Overview
- USA TODAY Sports named UCLA center Lauren Betts and UConn forward Sarah Strong unanimous selections on its preseason All-America team.
- The New York Post’s preseason rankings slot UConn first with returners Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong and KK Arnold, while transfers Kayleigh Heckel and Serah Williams bolster the rotation.
- Fudd made USA TODAY’s second team after a comeback season that included Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors and elite three-point shooting.
- UCLA, Texas and South Carolina lead the projected contenders, with a Post forecast projecting a Final Four of UConn, UCLA, Texas and Duke and picking UCLA to win it all.
- South Carolina sustained a setback with Chloe Kitts ruled out for the season due to a torn right ACL, the Post reported.