NCAA Season Preview: The SEC
The SEC brings in Oklahoma and Texas this season to add some intrigue to a conference that houses the last two national champions. Who will come out on top in one of the premier leagues in the sport?
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 and Big Ten), priming you for one of the most anticipated women’s basketball seasons in recent memory.
At long last, we have reached the end of our conference previews for the 2024-2025 NCAA women’s basketball season. If you missed any of our past previews, you can click on the links below and it will take you there…
Now, we wrap things up with our SEC Preview. Let’s dive into the other megaconference that is also currently home to the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Teams You Know:
LSU -
2023 Record & Result: 31-6 (13-3 SEC) NCAA Elite Eight
After an Elite Eight run last season, head coach Kim Mulkey now looks to a new era of LSU basketball. Angel Reese (18.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG) just wrapped up her rookie season in the WNBA while Hailey Van Lith (11.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG) is at TCU hoping to resuscitate her career. But make no mistake, there’s plenty of talent left in Baton Rouge. So much so that another second weekend NCAA Tournament run feels entirely possible, if not probable. The question will be how Mulkey manages her frontcourt and who will step into the role that is required for her teams to be successful.
Whether it was at Baylor with Brittney Griner or Kalani Brown, the system has always been predicated on a dominant big inside. The odds on favorite to be that person for this LSU team is 6’6 Aaliyah Del Rosario. There is also 6’5 Jersey Wolfenbarger, who transferred in from Arkansas, but she is more of a big wing than a paint-centric center. I’d also anticipate seeing a healthy does of Sa’Myah Smith. Where this team is really exciting is in their guard/wing spots, with Aneesah Morrow (16.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG)coming back and pairing with sophomore Mikaylah Williams (14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.9 APG) and Flau’jae Johnson (14.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG). Keep an eye on Johnson specifically, as her exhibition game returns have been eyebrow raising in the best of ways. Much like their budding rival, South Carolina, there’s a lot of depth here, especially at guard where Mulkey loaded up with Miami star Shayeann Day-Wilson and Mississippi State sophomore Mjracle Sheppard. But if history has shown us anything, it’s that a Kim Mulkey team goes as far as their big goes and Del Rosario is going to be a major key that will decide how far they go.
South Carolina -
2023 Record & Result: 38-0 (16-0 SEC) NCAA Champions
I’ll say this now: I will not be suckered into thinking this team isn’t a juggernaut again. Last year, I and many others looked at this Gamecock team and wasn’t sure what they would be. Then, they absolutely obliterated a highly touted Notre Dame squad in Paris, dropping 100 on the heads of the Irish, and somehow that wasn’t enough for us. SEC play comes along and the Gamecocks completely vaporize the field to the point where LSU is the only compelling matchup the masses were tuning into. Call it inertia, ignorance or inevitability but for some reason we just…sort of slept on South Carolina last year. Not in 2024-2025! No siree. Yes, there’s a notable departure here in 6’7 Kamilla Cardoso. Yes, there is still the question of Ashlyn Watkins, the 6’3 forward who remains away from the team while her off-court issues are sorted out. But other than that, this team is every bit the crew that went undefeated and won a national title last year. And I expect that type of dominance to continue.
All the guards are back but the person you need to pay attention to is freshman Joyce Edwards, another local South Carolina product who is every bit the star in the making that Aliyah Boston and A’ja Wilson were when they came to Columbia. Add in former Arkansas star Maryam Dauda as well as Chloe Kitts, (9.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG) who will likely see more minutes this year, and you have the makings of a formidable frontcourt. Milaysia Fulwiley has superstar written all over her and should be in the conversation with JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers. She’ll get help from returning stars Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson, who has been a pro-level defender for years. The Gamecocks are the team to beat nationally. Expect more of the same.
Texas -
2023 Record & Result: 33-5 (14-4 Big 12) NCAA Elite Eight
One might have thought that head coach Vic Schaefer had gotten away from his SEC Tournament bully Dawn Staley the minute he went to Texas. But now, he’s right back where he was at Mississippi State: with the Gamecocks blocking his way to postseason Tournament glory. It’s hard to say that he returns with a better complement of players given all the WNBA talent he amassed in Starkville, particularly between 2016 and 2019. But this Longhorns roster is flush with talent, balanced, deep and can match up with any of the best backcourts in the country. The key will be if their forwards are up to the challenge.
