While the UConn Huskies have been the most dominant program in women’s basketball in the modern era, the SEC has been the most prominent league. It has multiple recent national champions (South Carolina and LSU), as well as 10 teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season.
As a whole, the SEC has been balanced in how it builds its rosters, including the use of transfers. Two key impact names from a year ago include 5-foot-8 senior guard Ta’Niya Latson (14.1 points per game at South Carolina) and Taleyah Jones, a 5-foot-11 guard who led Arkansas with 17.1 points per game.
Which newcomers are set to have the biggest impact in the SEC next year? Here’s a list of the top 20 to watch.
1. Kiyomi McMiller, 5-foot-8 junior guard, Florida
2025-26 stats (Penn State): 21.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists
McMiller is a former five-star prospect who was one of the top scorers in the Big Ten at both Rutgers and Penn State. She’s a high-volume shooter, taking nearly 20 field goal attempts last season. But McMiller also had a streak of five straight 30-plus point outings, including 40 in an upset win over USC. After blowing up everything this offseason, including the transfer of top scorer Liv McGill, look for McMiller to be the go-to option again at her third college stop.
2. Talaysia Cooper, 6-foot senior guard, Mississippi
2025-26 stats (Tennessee): 16 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists
A two-time All-SEC player and leading scorer of a Vols team that made the NCAA Tournament, Cooper is easily one of the top transfers this offseason. She shot a career-high 34 percent from deep on six attempts a game, along with a career-high 30 points against Ole Miss. Cooper also is an all-league defender, including 10 steals against Stanford. With the entire rotation gone this offseason, Cooper will immediately step in to be the focal point of the Rebels.
3. Jordan Lee, 6-foot junior guard, South Carolina
2025-26 stats (Texas): 13.2 points, 2.5 assists
Lee doubled her production as a full-time sophomore starter, shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. Of the 16 games where Lee had 15-plus points, the most important was an 18-point outing in the Sweet Sixteen win over Kentucky. She also averaged 13.7 points per game in the three games against South Carolina last season. Look for her to be the Gamecocks’ new starter, replacing Ta’Niya Latson.
4. Jada Williams, 5-foot-6 senior guard, LSU
2025-26 stats (Iowa State): 15.3 points, 7.7 assists
Williams has 90 career starts in three years at Arizona and Iowa State. She ranked third in the nation in assists last season, including seven games with at least 10 assists. Williams also can score the ball, including a career-high 44 points in a win over Cincinnati. LSU does bring back multiple guards from last year, but none averaged more than 3.6 assists a game, setting Williams up to be the primary ball-handler.
5. Dakota Howard, 5-foot-11 sophomore forward, Georgia
2025-26 stats (McNeese State): 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds
Howard earned Southland Freshman of the Year honors, shooting 48 percent from the field and grabbing nearly three steals a game. She had six double-doubles, including a 20-point and 19-rebound outing against Stephen F. Austin. Howard, who also was an all-league defender, has a good chance to start for a Bulldogs roster that lost most of its rotation this offseason to the transfer portal.
6. Paris Bradley, 5-foot-9 junior guard, Alabama
2025-26 stats (Louisiana Tech): 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists
The two-time All-CUSA guard posted career-high numbers last season, including 38 percent three-point shooting on 5.6 attempts a game. Bradley had four games of at least 20 points, including 31 on the road at Liberty. The Crimson Tide lost all three starting guards to graduation this offseason, setting up Bradley to be the potential lead guard next season.
7. Brooke Coffey, 6-foot-1 senior guard/forward, Alabama
2025-26 stats (Lindenwood): 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds
Coffey is a two-time all-league player in the Ohio Valley Conference and was among the league’s more efficient players, as she shot 53 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. Coffey has a good chance of starting alongside Bradley for Alabama, giving them a much-needed shooting threat who can also rebound and pass.
8. Vernell Atamah, 6-foot junior forward, Vanderbilt
2025-26 stats (Northwestern State): 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds
Atamah was the Southland Player of the Year as a sophomore, leading the league in scoring while shooting nearly 40 percent from deep on 7.4 attempts per game. Besides dominating the Southland, she also had success against high-major opponents, including 20 points versus Nebraska and 19 versus Kansas. Vanderbilt is coming off the program’s breakthrough year and returns All-American and SEC Player of the Year 5-foot-8 junior guard Mikayla Blakes (27 points per game) and will have Atamah as a potential featured frontcourt player after losing both starters this offseason.
9. Naomi White, 5-foot-9 sophomore guard, Tennessee
2025-26 stats (Northern Arizona): 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds
White was the Big Sky Rookie of the Year while leading the conference in scoring, shooting 37 percent from deep on eight attempts a game. Among her many prolific performances was 37 on the road at Weber State. As you’ll see throughout this list, there will be many newcomers to Tennessee after a massive roster exodus. Look for White to have a large role in the offense as a starting guard.
