Latest:

Sports and Lifestyle's and News | College.cbs.com.ng

Women's College Basketball

Gamecocks Reign Supreme: South Carolina Tops Women’s College Basketball Power Rankings

Congratulations to South Carolina, who topped the rankings in every edition this season save one. Like they did last year, the Gamecocks demonstrated that they were the top team in college basketball for the entire 2023–24 season. However, this time, they were able to finish off an incredible regular season with a national championship. Though, with due apology to Duke, 15 of the Sweet 16 teams were ranked in the top 18 in the most recent poll, South Carolina’s performance served as the main confirmation for these power rankings.

Check out how well my first power rankings for 2023–2024 held up if you are curious! Really, Oregon State appeared out of nowhere.

As we prepare for 2024–2025, let us not forget that this is just a snapshot of the current state of the clubs; rosters might be significantly altered by WNBA Draft selections and transfers (pay close attention to Oregon State and Washington State when the Pac-12 splits). I have tried to evaluate these teams based on the players’ season-ending performances, but I have factored in some player progress, especially for younger players with strong pedigrees. Please let me know if I have missed anyone in the comments below.

Almost famous: Kentucky, Michigan State, Vanderbilt

Why South Carolina over UConn?

While Kamilla Cardoso is leaving, South Carolina is bringing back every member of the team that finished undefeated to win the national championship. With Watkins’ defensive versatility and Feagin’s touch in the post, Ashlyn Watkins and Sania Feagin can mimic Cardoso’s skill set even though neither player has it individually. The Gamecocks are as deep as ever because they are also adding Joyce Edwards to the post rotation. Every player, excluding Edwards, will have at least a year of experience in her job. In 2024–2025, South Carolina will have a wealth of experience and institutional expertise of winning. The Gamecocks are an obvious choice at No. 1.

With Paige Bueckers returning and four rising sophomores (including redshirt sophomore Ice Brady) who should develop greatly after playing in high-stakes games their first season, UConn will be the toughest opponent for the Gamecocks. After Aaliyah Edwards graduates, the Huskies will also welcome Sarah Strong, the top recruit in the nation, to bolster their frontcourt. As it has consistently been in previous years, UConn’s health is the question. The Huskies are as deep as any team in the nation if Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin, and Jana El Alfy can all contribute significantly, but it is difficult to anticipate that because South Carolina still has an advantage in chemistry even when everyone plays.

What will the SEC look like?

In the two years that I have been producing these rankings, one of my enduring pet peeves has been trying to locate a third or fourth SEC club that routinely finishes in the top 25. Although LSU and South Carolina are obvious entries, it has become difficult for another team to move up the rankings due of the cannibalism in the following tier.

Thanks to Texas and Oklahoma’s recent entry, some of the issue has been remedied. Assuming Rori Harmon is well by the beginning of 2025, the Longhorns have an advantage over the Tigers and Sooners. By then, they will have the makings of an Elite Eight squad in addition to Harmon, a superb two-way point guard. Despite losing Angel Reese, LSU remains in the top 10 because Sa’Myah Smith can play center and complement Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson, and Mikaylah Williams. But questions are still unanswered. Nearly every player from Oklahoma’s Big 12 championship campaign is back, but the Sooners’ defensive shortcomings keep them from finishing in the top 10.

Alabama and Ole Miss also aim to improve on their NCAA Tournament runs. There will be considerable turnover for the Rebels, but they always play strong defense and have a history of being involved in the transfer portal. In a challenging defensive conference, the Crimson Tide boasted an excellent attack. Vanderbilt almost missed qualifying. The Commodores need to demonstrate their conference play consistency before being included on this list because they were just not as good as Ole Miss or Alabama.

