Duke won the ACC tournament, and Hannah Hidalgo is back, but both statements raise questions. Duke lost its two leading guards, and Notre Dame lost the six players who scored the most behind Hidalgo. Louisville loaded up through the portal, and NC State has two first-team players back. Three teams have new head coaches: Pittsburgh hired Robin Harmony, Virginia hired Aaron Roussell, and Boston College hired Kate Popovec-Goss. Florida State, SMU, and Pittsburgh have 11 newcomers each, and Notre Dame has 10.
The Big Picture
Last season’s standings came in three tiers. Duke and Louisville finished at 16-2 and 15-3, seven teams went from 14-4 down to 11-7, and the other nine finished 9-9 or worse. The top two tiers also decided the postseason, because the nine teams with winning league records were the same nine that reached the NCAA Tournament. Duke beat Louisville in overtime for the ACC Tournament title and reached the Elite Eight, where UCLA stopped it. Notre Dame also reached the Elite Eight and lost to UConn, and Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia lost in the Sweet 16 to Michigan, UConn, and TCU. California, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Stanford played in the WBIT, Wake Forest played in the WNIT, and Florida State, SMU, Pittsburgh, and Boston College did not play in a postseason tournament.
Roster turnover is heavy across the board. 141 of the 237 players on the 18 rosters are newcomers, and 12 of the 18 teams have more newcomers than returners. That includes Notre Dame, which reached the Elite Eight, returns three players, and added 10. Six teams lost their leading scorer, including North Carolina and Stanford, while Duke and Louisville kept theirs. Seven of the 10 players on the All-ACC conference first team return, spread across six teams. Boston College, SMU, and Pittsburgh won four league games combined, and each of them added at least nine newcomers. How quickly the new groups settle will decide most of the middle of the table.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Duke
2 - Louisville
3 - North Carolina
4 - NC State
5 - Notre Dame
6 - Virginia
7 - Virginia Tech
8 - Syracuse
9 - California
10 - Clemson
11 - Miami
12 - Georgia Tech
13 - Florida State
14 - Stanford
15 - SMU
16 - Pittsburgh
17 - Wake Forest
18 - Boston College
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-ACC Team
Lulu Twidale, G, California
Mia Moore, G, Clemson
Delaney Thomas, F, Duke
Toby Fournier, F, Duke
Talayah Walker, G, Georgia Tech
Tajianna Roberts, G, Louisville
Zamareya Jones, G, Louisville
Gal Raviv, G, Miami
Khamil Pierre, F, NC State
Zoe Brooks, G, NC State
Kate Harpring, G, North Carolina
Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
Uche Izoje, C, Syracuse
Kymora Johnson, G, Virginia
Carleigh Wenzel, G, Virginia Tech
Duke
Record: 27-9, 16-2 ACC (1st, NCAA Elite Eight)
Coach: Kara Lawson, 7th season, 124-50
Duke has the best front line in the league and some potential questions in the backcourt. The Blue Devils won the ACC Tournament, beating Clemson 60-46, Notre Dame 65-63, and Louisville 70-65, and then won three NCAA Tournament games, including 87-85 over LSU in the Sweet 16, before UCLA ended the run with a 70-58 win in the Elite Eight.
The front line is why Duke is still the favorite. Toby Fournier, a junior forward and first-team All-ACC selection, scored 17.3 points and grabbed 7.9 rebounds. Delaney Thomas, a senior forward, scored 11.0 points and grabbed 6.2 rebounds, and Riley Nelson, a senior guard, scored 9.4 points. Arianna Roberson, a junior center and All-Freshman Team member, scored 8.0 points, and Jordan Wood, a senior forward, also returns. Emma Koabel, a graduate guard, missed last season with a knee injury and is back.
The potential hole is in the backcourt. Taina Mair, a senior guard and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 assists, and Ashlon Jackson, a senior guard, averaged 11.2 points. They ran the offense, so Kara Lawson has to find a new lead guard.
Duke has five newcomers. Aaliyah Crump, a sophomore guard from Texas, scored 7.9 points as a freshman and is the only one with college scoring experience. The other four are freshmen. Sanai Green, Autumn Fleary, and Bella Flemings are guards, and Taylor Sofilkanich is a 6-4 forward.
Three of the five leading scorers are back, and the two who left were the guards. That is the whole question for this team. Nobody on the roster has run an offense for a full season, and Duke beat Notre Dame by two and Louisville by five on the way to the title, so the margins were not wide. Duke brought in a very skilled freshman class, and Emilee Skinner returns after playing three games last season. Crump will add wing offense. Despite losing two key guards, I think Duke has more than enough depth and talent at guard for someone to take the reins this season, and I would not be shocked if it is a freshman. Fournier and Thomas are the best front line in the league, and Kara Lawson has won 124 games in six seasons here, so I expect her to find a point guard. I still take Duke first, because a front line like that buys time for the guards to grow into the job.
Players to watch: Toby Fournier, Delaney Thomas, Riley Nelson, Aaliyah Crump
Louisville
Record: 29-8, 15-3 ACC (2nd, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Jeff Walz, 20th season, 515-154
Louisville finished second in the league and then went shopping in the portal to strengthen its team. The Cardinals lost the ACC final to Duke, beat Vermont and Alabama 69-68 in the NCAA Tournament, and lost to Michigan 71-52 in the Sweet 16.
The returners are young and productive. Tajianna Roberts, a junior guard and All-ACC selection, scored 11.5 points, and Imari Berry, a junior guard, was the Sixth Player of the Year and scored 10.9 points. Elif Istanbulluoglu, a senior forward, scored 10.1 points, and Mackenly Randolph, a junior forward, scored 8.5 points. Seven players return in all.
