki Iriafen, USC: She became one of the most exciting post players in the country last season at Stanford and now is back in her hometown of Los Angeles joining another superstar in Watkins.
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma: One of several players to leave Oregon State with the demise of the Pac-12, Beers brings Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk her first truly powerful inside force. The timing couldn’t be better; the Sooners need it with the move to the SEC.
Kaitlyn Chen, UConn: An Ivy League star at Princeton, Chen brings scoring, playmaking and a lot of experience to a Huskies team that lost point guard Nika Muhl.
Lucy Olsen, Iowa: No one is going to replace Clark with the Hawkeyes, who lost so much at the guard position. But Olsen immediately adds big-time scoring, durability and experience. She was exactly the transfer Iowa needed this season.
Laila Phelia, Texas: Michigan’s leading scorer last season, Phelia should be an important additional threat offensively for the Longhorns and fit in well with the type of high-pressure defense they play.
