Who is the team to beat next Year?

[MilfordHusky]

I would have never thought there was a chance the Paige Bueckers would leave UConn without one NC. Right now I think there is a better chance of her not winning a NC. UConn might not be a top 4 team next year. UConn will certainly have their work cut out for them.

Paige has potentially 3 more years at UConn, counting a redshirt for this season plus a Covid year. I don't know how long she'll stay, but it could be more than next year.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

12. Maryland Terrapins​

No coach has restocked better over the past few years than Brenda Frese. She has a little more to do heading into next season. Diamond Miller is off to the WNBA, so Shyanne Sellers will now be the No. 1 option. The return of Faith Masonius, Lavender Briggs and Brinae Alexander as graduate students gives Frese a more substantial foundation than she had at this time last year. Riley Nelson, a 6-0 guard and local product, heads a solid recruiting class, and the Terps still have three scholarships available. Expect some more additions from the transfer portal.

The last line is so important. If the get a quality PG and a quality post, they're in the mix as well. There are two local transfers that are perfect for them. Brenda just needs to sign them.

 

[From France]

Well, LSU if all are returning will be of interreset, as will be SC or ND with a healthy Miles

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OET.../image/8369439/geno-auriemma-kim-mulkey.0.jpg

 

[From France]

LSU has two 5 years players in their starting line up this year.

If we get Nika / Paige / Azzi healthy the full year , then there will be no problem

 

[From France]

it is perhaps not a good reference, we have the best team since 2000/01 but Svet & Shea injuried

 

[Nolefan]

Hard to root for LSU but they deserved this win .. Kim isn’t going away anytime soon.. as long as they whoop SC ever year I’m a happy person

 

[bovwa10]

LSU has two 5 years players in their starting line up this year.

#1 recruiting class

 

[SECbbfan24]

I think its crazy to even discuss any of this until we get through portal season. How many rosters have been changes (for better or worse) each year after the portal

 

[From France]

Kim & Dawn are very good coaches

 

[From France]

Portal has nothing to do witht it, there are just bench players

 

[SECbbfan24]

Kim & Dawn are very good coaches

Kim is average tbh

 

[From France]

a few of them can be stars in minor programs

 

[Tonyc]

Creme is likely to list his way-too-early picks in the next day or so.

Edit: He published it as soon as today's game ended.

ESPN has already listed them I posted it in another Thread UConn UTah LSU top 3

 

[From France]

Kim is average tbh

She was part of LT high, then made Baylor and now has made LSU

 

[oldhusky]

I am really surprised at some of the responses which seem to be heavily weighted by a reaction to this year, not the prospects for next year. There are some things that need to go our way on the health front, but other than that I don't see any team matching us at positions 1-4. If we get pretty good production at the 5 we should be the best.

I frankly don't see how VT or Iowa could be as good. South Carolina won't be as good, but still very good. They could still have the best C in the country with Cardosa, for sure in the top hand-full, have plenty of other bigs that performed well in limited minutes, but still need that outside shooting.

Stanford should be near the top again, they lose Jones but return their twin towers with Brink and Betts, and Jump is coming back. LSU is obviously a national power under Mulkey, their superstar returns, and I worry a little they will pull in a major portal addition after this championship like they did last year.

Plenty of teams can be contenders, but once again I don't see anybody that can match us 1-4. At the 5 we have two terrific prospects in Ice and Jana and the possibilities are dwindling for a major portal addition, but we should be pretty good there even if we have to play them major minutes in their first year. They probably won't be nearly as good as they will be a couple years later, but how many teams would love to have the problem of inexperienced 5's if they had as much talent as Ice and Jana?

This team will have a heavy comeback story to it as well, with Paige, Azzi, Caroline and Ice coming back from injury plagued seasons, and of course Aubrey returning from back surgery this year. You might be able to debate best recruiting classes with a few schools including us, but if you include adding our two players that missed the whole season it is no contest. No addition to any team is as significant as Paige returning next year.

