South Carolina won the SEC regular season and reached the national championship game, and Texas won the conference tournament and reached the Final Four. South Carolina lost Ta’Niya Latson, Madina Okot, and Raven Johnson, and Texas lost Jordan Lee, Kyla Oldacre, and Rori Harmon. Lee went to South Carolina, and Talaysia Cooper went from Tennessee to Ole Miss, and they are the notable in-conference transfers. Joyce Edwards is back at South Carolina, Madison Booker is back at Texas, Mikayla Blakes is back at Vanderbilt, Aaliyah Chavez is back at Oklahoma, and Clara Strack is back at Kentucky. Georgia, Alabama, and Florida have new head coaches, as Ayla Guzzardo, Pauline Love, and Tammi Reiss take over. Tennessee has 15 newcomers and no returners. Florida and Arkansas have 12 apiece, and Georgia has 11.
The Big Picture
Ten of the SEC’s 16 teams reached the NCAA Tournament, and South Carolina and Texas both reached the Final Four. Vanderbilt swept the biggest awards: Mikayla Blakes was Player of the Year, Aubrey Galvan was Freshman of the Year, and Shea Ralph was Coach of the Year. Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss was the Newcomer of the Year, and South Carolina’s Raven Johnson was the Defensive Player of the Year. South Carolina won the league at 15-1, Texas and Vanderbilt tied for second at 13-3, and LSU and Oklahoma each won at least 11 league games. Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Georgia tied for sixth at 8-8, and Alabama, which went 7-9, also made the field. Missouri and Texas A&M played in the WBIT. Florida, Mississippi State, Auburn, and Arkansas did not play in a postseason tournament, and Arkansas won one league game.
Roster turnover is heavy, and 144 of the 213 players on the 16 rosters are new. Eight teams lost their leading scorer, including Ole Miss, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Arkansas. Twelve of the 16 teams have more newcomers than returners, and Oklahoma is the only team with seven apiece. Texas A&M returns nine players, the most in the league, and South Carolina returns eight. How the transfer-heavy groups come together during the non-conference slate could tell us a lot about how the conference order finishes.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - South Carolina
2 - Texas
3 - Vanderbilt
4 - LSU
5 - Oklahoma
6 - Kentucky
7 - Ole Miss
8 - Tennessee
9 - Mississippi State
10 - Florida
11 - Missouri
12 - Texas A&M
13 - Georgia
14 - Alabama
15 - Auburn
16 - Arkansas
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-SEC Team
Kiyomi McMiller, G, Florida
Clara Strack, C, Kentucky
Mikaylah Williams, G, LSU
MiLaysia Fulwiley, G, LSU
Madison Francis, F, Mississippi State
Grace Slaughter, G, Missouri
Aaliyah Chavez, G, Oklahoma
Sahara Williams, F, Oklahoma
Talaysia Cooper, G, Ole Miss
Chloe Kitts, F, South Carolina
Joyce Edwards, F, South Carolina
Tessa Johnson, G, South Carolina
Madison Booker, F, Texas
Aubrey Galvan, G, Vanderbilt
Mikayla Blakes, G, Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Record: 36-4, 15-1 SEC (1st, NCAA championship game)
Coach: Dawn Staley, 19th season, 511-114 (27th overall, 683-194)
South Carolina has the league’s best returning player and one of its deepest rosters, even after losing three All-SEC seniors. The Gamecocks won the SEC by two games and reached the national championship game. They beat Kentucky 87-64 and LSU 83-77 in the SEC tournament, and Texas beat them 78-61 in the final. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Oklahoma 94-68 in the Sweet 16, TCU 78-52 in the Elite Eight, and UConn 62-48 in the Final Four, and UCLA beat them 79-51 in the title game.
The backcourt took the biggest hit. Raven Johnson, a senior guard and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 9.8 points and 5.0 assists, and Ta’Niya Latson, a senior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, averaged 14.1 points. Madina Okot, a senior forward and second-team All-SEC selection, averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds. Maddy McDaniel, a sophomore guard, and Maryam Dauda, a senior forward, also left.
