1) UConn
Avery Becker | Sports Editor | She/Her/Hers
As the sun starts to rise on the 2026-27 campaign for UConn women’s basketball, it marks Geno Auriemma’s 42nd year at the helm. The Huskies enter this season coming off a dominant, undefeated regular season (38-0) before South Carolina handed them their first loss since February of 2025 in the Final Four. Junior Sarah Strong, who won National Player of the Year as a sophomore, is expected to make waves again as Auriemma has mentioned the evolution of her leadership and style of play. With the graduation of Azzi Fudd, it leaves a huge void in the backcourt. That’s where freshman Jovana Popovic comes into play. The freshman core of Popovic and center Olivia Vukosa will bring a new edge to Huskies as they look to return to the National Championship in Columbus, Ohio. As the Huskies take the No. 1 spot again in the Big East, fans don’t want to miss their season.
2) Villanova
Peyton Malzewski| Contributor |She/Her/Hers
After finishing second in the Big East with a 25-8 record, reaching the Big East championship and making an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, Villanova is ready to return and compete for the No. 1 spot in the conference. Returning guard Jasmine Bascoe is expected to lead the team again, as the junior averaged the most points and assists per game last season and led the Big East in both categories. Now, as an upperclassman, she can take on a bigger leadership role to help her team succeed. The Wildcats are also welcoming two freshmen, Alexis Eberz and Janet Oriakhi. Eberz put up an average of 17.6 points per game her senior year and earned many first-team all-state/county awards. While Oriakhi is from Austria and has European club experience to add to the roster. These two additions, coupled with the eight returning players, will hopefully help Villanova live up to their pre-season ranking of No. 2.
3) Creighton
Jake McCreven | Associate Sports Editor | He/Him/His
Venerable head coach Jim Flanery spurned the siren song of the transfer portal this off season, citing both its financial and intangible expenses at Big East Media Day, to build around the returning all-conference guard duo of Ava Zediker and Neleigh Gessert.
The Bluejays went to the Big Dance four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 under a core of recruits Flanery recruited, retained and developed in Omaha. They’re all gone, but Zediker and Gessert, both sophomores, spearhead the next generation of Creighton’s homegrown talent.
Equipped with one of the conference’s best backcourts and, aside from UConn, most cohesive units from top-to-bottom, Creighton enters 2026-27 firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble — which expanded this off season to include eight more teams — and looks the part of a 20-plus win team in year No. 14 under Flanery.
4) Seton Hall
Thaddeus Sawyer | Staff Writer | He/Him/His
Though the Pirates lost four of their top five scorers from a season ago, three to the SEC and one to graduation, they retained the most important one in top scorer Savannah Catalon. The only Pirate to earn Preseason All-Big East honors at Big East Media Day two weeks ago, the senior guard led Seton Hall in minutes last year and scored 13.1 points per game en route to an All-Big East team appearance.
Ja’Kahla Craft and Shailyn Pinkney also return after averaging around 20 minutes per game. Craft connected 40% of the time from beyond the arc on 55 attempts and Pinkney finished third on the team with 62 assists. After shuffling in and out of the starting lineup, both should be in the starting five this year.
While the Pirates lost a trio of players to the SEC, they also brought in one of their own: Mississippi State transfer Saniyah King appeared in 26 games for the Bulldogs off the bench and won Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year for Howard the year prior. 6-foot-4 freshman forward Inieye Oruh, a four-star, ESPNW top-100 recruit, could provide a jolt to the front court, as could 6-foot-5 freshman center Kenadie Maughan.
While they arguably lost more than they brought in, the Catalon-led Pirates seem poised to take advantage of the expanded NCAA tournament.
5) St. John’s
Lola Gaudino | Contributor | She/Her/Hers
The St. John’s Red Storm finished sixth in the Big East standings last season and were eliminated by Seton Hall in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. However, as they cascade into the 2026-27 season, the Red Storm look to be in the mix yet again.
The Red Storm returns both Brooke Moore and Sa’Mya Wyatt, who were selected to the All-Big East team in the preseason. Moore is coming off of an efficient 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game season, and is looking to build upon her success. As for Wyatt, she posted 10.9 points per game on 50.7% shooting from the field last season.
Head coach Joe Tartamella revamped his roster, bringing in four transfers and three freshmen to complement his squad. Headlining the newcomers is reigning MVC Sixth Player of the Year, junior guard Sanaa Tripp, and incoming freshman, #98th ranked recruit Syvannah Dawson.
St. Johns is expected to be a defensive minded squad, who will look to bring grit every single night. This mindset, and their overhauled roster, will make St. Johns an exciting team to look out for this year.
6) Marquette
Meredith Lloyd | Campus Correspondent | She/Her/Hers
In her second season, head coach Cara Consuegra led the Marquette women’s basketball team to an 18-12 record, with a 12-8 Big East finish. The Golden Eagles will lose senior Skylar Forbes, a 2026 All-Big East First Team selection and All-Defensive Team honoree. Forbes will continue her collegiate career with the West Virginia Mountaineers. Her departure places greater responsibility on senior forward Halle Vice. Last year, Vice led the conference in double-doubles (11) and rebounds per game (8.9), earning All-Big East First Team honors. The Golden Eagles welcome five new transfers, including former conference opponent MacKenzie Givens. At Xavier, Givens averaged 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and the junior brings her offensive versatility to the blue and gold. A three-level threat, Givens can contribute from the perimeter, attack the rim and help fuel Marquette’s transition offense. With Vice leading the frontcourt and five new transfers joining the rotation, the Golden Eagles will look to make their mark in a competitive Big East race.