We need to avoid the bad luck of the last two years on injuries, and have our recovering players come back close to their pre injury form, but the pieces are there for us to be as good as anybody.

 

[From France]

the SOS was so poor, that it made be a 3 seed, they didn't deserve a 1 but probably a 2 and they proved it

 

[bovwa10]

the SOS was so poor, that it made be a 3 seed, they didn't deserve a 1 but probably a 2 and they proved it

Agreed, I don’t see how they could’ve been seeded any lower than they were

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

LSU apparently.

Tell them not to get comfortable with it

 

[Tonyc]

Kim & Dawn are very good coaches

Kim and Dawn I agree are very good coaches however Kim had Griner and won how many NCs and Dawn had Asia and won how many NC. There are some coaches out there that said Geno doesnt develop bigs to get bigs to play for them. Look at UConns bigs compared to every other coach in WCBB

 

[From France]

Kim and Dawn I agree are very good coaches however Kim had Griner and won how many NCs and Dawn had Asia and won how many NC. There are some coaches out there that said Geno doesnt develop bigs to get bigs to play for them. Look at UConns bigs compared to every other coach in WCBB

Geno doesn't develop the bigs, Chris & Jamelle doe, I Think

 

[huskyblooz]

the transfer portal just opened. Can we wait, please?

 

[wingsfan055]

Geno better change his tune about the Portal and quick because it literally is a big determining factor on who wins Titles. I don't think LSU wins this year without the Portal nor SC last year if they didn't grab Cardosa.

 

[bovwa10]

Kim and Dawn I agree are very good coaches however Kim had Griner and won how many NCs and Dawn had Asia and won how many NC. There are some coaches out there that said Geno doesnt develop bigs to get bigs to play for them. Look at UConns bigs compared to every other coach in WCBB

I don’t know if Geno develops bigs better but I think he puts them in better positions to succeed than the others. Dawn did Aliyah a disservice this year by not building the team around her skillset more.

 

[Blue Huskie]

Probably the teams to beat will be the usual suspects including us. But IMO no head and shoulders fave like there was this year with SC.

 

[Happydad745]

UConn, LSU, Stanford, South Carolina, and whoever gets a few primo players from the transfer portal.

 

[Centerstream]

Other than UConn, and SoCar recently, what other Final Four teams have made it there in back to back years?

 

[bovwa10]

UConn, LSU, SC, ND, VT, Stanford, and maybe Iowa are the top contenders in my book.

 

[bovwa10]

Other than UConn, and SoCar recently, what other Final Four teams have made it there in back to back years?

Stanford in ‘21 and ‘22, ND in ‘18 and ‘19, Miss State in ‘17 and ‘18

 

[CTBballfan243]

Seriously? Then why are you here?

I didn’t say UConn wouldn’t be good. Just don’t think they will have all the pieces needed to win it all. We will see. Toughness might be a problem. We have the sleek players who play with flair, but do we have enough grit grinders that are willing to do the dirty work ( and who can stay healthy) that is needed to win it all. But the good thing is that we are gonna see it play out. I know one thing, win or lose, it will be another fun and entertaining season in Storrs. I thought this past season was very enjoyable and entertaining. All the games we very close and competitive, which added to the enjoyment of watching the games. I suspect next season will be very similar from a competition standpoint.

 

[pk1234]

Don't think there's an obvious frontrunner, but it will likely be the deepest group of NCAAWBB talent in the history of the game.

UConn brings back a NPOY to add to a team with two more potential AA's
3 of the 4 F4 teams bring back their All-American level best player
The only one that doesn't is SC... who isn't going away
Stanford still has Brink, Jump, etc.
Utah bring everyone back
ND has Miles, Citron, Westbeld etc.
Hailey Van Lith back at Louisville, Holmes back at Indiana, Sheldon/McMahon back at OSU, Jackson back at Tenn

Transfer portal will continue to make things very interesting