Laura Ziegler, a senior forward and first-team All-ACC selection, averaged 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds, and she is the one significant loss. Skylar Jones, a junior guard who averaged 8.4 points, went to Baylor, and Anaya Hardy, a sophomore forward, went to Notre Dame. Reyna Scott, a senior guard who averaged 8.2 points, is also gone.
The portal class is the headline. Zamareya Jones, a junior guard from NC State, scored 14.9 points, and Carys Baker, a senior forward from Virginia Tech, scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.9 rebounds. Amiya Joyner, a fifth-year forward from LSU, scored 9.2 points, and Deniya Prawl is a sophomore guard from Tennessee. Ariyana Cradle, Myah Epps, and Ayse Melek Demirer are freshmen.
Roberts, Berry, Istanbulluoglu, Jones, and Baker all scored at least 10.0 points last season, here or at their old schools. That is a very productive list of players at this level, and I do not think anyone else in the league can match it. What the Cardinals lack is a scorer who can take over a game the way Toby Fournier can and score 18+ points every night, and that is the gap between second and first. Jeff Walz has won 515 games here, and I expect him to sort out the minutes, but seven newcomers still have to learn to share the ball with a group that already won 29 games. This team has an extreme amount of talent on it at every position. It would not surprise me if this is the best team in the league by March, and it would surprise me if it finishes outside the top three.
Players to watch: Zamareya Jones, Carys Baker, Tajianna Roberts, Imari Berry
North Carolina
Record: 28-8, 14-4 ACC (3rd, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Courtney Banghart, 8th season, 153-72 (20th overall, 407-175)
North Carolina had the third-best record in the ACC and reached the Sweet 16, and then the portal rebuilt most of the roster. The Tar Heels beat Virginia Tech 85-68 in the conference tournament, lost to Louisville 65-57 in the semifinals, beat Western Illinois and Maryland 74-66 in the NCAA Tournament, and then lost to UConn 63-42.
The portal fills most of the gap. Achol Akot, a senior forward from Oklahoma State, scored 12.6 points and grabbed 7.3 rebounds. Chloe Clardy, a senior guard from Stanford, scored 12.0 points, and Sophie Burrows, a senior guard from Syracuse, scored 11.0 points. Gabby White is a sophomore guard from Virginia. Kate Harpring is a freshman guard, and Noelle Bofia is a freshman center listed at 6-4.
Nyla Harris, a senior forward and All-ACC selection, averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds, and Indya Nivar, a senior guard on the second team and the All-Defensive Team, averaged 10.6 points, and both are no longer in the program. Lanie Grant, a sophomore guard who averaged 10.8 points, went to TCU, and Elina Aarnisalo, a sophomore guard who averaged 10.2 points, went to UCLA.
The returners are Ciera Toomey, a senior forward who scored 8.8 points and grabbed 6.2 rebounds, and Nyla Brooks, a sophomore guard who made the All-Freshman Team and scored 8.6 points. Reniya Kelly and Laila Hull, both senior guards, also return, so eight players are back in all.
North Carolina lost four of its five leading scorers, and I still have it third. Akot, Clardy, and Burrows each scored in double figures at their old schools, so Courtney Banghart has three players who have carried a lineup, and Toomey and Nyla Brooks played real minutes last year. Harpring will have a big impact at point guard, and it would surprise me if she is not up to the task. The roster is deeper than NC State’s or Notre Dame’s, and that depth earns the third slot. It is not higher because the Tar Heels do not have a Toby Fournier, and they do not have as many scorers as Louisville. A team without a go-to scorer struggles in close games, but if Harpring is as good as she can be, she can be that go-to scorer and give North Carolina a chance to win the league. Banghart has won 153 games here, and she usually finds a way to win with veterans, so I would not be shocked by anything from first to fifth.
Players to watch: Achol Akot, Chloe Clardy, Kate Harpring, Nyla Brooks
NC State
Record: 21-11, 13-5 ACC (4th, NCAA second round)
Coach: Wes Moore, 14th season, 322-106 (38th overall, 880-275)
NC State had a good season that ended in a bad game. The Wolfpack lost to Notre Dame 81-63 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, beat Tennessee 76-61 in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, and then lost to Michigan 92-63.
The losses will sting. Zamareya Jones, a sophomore guard, averaged 14.9 points and went to Louisville, and Tilda Trygger, a sophomore forward, averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds and went to Washington. Devyn Quigley, a sophomore guard, went to Penn State, and Mallory Collier, a junior forward, went to South Florida. Jones was the third-leading scorer behind Pierre and Brooks, so her departure matters most.
The two best players are back. Khamil Pierre, a senior forward and first-team All-ACC selection, scored 16.7 points and grabbed 11.9 rebounds, and Zoe Brooks, a senior guard and first-team selection, scored 16.0 points and handed out 4.3 assists. Qadence Samuels, a senior guard, scored 6.4 points, and Maddie Cox, a senior forward, also returned.
Wes Moore replaced them with experienced players. Desiree Wooten, a fifth-year guard from Colorado, scored 13.4 points, and Khady Leye, a junior forward from Auburn, scored 9.5 points and grabbed 5.3 rebounds. Audrey Ericksen is a senior guard from Boston University, and Annsley Trivette, Kamora Pruitt, and Favour Ossai are freshmen.
Pierre and Brooks are as good a pair as anyone in the league has back. Pierre is a forward who owns the boards, and Brooks is a guard who can create her own shot, so Wes Moore has one of the league’s best inside-outside duos. The concern is depth. Samuels is the only other returner who scored more than five points, and Wooten and Leye have to be more than role players. If Wooten scores as she did at Colorado, this team can make a run at a top-three finish, but I want to see the supporting cast first.
