Conference play is underway and we’ve reached the midpoint of the 2025-26 women’s college basketball season.
UConn, Texas, UCLA and South Carolina all look capable of making the Final Four again. Huskies forward Sarah Strong has made a sophomore leap may be the odds-on favorite for player of the year. Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez and USC’s Jazzy Davidson are meeting high expectations as freshmen.
But there have been a few surprises, too. Texas Tech and Vanderbilt are among the four remaining undefeated teams. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks is leading the country in scoring. The nation’s top rebounder, sophomore Kourtney Grossman, plays at Eastern Washington. In her first year at Kentucky, Tonie Morgan is nearly averaging double-digit assists.
USA Today’s Studio IX reporters covering women’s sports have considered all the developments and are handing out midseason awards.
Player of the Year
Mitchell Northam: Audi Crooks, Iowa State, C, Jr.
Yes, the state of Iowa is home to the leading scorer in women’s college basketball once again. Crooks isn’t swishing 3-pointers from midcourt like Caitlin Clark, but instead wowing fans and dizzying opponents with her smooth work in the post. The 6-foot-3 junior center is averaging an astounding 29.1 points per game and shooting 71% from the floor. She’s scored 30 points or more in six games this season, four of them coming against Power 4 opponents. Crooks has something in common with another former Iowa superstar too: Since 2009, she and Megan Gustafson are the only two players who have shot north of 70% from the field while attempting at least 15 shots per game, according to HerHoopStats, and Crooks is doing it more efficiently and in less minutes. A case can be made for UConn’s Sarah Strong, but as conference play begins, Crooks is going to be playing against better competition in a Big 12 that features four teams in USA Today’s Sports coaches poll, while Strong will be playing in a Big East that earned just two bids to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Meghan Hall: Sarah Strong, UConn, F, So.
Strong is one of the best two-way players in the country. She’s a three-level scorer who can make you pay from all over the court while averaging 18 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. Strong is an underrated facilitator with immaculate vision who is averaging a career-high 4.5 assists per game. The sophomore is also fundamentally sound as a defender and rarely gets sped up or pushed out of position. She has veteran instincts which help her dissect plays long before they develop. Strong currently leads the undefeated Huskies (15-0) in points, rebounds, steals and blocks.
Cydney Henderson: Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, G, So.
Blakes is a certified bucket. That’s undeniable. She’s powered Vanderbilt (15-0) to the second-longest winning streak in program history, which the Commodores showed it’s no fluke by taking down No. 5 LSU. Blakes leads the Commodores with 25.2 points per game (third in the nation) and 3.7 steals (eighth in the nation). The 5-foot-8 guard has reach double-digit points in every game this season and has recorded four 30-point games, including a 32-point performance in Vanderbilt’s comeback victory to hand LSU their second consecutive loss in SEC play. Blakes scored 10 of Vanderbilt’s final 13 points to seal the win. As Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said, “She is her.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Northam: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame, G, Jr.
The two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the ACC, Hidalgo has a real chance to win the national award this season. Often roaming the court and reading defenses like a free safety — think about if Troy Polamalu played for Niele Ivey — Hidalgo has proven to be one of the best at picking off passes and stripping opponents of the ball. She leads the nation in steals with 5.9 a game and is also grabbing a career-high 6.3 rebounds a game this season, not too shabby for a 5-foot-6 guard. Earlier this season, Hidalgo set the NCAA record for steals in a single game with 16 and is closing in on Skylar Diggins’ program record for the Irish.
Hall: Sarah Strong, UConn, F, So.
Strong is wise beyond her years and can cover space as a patient defender. What makes Strong so good on the defensive end is she allows things to develop before deciding to attack. That patience creates opportunities to press her opponents into making mistakes, and it also helps her maintain a top-15 ranking in steals per game (3.47). Strong is also the ultimate anchor to UConn’s fifth-ranked scoring defense allowing opponents 52.2 points per game.
Henderson: Sarah Strong, UConn, F, So.
