Can UConn go undefeated? Debating early women’s NCAA trends

One wonderful thing about sports activities is how usually one thing we predict cannot occur really does occur.

Earlier this week, for instance, we would not have thought it seemingly for one participant to get 16 steals in a recreation. However Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo made it actual Wednesday within the Irish’s 85-58 victory over Akron.

So after almost two weeks of the 2025-26 girls’s basketball season, what can we predict is actual versus not actual? Issues can change shortly and dramatically, however we look at — and solid our verdict — on 5 early tendencies.

Bounce to a development:
Can UConn run the desk?
South Carolina’s greatest backcourt
Jazzy can step into JuJu’s footwear
TCU ’25-26 higher than ’24-25
UCLA’s greatest group in program historical past

UConn might go undefeated this season and win back-to-back titles

Positive, it is early, however the UConn Huskies have largely picked up the place they left off from their dominant 2025 Ultimate 4 run. With Paige Bueckers moved on to the WNBA, Sarah Sturdy and Azzi Fudd have comfortably taken over as the following UConn stars. Having each of them on the identical group is a luxurious, and but Geno Auriemma has to love what he has seen thus far of his group’s depth.

Verdict: Actual

Kayleigh Heckel has been an incredible match as a switch from USC, whereas KK Arnold has been extra aggressive in seeking to rating. In her first motion of the season Wednesday, Blanca Quiñonez confirmed why she’s some of the intriguing freshmen within the nation along with her mixture of measurement, talent and athleticism. And that is not even all of the items Auriemma is working with: To this point, 11 gamers are averaging double-figure minutes, and no participant greater than 27.

The Huskies led Louisville by 28 factors earlier than the Cardinals pulled inside 10 late, and UConn crushed ACC foe Florida State by 32. The Huskies face some respectable groups in nonconference play: Ohio State, Michigan, Utah, USC, Iowa, Notre Dame and Tennessee. However of that group, solely the Trojans, who’re with out injured JuJu Watkins this season, are ranked within the prime 10. And although the Girl Vols beat UConn final 12 months, the Huskies will undoubtedly be motivated to avenge that defeat.

In all, it is a pretty favorable schedule for the Huskies that might permit them to place collectively their seventh undefeated marketing campaign on their solution to banner No. 13. — Alexa Philippou

That is the perfect backcourt that coach Daybreak Staley has had at South Carolina

The South Carolina guards embody final season’s Division I scoring chief who transferred in from Florida State, Ta’Niya Latson, fellow senior Raven Johnson and junior Tessa Johnson, veteran gamers with complementary talent units. Johnson and Johnson had been a part of South Carolina’s 2024 nationwide championship group and final 12 months’s nationwide runner-up squad.

Freshmen guards Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell are each top-15 recruits. If everybody jells, this might be a backcourt that’s deep and scores and defends at a really excessive degree to assist the No. 2 Gamecocks, who’re off to a 3-0 begin, pursue their fourth NCAA title.

Verdict: Not actual

This season’s group of guards is spectacular and could possibly be an enormous think about taking the Gamecocks all the way in which to a different championship. Who can say simply how good they are going to be collectively by NCAA match time?

However for now, it is onerous to beat the 2017 nationwide champion Gamecocks’ backcourt: Allisha Grey, Kaela Davis, Bianca Cuevas-Moore and Tyasha Harris. Grey, a future WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, was the highest scorer (13.2 PPG) and rebounder (5.0 RPG) amongst South Carolina guards that season, and Harris led a balanced effort in assists (3.2 APG). Cuevas-Moore was tops in steals (1.6 SPG), and Davis had probably the most 3-pointers (59) on the group. They had been a robust group in help of put up participant A’ja Wilson in profitable this system’s first NCAA title.

South Carolina’s backcourt on the 2022 championship group additionally stands out: Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke and Brea Beal had been the starters on a guard-deep group that gave UConn its solely loss within the NCAA last.

And the 2024 Gamecocks had an ideal file in profitable the NCAA title behind a balanced backcourt led by Te-Hina Paopao, Raven Johnson, Bree Corridor and MiLaysia Fulwiley. — Michael Voepel

A number of the comparisons are apparent. Watkins and Davidson had been each the top-rated recruits of their class. They’re every rangy wings who may also deal with the ball and excel on each ends of the ground. JuJu and Jazzy have every been described as doubtlessly transformative on and off the court docket. Each had been requested to be stars instantly. The one factor extra anticipated on the planet of USC basketball than their respective debuts is the potential of them taking part in collectively in November 2026.

