NCAA Season Preview: The ACC
There's some new west coast faces in the ACC this year. Will Stanford or Cal make a splash in a season where Notre Dame and NC State are expected to reign supreme? We continue our previews here.
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 start with a general mid-major preview then dive into the power conferences, priming you for one of the most anticipated women’s basketball seasons in recent memory.
No that we’ve gone through the mid-majors and the Big East, we head to the remaining four power conferences in collegiate athletics. Our NCAA women’s basketball previews continue with the ACC, who added Stanford, Cal and SMU to their ranks this coming year. So who is worth watching? What stars do you need to see and who is ready to break out this year? We got it all for you. Let’s jump in.
The Teams You Know:
Duke -
2023 Record & Result: 22-12 (11-7 ACC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Kara Lawson’s crew has felt for the last two seasons that they are on the brink of something great but just haven’t been able to get over the hump. They were upset in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by Colorado but managed to make a splash in 2023 by defeating Final Four contender Ohio State before falling to UConn in the Sweet Sixteen.
Is this the year the Blue Devils make a charge deeper into March? It feels like the pieces are falling into place. Senior Reigan Richardson (12.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.6 APG) was the lone preseason All-ACC selection but there’s a lot of talent that could manage to end up earning honors at the end of the season. They lose a defensive stalwart in Kennedy Brown but bring in a host of elite frontcourt options in four star freshman Jenessa Cotton and the five-star duo of Arianna Roberson and Toby Fournier. Fournier, in particular, was one of the top vote getters on the ACC Newcomer Watch List. Keep an eye on Riley Nelson, who transferred from Maryland after an ACL injury in January of last year. The two time Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year was a top 20 recruit in the class of 2024. Taina Mair (9.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.6 APG) and Jadyn Donovan add additional firepower in the backcourt. If the pieces all fit, Duke could finally be the scary Elite Eight or better team to watch this year.
Louisville -
2023 Record & Result: 24-10 (12-6 ACC) NCAA First Round
Ahh, Jeff Walz. My buddy, my pal. My favorite ‘he can’t keep getting away with it’ (said with affection) coach in any level of basketball. Somehow, someway, the Louisville head coach has made a habit the last few years of being able to fix whatever ailments his team had in the regular season to put together a nice second weekend or better run in the NCAA Tournament. 2024 was the first time since 2015-2016 and only the second since 2010 that his Cardinals hadn’t advanced to the Sweet Sixteen or further.
So what does that mean? Has the heat finally caught up to the Heisenberg of women’s hoops? I wouldn’t say that just yet. To be clear, this is a rebuild in Louisville even with returning starters like Olivia Cochran (10.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and Jayda Curry in the lineup. There are seven freshmen in this group and one transfer in Miami’s Ja’Leah Williams (7.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG). There’s some star power coming, as guards Imari Berry and Tajianna Roberts are ESPN five-star recruits as is forward Mackenly Randolph. Is it enough to be able to adequately compete the way Walz and Louisville are used to? That’s what we need to see. They open the year against No. 5 UCLA but I wouldn’t read too much into that matchup. Their road trip to Kentucky and Colorado as well as games against Oklahoma and NC State are the true tests, to me. The polls still respect the program — the Cardinals checked in at No. 17 in the AP Preseason Top 25 — and we’ll see if there’s some more voodoo magic left in Jeff Walz’ bag of tricks.
NC State -
2023 Record & Result: 31-7 (13-5 ACC) NCAA Final Four
What a magical run it was for NC State last year as Wes Moore finally managed to get over a hump of his own. After years of being the “really good regular season but don’t trust the 32-4 team to make it to the Final Four” pick, the Wolfpack rode the backcourt of Aziaha James (16.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.9 APG) and Saniya Rivers (12.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.7 APG) to the promised land. The best part? Both of them are back.
The challenge will be figuring out who will step up in the frontcourt now that River Baldwin (10.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG) and Mimi Collins (10.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG) have graduated. Moore and his staff went out and grabbed commitments from 6’5 center Lorena Awou and 6’6 Swede Tilda Trygger but it’s likely we’ll see role players be the first to be asked to step up. Admittedly, there aren’t a lot of front court role players left on the roster. Mallory Collier, Maddie Cox and Lizzie Williamson played a combined 19 minutes per game. Without a major splash in the portal, I’m curious to see how James and Rivers make it work. Moore’s teams have always had a centerpiece big from Akela Maize to Elissa Cunane to Collins and Baldwin. Who do they look to now? The ACC Preseason Poll projected them to finish second in the ACC and the backcourt may be good enough to get them there. But is it enough to get them back into the Elite Eight conversation or more?