South Carolina has seven newcomers, and Jordan Lee is the headliner. Lee, a junior guard from Texas, scored 13.2 points and handed out 2.5 assists, and Brooke Quarles-Daniels, a fifth-year guard from Michigan, brings the ability to play the point. Jerzy Robinson, Oliviyah Edwards, Kaeli Wynn, Kelsi Andrews, and Justine Loubens are the freshmen, and Loubens most recently played for La Roche Vendée in France.
Eight players are returning, and Joyce Edwards is the centerpiece. Edwards, a junior forward, was a first-team All-SEC selection and an AP second-team All-American, and she scored 19.2 points and grabbed 6.8 rebounds. Tessa Johnson, a senior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, scored 12.8 points, and sophomore guard Agot Makeer scored 7.3 points. Ayla McDowell, a sophomore guard, scored 4.1 points, Alicia Tournebize, a sophomore forward, scored 4.0 points, and Adhel Tac, a junior forward, scored 3.1 points. Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, both fifth-year forwards, are also returning after missing last season. Kitts tore her ACL in October, and Watkins sat out the year while recovering from her own ACL tear.
Edwards is the best returning player in the conference, and no other contender brings back as much scoring or as many players. Dawn Staley paired her with Lee and Quarles-Daniels, two guards who can replace some of what Latson and Raven Johnson gave her, and the backcourt should be fine. The question is the frontcourt, where Okot’s rebounding is gone and Kitts and Watkins, who are coming back from ACL tears, have to fill the gap with Tournebize and Tac behind them. Texas beat the Gamecocks twice last season, in the Players Era Championship final and the SEC tournament final, so the gap at the top is thin. Still, South Carolina just returns so much experience. A team that played for the national title and keeps most of its rotation is the safest pick. The ceiling is another national title, and the floor is a second-place finish in conference if the front line struggles to get settled.
Players to watch: Joyce Edwards, Jordan Lee, Tessa Johnson, Jerzy Robinson
Texas
Record: 35-4, 13-3 SEC (2nd, tie, NCAA Final Four)
Coach: Vic Schaefer, 7th season, 179-40 (22nd overall, 480-212)
Texas won the SEC tournament and reached the Final Four, and much of the supporting cast around Madison Booker has to be replaced. The Longhorns went 35-4 and beat South Carolina 66-64 in the Players Era Championship final, and in the SEC tournament, they beat Alabama 83-60, Ole Miss 85-68, and South Carolina 78-61. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Kentucky 76-54 in the Sweet 16 and Michigan 77-41 in the Elite Eight, and UCLA beat them 51-44 in the Final Four.
The losses are in the backcourt and the post. Rori Harmon, a senior guard, second-team All-SEC selection, and All-Defensive Team member, averaged 8.4 points and 6.3 assists. Jordan Lee, a sophomore guard, averaged 13.2 points and went to South Carolina, and Kyla Oldacre, a senior forward, averaged 10.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. Justice Carlton, a sophomore forward, went to Houston, and Aaliyah Crump, a freshman guard, went to Duke.
Texas added nine newcomers, and five of them are freshmen. Zya Vann, a junior guard from Oklahoma, scored 10.4 points and grabbed 4.2 rebounds, and Jada Bediako, a senior forward from Marquette, scored 2.7 points but will miss the year due to injury. Lovisa Asbrink Hose, a junior center, comes from FAU, and Jayda Clark is a sophomore guard. Freshmen Amalia Holguin, Brihanna Crittendon, Addison Bjorn, Lizzy Spaight, and Isi Etute are also in the mix.
Five players are returning, and Madison Booker is the headliner. Booker, a senior forward, was a first-team All-SEC selection and an AP first-team All-American, and she scored 18.9 points, grabbed 6.7 rebounds, and handed out 3.7 assists. Breya Cunningham, a senior forward, scored 7.7 points and grabbed 5.6 rebounds, and Bryanna Preston, a junior guard, scored 4.9 points. Sarah Graves, a fifth-year guard, and Grace Prenter, a sophomore guard, scored 1.4 points apiece.