A lot has been requested of Davidson with Watkins sidelined for the season with a knee damage. With the Trojans off to a 2-0 begin, Davidson averaged a team-high 17.5 factors (tied with Londynn Jones) and 4.0 assists. She delivered a second-half efficiency — 18 factors on 7-of-13 taking pictures — that included the sport winner in USC’s win over ninth-ranked NC State on Sunday. Davidson’s easy glide by the lane that resulted in a layup within the one-point win could possibly be a kind of moments that years from now, as soon as superstardom is cemented, followers look again on and say, “Bear in mind when Jazzy did that in simply her second school recreation?”

Verdict: Not fairly actual

If Watkins wears a measurement 11, Davidson fills a couple of 9½. Davidson can nearly get there — however for as nice as that efficiency towards the Wolfpack was over the ultimate 20 minutes, Watkins has set the bar too excessive. Watkins confronted No. 7-ranked Ohio State in her debut and dropped 35 factors on 11-of-18 taking pictures. Davidson’s first recreation was towards New Mexico State. She scored 14 factors and made 4 of 16 pictures from the sphere. Watkins hit the 30-point mark 5 instances in her first seven video games. Davidson missed 21 of her first 26 pictures.

Maybe Davidson will end second within the nation in scoring and lead the Trojans to a convention match championship and the Elite Eight like Watkins did as a freshman. It is also unfair to count on that. What Watkins did in her first 12 months is once-in-a-generation stuff. Davidson could have an incredible rookie 12 months, simply not that nice. — Charlie Creme

If TCU coach Mark Campbell can preserve buying level guard/put up combos out of the switch portal like he has the previous couple of years, he’ll take the Horned Frogs to sustained success this system has by no means seen. Of their one season collectively beneath Campbell, Van Lith and Prince helped produce 34 wins, 9 greater than the earlier program greatest. Each went to Fort Price with one thing to show — and did it, combining to attain 35.1 factors per recreation. They had been a deadly pick-and-roll duo.

Miles’ circumstances are completely different. She is coming off the perfect season of her three-year profession at Notre Dame. Probably a top-five WNBA draft choose had she elected to show professional, Miles’ expertise wasn’t a query the way in which Van Lith’s was after a bumpy 2023-24 season at LSU. Miles’ model was additionally topped the proper match for Campbell’s system, and every thing by three video games has bolstered that. TCU is averaging 97.3 factors per recreation, led by 18.3 factors and eight.7 assists from Miles.

Verdict: Not actual

Van Lith had an incredible last season at TCU, however Miles is the higher participant. The place this comparability falls quick is the distinction in expertise between Prince and Silva. Accidents derailed the early a part of Prince’s profession. A damaged leg sidelined her for 2018-19, Prince’s freshman season at Texas, and she or he was pressured to take a seat out 2019-20 after transferring to Oregon. By the point Prince reached TCU, she was 23 years outdated.

Silva left Kentucky after one season and 4.0 factors per recreation in a spot roll. Enjoying with Miles and beneath Campbell has actually helped. Silva is as much as a 9.7 scoring common and is grabbing 8.7 rebounds by three video games. The ceiling for the 6-foot-7 sophomore is excessive, however she seemingly will not be on the degree of Prince this season.

The wild card on this is likely to be Marta Suarez, one other switch who might make the comparability moot by creating an enormous three for TCU. After stops at Tennessee and Cal, Suarez can be off to a quick begin taking part in with Miles, averaging 14.7 factors on 53.1% taking pictures.

Sunday’s recreation at NC State (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) ought to inform an correct story of those two TCU groups. A November win over the Wolfpack final 12 months made folks take discover of the Horned Frogs. They backed it up by beating Notre Dame. If Miles and Silva wish to attain the heights of the group success of Van Lith and Prince, Sunday is the place to start out. — Creme

That is the perfect UCLA group in program historical past

The No. 3 Bruins are off to a 4-0 begin that features victories over No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 North Carolina this week. They’ve a possible draft lottery choose at middle in Lauren Betts, certainly one of eight seniors. That group additionally contains guards Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens and Kiki Rice, who’re all averaging double-figure scoring, and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who leads the Bruins in assists.

Final season, UCLA made its first Ultimate 4 look within the NCAA period, dropping to eventual champion UConn within the semifinals. That was a serious breakthrough for a program that hadn’t been that far because the AIAW period, when UCLA received the 1978 nationwide title and likewise made the 1979 last 4. Nearly as good as final season’s Bruins had been, this 12 months with Kneepkens transferring in from Utah, UCLA seems to be even higher.

Verdict: Not actual — but

Let’s put it this fashion: These Bruins have an opportunity to be the perfect, however they have to win the NCAA title to try this. As a result of the 1978 squad continues to be the pace-setter for UCLA girls’s hoops. Led by two of the all-time greats of the sport, Ann Meyers and Denise Curry, they had been coached by one other Corridor of Famer, Billie Moore. It was a distinct period, however nonetheless a serious accomplishment to win a championship as a result of there have been a number of standout packages even then nationwide. — Voepel