Taylor Jones has been a mainstay since transferring from Oregon State, averaging 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds (team-high) and 1.8 blocks (team-high) per game. They did lose some size to the portal but 6’6 Kyra Oldacre could be a force multiplier if she lives up to her 2022 McDonald’s All-American billing. The Miami transfer has 21 starts under her belt. Madison Booker brings size and versatility at 6’1 and can play multiple positions on the floor. But the story is the return of Rori Harmon, who only played 12 games before being sidelined with an injury. Add in All Big Ten first teamer Laila Phelia and you’ve good a great starting five that can compete with anyone in the country. If they find good complementary pieces on the bench then it would be fair to put Texas into the tier of team that can contend for an SEC or national title.
Tennessee -
2023 Record & Result: 20-13 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Second Round
There’s a new head coach in Knoxville as Kim Caldwell takes over from Kellie Harper and is aiming to infuse some youth, pace and scoring into a Lady Vols program that is need of some excitement. They do lose two mainstays — Rickea Jackson (20.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG) and Tamari Key — but one of the surprising elements of Caldwell’s offseason is just how many players she managed to retain. Typically, a new coaching staff will immediately burn through players in the transfer portal and, with new recruiting rules being what they are, turn over an entire roster in the span of a year. Instead, almost all of the crew from the 2023-2024 season stuck around. Whether that’s a sign of good or bad things will be figured out by January.
So who is coming back?
The guard combination of Jewel Spear and Destinee Wells are a good start while Coach Caldwell will hope to unlock Jillian Hollingshead, who played great at Georgia but had a forgettable season in Knoxville last year. Coming in are transfers Samara Spencer, who was another Arkansas freshman phenom that tapered off a bit later in her career as well as former Clemson star Ruby Whitehorn. She was one of the bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the Tigers. The goal is to push pace, shoot threes and dictate pace upon others. If Tennessee can manage this — and with Wells and Spear they certainly have the capability — then they might be one of the more exciting and electric teams in the SEC this year. Does it mean the glory days are coming back? Not quite yet but one thing is for sure: Coach Caldwell has injected some energy back into Knoxville for the first time in awhile.
The Teams to Watch:
Alabama -
2023 Record & Result: 24-10 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Second Round
This is a fun team in Tuscaloosa, I'll say that right now. There’s a good amount of returning talent and some of my favorite portal adds of the offseason. The Crimson Tide have started to take the step from WNIT/WBIT team to fringe NCAA Tournament team in the last five years. It feels like this might be another season where Kristy Curry’s long project to turn Bama into a women’s basketball school bears some fruit.
Zaay Green is going to be the one to watch in Tuscaloosa. She’s known to a couple different SEC fanbases — she played at Tennessee and Texas A&M before excelling at Arkansas Pine-Bluff — but the talent is undeniable. We really were robbed of something great last year when she and Starr Jacobs were on the same UAPB roster but never got to play together. They lost a sharpshooter in Loyal McQueen but I’m interested in the Montverde Academy freshman Eris Lester. But make no mistake this team belongs to Sarah Ashlee Barker (16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.9 APG) and Aaliyah Nye (14.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG). They needed some extra muscle up front and got it via the portal. Coupled with some interesting new guard faces and the Tide do feel frisky this year and deserving of their AP Top 25 preseason ranking.
Auburn -
2023 Record & Result: 20-12 (8-8 SEC) NCAA First Four
Johnnie Harris’ Auburn team managed to sneak into the NCAA First Four last season but managed to retool a bit, bring in a couple of interesting transfers and have an opportunity to potentially be a top six finisher in the conference by years’ end. The issue is that they’ve lost their two best scorers and arguably top players. Honesty Scott-Grayson (17.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.3 APG), Jamya Mingo-Young (8.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.8 APG) and Taylen Collins (7.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG) accounted for nearly half of the Tigers scoring output per game. The good news is Harris distributes her minutes so much that there’s a lot of players with some level of playing experience. That, and the fact that at least Collins is back.