L.A. schools will keep Big Ten in title contention

With two newcomers, UCLA and USC, the Big Ten boasts the most programs on the list. For now, though, there is no denying the Bruins’ quality. By the conclusion of the season, or even in the preseason after Lindsay Gottlieb finishes her job in the gateway, the Trojans may be the greatest team in the conference. UCLA is a little short on guards now that Charisma Osborne is gone, but Gabriela Jaquez may be able to fill in to lessen the need. But the Bruins’ frontcourt, which includes Emily Bessoir, Lina Sontag, and Angela Dugalic, all have perimeter skills, is loaded and captained by Lauren Betts. This year, Betts ought to be an All-American.

JuJu Watkins is at USC. The Trojans can stay in the top 10 with Watkins and Rayah Marshall, and it is anticipated that other transfers will end up in Los Angeles. However, a number of Big Ten universities are scattered across the bottom of the rankings after USC. Underclassmen Logan Nissley and Natalie Potts return to Nebraska. That core, along with Alexis Markowski, is capable of hosting NCAA Tournament games. Because of McMahon’s relative stasis from year one to year two, Ohio State is unable to advance further in the regular season. Nevertheless, Madison Greene and Taylor Thierry should keep the press busy while Cotie McMahon takes on a bigger role in the offense.

While Iowa and Indiana lose their best players to graduation, they still have a number of upperclassmen with significant stage experience. Although Lisa Bluder and Teri Moren are both outstanding coaches, Caitlin Clark and Mackenzie Holmes leave enormous shoes to fill in Taylor McCabe and Lilly Meister, respectively. They need to come up with a less star-focused strategy to stay competitive.

The WBIT winner, Illinois, enters at number 24. At this time last year, I was really excited about the Illini, but they were not able to come together until March. The skill is there, and maybe the postseason experience will aid in the future.

Is Iowa State the Big 12 favorite?

The Big 12 regular-season and tournament winners have gone for the SEC, leaving a void at the top of the conference that may be filled by someone. While I believe Colorado and Utahβ€”who will miss Jaylyn Sherrod and Alissa Pili terriblyβ€”are a year too early, I would not be shocked to see either former Pac-12 institution in the rankings at some point in the upcoming season.

For the time being at least, Iowa State is my favorite team in the conference. Leading up to the NCAA Tournament, the Cyclones had four exceptional rising sophomores, including breakout player Audi Crooks. The seasoned connector who holds everyone together is Emily Ryan. Iowa State is poised to become a legendary institution, as demonstrated by their double-overtime loss to Stanford.

With Ayoka Lee joining the team, Kansas State returns a considerably more experienced team, and the Wildcats may be able to reclaim their ranking as the top team in the polls for the 2023–24 campaign. Because Iowa State won the season series, they are just slightly behind the Cyclones. It is expected that after a single year of college, Crooks will catch up to Lee.

Regarding the remaining Big 12, I think West Virginia’s ball pressure will overwhelm opponents as long as JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison are on the team. Although Baylor almost got it to the Elite Eight, the absence of Dre Edwards and Aijha Blackwell raises some concerns in the frontcourt. The children of Arizona proved themselves when thrown into the fire; Esmery Martinez and Helena Pueyo will be missed. However, the class of freshman, headed by Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham, is unique. Although TCU is a long shot, it makes sense because Mark Campbell may excel at transfers and the Horned Frogs were excellent before injuries tore them apart.

Will there be a new ACC champion?

Virginia Tech is no longer an immediate danger in the ACC due to Kenny Brooks’ transfer to the SEC. (For the time being, Kentucky is almost famous until a full roster centers around Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack.) With Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, and Sonia Citron in the backcourt and Maddy Westbeld and incoming freshman Kate Koval in the middle, Notre Dame is the overwhelming favorite. Although the star quality is absurd enough, the Irish could certainly need another huge stopgap in the gateway to support Koval and Natalija Marshall.

If Maddie Cox and Mallory Collier can not deliver as sophomores, NC State, a team that made it to the Final Four, will also want frontcourt assistance in the future. Since Westbeld is a proven starter at forward, they are a step behind Notre Dame as it is, but the Wolfpack have a lot of potential given the strength of their backcourt and the player improvement they have experienced this year.

(Photo of Raven Johnson: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *