The 2026-27 women's college basketball season opened on Nov. 1 with Notre Dame defeating Villanova 99-75 at the Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome, Italy, just 14 hours after the WNBA season concluded. Hannah Hidalgo led the Fighting Irish with 32 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Most other top players begin their campaigns this week, including JuJu Watkins, who returns to USC after missing the previous season recovering from an ACL tear.
Top 10 Players for 2026-27
10. Toby Fournier (Duke, 6-2 forward): The ACC Rookie of the Year as a freshman, Fournier thrived as a starter last season averaging 17.3 points on 52.5% shooting, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Her two-handed dunk has become a signature warmup move, and her 6-5 wingspan makes her a defensive threat.
9. Olivia Olson (Michigan, 6-1 guard): The Wolverines' leading scorer and rebounder during their 28-7 Elite Eight run, Olson averaged 18.9 points on 46.8% shooting and 6.1 rebounds as a sophomore. She hit a game-winning shot with 3.2 seconds left in overtime against Ohio State en route to a career-high 31 points.
8. Audi Crooks (Oklahoma State, 6-3 center): The top transfer portal addition, Crooks holds the longest active Division I streak for consecutive double-figure scoring games. She finished 2025-26 as the nation's second-leading scorer at 25.8 points per game on 64.9% shooting, including a career-high 47 points on 19-of-25 shooting against Indiana.
7. Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State, 5-7 point guard): The Big Ten's leading scorer at 23.2 points per game on 49.4% shooting, Cambridge scored 20+ points in 21 games and posted 41 points on 52% shooting in an NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame. She also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals.
6. Joyce Edwards (South Carolina, 6-3 forward): Edwards set a South Carolina single-season scoring record with 768 points, averaging a team-high 19.2 points on 57.1% shooting. She added 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Coach Dawn Staley compared her ball-handling to former Gamecock and WNBA star A'ja Wilson.
5. Madison Booker (Texas, forward): Despite a tough Final Four game, Booker averaged 18.9 points on 50.8% shooting and recorded a 40-point, 66.7% shooting performance against Oregon in the NCAA Tournament. She models her game after Kevin Durant and steps into a veteran leadership role after Rori Harmon's departure.
4. Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt, guard): The nation's leading scorer at 27.1 points per game as a sophomore, Blakes set an NCAA Division I sophomore single-season scoring record with 918 points. She had 12 games of 30+ points and averaged 2.9 steals, ranking in the top 25 nationally.
3. JuJu Watkins (USC, wing): Returning after 19 months following an ACL tear, Watkins set the NCAA Division I freshman scoring record with 920 points in 2023-24 and won the 2024-25 Naismith Player of the Year award averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks.
2. Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame, guard): The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year set a Division I single-season steals record while averaging 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 5.6 steals. She nearly recorded a quadruple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists against Vanderbilt.
1. Sarah Strong (UConn, forward): The 2026 Naismith Player of the Year averaged 18.4 points on 58.2% shooting and over 40% from three-point range, adding 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks. Coach Geno Auriemma revealed she played through an Achilles tendon issue all season, and she spent the summer resting ahead of her junior year.
