The landscape of collegiate women’s basketball has completely transformed in the past year. Transcendent star Caitlin Clark has moved on from two-time National Player of the Year in the Big Ten to Rookie of the Year in the WNBA, just in time for rising stars JuJu Watkins of Southern California, Kiki Rice of UCLA and Deja Kelly of Oregon to transition into the conference along with Washington.
“I thought the Big Ten was the greatest league in college basketball, but adding those four teams really puts an exclamation point on that,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said at Big Ten Media Day Oct. 2. “They’re four outstanding programs with incredible coaches and tremendous student-athletes inside their programs. So I just think it’s going to bring more depth, more talent to our league to make us the strongest league in the country.”
The top five teams in the Big Ten coaches and media preseason polls listed USC, UCLA, Ohio State, Maryland and Indiana as the teams to beat. But with the amount of starpower and parity in the conference in recent years, it’s nearly impossible to predict a single frontrunner. With six teams ranked in the preseason AP poll, second only to the SEC, the Big Ten is stronger than ever.
With all that in mind, The Michigan Daily breaks down the regular season title contenders:
No. 3 USC
Freshman phenom guard JuJu Watkins transformed the Trojans last season, elevating them to the Pac-12 Tournament Championship and the program’s first Elite Eight since 1994 and first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1986. Now a sophomore, Watkins is joined this season by two top-ten additions from the portal, Stanford transfer forward and Pac-12 Most Improved Player Kiki Iriafen, Oregon State transfer Talia von Oelhoffen. USC also boasts the nation’s top recruiting class, with three top-16 players. A projected No. 1 seed in the tournament, USC is bound to be a strong contender for the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.
Player to watch: JuJu Watkins
Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Watkins was a unanimous All-Big Ten selection by both coaches and media — and for good reason. In her freshman season, she ranked second nationally in points per game with 27.1 and set the new NCAA freshman scoring record with 920 points. She earned the Pac-12 and WBCA Freshman of the Year award, and was also named an All-American.
Watkins is a lethal scorer at all levels and is an aggressive defender, averaging a team-high 2.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game. She is one of five players in the history of the Pac-12 conference to tally at least 750 points, 150 rebounds and 50 steals in a season, and she impacts a game in every conceivable way when she’s on the floor.
No. 5 UCLA
Currently ranked in the top five, here is a team projected for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament from Los Angeles. Sound familiar?
Also falling in the Elite Eight last season after a strong regular season campaign and earning a No. 2 seed, the Bruins return a majority of their production from last season with guard Kiki Rice and forward Lauren Betts. UCLA was also active in the offseason, bolstering their roster with four transfers, including two top-six portal players, guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and forward Timea Gardiner, the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year.
Additionally, the Bruins boast the fourth-ranked recruiting class nationally. With the graduation of guard Charisma Osborne, Leger-Walker will form a formidable backcourt with guard Kiki Rice, and Gardiner will make a threatening frontcourt duo with forward Lauren Betts. A national title contender, UCLA will make an immediate splash into the Big Ten.
Players to watch: Lauren Betts
Betts was named to both the Pac-12 All-Defensive team and All-Pac-12 team last year. A 6-foot-7 center, she is a daunting offensive and defensive threat. Betts nearly averaged a double-double with 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Bruins last season on 64.3% shooting. Incredibly efficient inside, Betts is an impact player, but also imposes her will defensively, averaging two blocks and 0.4 steals per game. She has experience battling talented bigs inside, and her transition to the Big Ten will lead the Bruins.
No. 14 Ohio State
Despite the talented newcomers to the conference, the Buckeyes are strong contenders for the regular season title. Ohio State was ranked second nationally for a large stretch of last season, winning the regular season conference championship while going 16-2 in conference play. They underperformed in the postseason, falling in the second round of both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.
The Buckeyes return their main post contributors, but lose their backcourt to either graduation or the portal. Still, they brought in top transfer portal targets in Kentucky forward Ajae Petty and Oregon guard Chance Gray, the latter who will likely step up as their point guard. Ohio State may also lean on its 10th-ranked recruiting class, including the second-ranked player in the 2024 class, guard Jaloni Cambridge.
Player to watch: Cotie McMahon
A preseason All-Big Ten forward, McMahon has been an impact player since stepping foot in the Big Ten and winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Last season, she was named an Honorable Mention All-American and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Starting each game for the Buckeyes, McMahon led the team in rebounding with 6.3 per game and ranked second in scoring with 14.4 points per game. She also ranked top five on Ohio State in assists, steals and field goal percentage. McMahon is a force on the court and can transform a game, and will be a key piece in the Buckeyes’ attempt to reload.