Players to watch: Khamil Pierre, Zoe Brooks, Desiree Wooten, Khady Leye
Notre Dame
Record: 25-11, 12-6 ACC (5th, tie, NCAA Elite Eight)
Coach: Niele Ivey, 7th season, 142-49
Notre Dame has the reigning Player of the Year and almost nobody else from last season. The Irish lost to Duke 65-63 in the ACC Tournament semifinals, beat Fairfield 79-60, Ohio State 83-73, and Vanderbilt 67-64 in the NCAA Tournament, and then lost to UConn 70-52 in the Elite Eight.
Only three players return. Hannah Hidalgo, a senior guard, was the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, scoring 25.2 points, grabbing 6.9 rebounds, and handing out 5.2 assists. Kelly Ratigan, a fifth-year guard, also returns, and Leah Macy, a sophomore forward and a five-star recruit, sat out last season after knee surgery.
The six players who scored the most behind Hidalgo, all seniors, are gone. Cassandre Prosper, a senior guard and Most Improved Player, averaged 13.6 points, and Iyana Moore, a senior guard, averaged 11.8. Vanessa de Jesus, a senior guard, averaged 8.4 points, and Malaya Cowles, a senior forward, averaged 7.9. KK Bransford, a senior guard, went to UCLA, and Gisela Sanchez, a senior forward, is also gone.
That leaves 10 newcomers for Niele Ivey. Madison St. Rose, a fifth-year guard from Princeton, scored 15.8 points and is the key transfer. Anaya Hardy is a junior forward from Louisville, and Maya Gin, a sophomore guard, has not played at another school. The other seven are freshmen, including Jacy Abii and Amari Byles, who are listed at 6-2.
The floor is lower here than at any nearby team, and the ceiling is higher. Hidalgo can carry a team, and the Irish reached the Elite Eight with her, but almost everyone around her is new. St. Rose is the one newcomer who has been a go-to scorer, and Hardy was a role player at Louisville. Macy has not played in a year, so she has real upside, but it is hard to say how quickly she is ready. Niele Ivey has proven she can build around Hidalgo, and I trust her to do it again. I would not put them lower than seventh, but Notre Dame will have to rely heavily on players who have not produced at the college level before, with Abii, Byles, and Jenica Lewis playing meaningful minutes.
Players to watch: Hannah Hidalgo, Madison St. Rose, Anaya Hardy, Jacy Abii
Virginia
Record: 22-12, 11-7 ACC (8th, tie, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Aaron Roussell, 1st season, 0-0 (23rd overall, 460-194)
Aaron Roussell inherits a team that just reached the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers beat Arizona State in the First Four, beat Georgia and Iowa, and lost to TCU 79-69. Amaka Agugua-Hamilton was dismissed in April, and Roussell arrived from Richmond.
Kymora Johnson, a senior guard and first-team All-ACC selection, scored 19.5 points and handed out 5.9 assists, and she will lead Virginia right away. Tabitha Amanze, a fifth-year center who scored 9.3 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds, is out for the season with an injury she suffered in the TCU game. Breona Hurd and Adeang Ring, both junior forwards, and Olivia McGhee, a senior guard, are the other returners.
Paris Clark, a senior guard, averaged 9.7 points, and Romi Levy, a senior guard, averaged 8.2 points, and neither returned. Sa’Myah Smith, a junior forward who averaged 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds, went to Oklahoma, and freshman guard Gabby White went to North Carolina. Caitlin Weimar, a senior forward, is also gone.
Mary-Anna Asare, a fifth-year guard from VCU, scored 17.4 points in seven games and is the most proven newcomer. Caterina Piatti, a sophomore forward from Florida, and Janaé Walker, a senior forward from Rutgers, add frontcourt depth. Eris Lester, a junior guard from Alabama, is the other transfer, and four freshmen complete the class.
Kymora Johnson makes Virginia hard to write off, and a new coach with eight new players makes it hard to rank the Cavaliers higher than sixth. She is the second-leading returning scorer in the ACC behind Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, and she handed out a lot of the assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16. The question is the roster around her. Clark and Levy were two of the top four scorers, Asare played only seven games last year, and Amanze, the best returning big, is out, so the frontcourt has almost no proven scoring. I like the fit of Piatti and Walker, but a new system takes time. If Asare can score even close to her VCU level, she will give Virginia a second scorer and boost its floor considerably. Johnson is one of the best guards in the country, and that is enough to put the Cavaliers just ahead of the Hokies. The frontcourt could cause Virginia to slip down the rankings, and I think sixth is the best-case scenario for them this season.
Players to watch: Kymora Johnson, Breona Hurd, Mary-Anna Asare, Caterina Piatti
Virginia Tech
Record: 23-10, 12-6 ACC (5th, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Megan Duffy, 3rd season, 42-23 (10th overall, 196-89)
Virginia Tech was good last year, and then it lost its two best frontcourt players. The Hokies beat Georgia Tech 62-54 in the ACC Tournament’s second round, lost to North Carolina 85-68 in the quarterfinals, and then lost to Oregon 70-60 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Carleigh Wenzel is the best player left. The graduate guard and second-team All-ACC selection scored 15.1 points and handed out 3.4 assists. Samyha Suffren, a senior guard, scored 8.8 points. Leila Wells, a junior guard, Aniya Trent and Amani Jenkins, sophomore forwards, and Kate Sears, a sophomore guard who did not play last season, are the other returners.
