Overview
- CBS Sports issued preseason bold predictions that range from a UConn unbeaten campaign to forecasts that another program will claim the 2026 title.
- One writer predicts UConn will go undefeated, pointing to a deep, healthy roster with returners Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd plus transfer Serah Williams and freshmen Kelis Fisher and Blanca Quiñonez despite a heavy nonconference schedule.
- A separate panelist takes the field over UConn and picks Texas to win the championship, while also elevating LSU and South Carolina as serious contenders.
- USC is projected by one analyst to reach the Final Four despite JuJu Watkins’ ACL injury, with coach Lindsay Gottlieb describing freshman Jazzy Davidson’s expected impact in a more positionless system and citing the Trojans’ defensive foundation.
- Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes is tipped to break the Division I single‑game scoring record after a 55‑point freshman game and a 40‑point preseason outing.