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10. Fatmata Janneh, 6-foot-1 senior forward, Tennessee
2025-26 stats (Texas A&M): 11.4 points, 9.7 rebounds
After two great years at Saint Peter’s, Janneh proved she could be a good SEC player, ranking fifth in the league in rebounding last season. She also had a career-high efficiency of 43 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from deep. Janneh, who had two double-double streaks of five games in a row, will be a proven starter for the Vols’ rebuilt roster.
11. Doneelah Washington, 6-foot junior forward, Mississippi
2025-26 stats (Illinois State): 16.7 points, 8.6 rebounds
Washington was the Most Improved Player in the Missouri Valley Conference while also earning all-defensive honors. She shot 50 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep, as well as 3.6 steals/blocks per game. Among her 13 double-double games was a 31-point, 12-rebound performance against Belmont. Mississippi had one of the best forwards in the nation last season in 6-foot Cotie McMahon (19.5 points per game) and hopes Washington can provide similar production.
12. Mia Woolfolk, 6-foot-3 junior forward, Vanderbilt
2025-26 stats (Georgia): 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds
A two-year starter at Georgia, Woolfolk shot 60 percent from the field last season. The former All-SEC freshman had 10 games of at least 15 points, including 27 in the round of 64 defeat to Virginia. As a proven SEC starter, Woolfolk will be a potential second option on offense for the Commodores after Blakes.
13. Jailyn Banks, 5-foot-9 senior guard, Georgia
2025-26 stats (Belmont): 15.4 points, 3.5 assists
Banks started all 87 games in three years at Belmont, earning All-MVC honors in all three years. The veteran ball-handler shot 38 percent from the field in her career, including six outings of at least 20 points. Having lost star scorer and 5-foot-9 sophomore guard Dani Carnegie to the portal, look for Banks to be a starter and likely lead guard for the offense.
14. Aryss Macktoon, 5-foot-10 senior guard, Mississippi State
2025-26 stats (La Salle): 15 points, 7.6 rebounds
Macktoon is coming off a career-high offensive campaign, shooting 40 percent from the field and ranking third in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding. The reigning Conference Defensive Player of the Year is also one of the best on-ball defenders in the country, including two straight seasons averaging 3.2 steals per game. Although the Bulldogs bring back their top two rebounders and frontcourt players from last season, Macktoon should help upgrade the team’s defense, which ranked in the bottom tier of the SEC last year.
15. Kaylene Smikle, 6-foot senior guard, Tennessee
2025-26 stats (Maryland in 7 games): 13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds
In four years at Rutgers and Maryland, Smikle has a career average of 17.2 points per game. The two-time All-Big Ten player was limited to just seven games last season before undergoing knee surgery. Assuming she’s ready to go at the start of the 2026-27 campaign, look for Smikle to be a lead guard for Tennessee, as she brings plenty of high-major experience.
16. Jada Eads, 5-foot-7 junior guard, Tennessee
2025-26 stats (Seton Hall): 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists
Eads is a former All-Big East guard with 40 starts in two years for the Pirates. Similar to Smikle, Eads also is recovering from an injury, suffering a torn ACL in January. When healthy, she’s another capable guard who can play in the SEC, but her timeline for next season is unknown.
17. Me’Arah O’Neal, 6-foot-4 junior forward, Kentucky
2025-26 stats (Florida): 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds
O’Neal was second on the Gators in scoring last season, shooting 53 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep. She had seven double-doubles and six games with at least 20 points, including 22 on the road at Vanderbilt. O’Neal, a proven SEC-caliber starter, will replace 6-foot-3 forward Amelia Hassett (10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) in the frontcourt.
18. Kennedy Fauntleroy, 5-foot-7 senior guard, Tennessee
2025-26 stats (East Carolina): 13.7 points, 4.8 assists
The veteran guard has played for four different teams, including Georgetown, Arizona State and Oklahoma State. Fauntleroy is coming off an all-league campaign in the American that included a 27-point outing against Temple. While her production isn’t at the level of the other guard transfers for the Vols, look for Fauntleroy to fit into the rotation as a veteran ball-handler.
19. Sira Thienou, 6-foot junior guard, Auburn
2025-26 stats (Mississippi): 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists
The veteran playmaker started 52 games in two years at Ole Miss but was much less efficient from the field last season compared to her freshman campaign. Thienou did have back-to-back 20-point games in SEC play, along with 17 points and 10 assists against Missouri. After finishing next to last in the standings, Auburn hopes Thienou and her league experience will make them more competitive.
20. Essence Cody, 6-foot-4 senior forward, Texas A&M
2025-26 stats (Alabama): 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds
Cody has 88 career starts in three years at Alabama and is coming off career-high numbers of 56 percent field goal shooting. The veteran had 10 games with at least 15 points, including 19 in the round of 64 win over Rhode Island. The Aggies, who were one of the smaller teams in the SEC last season, will look to Cody to replace the outgoing 6-foot-5 senior forward Lauren Ware, who averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
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