Carys Baker, a junior forward, averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds and went to Louisville, and Kilah Freelon, a senior forward, averaged 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and is gone too. Mel Daley, a senior guard, is gone, and Mackenzie Nelson, a sophomore guard who averaged 8.0 points and 5.7 assists, also left for Clemson. Baker and Freelon were the team’s two main inside players, so the frontcourt has little experience left.
The newcomer class is mostly freshmen and a few players from other programs. Alyssa Latham, a graduate forward who played at Tennessee and Syracuse, scored 4.7 points at Tennessee and is the most experienced of the group. Lauren Hurst, a sophomore from Tennessee, is out for the season with a knee injury, and Natalee Goff, a junior guard from Division II Emmanuel, scored 14.9 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds there. Jessica Dimaro, a center, and Arianna Harris-Mott, a forward, are freshmen listed at 6-4, so they could give the Hokies some frontcourt help.
The Hokies lost four of their six leading scorers, and the replacements are less proven than the players who left. Wenzel is one of the league’s better guards, and Suffren is a solid second option. Still, Baker and Freelon provided inside scoring and rebounding, and Hurst’s injury takes away another option. Latham was a role player at Tennessee, so Megan Duffy is counting on role players to become starters. She is 42-23 in two seasons here, and the program reached the NCAA Tournament, so seventh feels about right, but the margin for error is small, especially if they have to deal with more injuries.
Players to watch: Carleigh Wenzel, Samyha Suffren, Alyssa Latham, Leila Wells
Syracuse
Record: 24-9, 12-6 ACC (5th, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Felisha Legette-Jack, 5th season, 80-48 (25th overall, 423-327)
Syracuse has one of the best young players in the country, and not much else that is proven. The Orange beat California 70-59 in the ACC Tournament’s second round, lost to Louisville 87-61 in the quarterfinals, and won at Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round before UConn ended the season with a 98-45 win.
Uche Izoje, a sophomore center, was the Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-ACC selection, averaging 15.6 points and grabbing 9.2 rebounds in 28 minutes a game. Shy Hawkins, a junior wing, scored 5.4 points. Keira Scott, a junior forward, Angelica Velez, a senior guard, and Olivia Schmitt, a junior guard, also returned.
The losses are three guards who carried the scoring. Laila Phelia, a senior guard, averaged 13.7 points, Dominique Darius, a junior guard, averaged 12.6 points, and Sophie Burrows, a junior guard, averaged 11.0 points and went to North Carolina. Journey Thompson, a senior forward, also left. Phelia, Darius, and Burrows were the second-, third-, and fourth-leading scorers, so the next-best returning scorer behind Izoje is Hawkins.
Tyi Skinner, a fifth-year guard from SMU, scored 13.6 points and handed out 3.6 assists in eight games, and she is the most likely replacement for the three guards who left. Jaleesa Molina, a senior forward from Temple, scored 9.9 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds over a full season. Sarah Rambus, a senior forward from Oregon, scored 6.3 points in 14 minutes a game, and Emely Rodriguez, a junior guard from Iowa, scored 7.2 points in six games. Célaine Ricco, Destiny Robinson, Elif Çayir, and Madison Howard are freshmen.
The roster is built around size. Izoje, Molina, and Rambus are all listed at 6-3, which gives Felisha Legette-Jack a front line that should rebound well and score inside. The guard group is the opposite. Skinner is listed at 5-5, Velez and Schmitt scored very little, and the two best incoming guards, Skinner and Rodriguez, each played fewer than 10 games last season, so their numbers come with a small sample. Syracuse needs Skinner to run the offense and someone to break out at third guard.
Izoje keeps the Orange in the NCAA Tournament conversation, and that is where I have Syracuse at the end of the year. Molina is the safest newcomer because she produced at Temple for a full season, and Rambus has played at this level, but the guards replacing three of the top four scorers have barely played, though they do have solid upside. Felisha Legette-Jack is 80-48 in four seasons here and keeps getting the Orange to the NCAA Tournament, so I expect her to earn a rotation spot. Last year’s losses to Louisville by 26 and UConn by 53 show the ceiling, and without Phelia and Darius, I do not see Syracuse getting closer to it. I think the guards put them at eighth, and Izoje is the reason it is not lower.
Players to watch: Uche Izoje, Tyi Skinner, Jaleesa Molina, Emely Rodriguez
California
Record: 21-15, 9-9 ACC (10th, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Charmin Smith, 8th season, 102-104
California has an All-ACC guard and a frontcourt it just rebuilt. The Golden Bears beat Wake Forest 75-52 in the ACC Tournament’s first round and lost to Syracuse 70-59 in the second, then beat Santa Clara and Kansas State 83-75 in the WBIT before Columbia won the quarterfinal 74-68.
Lulu Twidale, a senior guard and second-team All-ACC selection, scored 16.2 points and handed out 3.7 assists. Gisela Maul, a senior guard, scored 9.8 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds, and Mjracle Sheppard, a senior guard, scored 8.8 points. Taylor Barnes, a sophomore forward, scored 8.7 points, and Naya Ojukwu, a junior forward, also returned. Seven players are back in all.
Sakima Walker, a senior forward, averaged 12.5 points and 6.9 rebounds, and she is the one real loss. Aliyahna Morris, a freshman guard who averaged 7.0 points, is also gone. The portal replaced Walker inside. Shannon Dowell, a senior guard from Missouri, scored 14.9 points and grabbed 6.1 rebounds. Albina Syla, a junior center from Rhode Island listed at 6-5, scored 9.1 points and grabbed 7.1 rebounds. Carly Amborn is a sophomore guard from Stanford, and Jovana Jevtovic and Anna Lagonikaki add two freshman centers.