Booker can carry an offense, and Cunningham gives her an experienced big next to her, which is a better foundation than most teams chasing the Longhorns can offer. The program has not slipped even as the rosters turned over, and Vic Schaefer has earned the benefit of the doubt. The open spot is point guard, and Vann and Preston will help run the offense now that Harmon is gone. The returning group scores far less than South Carolina’s, so the transfers and freshmen must provide the depth. Cunningham gives Schaefer size inside, and the freshman guards give the Longhorns bodies to rotate. I think the Longhorns are the team most likely to beat South Carolina for the league title, and I put them second only because the Gamecocks keep more of their roster. Texas might look shaky early as players learn new roles and freshmen acclimate, but I think Texas still ends up near the top of the SEC.
Players to watch: Madison Booker, Zya Vann, Breya Cunningham, Bryanna Preston
Vanderbilt
Record: 29-5, 13-3 SEC (2nd, tie, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Shea Ralph, 6th season, 102-64
Vanderbilt had the SEC Player of the Year, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and the SEC Coach of the Year, and the Commodores went 29-5 and tied for second in the league. They beat BYU 84-71 in the Paradise Jam final and Michigan 72-69 in January, and Ole Miss beat them 89-78 in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat High Point 102-61 and Illinois 75-57, and Notre Dame beat them 67-64 in the Sweet 16.
Three seniors who anchored the roster are gone. Justine Pissott, a senior guard, averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, Sacha Washington, a senior forward, averaged 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, a senior guard, averaged 6.9 points. Aga Makurat went to Florida State, and Ava Black went to Penn State.
They have six newcomers, and three of them are veterans with big numbers at their last stops. Vernell Atamah, a junior forward from Northwestern State, scored 18.8 points and grabbed 6.9 rebounds, and Mia Woolfolk, a junior forward from Georgia, scored 13.9 points. Saniyah Glenn-Bello, a graduate guard from Harvard, scored 11.1 points and handed out 2.1 assists. Olivia Jones, Jhai Johnson, and Sther Ubaka are the freshmen.
Seven players are returning, and the backcourt is the reason the Commodores are third. Mikayla Blakes, a junior guard, was the SEC Player of the Year and an AP first-team All-American, and she scored 27.0 points and handed out 4.5 assists. Aubrey Galvan, a sophomore guard and the SEC Freshman of the Year, scored 13.5 points and handed out 5.7 assists. Aiyana Mitchell, a senior forward, scored 5.8 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds. Aaliyah Del Rosario, Trinity Wilson, and Monique Williams are back as depth, and senior guard Madison Greene returns after missing last season with an injury. She scored 6.8 points in 2024-25.
Blakes and Galvan are the best returning backcourt in the conference, and Shea Ralph, the SEC Coach of the Year, does not have to find a lead guard or go-to scorer, which most teams around Vanderbilt cannot say. The question is the frontcourt, where Pissott and Washington were the third- and fourth-leading scorers, and Washington was the leading rebounder. Atamah has to show that her scoring at Northwestern State carries to SEC length, and Woolfolk already did it in this league at Georgia. Glenn-Bello gives Ralph another guard who can score, which takes pressure off Blakes, and Mitchell and Del Rosario are experienced forwards who can handle the dirty work. I trust Ralph to find the right mix. Sixth is the floor in a tough SEC if the new frontcourt struggles on the glass, but with Blakes and Galvan, I would not be surprised to see Vanderbilt in the title race again.
Players to watch: Mikayla Blakes, Aubrey Galvan, Vernell Atamah, Mia Woolfolk
LSU
Record: 29-6, 12-4 SEC (4th, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Kim Mulkey, 6th season, 151-26 (27th overall, 783-130)
LSU won 29 games with a guard-heavy rotation, and it should look similar this season with a new set of faces. The Tigers went 29-6, finished fourth in the SEC, and reached the Sweet 16. They beat Duke 93-77 in the ACC/SEC Challenge and Texas 70-65 in January, and South Carolina beat them 83-77 in the SEC tournament semifinals. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Jacksonville 116-58 and Texas Tech 101-47, and Duke beat them 87-85 in the Sweet 16.
