There is no offseason in college basketball; a fact that holds true in the women’s game just as it is on the men’s side. March Madness gave way to Portal Madness as rosters were reshuffled all around the sport. The new season will have a new look once it tips off in November.
Now that the dust has settled from all the player movement, it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2025-25 season. Here are the five off-season storylines I’m most excited to see unfold.
1. How UConn will replace Paige Bueckers and defend its title?
Paige Bueckers has been such a major part of college basketball over the last five years and her impact on the Huskies can’t be understated. After helping to break UConn’s nine-year title drought, Bueckers is embarking on the WNBA. While she will go down as one of the greats in UConn’s history, the team as a whole might be even better next season. At times during her freshman campaign, Sarah Strong was arguably the best player on UConn’s roster, averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Strong was dominant in UConn’s championship victory over South Carolina, finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.
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Azzi Fudd was just as impressive. After finally playing a healthy season and showing the potential that was there all along, the guard decided to come back for another year. There is no better shooter in college basketball (43.6 percent from long range), but Fudd finally got to show off her complete game, including an impressive ability to match up with top guards defensively. She and Strong alone are enough to make UConn the title favorite once again, but Geno Auriemma also signed two of the country’s top transfers – Serah Williams (Wisconsin) and Kayleigh Heckel (USC) making UConn even more dangerous.
Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward with one season of eligibility, averaged 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during her time at Wisconsin. Heckel, who left USC after a solid freshman campaign, averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 16.9 minutes per game. Both are ready to contribute right away on offense and defense.
2. Can TCU build on its first Elite Eight appearance?
The Horned Frogs made waves last offseason after signing Hailey Van Lith for what ended up being a redemption season. After struggling at LSU, Van Lith morphed into one of the country’s top point guards, making TCU an enticing landing spot for any transfer. Coach Mark Campbell once again signed a top point guard in Olivia Miles, but unlike Van Lith, Miles isn’t in need of a redemption. She’s already at the top of her game. She joins another skilled senior guard in Maddie Scherr, who averaged 12.5 points, 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds during stints at Oregon and Kentucky.
Miles was the headline grabber during this transfer cycle, but she was far from the only signee that Campbell secured. With a solid backcourt in place, TCU set out to bring in size to replace 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince. Campbell signed 6-foot-7 Clara Silva (Kentucky), 6-foot-3 Marta Suarez (Cal) and 6-foot-7 Kennedy Basham (Arizona State). Campbell has been vocal about his desire to dominate the transfer portal, something he’s clearly doing. Last season it led to major success. This year, he once again has all the tools for a deep tournament run, maybe even the program’s first Final Four.
3. What’s left and next for Notre Dame after Miles’ exit?
On the other side of the Miles transfer sits Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were a title contender at the start of last season, but as the season wound down, their chemistry slipped dramatically, leading to a Sweet Sixteen exit (to none other than the Horned Frogs). The Irish graduated longtime starters in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld and then endured a mass exodus of transfers once Miles left. They ended up with just three returning scholarship players in point guard Hannah Hidalgo, reserve forward Cassandre Prosper and guard KK Bransford, who missed the 2024-25 season with a leg injury.
Coach Niele Ivey ended up putting together a somewhat rag-tag group of players, including Vanessa de Jesus (Duke), Malaya Cowles (Wake Forrest) and Gisella Sanchez (Kansas State). The only incoming transfer who averaged at least 10 points at their last school is graduate guard Iyanna Moore, who posted 12.4 points per game at Vanderbilt. Hidalgo will certainly carry a heavy burden offensively for Notre Dame, but even with her 23.8 points per game, the Irish don’t look anywhere close to a contender – not nationally and not even in the ACC.
4. Will MiLaysia Fulwiley find success at LSU?
After two seasons at South Carolina, Columbia-native MiLaysia Fulwiley left her hometown to play for SEC rival LSU. The Gamecocks signed the country’s leading scorer in senior guard Ta’Niya Latson out of Florida State, so they likely won’t miss Fulwiley. But the electric guard has endless potential. Fulwiley, though still raw in a lot of ways, was often the only Gamecock who could create her own offense last season.The former No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2023 was a highly-sought-after transfer, but her decision to sign with Kim Mulkey and LSU is a slightly confusing one. The Tigers have a relatively full backcourt with established stars Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams as well as one of last season’s top sixth players in Kailyn Gilbert.
Fulwiley is also yet to develop into her full potential — despite clear skill — and I’m not sure LSU is the place to do that. The Tigers developed a reputation as a desirable landing spot for transfers after Angel Reese left Maryland and led them to an NCAA Championship. That led to the signing of both Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow the next season. But Van Lith struggled and actually regressed as a player there . Meanwhile, Morrow came in as a star and left as the same player. The same can be said of Reese, who left with the same skills she came in with. She’s just now starting to unlock guard skills in the WNBA, something that could have been done at LSU. Fulwiley isn’t coming in with a polished skillset like Morrow and Reese, so it remains to be seen if LSU will unlock her potential, or if this wasn’t the right move.
5. How will the top three freshmen look in their rookie seasons?
ESPN’s HoopGurlz was the subject of some controversy this offseason as USC signee Jazzy Davidson jumped both Sienna Betts (UCLA) and Aaliyah Chavez (Oklahoma) to claim the No. 1 spot. Shane Laffin, the director of Premier Basketball, the organization behind the rankings said this was the hardest decision his rankings committee has ever had to make and that the group was divided. In other words, all three could have been named the No. 1 recruit. Rankings aside, Betts, Chavez and Davidson should all play significant roles for their respective programs this season. They should generate the same type of excitement that JuJu Watkins, Hidalgo and Fulwiley did in 2022-23. That’s certainly something for fans to look forward to.