California is ninth in a crowded middle, and I think it is the team in that group most likely to move up. Twidale, Maul, and Sheppard are all seniors who played most of the minutes, and that kind of continuity is rare in this league. Ruby Perkins is a freshman who could have a special season and has an outside shot at conference Freshman of the Year. The portal fixed the frontcourt, which was the biggest need after Walker left. The teams above have either a star or a proven group of transfers, and Cal has Twidale and a roster that still has to prove itself together. Charmin Smith is 102-104 in seven seasons here, so this group has to prove it can win before I move it higher. The ceiling is sixth, and it depends on Dowell scoring as she did at Missouri, Perkins being what I think she could be, and Syla holding up against ACC size.
Players to watch: Lulu Twidale, Shannon Dowell, Albina Syla, Ruby Perkins
Clemson
Record: 21-12, 11-7 ACC (8th, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Shawn Poppie, 3rd season, 35-29 (5th overall, 83-47)
Shawn Poppie took Clemson from 14-17 to the NCAA Tournament in one year, and now he has to replace a lot of his rotation. The Tigers went from 6-12 in the ACC to 11-7, beat Virginia 63-50 in the ACC Tournament’s second round, lost to Duke 60-46 in the quarterfinals, and lost to USC 71-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Six players return. Mia Moore, a graduate guard and second-team All-ACC selection who received a waiver for an extra season, scored 13.3 points, grabbed 5.4 rebounds, and handed out 4.7 assists. Rusne Augustinaite, a senior guard, scored 10.6 points, and they are the only returners who scored much. Holland Harris, a sophomore forward, Amaia Jackson, a sophomore guard, and Ja’Kerra Butler, a sophomore forward, are the other three. Morgan Miller returns but will miss the season after sustaining an injury.
The departures are four veterans. Taylor Johnson-Matthews, a senior guard, averaged 9.5 points; Rachael Rose, a senior guard, averaged 8.6 points; Demeara Hinds, a senior forward, averaged 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds; and Raven Thompson, a senior forward, averaged 7.5 points. Hannah Kohn, a junior guard who averaged 4.7 points, went to South Florida, and Hadley Periman, a junior forward, averaged 5.5 rebounds.
The portal supplies most of the rotation. Mackenzie Nelson, a junior guard from Virginia Tech, scored 8.0 points and handed out 5.7 assists, and Edie Clarke, a junior forward from Saint Mary’s, scored 7.3 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds. Jenna Lawrence, a senior forward from Arkansas, scored 7.4 points in 15 minutes a game, and Yakiya Milton, a senior forward from USC, is listed at 6-5. Taliyah Henderson is a sophomore guard from North Carolina, and Julia Scott, Kimora Fields, and Meeyah Green are freshmen.
Poppie has to rebuild the frontcourt almost completely. No returning forward scored more than a couple of points, so Clarke, Lawrence, and Milton have to become the front line, and Lawrence’s scoring rate in limited minutes is the most interesting number on the roster. Nelson and Moore give Clemson two guards who can create for others, and that will be key for a roster that does not look like it has a go-to scorer.
Moore and Augustinaite are the best returning backcourt in this part of the table, and the Tigers won 11 league games last season, so I like Clemson at 10th. The risk is the frontcourt, which is almost entirely new, and none of the newcomers has been the best player on a good team. Nelson, Clarke, and Lawrence are experienced transfers, so I do not think the group takes long to settle. Poppie has shown he can build quickly, going 48-18 at Chattanooga with two NCAA Tournament trips. Moore’s waiver matters more than any one transfer, because without her the Tigers would have lost their best player. Seventh is within reach if they take a step forward and beat some teams above them in the standings.
Players to watch: Mia Moore, Rusne Augustinaite, Mackenzie Nelson, Edie Clarke
Miami
Record: 18-15, 8-10 ACC (11th, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Tricia Cullop, 3rd season, 32-30 (27th overall, 508-309)
Ra Shaya Kyle is gone, and Miami has to find her scoring and rebounding somewhere else. The Hurricanes beat Stanford 83-76 in the ACC Tournament’s first round, lost to Notre Dame 69-54 in the second, then beat Georgia Southern 82-56 in the WBIT and lost to Wisconsin 72-65 in the second round, which ended an 18-15 season.
Ra Shaya Kyle, a senior forward and All-ACC selection, averaged 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds and led the team in both categories. Vittoria Blasigh, a sophomore guard who averaged 6.7 points, went to UCF, and Jessica Peterson, a senior forward who played five games, went to Auburn. Danielle Osho, a freshman forward, also went to Auburn.
Gianna Corbitt, a junior forward from Chattanooga, scored 15.8 points and grabbed 8.6 rebounds, and she is the most important newcomer to this group. Dayana Mendes is a junior forward from USC, and Mya Herman, a senior guard from Southeastern, also joins. Jess-Mine Zodia, a freshman center, and Anna Liepina, a freshman forward, are both listed at 6-3, and Maja Uranker is a freshman guard.
The backcourt is back. Gal Raviv, a junior guard, scored 14.0 points and handed out 4.0 assists in 33 minutes a game, and senior guard Amarachi Kimpson scored 11.7 points. Ahnay Adams, a junior guard, scored 8.9 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds. Natalie Wetzel and Soma Okolo, both sophomore forwards, also return.
Kyle’s production has to come from several players. Corbitt is the closest thing to a direct replacement, but she scored her points in the Southern Conference, and the jump to the ACC is steep for any inside scorer. Wetzel and Okolo played 18 and 12 minutes a game as freshmen, so they should take a step as sophomores, and Mendes has the size to help on the boards. The guards should not be the problem, because Raviv, Kimpson, and Adams each played close to 30 minutes a game and know the league and the system.