7) Providence
Nicole Caruso | Staff Writer | She/Her/Hers
The Providence Friars women’s basketball team finished the 2025-26 season with a 15-18 overall record and a 7-13 record in Big East play. Providence will look to improve its offense from last season to earn more conference wins this season. The Friars have several returning players including junior guard Orlagh Gormley, sophomore guard Princess Moody and senior guard Sophi Hall. Providence also adds newcomers to its roster, with the addition of transfer student guards Kylah Silver and Taylor Barner, along with freshmen Voldie Basana and Marlene Mbilima. Providence will look to its returning players and new additions to fill the scoring gap left by Sabou Gueye, who led the team in scoring last season, averaging 15.6 points per game before graduating. The Friars and Huskies faced off against each other twice last season, with UConn securing the victory each time. Providence opens its regular season on Nov. 3 against Stonehill College before facing UConn twice in Big East play, first on Jan. 31 at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford and again on Feb. 26 at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence.
8) Butler
Alex Klancko | Campus Correspondent | He/Him/His
Butler had a 12-19 record last season, including a 6-14 record in the Big East. Its biggest downfall last season was away from Hinkle Fieldhouse. At home the Bulldogs were 9-8, but when they were away, their record was an abysmal 2-9, with their only two wins away coming at Georgetown and DePaul at the end of the season. Butler has a new head coach for the 2026 season. 2005 Butler graduate, Maria Marchesano. She takes over Butler after previously coaching Purdue Fort Wayne and Mount St. Mary’s. Over the offseason, Butler overhauled their squad with 11 new players. Of those 11 new players, four of them are freshmen, including Laniah Wills, Olivia Hastings, Lexi Baer and Sage Miskel. Seven are transfers: Judit Valero, Destiny Macharia, Taya Ellis, Tamar Singer, Lili Krasovec, Karina Bystr and Jacy Weisbrod. The only players that returned from last year’s team were Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson, who averaged 6/1/3 and 9/2/5 respectively. With this turnover from last year’s squad, it is hard to place where they will finish this season. With all the new additions they could surprise everyone, but on the other hand it could spell trouble because there is no cohesion yet.
9) Georgetown
Colette Doyle | Staff Writer | She/Her/Hers
Georgetown enters the season coming off a 14-17 overall record and a 6-14 record in Big East play. The Hoyas also experienced significant roster turnover, with nine players entering the transfer portal and top graduate student scorer Laila Jewett graduating. Georgetown added Bowling Green junior Johnea Donahue, who was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and ranked No. 2 among Big East transfers by Hoops HQ. Donahue averaged 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last season and will provide an experienced addition to the Hoyas’ roster. The Hoyas will also look to returners guard Khia Millers and guard Destiny Agubata for production. Still, with a largely reshaped roster following a difficult season, the Hoyas enter the year with questions to answer. They were ranked eighth in the Big East preseason poll, placing them in the lower half of the conference heading into the season.
10) DePaul
Mitchell Lookner | Contributor | He/Him/His
The DePaul women’s basketball team has an enormous chip on its shoulder going into this upcoming college basketball season, as the Blue Demons were picked to finish last in the conference in the Big East preseason poll. DePaul finished 8-24 overall last season; however, the Blue Demons added five transfers to their team, including all-conference forward Zoey Ward, who averaged 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds last season, and all-conference second team center Doyinsola Lijirin, who averaged 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds last season. On the other hand, DePaul also lost a total of eight players to the transfer portal this past offseason, and so the Blue Demons are going with a completely new look for the 2026-27 season. Jill Pizzotti is entering her second full season as head coach of the Blue Demons and will look to bring DePaul their first winning season in five years.
11) Xavier
Matt Dimech | Weekly Columnist | He/Him/His
Xavier women’s basketball will enter its 2026-27 campaign with a completely revamped look after finishing 11-19 overall and just 4-16 in conference play last season.
The Musketeers lost seven players who accounted for nearly 82% of their scoring. Their key loss was Mariyah Noel, the team’s leading scorer, who averaged 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Xavier struggled offensively last season, averaging 58.4 points per contest while shooting 28.3% from three.
Junior guard Meri Kanerva headlines the Musketeers’ returning players. She averaged 10.1 points and a team-high 3.9 assists per game. Kanerva is the only returner who averaged double figures.
Xavier will welcome eight newcomers to the team, including transfers Maria Anais Rodriguez, Hila Karsh and Diawna Carter-Hartley. The Musketeers will roll out a heavy international roster, with nine players hailing from outside the United States.
Head coach Billi Chambers will embark on her fourth season as head coach as Xavier vies to compete in the Big East.
- Player of the Year: Sarah Strong
- Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma
- Freshman of the Year: Olivia Vukosa
- Big East First Team:
- KK Arnold
- Blanca Quiñonez
- Kennedy Henry
- Ava Zediker
- Jasmine Bascoe