In terms of transfers, former Arkansas star Taliah Scott (22.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG) was the big addition. Texas transfer DeYona Gaston, a 6’2 forward who play rotation minutes last year, will likely factor in heavily as well. While the only true name recognition player is Taliah Scott, the play-by-committee is done by design. Whether it’s a Mau’ren Boston or Savannah Scott, there were 10 players that played at least 20 games and a minimum of 10 minutes per game. That tells me that the drop off of losing someone like an Honesty Scott-Grayson isn’t going to be drastic even early in the year.
Kentucky -
2023 Record & Result: 12-20 (4-12 SEC)
There’s a new head coach in Lexington. Head coach Kenny Brooks comes over from Virginia Tech after an immensely successful tenure in Blacksburg and is bringing some big time players with him. At the same time, he bled off a massive chunk of his roster in the transfer portal but that is to be expected with new coaches. Let’s get to who the Wildcats lose and then we can run down who they gain. In short, it’s going to be a completely different group than what Kentucky fans have seen over the last couple years.
Georgia Amoore (18.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 6.8 APG) is the headliner, having come with Brooks from Virginia Tech. Her former Hokie teammate, 6’5 sophomore Clara Strack, feels like she’ll fill the Liz Kitley role. The player I’m really interested in is Oregon State transfer Dominika Paurova who displayed a nice handle, good perimeter shooting and a bit of clutch gene last year. It wouldn’t surprise me if she turned some heads come SEC play. Are they already a top 25 unit? That’s up for debate. But Brooks has proven he can win anywhere and that should continue even in year one in Lexington.
Oklahoma -
2023 Record & Result: 23-10 (15-3 Big 12) NCAA Second Round
Last year was a pleasant surprise in Norman as the Sooners managed to steal a regular season Big 12 championship away from Texas, giving head coach Jennie Baranczyk her second conference title in as many seasons. But now the average competition level is significantly higher, the Sooners face a different kind of defense, more physicality and new challenges in the SEC. They probably will not be a conference champion but the move to a new conference might actually help prepare OU for the NCAA Tournament in ways they haven’t been tested in the past.
Luckily the one position of need (a dominant two way big) has been filled by one of the premier front court players in the country. Raegan Beers (17.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG) is going to be an instant impact player in Norman while bolstering a returning core that knows how to win. In fact, the top six scorers from last season are all back. Skylar Vann, the leading scorer and rebounder from 2024, is back. Payton Verhulst, Sahara Williams, Lexi Keys, Aubrey Jones and Neveah Tot are all still in Norman. In short, there is enough on this team for them to be a top four group in the conference. It just comes down to if they can well enough defensively in a league that prides itself on disrupting pace and dictating flow.
Ole Miss -
2023 Record & Result: 24-9 (12-4 SEC) NCAA Second Round
We’ll learn plenty about No. 20 Ole Miss in just a few days when they open the year against a JuJu Watkins led USC team in Paris. But over the course of the year we’ll see if this team has enough to remain in the tier that Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin (‘Coach Yo’, for short) expects: a top four unit in the SEC. The roster has improved and there are a couple players that look like they could enter a star (or even superstar) atmosphere as the season goes on.
Marquesha Davis graduated and finished her rookie season in the WNBA with a title. But coming right up behind her in Oxford is Madison Scott (12.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.4 APG), the Rebs assist and rebound leader a year ago. Joining her in the frontcourt is one of the most underrated portal adds of the year. Starr Jacobs (18.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.0 APG) was arguably the best player among mid-majors two seasons ago but lost a season at Arkansas Pine-Bluff due to eligibility issues. Now, at Ole Miss, I expect her to surprise a lot of folks in her return to the floor. They’ve got a nice mix of length and athleticism in their backcourt. KK Deans and Kennedy Todd-Williams (10.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 APG) will be fun to watch as well as Tameiya Sadler, who comes from Colorado. It’s been interesting to watch Ole Miss over the last couple years as they come in with a bit of hype then slip in the non cons once or twice. We’ll learn a lot in their opener against USC.
Vanderbilt -
2023 Record & Result: 23-10 (9-7 SEC) NCAA First Round
Shea Ralph has proven to be something of a turnaround artist in Vanderbilt, rescuing a historically relevant program that had undergone a handful of down years. After a 12-19 2022-2023 season, Ralph took the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament and their first 20 win season since 2013. Now comes the unenviable challenge of continuing to find that type of success as the conference gets deeper, better and more difficult.
The star to watch here is Mikayla Blakes. It might not be a name known to you yet but it will be. Just a freshman, she’s the first five star commitment in Vanderbilt women’s basketball history. She’s also got help in the form of returning rebounder leader Sacha Washington (12.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG) and Khamil Pierre (8.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG) who has X factor written all over here. Former Penn State star Leilani Kapinus also brings a scoring and rebounding edge that will help fill the voids of Iyana Moore (14.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG) and Jordyn Cambridge (12.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.8 APG). It’ll be a slog in SEC play but the Commodores have the look and feel of a team that can be as competitive, if not more so, than they were last year.
The Rest of the Field:
Arkansas -
2023 Record & Result: 18-15 (6-10 SEC) WBIT First Round
Something has felt a little off in the last couple of seasons in Fayetteville. After a highly successful tenure at Washington, one led by and large part by Kelsey Plum, Neighbors hasn’t been able to replicate it at Arkansas. Their best season statistically ended before the NCAA Tournament began due to the Pandemic and since then, they’ve only managed one top five finish in the SEC. To make matters worse, they’ve only won more than 20 games once since 2020 and just bled a bunch of highly talented players who have moved on to other schools in the same conference. Taliah Scott is at Auburn, Samara Spencer is at Tennessee and Maryam Dauda is at South Carolina. Yikes. But there are some interesting pieces. Arkansas State Izzy Higginbottom averaged 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. But this might be a bit of a rebuild in Fayetteville.
Florida -
2023 Record & Result: 16-16 (5-11 SEC) WBIT First Round
Head coach Kelly Rae Finley’s team was an early surprise before a horrific month of January derailed what looked to be a great season in Gainesville. Generally, the Gators had about four or five games that were decided by a couple possessions or less. So while 16-16 looks less than stellar on the surface, they’re in that middle tier of the SEC where the variance can range from 20 wins to 14 wins really easily. All it takes is a couple of made baskets to take you from being a WBIT team to someone on the fringe of the NCAA Tournament. That’s where Florida hopes to be this season in Finley’s fourth year at the helm. Unfortunately, leading scorer Aaliyah Matharu entering the portal three weeks before the season stars is a big issue. Leilani Correa graduated and Alberte Rimdal is at Nebraska now. There was a chance they could destabilize but without Matharu, the Gators might be towards the bottom of the SEC standings again this year.
Georgia -
2023 Record & Result: 12-18 (3-13 SEC)
After a debut season in Athens that saw Georgia finish with 22 wins and an NCAA Tournament second round appearance, head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s team fell off a cliff last year. The Bulldogs went 12-18 and 3-13 in SEC play, good for second-to-last in the conference. They had lost a lot of talent but the bigger issue was the lack of offensive firepower, leading to a whole lot of games that weren’t particularly close. With so much talent at the prep level in Georgia and a lot of historical success associated with the program, there isn’t a reason it should look that bad. There wasn’t a ton of portal turnover but five graduating players replaced by four incoming freshmen. Leading scorer and rebounder Javyn Nicholson isn’t there anymore but steals and assist leader Asia Avinger is. The Bulldogs will also look to see what they can get out of USC transfer big Roxane Makolo. It’s a long term change in Athens but the hope would be that this is the floor for Abrahamson-Henderson.