Kyle was the engine, and the replacement is one player. Corbitt is the best addition, but she is the only newcomer with a proven scoring résumé, and she is not Kyle. Raviv, Kimpson, and Adams all return, and all three scored close to double figures or better, which keeps Miami at 11th. The Hurricanes finished 8-10 in the league with Kyle, and the gap between 11th and 14th is thin. Tricia Cullop is 32-30 in two seasons here, so this is a program still building, not one that is fighting to stay in the top half year over year yet. Corbitt scoring close to her Chattanooga numbers inside and Raviv, Kimpson, and Adams continuing to improve are what separate a top-eight finish from a .500 one.
Players to watch: Gal Raviv, Gianna Corbitt, Amarachi Kimpson, Ahnay Adams
Georgia Tech
Record: 14-19, 8-10 ACC (11th, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Karen Blair, 2nd season, 14-19
Georgia Tech has one of the league’s best guards and needs more help around her. The Yellow Jackets beat Florida State 72-60 in the ACC Tournament’s first round, lost to Virginia Tech 62-54 in the second, and then lost 69-65 at Kansas State in the first round of the WBIT in Karen Blair’s first season.
Talayah Walker is the reason Georgia Tech is hard to write off. The junior guard scored 17.5 points and grabbed 6.1 rebounds, and she was an All-ACC selection. La’Nya Foster, a senior guard, scored 7.8 points, and Erica Moon is a senior guard. Inés Noguero, a fifth-year guard, scored 8.2 points in only four games, and Ariadna Termis is a senior center listed at 6-6. Déborah Mukeba, a junior center listed at 6-5, and Leyre Urdiain, a sophomore guard, did not play last season.
Brianna Turnage, a senior guard who made the All-Defensive Team, averaged 5.4 points and 10.9 rebounds, and she is a bigger loss than her scoring total suggests because she was a great defender and rebounded well. Catherine Alben, a senior guard, averaged 8.8 points, and Savannah Samuel, a senior guard, averaged 7.9 points. Jada Crawshaw, a junior forward, went to Seton Hall.
Sofia Muñoz, a sophomore guard from UAB, scored 12.2 points and is the top newcomer. Kyndal Walker is a junior guard from Maryland, and Antonia Bates is a fifth-year forward from Rutgers. Anna Conza, a senior guard, comes from Oglethorpe, and Jordan Ode, a sophomore guard, transferred from Michigan State.
Georgia Tech is the team in the bottom half I trust most to move up. Walker gives the Yellow Jackets a star, and the supporting cast has more size than last year’s, with Termis and Mukeba listed at 6-6 and 6-5. Muñoz was a productive scorer at UAB as a freshman and gives Karen Blair a second ball handler. The Yellow Jackets won only eight conference games, lost their best rebounder, and have not shown depth, which keeps them at 12th for now. Ode could make a jump in a new environment after not breaking the rotation at Michigan State. The jump to the top eight depends on how quickly Blair finds a spot in the rotation.
Players to watch: Talayah Walker, Sofia Muñoz, La’Nya Foster, Ariadna Termis
Florida State
Record: 10-21, 5-13 ACC (14th)
Coach: Brooke Wyckoff, 6th season, 90-60
Brooke Wyckoff responded to a 10-21 season by replacing almost everyone. The Seminoles lost to Georgia Tech 72-60 in the ACC Tournament’s first round.
Solé Williams is the only star who stayed. The senior guard scored 15.1 points and handed out 3.0 assists. Emma Risch, a senior guard, scored 6.7 points, and Tatum Greene, a junior guard, scored 6.1 points and grabbed 5.7 rebounds. Avery Treadwell, a senior forward, and Mari Gerton, a sophomore guard, also returned.
Jasmine Shavers, a junior guard, averaged 12.2 points, and Sydney Bowles, a senior guard, averaged 8.4 points. Pania Davis, a junior forward who averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, went to USC, and Allie Kubek, a senior forward who averaged 7.5 points, is gone.
There are 11 newcomers. Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, a fifth-year guard who played at Marshall and VCU, scored 20.2 points at Marshall, and Jasmine Nivar, a sophomore guard from Campbell, scored 11.4. Ice Brady, a fifth-year forward from UConn, is out for the season with a knee injury, so Savannah Henderson, a fifth-year forward from Georgia, and Aga Makurat, a senior forward from Vanderbilt, have to give Wyckoff size. Joy Egbuna, a sophomore forward from Alabama, and five freshmen complete the class.
Williams, Lewis-Eutsey, and Nivar give Wyckoff the best backcourt in the bottom six, and everything else is unproven. Four of the five leading scorers are gone, and the replacements come from smaller programs or played limited roles at bigger ones. Lewis-Eutsey’s big numbers came at Marshall and Nivar’s at Campbell, and scorers from smaller leagues often struggle with the step up in competition. The Seminoles won five league games last year, and I think this team wins more, mostly because Williams is a proven ACC scorer. Brady’s injury takes away one of the few frontcourt veterans. Thirteenth is where a good backcourt and an unproven everything else lands, but I would not be shocked to see a top-10 finish from this group this season.
Players to watch: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, Solé Williams, Jasmine Nivar, Savannah Henderson
Stanford
Record: 21-14, 8-10 ACC (11th, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Kate Paye, 3rd season, 37-29
Stanford lost most of its team after a season that ended in the WBIT quarterfinals. The Cardinal lost to Miami 83-76 in the ACC Tournament’s first round and then won twice in the WBIT, beating Loyola Marymount and Quinnipiac, before losing 76-61 at BYU in the quarterfinals.
