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Five things we're liking in the 2025-26 women's college basketball season so far
Iowa State center Audi Crooks. Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Five things we're liking in the 2025-26 women's college basketball season so far

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated Nov 18, 2025 12:29 PM ET

The 2025-26 college basketball season might just be getting started, but certain things have already grabbed our attention.

Here are five things we're liking in the women's game through the season's first two weeks.

1. LSU Tigers offense

Associated Press No. 5 LSU (5-0) has its best offense of the Kim Mulkey era. The Tigers are first in Division I in scoring, averaging 111.8 points per game. On Monday, they easily handled Tulane (2-2), winning 101-71, surpassing 100 points for the fifth consecutive game to start the season. The last time LSU achieved this, it went on to win the 2023 national championship.

Guard MiLaysia Fulwiley has been a perfect addition after spending her first two college seasons at conference rival South Carolina. Despite coming off the bench, she leads LSU in points (17.6 per game) and steals (4.8 per game) while shooting an impressive 60.3 percent. Alongside Flau'jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and emerging freshman ZaKiyah Johnson, the Tigers boast one of the country's top guard rotations. Each can initiate the offense, providing LSU with multiple attacking options and forcing opponents to choose their poison.

2. South Carolina Gamecocks defense

Dawn Staley's squad stymied No. 11 USC (2-1) on Saturday, holding the Trojans to a season-low in points in a 69-52 win. This season, No. 2 South Carolina (4-0) is allowing 47.5 points per game. USC made one three and shot under 39.6 percent on two-point attempts, thanks to a relentless defensive effort led by fifth-year senior guard Raven Johnson, who had two blocks. Overall, this season, the Gamecocks have held opponents to 17.8 percent from beyond the arc, and forwards Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot have made life difficult for opponents when attacking the basket. It's been business as usual at South Carolina, which has shown no lingering effects from last season's blowout national title game loss to Connecticut.

3. Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks

Cooks established herself as a force in the paint during the 2024 NCAA Tournament, when she dropped 40 points in an opening-round win over Maryland, but has leveled up in 2025-26. Through five games, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week is averaging 26.4 points while shooting 76.1 percent, both career highs.

In a 97-50 victory over Valparaiso last Wednesday, Crooks scored a career-high 43 points on 18-of-23 shooting in just 20 minutes. The junior was almost impossible to stop once in the paint and also demonstrated a deft touch on jump shots.

With USC guard JuJu Watkins (ACL) out for the season and former UConn star Paige Bueckers in the WNBA, players like Crooks have a real chance to become household names. Given her sensational start, many more people will be talking about her by the end of the season.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders

We're in the golden era of Texas Tech athletics. The softball team, led by star pitcher NiJaree Canady, made it to the championship round in this year's women's College World Series, while the football team is ranked No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff poll and is on track for a spot in the 12-team field.

Women's basketball might be part of the renaissance, starting the season 5-0, including wins against power conference opponents in their last two games, after finishing 19-18 in 2024-25. Among 78 programs with at least 100 three-point attempts this season, the Red Raiders have the fourth-highest shooting percentage at 40 percent. Junior forward Jalynn Bristow, who averaged 13.3 minutes and 4.4 points per game as a freshman and sophomore, has become their top player, now averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, three blocks and 1.6 steals per game, with shooting splits of 45.5/40.9/86.7 percent.

5. Freshmen class

This year's crop of freshmen is already making waves. Jazzy Davidson has made up for poor shooting numbers by leading USC in scoring (14.3 points per game), assists (3.7 per game) and blocks (2.3 per game). No. 9 Maryland (5-0) guard Addi Mack has been a spark plug off the bench, averaging 12.2 points per game on 55.8 percent shooting.

No. 8 Oklahoma (4-1) is led by senior forward Raegan Beers, but Aaliyah Chavez has had an excellent start to her collegiate career, ranking second among freshmen in scoring (18.4 points per game) while shooting 39.5 percent from deep, averaging three makes on 7.6 attempts per game. Guard Aaliyah Crump, the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, is averaging 14.8 points, three rebounds and two assists for No. 4 Texas (4-0).

Eric Smithling
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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