Mississippi State -
2023 Record & Result: 23-12 (8-8 SEC) WBIT Quarterfinal
Mississippi State has established a good floor under head coach Sam Purcell, winning over 20 games in back-to-back seasons. With a relatively easy non conference schedule and an SEC slate that doesn’t appear too strenuous, it could be a year in which the Bulldogs return to the NCAA Tournament. Yes, there are a couple major pieces from Lauren Park Lane, Mjracle Sheppard to Jessika Carter that are gone. But the pieces Purcell pulled in are really interesting especially at the guard spots. Denim DeShields — sister of Chicago Sky forward Diamond — is a small, shifty distributor from UAB. Terren Ward, a 5’11 grad transfer, was one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball last season. They have three players over 6’5 — Quanirah Montague, Madina Okot and Rocio Jimenez — but as we’ve seen in women’s hoops size only takes you so far. The makeup on paper looks good and Purcell has established a nice expectation. A fun new challenge for him would be taking the Bulldogs a step further.
Missouri -
2023 Record & Result: 11-19 (2-14 SEC)
Head coach Robin Pingeton’s floor at Missouri is pretty well established by now. It’s her 15th season, coming off the worst SEC finish of her career in Columbia. The Tigers haven’t made an NCAA Tournament since the 2018-2019 season, which is also the last time they’ve won 20 or more games. So what happens here? Is it time for Missouri to explore different options or is there an opportunity for improvement to show there is still a bit something left in the tank for Pingeton and Mizzou? The hill to climb might be high. Leading scorer and rebounder Hayley Frank graduated, Mama Dembele transferred to South Florida but Ashton Judd returns. It’s a good team but is good going to be enough in this iteration of the SEC?
Texas A&M -
2023 Record & Result: 19-13 (6-10 SEC) NCAA First Round
When head coach Joni Taylor arrived in College Station, there was a lot of excitement that she could bring some new energy to a program that had found a good consistency under Gary Blair. But even though the rosters have been flush with talent, the returns haven’t been immediate. That’s sometimes not enough for boosters in the SEC but Taylor’s 10 win improvement from 2023 to 2024 is proof positive that there is a floor with this program. The real question we look to find out this year and next year is how high the ceiling with Taylor as head coach. Aicha Coulibaly’s return is welcome along with Lauren Ware, who will once again be a centerpiece big in the frontcourt. Losing Janiah Barker definitely hurts but it was strange to see her not elevate her game the way many thought she could in College Station. It’s a slimmer roster this year but there is certainly talent.
The Three Best Players You Know:
Milaysia Fulwiley (South Carolina) - 11.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.7 SPG
2024 SEC All-Freshman Team
2024 SEC Tournament MVP
Aneesah Morrow (LSU) - 16.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 2.5 SPG
2024 AP, USBWA, WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2024 All-SEC First Team
2022 AP All-American Second Team
2022 USBWA, WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2022 USBWA, WBCA National Freshman of the Year
2022 Big East Freshman of the Year
Rori Harmon (Texas) - (2023) 11.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 2.3 SPG
2023 AP, WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
2023 All-Big 12 First Team
2022 AP, WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2022 Big 12 Freshman of the Year
The Five Best Players You Need to Know:
Zaay Green (Alabama) - 16.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.6 APG, 2.2 SPG
2024 All-CAA Third Team
2024 All-CAA Defensive Team
2019 SEC All-Freshman Team
Starr Jacobs (Ole Miss) - (2023) 18.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.0 SPG
2023 WAC Player of the Year
2023 All-WAC First Team
2022 Sun Belt Player of the Year
Leilani Kapinus (Vanderbilt) - 11.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.1 APG
2024 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
2024 All-Big Ten Defensive Team
2022 All-Big Ten All Freshman Team
Raegan Beers (Oklahoma) - 17.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG
2024 AP All-American Third Team
2024 WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
2024 All-Pac-12 First Team
2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
2023 Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year
2023 AP/WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
Taliah Scott (Auburn) - 22.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG
2024 SEC All-Freshman Team
Cinderella Story:
Alabama - Bama has a fun roster and plenty of returning experience. You need strong guard play to win in this conference and it feels like they’ve got returning talent, interesting freshman and another bonafide scorer/do-it-all player in Zaay Green. Does that mean they win the conference? No. South Carolina still exists. But the Tide have some fun pieces to be a surprise second round or Sweet 16 team come March.