CBS Sports has unveiled its preseason Power Rankings for the 2026-27 women's college basketball season, which tips off this weekend with Notre Dame and Villanova playing in Rome. Defending national championship runner-up South Carolina claims the No. 1 spot, followed by UConn at No. 2 and USC at No. 3.
Top Contenders and Key Storylines
South Carolina enters the season as the top-ranked team under coach Dawn Staley, despite questions at point guard. The UConn Huskies, ranked second, will rely on reigning Naismith Player of the Year Sarah Strong, who steps into a larger leadership role after the departures of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd to the WNBA's Dallas Wings. Coach Geno Auriemma revealed Strong played through Achilles soreness all of last season, making her award even more remarkable. The USC Trojans crack the top three with the highly anticipated return of superstar JuJu Watkins, who has been sidelined for 19 months following an ACL tear. Watkins rejoins a roster that includes 2025 Rookie of the Year Jazzy Davidson and the nation's top-ranked 2026 recruit, Saniyah Hall.
Texas and LSU round out the top five. Reigning national champion UCLA sits at No. 16 after losing every player who scored in the championship game, though freshman Sienna Betts is poised to build her own legacy. Notre Dame returns to the top 20 at No. 19 despite major roster turnover, anchored by lone returner Hannah Hidalgo, the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Oklahoma State, ranked No. 12, was labeled the biggest winner of the transfer portal after adding former Iowa State center Audi Crooks and former Florida guard Liv McGill, both top-11 scorers nationally last season. Notably absent from the rankings is Tennessee, which returns no player who saw court time last season under coach Kim Caldwell.
Full Preseason Power Rankings (1-25)
1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. USC
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Duke
7. Michigan
8. Louisville
9. Vanderbilt
10. Iowa
11. Ohio State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Ole Miss
14. Kentucky
15. TCU
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma
18. North Carolina
19. Notre Dame
20. Maryland
21. Washington
22. Minnesota
23. NC State
24. Illinois
25. Virginia
First five out: Clemson, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arizona State.