No. 18 Maryland
Adding in transfer guards Kaylene Smikle from Rutgers, Sarah Te-Biasu from Virginia Commonwealth University and Saylor Poffenbarger from Arkansas, along with three forwards, the Terrapins replenished their roster after losing four players to the portal. Upsetting No. 1 seed Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, Maryland snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed.
Terrapins coach Brenda Frese somehow finds a way to consistently maximize the talent on her roster, continuing the country’s fifth-longest NCAA Tournament streak. Frese gets players to gel quickly, and with the No. 20 recruiting class in the country, Maryland is likely to meet or outperform their already relatively-high expectations.
Player to watch: Shyanne Sellers
A first-team All-Big Ten guard, Sellers was again named to the preseason All-Big Ten team. She averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds last season, impacting the game on both sides of the ball. Sellers can electrify a game with her defense and ability to push in transition, and her dynamic play propelled the Terrapins to wins. As they learn to maximize the potential of their new roster, Sellers will be a critical piece of their success.
No. 23 Nebraska
Beating then-No. 2 Iowa in February and then taking the Hawkeyes to overtime in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, the Cornhuskers are a gritty team that take strong teams down to the wire. Nebraska developed many young players last season and returns four of its five starters.
Forward Natalie Potts, named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by coaches and unanimous All-Freshman team selection, averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds to complement All-Big Ten forward Alexis Markowski in the paint. The Huskers also landed five-star guard Britt Prince, a Nebraska native ranked No. 16 nationally in the 2024 class. A prolific scorer and dynamic athlete, Prince could step right into Shelley’s spot and boost Nebraska’s success.
Player to watch: Alexis Markowski
Markowski is a true center, dominating her opponents on the glass and finishing consistently inside. Earning preseason first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive year, Markowski is a walking double-double. She averaged 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead the Huskers, and with so many strong post players entering the conference, her production, rebounding and defense will be crucial for Nebraska yet again.
No. 25 Indiana
After the Hoosiers graduated their all-time leading scorer, forward Mackenzie Holmes, and single-season 3-point record-holder Sara Scalia, it’s hard to know exactly how Indiana will fill those holes.
The Hoosiers picked up forward Karoline Striplin from Tennessee, who averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds. Striplin can shoot the three, adding another dimension to a strong shooting team bolstered by the addition of Penn State guard Shay Ciezki, whose 74 made 3-pointers would’ve ranked second for Indiana last year. Indiana also returns Sydney Parrish, Yarden Garzon and Chloe Moore-McNeil, three two-year starters who carried the Hoosiers to the 2023 Big Ten regular season title.
Player to watch: Sydney Parrish
A strong 3-point shooter, Parrish will be a fundamental part of Indiana’s offense. Averaging 10.8 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 40% from deep and 79.2% from the charity stripe, Parrish is a consistent source of offensive production. With a majority of the Hoosiers’ offense coming from Holmes, Scalia and former guard Grace Berger in the past two seasons, Parrish has been more of a role player, supplementing the offense with key 3-pointers and running transition offense. With a new look this season, Parrish will be an important part of Indiana’s offensive makeup.
Dark Horses
While six teams are ranked in the preseason AP poll, there are a few other dark horses who may move into the top few spots in the standings.
Iowa
Despite losing three starters, Iowa returns multiple key pieces from last season’s NCAA runner-up roster, including forward Hannah Stuelke. The Hawkeyes picked up Lucy Olsen from the transfer portal, the nation’s third-leading scorer. Stuelke and Olsen are both first-team All-Big Ten players who could become a lethal offensive combination.
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers will have guard Mara Braun back from injury, who was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten despite playing in just 20 games last season. Braun led Minnesota with 17 points per game, and with a maturing cast around her who advanced to the WNIT Championship, the Gophers are poised to create some surprises.
Michigan State
The Spartans made some noise last season in coach Robyn Fralick’s first year at the helm. They finished fourth in a strong Big Ten conference and earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to North Carolina in the first round. Picking up Oregon transfer forward Grace VanSlooten in the portal to complement guard Julia Ayrault, the Spartans play cohesive basketball.
Final Thoughts
With so many strong teams in the Big Ten and only one home-and-home opponent, the regular season race will be determined by whichever team plays well on any given night. Without an opportunity to split a series, the more consistent teams will finish at the top of the standards, but plenty of upsets are bound to happen. Arguably the strongest conference in the country with new levels of parity and an infusion of former Pac-12 talent, the Big Ten will be filled with some exciting basketball this season, and multiple teams could come out on top.
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