Five players return. Hailee Swain, a sophomore guard, scored 10.2 points, and Alexandra Eschmeyer, a sophomore forward listed at 6-5, scored 5.1. Shay Ijiwoye is a junior guard, Kennedy Umeh is a junior center listed at 6-4, and Nora Ezike is a sophomore forward.
Nunu Agara, a junior forward and second-team All-ACC selection, averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds and went to Maryland. Courtney Ogden, a junior guard who averaged 12.9 points, went to Michigan, and Chloe Clardy, a junior guard who averaged 12.0 points, went to North Carolina. Lara Somfai, a freshman forward who averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds, went to TCU, so four of the five leading scorers are gone.
Stanford rebuilt with a lot of size. Charlotte Tuhy, a sophomore forward from American, scored 12.0 points and grabbed 11.3 rebounds, and Ilse de Vries, a junior forward from Miami (OH), scored 12.6 points. Inés Sotelo Míguez, a junior forward from Michigan State, is the other transfer. Kiara Green, a freshman center, is listed at 6-5, and Gracyn Gilliard, Elyse Ngenda, and Jordyn Wheeler are also freshmen.
So little is known about this roster that 14th is partly a guess. Swain is the one proven returning scorer, and Tuhy and de Vries are productive young transfers, but the team lost nearly all of its scoring, with Agara, Ogden, Clardy, and Somfai combining for 51.0 points a game. The size and the WBIT run give the Cardinal a floor, but Kate Paye is 37-29 in two seasons here and has not yet shown she can rebuild after losing nearly an entire group of scorers. The transfers will decide whether Stanford climbs into the middle of the league or finishes near the bottom.
Players to watch: Charlotte Tuhy, Ilse de Vries, Hailee Swain, Alexandra Eschmeyer
SMU
Record: 9-21, 2-16 ACC (16th)
Coach: Adia Barnes, 2nd season, 9-21 (11th overall, 178-135)
Adia Barnes won two ACC games in her first season, and almost nobody from that team is back. SMU finished 16th at 2-16, and only one returner played significant minutes.
Barnes rebuilt through the portal, and the class has 11 newcomers. Theresa Hagans, a sophomore guard from Pitt, scored 12.6 points, and Kinsea Grimes, a sophomore forward from Coastal Carolina, scored 11.3 points and grabbed 6.6 rebounds. Grace Ezebilo, a senior forward from Charleston, grabbed 12.1 rebounds, and Izela Arenas is a junior guard from Kansas State, Mailien Rolf is a junior guard from Arizona, and Elise Hill is a senior guard from Tulsa.
Zahra King, a junior guard, is the one returner who played, and she scored 14.4 points. Roxy White, a sophomore forward, redshirted last season and is the only other returner. Tyi Skinner, a senior guard who averaged 13.6 points, went to Syracuse, and Sahnya Jah, a junior forward who averaged 9.3 points, went to Cincinnati. Kyla Deck, a senior guard, averaged 10.1 points, and Paulina Paris, a senior guard, averaged 9.6 points. All four were main scorers, and all four are gone.
King and Hagans are the only two players who have proven that they can play at this level. Grimes and Ezebilo produced at lower levels, but I cannot raise their floor much until I see how they play in the ACC week to week. Ezebilo is a proven rebounder from Charleston, but a team with 11 newcomers has to learn together. The Mustangs went 9-21 overall last year, so there is room to improve, and I think they do. I can see SMU finishing anywhere from 12th to 16th this season, and anything above 16th would be an improvement.
Players to watch: Zahra King, Theresa Hagans, Kinsea Grimes, Grace Ezebilo
Pittsburgh
Record: 8-23, 1-17 ACC (17th, tie)
Coach: Robin Harmony, 1st season, 0-0 (20th overall, 369-198)
Robin Harmony took over a Pittsburgh team that won one ACC game, and she brought much of her old roster with her from the College of Charleston. The Panthers replaced nearly the whole roster.
The new group’s core came from Charleston. Taryn Barbot, a senior guard, scored 19.8 points there, and Taylor Barbot, a senior guard, scored 11.4 points and handed out 5.9 assists. Jamisen Hill, a senior guard, also came from Charleston. Ande’a Cherisier, a senior center from Delaware, scored 13.2 points and grabbed 7.9 rebounds, and Avery Watkins, a fifth-year forward from Fresno State, scored 6.2 points.
The rest of the class is depth. Alancia Ramsey is a senior forward from Alabama, and Maysen Hill is a sophomore guard from Fordham. Jazmyne Bynum, a sophomore guard, and Meredith Venner, a sophomore center, arrive from Miami Dade College, and CeCe Legaspi is a junior guard from California Baptist. Madison Crawford is a freshman guard.
Mikayla Johnson, a junior guard, averaged 13.3 points and went to UCF, and Theresa Hagans, a freshman guard who averaged 12.6 points and made the All-Freshman Team, went to SMU. Fatima Diakhate, a junior forward, averaged 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds, and Carla Viegas, a junior guard, averaged 8.4 points. Megan Hollingsworth, a freshman guard who averaged 4.5 points, went to Boston College. Only sophomore guard Macie Arzner returns.
Pittsburgh has as much turnover as anyone in the league, with one returner and 11 newcomers, and I have it 16th. Harmony brought several players from Charleston, and the group has proven itself at the mid-major level. However, the ACC is not a mid-major league. The number that worries me is Taryn Barbot’s, because she played 37 minutes a game at Charleston, and scorers from mid-major leagues often see their totals drop in the ACC in both points and efficiency. Her minutes might not drop because she will have to carry a lot of the load this season. Taylor Barbot handed out 5.9 assists a game at Charleston, which gives the Panthers a real point guard, and Cherisier was a productive inside player at Delaware. Watkins adds experience, but the Panthers won one league game last year, and the gap to the middle is wide. Four or five league wins is realistic, but it depends on the Charleston guards keeping their pace and Cherisier holding up against ACC size.