Notre Dame -
2023 Record & Result: 28-7 (13-5 ACC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Much like Kara Lawson and Duke, it feels like Niele Ivey and her Fighting Irish have been knocking on the door for some time now. It seemed as though they had a good opportunity to make a run to the Elite Eight and meet South Carolina again but before they could they were upset by one of the Cinderella stories of the tournament in Oregon State. It was the third straight Sweet Sixteen that Notre Dame made but also the third time in a row they were bounced from March Madness. This year, it’s clear Ivey went all in. Health is really the only major concern.
But even with an injury to Maddy Westbeld that will sideline her for the start of the season, there is so much talent that Notre Dame probably won’t miss a beat. The guard rotation is among the best in the nation from Dawn Staley award winner Hannah Hidalgo (22.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 SPG) to 2023 All-American Olivia Miles who returns from injury (14.3 PPGm 7.3 RPG, 6.9 APG, 2.1 SPG in 2023). Add in Sonia Citron (17.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.7 APG), a dark horse WNBA Draft lottery pick on top of elite sophomore and 2024 Olympian Cassandre Prosper and we’re talking an embarrassment of riches. In the frontcourt, Kylee Watson returns and is buoyed by one of the top 2024 recruits in the nation, 6’4 forward Kate Koval. Along with Pitt transfer Liatu King as well as former Marquette star Liza Karlen, the Irish addressed positions of significant need in the portal. King was am 18 and 10 player last year while Karlen was nearly the same (17.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG). In short, there’s no excuses this year. The talent is on the same level as a South Carolina, UConn or USC. I fully expect the Irish to be in the Final Four with what they have as long as they don’t get hit with the injury bug the way they did last season.
Stanford -
2023 Record & Result: 30-6 (15-3 Pac-12) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Talk about a monumental changing of the guard. Kate Paye is taking over for Tara Vanderveer, who retired this spring after one of the most illustrious careers in NCAA basketball history, men’s or women’s. Now, her longtime assistant has been tasked with bringing the Cardinal into a new era of women’s hoops and injecting some life into the program after it felt like it had been tapering off slightly since the 2020 NCAA Title win. There are elements here that feel like a rebuild but it’s worth noting that Stanford will always be flush with talent. Granted, losing Cameron Brink (17.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 3.7 BPG), Hannah Jump (10.6 PPG, 2.2 APG) and KiKi Iriafen (19.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG) are massive. But there are some less glitzy names that will contribute this year for Stanford.
Let’s start with the transfers. There are only two but they are definitely interesting additions. 5’10 Santa Clara guard Tess Heal (19.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.9 APG) is a bonafide scorer, named the WCC’s Newcomer of the Year and putting in a career high 40 point, 7 assist performance last year against Pacific, a SC program record. Mary Ashley Stevenson was a Big Ten All-Freshman selection who averaged 9.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG and will be a needed inside presence. In addition to the transfers, Stanford returns plenty. This is a big year to see if guard Talana Lepolo can make a developmental jump while her backcourt mate, Chloe Clardy, was a really nice defensive presence on the perimeter. Brooke Demetre is their stalwart in the frontcourt who will get some boosts from Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden. The Cardinal also add 6’4 freshman Kennedy Ume and 6’3 foward Harper Peterson. As always, Stanford has the players. It’s just a matter of whether or not the system around them puts them into a place to succeed. Let’s see what Kate Paye has in year one.
The Teams to Watch:
California -
2023 Record & Result: 19-15 (7-11 Pac-12) WBIT Second Round
Charmin Smith is a lot like Joanna Bernabei-McNamee in that her Cal teams were always just kind of decent in the Pac-12. But after a to-the-studs tear down and rebuild, the Golden Bears put together a 19-15 season and WBIT trip last year. What happens now that they’ve graduated so much talent? Usually that’s when programs like these drop off a bit. But there’s plenty of returning talent as well as a couple under the radar portal adds. I always liked Jayda Noble’s game at Washington and think she’ll factor in nicely with the likes of leading scorer and rebounder Marta Suarez. Ioanna Krimili is back and will continue to be a three point specialist. There isn’t a ton of size, with just one player, Claudia Langarita, at 6’4 or taller. That may be tough in a league like this where there’s more size than ever. Plan on a bit of a regression in Berkeley but I like Smith generally as a coach. The success or failure of this year will go a long way in proving if the foundation built is sustainable after the rebuilding class graduated.
