The Ball-Knower's NCAA Season Preview: The SEC
The No Cap Space WBB conference preview week ends with the SEC and which of their contenders has the best shot to hold up a national championship trophy at the end of the season.
With the NCAA Women’s Basketball season right around the corner, No Cap Space WBB is here to preview every end of the country. We started with a general mid-major preview then dove into the power conferences (Big East, ACC Big 12, SEC and Big Ten), priming you for one of the most anticipated women’s basketball seasons in recent memory.
Well folks, we made it. Our NCAA Preview week wraps up with the SEC, arguably the deepest and most talented conference in women’s college basketball this year. Keep an eye out for our NCAA mega preview tomorrow where you’ll be able to find our staff picks for the year ahead. In the meantime, catch up with past previews in case you’ve missed them…
The Teams You Know:
LSU -
2025 Record & Result: 31-6 (12-4 SEC) NCAA Elite Eight
LSU had a chance to make the Final Four last season but came up just short against UCLA. Now, with Flau’jae Johnson back for another year, Kim Mulkey went back to the transfer portal and pulled some amazing talent to augment what she already has in Baton Rouge.
South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley will be playing under a microscope this year, as her much discussed exit from Columbia added an extra layer to a rivalry that exists everywhere but in the win/loss column. Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval will anchor the frontcourt while LSU will need a lot out of their fabulous freshman forward Grace Knox.
South Carolina -
2025 Record & Result: 35-4 (15-1 SEC) NCAA Runners-Up
There’s a fair argument to make that last season was Dawn Staley’s finest coaching job in Columbia. After graduating out the 2024 class and losing Ashlyn Watkins (who is out again this year), the Gamecocks still managed to make the NCAA title game.
Now, they’ve traded MiLaysia Fulwiley out for Ta’Niya Latson, who will reunite with former high school teammate Raven Johnson in the backcourt. Joyce Edwards has another year of experience under her belt while highly touted freshman Agot Makeer could be a major difference maker. At the same time, being without Watkins and Chloe Kitts (torn ACL) could limit their ceiling.
Texas -
2025 Record & Result: 35-4 (15-1 SEC) NCAA Final Four
Texas had a South Carolina problem and I think it’s fair to say, given the ample data, that Vic Schaefer has a bit of a Dawn Staley problem. Lots of coaches do. Just ask Kim Mulkey. But this may be the year the Longhorns are able to rise above as they return much of their Final Four core from last year and add plenty of new pieces.
SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker is back after a summer filled to the brim with international basketball. She’s joined by Rori Harmon and Kyra Oldacre, who are both back for one more run in Austin. Arizona transfer Breya Cunningham will be a nice replacement for Taylor Jones while 6’1 guard Aaliyah Crump has already turned heads in preseason. As it stands, the Longhorns are the favorite to win the conference.
Tennessee -
2025 Record & Result: 24-10 (8-8 SEC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Any questions about Kim Caldwell’s ability to adapt to the SEC were answered this past season. Not only does the former Marshall coach’s system work at the highest level of college hoops, it excels and puts players in positions to succeed. Is it enough to win a title? We’ll soon find out as the Lady Vols roster is supercharged to make a potential deep tournament run this year.
Zee Spearman and Talaysia Cooper are back after breakout seasons in Knoxville. And while Ruby Whitehorn may not be with the team come the start of the season after another brush with law enforcement (this time for possession, the forward’s second arrest since August) there are plenty of faces to pick up the slack. Jersey Wolfenbarger is a really interesting transfer from LSU while the Pauldo twins, Mia and Mya, are ready to introduce themselves to the women’s basketball world.
The Teams to Watch:
Alabama -
2025 Record & Result: 24-9 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Second Round
This may be a bit of a rebuilding year for Alabama after their veteran laden core headlined by Aaliyah Nye and Sarah Ashlee Barker went off to the WNBA. Junior forward Essence Cody returns along with Karly Weathers but the player to watch here is Mid Tenn State transfer Ta’Mia Scott.
Kentucky -
2025 Record & Result: 23-8 (11-5 SEC) NCAA Second Round
The Wildcats started off the Kenny Brooks era with a very solid 23 win season. Georgia Amoore may be gone but Clara Strack is still in Lexington and will be the focal point of this Kentucky team. Unfortunately, figuring out the guard position may take some time as Dominika Paurova injured her knee earlier this past week.
Oklahoma -
2025 Record & Result: 27-8 (11-5 SEC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
The Aaliyah Chavez era has arrived in the city of Norman. Jennie Baranczyk retained most of her talent from last year’s Sweet Sixteen team, including All-American center Raegan Beers and All-Big-12 forward Payton Verhulst. If Chavez is as good as advertised, then the Sooners will finally have that missing piece guard to go along with a deep and talented frontcourt.
Ole Miss -
2025 Record & Result: 22-11 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
If there were ever a season for Coach Yo’s Ole Miss to make the leap, this feels like a pretty good one to do it. UCF star guard Kaitlin Peterson and Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon join a group that will look to replace Starr Jacobs, KK Deans and Kennedy Todd-Wiliams. The player that deserves a little more attention is 6’1 sophomore Sira Thienou, a legit SEC breakout candidate.
