The Ball-Knower's NCAA Season Preview: The Big East
UConn is ready to defend their NCAA title but is there anyone else in the Big East that can hang with the Huskies? We take a look at who is most ready for the 2025 women's college basketball 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.
Geno Auriemma has made it clear in the past that he wants the rest of his conference to catch up to UConn. A big ask to regularly stack up against arguably the greatest program in women’s basketball history but his point is still well taken. The Big East had just two representatives in the NCAA Tournament last year as multiple teams either had to rebuild with new faces or a new head coach. But there may be some challengers this year, provided the wins come in the non-conference.
In Case You Missed It…
The Teams You Know:
UConn -
2025 Record & Result: 37-3 (18-0 Big East) NCAA Champions
The national champions are back and, even without Paige Bueckers, may be just as good (if not better) than they were last season. Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade are back as is National Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong, who may develop into one of the most complete WNBA frontcourt prospects we’ve seen since A’ja Wilson.
Without Bueckers, the question to figure out early in the year will be who plays the point and initiates the offense. Look no further than USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel, who is likely to slot into that role. Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, one of the most talented players in the nation, will also be on hand and will turn some heads early in the year.
Villanova -
2025 Record & Result: 21-15 (11-7 Big East)
Villanova didn’t make the Tournament last season but did post their fourth consecutive 20 win season, an impressive feat considering their star guard Lucy Olsen transferred to Iowa ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign. The Wildcats did comport themselves well but will also have to replace substantial production in the form of Maddie Webber and Maddie Burke.
Enter Kylee Watson, the former Oregon Duck and Notre Dame transfer. The 6’2 forward has had trouble staying healthy in college but could be a legit star for Villanova this year if all goes well. Considering this offense loves to showcase a singular star, Watson could put together a special season provided she remains in good health.
Creighton -
2025 Record & Result: 26-7 (16-2 Big East)
Arguably the only team holding up their end of the Big East bargain, Creighton has been a mainstay at the top of the conference standings since joining up in 2013. Jim Flannery’s crew have been a regular Tournament entrant since the pandemic, making an improbable Elite Eight run in 2021-2022 that included an upset over Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes.
But this may be a rebuilding year in Omaha and it wouldn’t surprise me if they took a step back in the standings. Lauren Jensen, Morgan Maly and Molly Mogensen were the longtime core trio of this Bluejays team before graduating this spring. It’ll be a November in which Flannery learns who will be able to step into those levels of production.
Marquette -
2025 Record & Result: 21-11 (12-6 Big East)
Cara Consuegra’s team managed a 21 win season last year, a nice surprise after Megan Duffy took a few of her stars with her to Virginia Tech. Skylar Forbes made a huge leap last year, going from 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game her freshman year to 15.8 points and 5.9 boards per game as a sophomore. She’ll have some help from All-Big-East second teamer Lee Volker and senior guard Jaidynn Mason.
Early non-conference tests include Minnesota and Iowa State, two NCAA Tournament level power conference teams who have aspirations of their own this year. Those were games that the top teams in the Big East lost last year and ultimately kept a few out of Tourney contention. If the Eagles can get Forbes going early, they may be in the selection conversation come March.
The Teams to Watch:
Seton Hall -
2025 Record & Result: 23-10 (13-5 Big East)
Stocked with a handful of power-conference transfers, the Pirates feel like they could be plucky this year. The biggest win of the offseason was hanging on to Jada Eads, the All-Big East First Team freshman guard who is a dynamite scorer and will be Seton Hall’s first option. Who emerges as her running mate is going to be the biggest question going into the year.
St. John’s -
2025 Record & Result: 16-15 (5-13 Big East)
It’s kind of hard to believe that Joe Tartamella has been coaching at St. John’s for over a decade considering he’s 46 years old. While he found early success in the first half of his career, the NIL/Rev Share era hasn’t been as kind outside of a 2022-2023 trip to the NCAA Tournament. Former ASUN Freshman of the Year Sa’Mya Wyatt will be asked to step up in a big way.
The Rest of the Field:
Butler -
2025 Record & Result: 16-18 (5-13 Big East)
It felt like Butler had some space to improve last year and did. Austin Parkinson proved that he has the capability of turning programs around and will hope to keep the line moving up this year. McKenna Johnson is a Minnesota transfer who may benefit from dropping down a level.
DePaul -
2025 Record & Result: 113-19 (8-10 Big East)
Jill Pizzotti enters her second season after a rather strange ascension to the head coaching role. There’s a lot of things to figure out here, given Doug Bruno’s 39 year reign over the program has come to an end. Expect Meg Newman to take the lead along with a few grad transfers from Faith Okorie to Devin Hagemann.
Georgetown -
2025 Record & Result: 12-19 (4-14 Big East)
Darnell Haney’s Hoyas had a bit of a rebuild after a tumultuous 2024 season. There’s a lot of upside with this job, provided he can get his team paddling in the right direction. The Davis sisters, Indya and Summer, will be asked to live up to the billing of their high school accolades.
Providence -
2025 Record & Result: 13-19 (6-12 Big East)
Olivia Olsen and Grace Efosa are gone, which means the Friars two leading scorers from a 13-19 unit are going to need to be replaced. It may be a tough slog for Providence this year, who hope that Farleigh Dickinson transfer Teneisia Brown and returning guard Orlagh Gormley are able to lift the Friars.
Xavier -
2025 Record & Result: 7-24 (1-17 Big East)
The 7-24 record was an improvement over Bill Chambers year one record of 1-27. The issue is that he’s a combined 1-35 through two Big East seasons. Sadly, that’s not so much on him as much as it is on Xavier, who has just two seasons over .500 since Kevin McGuff left in 2011.
The Three Best Players You Know:
Azzi Fudd - UConn
No real introduction is needed for Fudd. She’s a top five player in the country when she’s healthy and will be a centerpiece alongside an elite supporting cast.
Serah Williams - UConn
The Wisconsin transfer was one of the biggest names in the portal and now will factor in next to Sarah Strong to create one of the most talented frontcourts in America.
Sarah Strong - UConn
The best player in the nation already, perhaps? Strong was a complete x-factor in the Huskies tourney run last year and has even more frontcourt firepower alongside her.
The Five Best Players You Need to Know:
Kayleigh Heckel - UConn
The USC transfer isn’t Paige Bueckers but she’s exactly the type of distributing point guard that the Huskies will need. Also helps that she’s got a competitors mentality.
Indya & Summer Davis - Georgetown
The sisters were huge stars coming out of high school in Michigan but didn’t make the splash at Georgia they hoped for. A new start under Darnell Haney could work wonders.
Jada Eads - Seton Hall
A bit of an unsung hero due to UConn’s sensational freshman class but Eads is the first Pirate women’s basketball player to be named to the All-Big-East First Team as a freshman.
Grace Boffeli - Creighton
The former Northern Iowa star was sidelined last year by an injury but will be asked to lead a Creighton team that is replacing a few mainstays.
Kylee Watson - Villanova
The former Oregon and Notre Dame forward is now back near her home in New Jersey. Since ‘Nova likes to center singular players (a la Maddie Siegrist), expect to see a big year from Watson provided she can stay healthy.
Three Must-Watch Big East Games
Marquette vs. Minnesota: November 11, 8:00 PM ET
Seton Hall vs. Villanova: December 19th, TBD
UConn vs. Tennessee: February 1st, 12:00 PM ET