Strong, a 6-foot-2 forward, may be a sophomore, but her game is well-rounded. She leads the undefeated Huskies in points (18 per game), rebounds (8.1), steals (3.5) and blocks (1.6). Strong has turned in four double-doubles this season, including a monster 16-point, 20-rebound performance against Michigan on Nov. 21. Fueled by Strong, UConn has the fifth-best defense in the nation and ranks sixth in steals per game (15.4). UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has been around a lot of stars, but he said Strong has “an aura” he hasn’t seen before.
Freshman of the Year
Northam: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga, F, Fr.
The frontrunners for this award are obviously USC’s Jazzy Davidson and Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez, but Whittaker looks like the next great Gonzaga player. The 6-foot-3 forward from New Zealand has eight double-doubles this season and is averaging 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56.5% from the floor. She’s one of five players nationally posting at least 19 points and nine rebounds per game and the only rookie doing so. In a tough mid-major league like the West Coast Conference, Whittaker looks like a difference maker.
Hall: Jazzy Davidson, USC, G, Fr.
It’s rare to find the combination length and athleticism Davidson has as a freshman. At 6-1, she’s a taller guard, whose height immediately causes problems for defenders. Davidson uses her speed and quickness to break down defensive coverages, especially in one-on-one situations. The USC guard also utilizes that same length and speed as a defender, often cutting off lanes and creating stifling ball pressure. With teammate JuJu Watkins out for the season, she likely has more on her plate than most first year players, which makes it all the more impressive that she leads the Trojans in points (16.3 per game), rebounds (6.4) and blocks (2.7) and is tied for second in steals (1.8).
Henderson: Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma, G, Fr.
Oklahoma (14-1) is on a 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history, thanks in large part to Aaliyah Chavez. The 5-10 guard leads the Sooners and all true freshmen in scoring with 18.9 points per game, contributing to the nation’s second-best offense (94.5 points per game). Chavez has scored in double-digits in all but one game this season and has six 20-point performances, the most among all true freshmen. Chavez has racked up five SEC freshman of the week honors so far. National freshman of the year could be next.
Most Improved Player
Northam: Tessa Johnson, South Carolina, G, Jr.
While Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot have been impressive in the paint for Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks this season, South Carolina is powered by a trio of superb guards. Johnson has been a big part of that shift as she raises her game. Now in a starting role as a junior, she’s improved in nearly every statistical category, elevating her scoring average by five points, her assists by 1.4 per game, her rebounding by 2.6, and pushing her field goal and 3-point shooting percentages to new heights. Johnson’s 45.1% success rate on shots from behind the arc ranks 15th nationally, and her effective field goal mark of 60.8% is 30th in the country.
Hall: Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright, Iowa, G, So.
The Georgia Tech transfer found a new home in Iowa, and she’s making the most of it. Once a rotational player with the Yellow Jackets, Wright is starting at point guard for the Hawkeyes, averaging career highs in points (13.1 per game), assists (3.9) and steals (1.6). What’s been most impressive about her improvement this season is her efficiency. She’s shooting 48% from the field (up from 37% last season) and 49% from 3-point range, good for fifth in the nation.
Henderson: Joyce Edwards, South Carolina, F, So.
Joyce Edwards has taken a large step this season. The 6-foot-3 forward slid into the starting lineup after senior forward Chloe Kitts was ruled out for the season with an ACL tear in her right knee. Edwards has powered South Carolina to the fifth-best scoring offense in the nation (91.1 points per game). She’s averaging a team-high 21 points in 16 starts, up from 12.7 points her freshman year. Her stat line is rounded out by 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a team-high 1.9 steals per game. Edwards came off the bench for the Gamecocks last year, making one start in 39 games, and averaged 5 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Coach of the Year
Northam: Brenda Frese, Maryland
Few coaches have adapted as well to the transfer portal as well as Frese. Success in college basketball is now a year-to-year proposition, and Frese seems to reload and reshuffle Maryland into a team capable of deep runs in March Madness. Last year’s three leading scorers are absent: Sarah Te-Biasu and Shyanne Sellers exhausted their eligibility. Kaylene Smikle is out for the year with an injury as is Bri McDaniel, who started 25 games as a sophomore. Without them, Duke transfer Oluchi Okananwa has emerged as Maryland’s bus driver, averaging career highs across the board. Rookie Addi Mack has been thrust into a big role, and Indiana transfer Yarden Garzon is providing a punch. The Terps are 15-1 as Big Ten play gets underway. Some faces have changed, but Maryland’s standard under Frese remains high.
