Women's NCAA basketball megapreview, predictions for 2025-26 - ESPN

The Road to Phoenix and the women's Final Four starts Monday, when the 2025-26 women's college basketball season opens.

Reigning NCAA champion UConn returns as the favorite, but some new names will be vying for national player of the year. UConn's Paige Bueckers has moved on to the WNBA, and USC's JuJu Watkins will sit out this season after a knee injury prematurely ended her NCAA tournament run in March.

In their stead, Huskies teammates Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd will be in the mix in a crowded player of the year race. Who will join them? And what else will shape the season?

ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel answer those questions and make predictions on what we might see over the next five months of women's hoops.

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Creme: Yes, and the Huskies might be even more dominant this season.

It seems strange to say that a team that lost Bueckers might be better than it was a year ago, but this Huskies team could be even more successful than the 2024-25 version that lost three games en route to the national title. In adding Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, coach Geno Auriemma provides help that Strong might not even need but will surely welcome. Strong has a chance to be the best player in the country, and a healthy Fudd could give UConn two All-Americans. The Huskies have the size, shooters and big-game experience to make a run at a second consecutive national championship and 13th overall.

Voepel: Yes, the Huskies appear to be in great shape to repeat.

We can expect them to cruise through the Big East again, so a strong nonconference showing should get UConn the No. 1 seed that will make reaching the