Vanderbilt -
2025 Record & Result: 22-11 (8-8 SEC) NCAA First Round
The excitement for this season was somewhat dampened by the summertime news of Khamil Pierre’s departure. But even with her and Iyana Moore’s transfers out of the program, the Commodores still have superstar guard Mikayla Blakes and a couple other interesting pieces to compete. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Aaliyah Del Rosario will be season changing transfers if they hit.
The Rest of the Field:
Auburn -
2025 Record & Result: 12-18 (3-13 SEC)
Larry Vickers takes over an Auburn program that has been struggling as of late. This one may be considered a bit of a year zero as the former Norfolk State head coach gets his feet under him.
Arkansas -
2025 Record & Result: 10-22 (3-13 SEC)
Kelsi Musick plays a fast paced and high scoring style so I’m really interested to see if what worked at Oral Roberts can work at Arkansas. This may be another longer term rebuild.
Florida -
2025 Record & Result: 19-18 (5-11 SEC) WBIT Champions
There is a ton of international flavor on this Florida roster. So much so, that there’s a lot of different outcomes for the Gators this season. Freshman Emilia ‘Mills’ Dakic is an interesting Australian prospect to watch.
Georgia -
2025 Record & Result: 13-19 (4-12 SEC)
Katie Abrahamson-Samuelson feels in a similar boat as Joni Taylor. These types of results aren’t acceptable for a program as historically competitive as the Bulldogs but there aren’t a ton of options if the investment isn’t there. This roster may not make an NCAA Tournament but will it be enough to keep KAS employed?
Mississippi State -
2025 Record & Result: 22-12 (7-9 SEC)
Sam Purcell’s Mississippi State Bulldogs are good but only ever just. Their success and Tournament bids warrant a bit more in the preview section but they’ve just kind of been *there* for the last couple years.
Missouri -
2025 Record & Result: 14-18 (3-13 SEC)
Kellie Harper’s Tigers are already in the news for losing an exhibition game to a Division II team. So, that’s how that’s going. If the expectation for Mizzou was to do better than Robin Pingeton, I’m not so sure Harper is the hire to do it. At least not in year one.
Texas A&M -
2025 Record & Result: 11-19 (3-13 SEC)
This feels like the year Joni Taylor has to figure it out or hit the road. Unfortunately there’s not a ton of juice on this roster to make me confident that things will be okay in Aggieland.
The Five Best Players You Know:
Madison Booker - Texas
Booker’s quest to make a Final Four was completed last year but now she has a new challenge in front of her: beating South Carolina and winning a national championship. I’m interested in if that clutch or killer gene shows itself this year.
Flau’jae Johnson - LSU
Few people have had a busier summer than Flau’jae, who has done everything from make new music to playing for Team USA in the FIBA Americup. Depending on how LSU’s season goes, she may be the next big college superstar — to the level of a Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins — to emerge.
Ta’Niya Latson - South Carolina
Latson finally gets to play under the bright lights and high expectations that a place like South Carolina brings. Can she maintain her scoring clip and averages in this offense? And can Dawn Staley help mold her into a next level defender?
Raegan Beers - Oklahoma
Beers is quietly one of the players that I think should be a lot higher on people’s pre-draft lists. Yes, there’s a question about her range as a shooter but Jennie Baranczyk has helped make her a more versatile defender and player. I expect to see more of that this year.
MiLaysia Fulwiley - LSU
There’s already plenty of discussion about Fulwiley’s minutes and the season hasn’t even started yet. Will she be a starter, or a sixth player again? Was Dawn right? Will Kim unlock MiLaysia? If nothing else, she’ll be a fascinating story to watch this year. And if she balls out, all the better.
The Five Best Players You Need to Know:
Joyce Edwards - South Carolina
Edwards took a slight backseat to Sarah Strong in the National Freshman of the Year race but finished the year extremely strong. After a busy summer with Team USA, the Gamecocks success will hinge partly on Edwards and her development without Kitts and Watkins.
Mikayla Blakes - Vanderbilt
You should know Mikayla Blakes but too many people still don’t. Get introduced to her early this year, watch her drop 50 on people’s heads and then thank me later.
Cotie McMahon - Ole Miss
McMahon has a chance to really flash her skill as a team’s number one option this year. If she can stay out of foul trouble in the SEC, then this could be a huge year for the Ohio State transfer.
Talaysia Cooper - Tennessee
The former South Carolina Gamecock has found a new home in Knoxville and is likely to make a massive leap this season as her WNBA Draft stock continues to rise.
Dani Carnegie - Georgia
The one player that could make or break the Bulldogs this season, the former Georgia Tech guard will likely factor in as one of the best guards in the conference.
The Five Must-Watch SEC Games This Year
Oklahoma vs. UCLA: November 10th, 10:30 PM ET
South Carolina vs. Texas: January 15th, 7:00 PM ET
Tennessee vs. UConn: February 1st, 12:00 PM ET
South Carolina vs. LSU: February 14th, 8:30 PM ET
Ole Miss vs. LSU: February 19th, 9:00 PM ET