Clemson -
2023 Record & Result: 12-19 (5-13 ACC)
Shawn Poppie, a former Kenny Brooks lieutenant, used the springboard that is a very good Chattanooga program and parlayed it into an ACC gig in just two seasons. He knows how to build culture and success in this conference but will the roster turnover lead to immediate success? It was one of the most extensive we saw in the offseason this year. 7 players out, 10 players in. But unlike some other ACC programs that pulled a lot of rotational or bench players to try and make them into starters, Poppie managed to find some diamonds. Summah Evans and Tessa Miller were top scorers for Mercer and Belmont. Hannah Kohn, Addie Porter and Raven Thompson jump up from Chattanooga. A couple of SEC transfers in Loyal McQueen and Jordy Griggs help augment the backcourt while Anya Poole could be a nice one year rental, playing a grad transfer year from North Carolina. To me, Clemson has the most variance and probably the most interesting non-contender in the ACC this year. How they compete will be a good glimpse into if Poppie can build a program that hasn’t done much since the 1990’s.
Florida State -
2023 Record & Result: 23-11 (12-6 ACC) NCAA First Round
This feels like the year Brooke Wyckoff’s crew makes it out of the NCAA Tournament first round. The Seminoles return most of their top talent, chief among them Ta’Niya Latson, who YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO BE WATCHING THIS YEAR. I’m telling you. Last year she stagnated statistically but is it really stagnation when you’re still averaging 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game? One thing to watch will be if her three point shot improves. It did take a dip from 36.2% in 2023 to 27% last year. Alongside Latson, leading rebounder Makayla Timpson (14.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.6 BPG) is back as is O’Mariah Gordon (13.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.3 APG). Their transfer additions are mostly depth related but that’s really all you need. The Seminoles have their core, they’re all upperclassmen and now it’s time to make the run. I have long been a fan of Latson’s game and hope that this is the year we really get to see her pop off in March.
Miami -
2023 Record & Result: 19-12 (8-10 ACC)
After one of the most authentically Miami recruiting scandals last year, which included a dinner with a booster, the Cavinder twins and NCAA violations, Katie Meier decided it was time to step away from the game. After 19 seasons, including that surprise Elite Eight run in 2023, the program now transitions to longtime Toledo head coach Tricia Cullop. She’ll end up with plenty of new faces and a couple of lost contributors. Shayeann Day-Wilson is the biggest one (11.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.5 APG) but they also lose plenty of rotational talent in Latasha Lattimore, Lazaria Spearman, Lashae Dwyer, Ja’Leah Williams and Jaida Patrick. Those five players made up roughly 31 points per game. The benefit is the return of the aforementioned Cavinder twins, Haley and Hanna. Both played under Meier during the 2022-2023 season. Haley is the scorer, an All-ACC second team selection that year while Hanna is a rotational piece that can help complement the backcourt. I’m not quite sure what it’ll all look like but that’s what makes the Canes one to watch for, good or bad.
North Carolina -
2023 Record & Result: 20-13 (11-7 ACC) NCAA Second Round
What was thought to be a program on the rise seems to have hit a bit of a plateau in Chapel Hill. Courtney Banghart has yet to replicate the success of the 2022 Sweet Sixteen run and, in the last two seasons, it’s felt like the program has gone a bit backwards. But this is a good year to reset the decks with so much talent having transferred out of the program. Deja Kelly, the longtime UNC mainstay, is taking a grad transfer year at Oregon. Paulina Paris, Teonni Key, RyLee Grays and Anya Poole are also out. In comes Grace Townsend, one of the top scorers (13.4 PPg, 4.9 RPG, 5.2 APG) of a really fun Richmond team last year as well as Arizona State guard Trayanna Crisp who will be a dynamic, speedy and enjoyable guard to watch this year. Former Iowa State guard Lexi Donarski is back for another season as is Alyssa Ustby, who led the team in rbounds, assists and steals. Defensive standout Maria Gakdeng, who led the Tar Heels in blocks last year, is also back to provide some back end support. Over the last two years, it’s felt like there’s been some discord within UNC’s team and in their locker room. With so much turnover, I’m interested to see if it’s the fresh start Banghart has needed.
