Women’s Stock Report: Don't Underestimate Division II

There was a ton of key action to track in women’s college basketball over the first 10 days. All eyes were on Storrs, Conn., as Geno Auriemma’s Huskies began their title defense. Much as is the case in the men’s game, there was a lot of attention being paid to the new crop of freshmen as they made their debuts. And thanks to some aggressive scheduling, there were lots of compelling games to watch.

Here are my top 10 takeaways from the events of the first 10 days.

1. There is no clear-cut “favorite” for the national championship

UConn appears to be the favorite to win it all in Indianapolis and repeat as national champion. However, this isn’t as sure of a bet as others may think. Given that one of Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey have appeared in 13 of the last 16 title games, including the last four, it would seem that South Carolina and LSU should also be added to the list. I would also add UCLA, which returned the bulk of its talent from the 2025 Final Four squad while adding 6-foot senior guard Gianna Kneepkens and 6-foot-4 freshman forward Sienna Betts. Even outside of those four heavyweights, we have NC State, USC, Tennessee, and TCU all looking like early contenders. This will be an incredible tournament, one that can’t come soon enough.

2. Aaliyah Chavez will be fine

The No. 1 recruit in ESPN’s 2025 class has had an up-and-down opening to her freshman campaign, but it shouldn’t be forgotten how elite of a talent Chavez is. Shots haven’t been falling for Chavez (only a 29.4 percent effective field-goal rating), but she’s done a terrific job of taking care of the ball and putting her team in a position to win. Chavez has a 4.0 assist-turnover ratio while playing 86 percent of available minutes. She hasn’t made any excuses; when her shots start to fall, watch out!

3. Recruiting is NOT an exact science

As of this writing, only one player in the 2025 ESPN Top 100 is currently among the top 15 freshmen, according to the Bart Torvik ratings (ZaKiyah Johnson at No. 15). While this is likely linked to circumstance, i.e. opportunity, it should be noted that many freshmen have stepped up nicely for their teams, despite coming out of high school as unheralded prospects.

Aubrey Galvan had an extraordinary opening week of play for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Through two games, the freshman has put up an average of 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists against Cal and Furman. Galvan, who had originally committed to Missouri, was off most radars before landing at Vanderbilt; she may end up being one of the best point guards in the SEC in 2025-26.

Another freshman making noise is Berlynn Carlson from Mount St. Mary’s. Against No. 24 Richmond, the Mountaineers starters played 96 minutes and combined to score 15 points. Carlson came off the bench and scored 12 points in 20 minutes, while also tying for the team lead in rebounds. It gets even crazier when you look at the 6-foot-3 wing’s Torvik stat line. Berlynn is the only player since 2020-21 to post a 30 percent usage rate, 50 percent eFG%, 9.0 percent offensive rebound rate, 15 percent defensive rebound rate, 5.5 percent steal rate and 5.5 percent block rate while playing at least 10 percent of her team’s minutes. That is sensational considering she has only seen action vs. top 25 competition.

4. The freshmen that WERE highly touted are worth it

Za’Kiyah Johnson (LSU), Jaida Civil (Tennessee), Jazzy Davidson (USC) and Ace Austin (Alabama) have all had terrific starts to their freshman campaigns, helping their respective teams to a combined 10-1 record. It is refreshing to see young players come in with enthusiasm and energy, while still performing at a high level. The sport is in great hands, and several more freshmen will get going in the near future. Which leads to…

5. The Big 12 has the best “top depth” in the country

Does another conference have more potential Elite Eight contenders than the Big 12? I count five: TCU, West Virginia, Iowa State, Baylor and Utah, with Kansas State, Texas Tech and Arizona State right behind. This league will devour teams on a nightly basis, and the hope for fans is that the tough battles night-in and night-out will sharpen them for March Madness.

6. Maggie Doogan is a legit WNBA prospect

Doogan is being asked to carry a heavy load for Richmond, and she is off to a great start. The 6-foot-2 senior forward has an effective field-goal rate of 62.1 percent, including shooting 5 of 13 from three (38.5 percent) and 13 of 20 from two (65.0 percent). Doogan has also pulled down an absurd 31.0 percent of available defensive rebounds and has a 49.3-percent assist rate with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.2.

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7. Madina Okot’s ceiling is through the roof

This may come with bias, as this writer spent the 2024-25 season on the Mississippi State women’s staff. That said, I was also with South Carolina from 2012-2016, seeing some great post players such as A’ja Wilson and Alaina Coates. I preface with that information to say this: Madina Okot may end up being one of the most effective post players Dawn Staley has ever coached at the collegiate level. Okot measures 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and so far she has recorded an effective field-goal rate of 57.7 percent while blocking 9.0 percent of shots. A reliable scorer with excellent footwork, speed and basketball instincts, Okot could solidify herself as a lottery pick in the WNBA Draft, whether that occurs in 2026 or 2027.

8. Norfolk State isn’t going anywhere in the MEAC

Norfolk State lost head coach Larry Vickers to Auburn in the offseason, and stars Diamond Johnson and Kierra Wheeler followed, but the Spartans have come out competing hard in 2025-26. Their only loss was on the road at No. 12 Ole Miss in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. Veteran guards Jasha Clinton and Da’Brya Clark have maintained the culture, and new coach Jermaine Woods has his team playing hard every night. While many in the MEAC may have hoped for a downturn in the program, it doesn’t appear the Spartans will be giving up their throne anytime soon.

9. Division II can absolutely play

This season has already been full of surprising results, and most of them have come from teams in the Division II ranks upsetting or hanging close with Division I teams. West Texas A&M, West Alabama and Maryville all had great wins over the highest level. It remains surprising that Division-I teams don’t look into the D-II level for players out of the transfer portal, particularly with the success Ben McCollum and Tobin Anderson have had in recent years over on the men’s side.

10. Credit to big-time teams for scheduling big-time games

We have already had several early-season gems to watch this season, and the compelling schedule will continue this weekend. Exciting games to watch this week include:

Thursday

North Carolina vs. UCLA (Las Vegas), 9 p.m., ESPN2

Friday

Duke at West Virginia, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Saturday

Michigan at Notre Dame, 5 p.m., NBC

South Carolina vs. USC (Los Angeles), 9 p.m., FOX

Washington at Utah, 4 p.m., ESPN+

Richmond at Columbia, 7 p.m., ESPN+

Sunday

TCU at NC State, 1 p.m., ESPN

Louisville at Clemson, 3 p.m., ESPN2