Hall: Vic Schaefer, Texas
For the last several years, the Longhorns have been near the top of the women’s college basketball world, but something feels different about this season’s roster. Perhaps it’s the bitter taste of losing in the 2025 Final Four to South Carolina, but the Longhorns have turned up the intensity. Under Schaefer, Texas is undefeated (17-0) and has the third-best scoring offense in the country (91.6 points a game). The Longhorns are shooting 51.8% from the field, good for third in women’s college basketball and have the country’s second-largest scoring margin per game (38.4 points). The Longhorns are also first in turnover margin (14.7) and second in assist to turnover ratio (1.94). Finally, Schaefer’s team has six ranked wins this season, including top-five wins over UCLA and South Carolina.
Henderson: Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma
Baranczyk has the Sooners back in the top 5 for the first time since the 2008-09 season in her fifth year as head coach. Oklahoma has the second-best scoring offense in the nation (94.5 points per game) and ranks first overall in rebounds per game (53.1) behind dominant center Raegan Beers and freshman sensation Aaliyah Chavez. The Sooners suffered a blowout loss to No. 3 UCLA two games into the season, but responded with 13 consecutive wins, the second-longest streak in program history. Last season, Baranczyk guided the Sooners to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. If Oklahoma continues to play like this, an even longer postseason run could be in their future.
Final Four predictions
Northam: UConn, Texas, UCLA, Oklahoma
UConn, reigning national champ, is undefeated and may not lose a game in the regular season. Texas owns an unblemished record too, and while they might face some tough games in a stacked SEC, the Longhorns have the look of a contender with Madison Booker and Rori Harmon leading the way. UCLA’s only loss is to Texas, and the Bruins — anchored by likely No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick Lauren Betts — look elite on both ends of the floor.
In each of the last six NCAA tournaments, at least one team not seeded on the one-line has made the Final Four. This year, that could be Oklahoma, who may pose a matchup problem during March Madness. They have a dominant post in Raegan Beers, a dynamic guard in Aaliyah Chavez, and a strong supporting cast that includes Peyton Verhulst, Sahara Williams and Zya Vann. The Sooners lead the nation in rebounding, grabbing 53.1 boards per game, and are holding their opponents to 29.8% shooting from the floor, which also leads the country.
Hall: UConn, Texas, UCLA, South Carolina
UConn, Texas and UCLA all look like well-oiled machines, and I fully expect all three teams to make it to the Final Four in Phoenix. The Huskies likely have the easiest path, with one ranked opponent on the schedule ahead of the tournament. UCLA and Texas have harder paths to postseason play, but both have dependable anchors. The Bruins have five potential 2026 WNBA draft prospects, including Lauren Betts, and the Longhorns have the talented trio of Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee leading the way. That leaves one spot for Phoenix and while I don’t feel overly confident in the Gamecocks being the fourth team — their defense has been too shaky at times for my liking — I’m hard pressed to think they won’t be there. Conference play and tournament time is typically when South Carolina plays its best basketball. LSU deserves consideration but at the midway point of the season, I can’t put them in the Final Four.
Henderson: UConn, Texas, UCLA, LSU
UConn and Texas are among the few undefeated teams remaining in women’s college basketball. The Huskies’ title defense is off to a 15-0 start, including a gritty win over No. 6 Michigan. The Huskies will likely run the table in the conference and add to their 53-game streak against Big East opponents. Texas looks equally dominant behind the one-two punch of Madison Booker and Rori Harmon. The Longhorns own ranked wins over UCLA and South Carolina, two teams they could face in Phoenix. UCLA has rattled off eight consecutive wins since its loss to Texas with potential WNBA No. 1 pick Lauren Betts finding her stride. The Bruins’ tougher non-conference schedule should pay dividends as they’ve already fought through some adversity. The final spot will likely come down to an SEC powerhouse, like South Carolina or LSU. The Tigers boast the highest scoring offense in the nation, but dropped two consecutive conference games, leaving more questions than answers. LSU has the talent to make the Final Four with the Big 3 of MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, but it’ll come down to how the Tigers respond in the second half of the season.