Syracuse -
2023 Record & Result: 24-8 (13-5 ACC) NCAA Second Round
It’s going to be hard to replace one of the best college basketball players to step on a court but Orange head coach Felisha Legette-Jack is going to have to find a way. Dyaisha Fair was the team leader in scoring (22.3 PPG), assists (3.6) and steals (2.4) last year and it looks like it will take a village to replace it. While second leading scorer Georgia Woolley (13.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.0 APG) is back, I’m most curious about LSU transfer Angelica Velez. The Bronx born top 50 prep recruit in 2023 went down south but didn’t get a lot of burn in Baton Rouge. But she strikes me as the exact type of player that Legette-Jack can mold into someone great. Arizona State’s Journey Thompson adds a dimension of length and experience, standing at 6’3 and having played plenty for the SUn Devils last year. Rotational players Izabel Varejao and Kyra Wood are back and will be complemented by freshman forward Keira Scott. It may be a step back from the 24-8 season last year but I’m a big believer in Legette-Jack as a coach so I don’t expect too much of a drop off. Velez too, might be a revelation depending on how her development goes.
Virginia -
2023 Record & Result: 16-16 (7-11 ACC) WBIT Second Round
Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has a team that looks to be slowly improving, going from 4-14 in ACC play in her first year to 7-11 in her second. Last year featured a crew of exceptionally fun freshmen punctuated by the play of guard Kymora Johnson (15.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.8 SPG). It’s in the backcourt where the strength of this team lies. What they lack in size — Johnson is 5’7 while running mate Paris Clark is 5’8 — they make up for in skill, defense and scoring. But I’ll give Coach Mox a lot of credit: she managed to go out in the portal and find size to replace what they lost. That comes in the form of 6’4 North Carolina transfer Rylee Grays, 6’7 Maryland center Hawa Doumboya and another 6’4 forward from Miami, Latasha Lattimore. Regardless of whether or not they’re able to make a major splash in the standings, I’m locked in for the Johnson-Clark duo in the backcourt. They’ve got the shot to be one of the best one-two punches in the conference.
Virginia Tech -
2023 Record & Result: 25-8 (14-4 ACC) NCAA Second Round
Kenny Brooks left Blacksburg and he took the entire group chat with him. Georgia Amoore, Gabby Brooks and Clara Strack jumped with their outgoing head coach to Kentucky while Liz Kitley was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces. Megan Duffy, who found plenty of success at Marquette, will have some work to do but she’s shown that she can win plenty of games if given the time to get a program up and running. It might be a bit tough in this iteration of the ACC but there is still talent on the roster. Senior Matilda Ekh, a starter and third leading scorer, stuck around as did guard Carleigh Wenzel. The biggest component of the rebuild comes in the front court, with freshmen Myah Hazelton (6’4) and Ramiya White (6’5) facing a potential trial by fire this year. They’ll have some help in 6’3 forward Rose Micheaux but this may be a season of working out the kinks. But give it time, Hokie fans.
The Rest of the Field:
Boston College -
2023 Record & Result: 14-19 (5-13 ACC)
For most of Joanna Bernabei-McNamee’s tenure at BC, the Eagles have just kind of been…average. They typically have hovered either right around, above or below .500. This year looks like it’ll be more of the same. The benefit is leading scorer and rebounder Teya Sidberry (13.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG) is back as are the complementary scorers Dontavia Waggoner and Andrea Daley. The lone portal addition, Kennedi Jackson, is an interesting one, having been a top player for Charleston Southern (14.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG) but brings size at 6’4. They also get 6’1 guard Savannah Samuel who has had previous stops in West Virginia and Oregon State but sat out last year due to transfer rules. Along with Sidberry and Daley, the Eagles will be tall and long. The question is if that means they can jump ahead of some of th teams in the middle like Cal, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
Pitt -
2023 Record & Result: 8-24 (2-16 ACC)’
For a long time, this Pitt program has been among the worst in the ACC. Outside of a 2015 NCAA Tournament run, the Panthers haven’t really been of much interest since they were playing in the Big East. Even then, success was few and far between. Since 2017, they’ve gone a combined 15-104 in ACC play. You don’t need a masters degree to know that isn’t good. Tory Verdi has a massive rebuild in a program that has never been synonymous with success and the roster turnover is on.
