The second game of the WNBA Finals will be played tonight in San Francisco — in mere hours, actually — but there's another basketball story on the horizon. The 2026-27 NCAA season will kick off in mere weeks, and this season is set to generate even larger headlines than those that have preceded it.
For starters, JuJu Watkins will return to play for USC after an extended absence following a torn ACL in March 2025. There's no telling what the Trojans will be like with Watkins back on the floor, but it's safe to assume they'll be good — whatever it looks like.
All eyes will also be focused on the UConn Huskies and the South Carolina Gamecocks, the two teams largely considered to be the best at the collegiate level. That doesn't mean they won't both battle serious threats from each other and from around the country, but until the Huskies or the Gamecocks falter, they're the top two.
There are plenty of questions facing both teams. The Gamecocks, who welcomed freshman Oliviyah Edwards this summer after she departed Tennessee, have a few things to solve. South Carolina will kick things off without a point guard following the surprise departure of Maddie McDaniel (who left the program due to mental health reasons). Raven Johnson graduated earlier this year and played her first season for the Indiana Fever shortly thereafter. That's going to require head coach Dawn Staley to get creative and a little nontraditional with the roster she does have.
But if anyone is up to the task, it's Staley. She's often demonstrated the ability to think creatively and to pivot, and will get plenty of chances to do so as she keeps one eye on the SEC and the other on Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies.
The latter also have something to prove this season, which is a bit of a novel position to find themselves in after years of dominance. Sure, the Huskies will still be formidable and Sarah Strong isn't going anywhere, but the team is also experiencing a mild rebuild. A lot will rest with Blanca Quinonez, who has the ability to step into the Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd-sized holes the team may still be wrestling with.
As the defending champions, the Gamecocks are the presumed top team until they prove otherwise. Of course, as we've all learned in recent years, anticipating anything short of greatness from a Staley team isn't usually advisable.
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