Players to watch: Taryn Barbot, Taylor Barbot, Ande’a Cherisier, Avery Watkins
Wake Forest
Record: 14-18, 4-14 ACC (15th, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Megan Gebbia, 5th season, 47-80 (14th overall, 207-186)
Wake Forest has six players back and no one who can score like Grace Oliver. The Demon Deacons lost 75-52 to California in the ACC Tournament’s first round and then lost 59-48 to Maryland Eastern Shore in the first round of the WNIT.
Grace Oliver, a sophomore forward, averaged 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds and went to Boston College. Milan Brown, a freshman guard who averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds, went to Georgia, and Caitlyn Jones, a freshman guard who averaged 8.3 points, went to UCF. Raven Preston, a junior guard, went to App State.
Mary Carter, a senior guard, scored 11.0 points and grabbed 4.9 rebounds, and Aurora Sørbye, a junior guard, scored 7.2 points. Opal Bird, a sophomore forward, scored 5.4 points. Madisyn Jordan, Grace Galbavy, and Savannah Metcalfe also return.
The newcomers are mostly freshmen. Transfers include Breauna Ware, a graduate guard from Wisconsin; Ramiyah Byrd, a redshirt junior guard from Cincinnati; and McKenzie Swanson, a redshirt sophomore forward from Butler. Freshmen include Adora Nwude, Alexis Cashdollar, Oshauna Holland, and Helena Danielewicz.
Wake Forest returns more players than most of the bottom six, and that continuity is its best argument. The six returners accounted for 29.7 points a game last season, and the six players who left accounted for 46.1, so the newcomers have to supply most of the difference. Carter is the one returner who scored in double figures, and the rest of the group is built on role players who are a year older. Ware scored 5.4 points at Wisconsin and Byrd scored 2.2 at Cincinnati, so they bring experience more than production, and Swanson adds size. The Demon Deacons won only four ACC games, and Megan Gebbia is 47-80 in four seasons here, so I need to see improvement before moving this team up. That puts Wake 17th. A year of continuity helps, and Wake could pass Pittsburgh, but without a go-to scorer I cannot put them higher.
Players to watch: Mary Carter, Aurora Sørbye, Opal Bird, Breauna Ware
Boston College
Record: 5-26, 1-17 ACC (17th, tie)
Coach: Kate Popovec-Goss, 1st season, 0-0 (5th overall, 44-86)
Boston College won one ACC game and then changed coaches, with Kate Popovec-Goss arriving from Bradley to replace Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. Her first roster is mostly new.
Only three players return. Jocelyne Grier, a sophomore guard, scored 9.7 points, and Athena Tomlinson, a junior guard, scored 5.6 points and handed out 4.3 assists. Eleanor Trout, a redshirt freshman forward, also returns.
The Eagles lost their top scorers. Lily Carmody, a sophomore guard, averaged 12.8 points and went to Northwestern, and Teionni McDaniel, a senior guard, averaged 9.0 points. Amirah Anderson, a freshman guard, averaged 7.9 points and went to Alabama, and Kayla Rolph, a senior forward, averaged 7.4 points.
Grace Oliver, a junior forward from Wake Forest, is the most important addition. She scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.1 rebounds. Megan Hollingsworth is a sophomore guard from Pitt, and Natalia Hall-Rosa is a sophomore guard from Seton Hall. The six freshmen include center Gabriela Bernal Ortellado, listed at 6-3, and center Nora Arozena, listed at 6-2.
Boston College is last because the Eagles won one league game and lost by an average of 12.7 points a game overall. Oliver is the one proven scorer, and six of the nine newcomers are freshmen. Tomlinson is the natural lead guard, and Grier should take a step as a sophomore, which gives Oliver two guards who have played in this league, but the rest of the rotation is unproven. Popovec-Goss has a full rebuild ahead of her, and the first year is about building the foundation. I would not be surprised if Boston College won two or three league games and finished outside the basement, but I cannot see a path to a ton of wins. This job is a rebuild, and Popovec-Goss has proven that with time, she can handle it.
Players to watch: Grace Oliver, Jocelyne Grier, Athena Tomlinson, Megan Hollingsworth
ACC Round-Up
Duke is my pick, with Louisville right behind it, and I would not argue with anyone who flips them. The Blue Devils have the better front line and the Cardinals have the deeper roster, so the margin comes down to how quickly Duke finds a guard to run the offense. The fight for third is the one I find most interesting. I give North Carolina the edge because Kate Harpring could be the go-to scorer the Tar Heels lack, while NC State could still make a run at the top three if Desiree Wooten scores like she did at Colorado. Notre Dame has Hannah Hidalgo and a lot of questions, and Virginia has Kymora Johnson and a new coach, which is a fun combination. Virginia Tech, Syracuse, California, and Clemson could land anywhere from seventh to 10th. For Virginia Tech, it comes down to the frontcourt; for Syracuse, the guards around Uche Izoje; for California, the transfer bigs and freshman Ruby Perkins; and for Clemson, whether the transfers can replace four veterans.
The bottom of the league is full of rebuilds. Florida State, SMU, and Pittsburgh each brought in 11 newcomers, and Boston College added nine around a few returners. Pittsburgh is the one I would watch, because the Charleston group gives it more proven scorers than the Eagles have. Georgia Tech and Miami are the teams I think could finish higher than I have them, and Florida State has the backcourt to surprise. Stanford is the one I trust least, because it has to lean on transfers who have not yet carried a lineup at this level.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 ACC regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 18 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 31st. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 31st. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.