Four players out in the portal, including star and leading scorer Liatu King, in come five transfers and two recruits. Returning starter Aislin Malcolm (9.3 PPG, 2.2 APG) played the second most minutes of anyone on the team last season. Brooklynn Miles and Amiya Jenkins were rotational regulars at Kentucky last year. The other three transfers — Makayla Elmore (Clemson), Khadija Faye (Texas) and Mikayla Johnson (Colorado) — were deeper depth pieces in their respective programs. But ultimately that’s what it has to be at a place like Pitt. It’s foundation building so we’ll see how it shakes out.
SMU -
2023 Record & Result: 14-16 (8-10 AAC)
Toyelle Wilson’s crew comes to the ACC after a 14-16 year in the American so I’d say it’s fair to expect a bit of a stepback. The roster turnover here is also extensive. Six players transferred while two graduated. Another six entered via the portal. Most of the starters or top minute getters are gone while there’s a couple interesting new additions that can fill the voids. Nya Robertson (16.2 PPG) was a top scorer at George Washington while Nicole Rodriguez brings some perimeter shooting from Loyola Marymount. Much like Pitt, there’s a lot of players stepping down a level or looking for an opportunity to get more playing time. That’s sort of the beauty of the portal. Will it be enough to get to the middle of the pack of the ACC in year one? That would be a hell of a job by Wilson if so, I’ll say that much.
Wake Forest -
2023 Record & Result: 7-25 (2-16 ACC)
Megan Gebbia’s team took a step back after graduating a big chunk of their 2023 WNIT squad. This year, they have more roster consistency, only graduating two, losing one to the portal and another to the WNBL in Australia. Statistical leader Elise Williams is back and when I say she did it all, she truly did. The senior led the Demon Deacons in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals last season. Top starters Kaia Harrison and Alex Scruggs have graduated but that allows for others like senior Raegyn Conley and Madisyn Jordan to assert themselves and earn more significant minutes. Losing Kate Deeble, who played 24 minutes per game as a freshman and was slated to be a starter this year, hurts but if you’re committing fully to the rebuild then this is the chance to see what you’re working with in year three.
The Three Best Players You Know:
Hannah Hidalgo & Olivia Miles (Notre Dame) -
Hidalgo: 2024 AP All-American First Team
Hidalgo: 2024 ACC Rookie of the Year
Hidalgo: 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
Hidalgo: 2024 Dawn Staley Award
Miles: 2023 AP All-American Second Team
Miles: 2023 USBWA All-American Third Team
Miles: 2023 All-ACC First Team
Saniya Rivers (NC State) - 12.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.1 SPG
2024 AP All-American Honorable Mention
2024 All-ACC First Team
2024 ACC All-Defensive Team
Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State) - 21.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.2 APG
2024 WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2024 AP All-American Honorable Mention
2024 All-ACC First Team
The Five Best Players You Need to Know:
Aziaha James (NC State) - 16.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.9 APG
2024 All-ACC First Team
2024 NCAA All-Tournament Team
Kymora Johnson (Virginia) - 15.3 PPG, 5.4 APG, 1.8 SPG
2024 Second Team All-ACC
2024 ACC All-Freshman Team
Olivia Cochran (Louisville) - 10.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG
2024 All-ACC Second Team
Tess Heal (Stanford) - 19.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.9 APG
2024 WCC Newcomer of the Year
2024 All-WCC First Team
2023 WCC All-Freshman Team
Lexi Donarski (North Carolina) - 10.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.7 APG
2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
2022 All-Big 12 First Team
Cinderella Story:
Stanford - I think a lot of people have been writing off the Cardinal for the past couple of years. And, to be honest, I get it. You have Haley Jones, Cameron Brink and KiKi Iriafen following an NCAA Championship run and don’t really get near the same success again? I can see why people might think that Tara lost her fastball or the Cardinal lost their edge. But that isn’t to say there isn’t still talent on this team. Having watched a bit of Tess Heal, I’m extremely interested in how her game manages to translate to an ACC level. Additionally, the Pac-12 was always a big dominated conference. This new one? Much more guard oriented. It’ll be sink or swim for a set of Stanford guards who will be challenged athletically in a way they never have been before. The benefit is that their forwards are plenty battle tested and will actually have to work a bit harder without Cam Brink back there to mop everything up. To me, it’s a year of unknowns but I really think Kate Paye and the Cardinal may surprise some people in a new conference.