The losses include a first-team All-SEC star and two veterans up front. Flau’jae Johnson, a senior guard and first-team All-SEC selection, averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, Amiya Joyner, a senior forward, averaged 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds and went to Louisville, and Kate Koval, a sophomore forward, averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and went to Baylor. Jada Richard, a sophomore guard, went to Ole Miss.
LSU added six newcomers, and the guards are the headline. Jada Williams, a senior guard from Iowa State, scored 15.3 points and handed out 7.7 assists, and Laila Reynolds, a senior guard from Florida, scored 12.1 points. Chloe Larry, a junior guard from Tennessee Tech, scored 13.5 points and grabbed 4.0 rebounds. Noa Morro, a senior forward, and freshmen Lola Lampley and Anna Minaeva round out the class.
Five players are returning, including the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. MiLaysia Fulwiley, a senior guard, scored 14.6 points and handed out 3.5 assists, and Mikaylah Williams, a senior guard and first-team All-SEC selection, scored 14.2 points and grabbed 5.3 rebounds. ZaKiyah Johnson, a sophomore guard and All-Freshman Team selection, scored 9.7 points and grabbed 5.6 rebounds, and Grace Knox, a sophomore forward, scored 8.8 points. Meghan Yarnevich, a sophomore forward, scored 2.0 points.
I like this guard group as much as any in the conference, and Kim Mulkey now has a true point guard in Jada Williams to run it. Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams are proven, Larry and Reynolds can score when asked, and ZaKiyah Johnson gives the Tigers rebounding from the wing, which helps a roster this guard-heavy. The concern is size. Joyner and Koval accounted for most of the interior production, and Knox, Minaeva, and Morro have to cover that ground. Nobody on the roster is likely to give the Tigers the interior play Joyner did, so the guards will have to defend and rebound as a group. If Knox or a freshman becomes a reliable rebounder, LSU belongs in the title race. Without one, the guards will have to outscore people, and that is a harder way to win in this league.
Players to watch: MiLaysia Fulwiley, Mikaylah Williams, Jada Williams, Laila Reynolds
Oklahoma
Record: 26-8, 11-5 SEC (5th, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Jennie Baranczyk, 6th season, 127-42 (15th overall, 319-138)
Oklahoma returns a second-team All-SEC guard and must rebuild the frontcourt, but the Sooners should stay in the top five. They went 26-8, finished fifth in the SEC, and reached the Sweet 16. They beat Florida State 109-91 in the Coconut Hoops final and Florida 82-64 in the SEC tournament, and LSU beat them 112-78 in the quarterfinals. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Idaho 89-59 and Michigan State 77-71, and South Carolina beat them 94-68 in the Sweet 16.
The losses are in the frontcourt and at guard. Raegan Beers, a senior forward and first-team All-SEC selection, averaged 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds, Payton Verhulst, a senior guard, averaged 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, and Zya Vann, a sophomore guard, averaged 10.4 points and went to Texas. Beatrice Culliton, a senior forward, also left.
Oklahoma’s seven newcomers include two fifth-year bigs, and they are the biggest additions. Sa’Myah Smith, a fifth-year forward from Virginia, scored 7.9 points and grabbed 6.8 rebounds, and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, a fifth-year center from Maryland, scored 8.0 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds. Jordan Speiser, a sophomore guard from Kansas State, scored 10.2 points, and Keeley Parks, a sophomore guard from Kansas, scored 4.9 points. Vienna Murray, Sina Höllerl, and LeeLee Bell are the freshmen.
Seven players are returning, and Aaliyah Chavez is the star. Chavez, a sophomore guard, was a second-team All-SEC selection and a member of the All-Freshman Team, and she scored 18.4 points and handed out 4.2 assists. Sahara Williams, a senior forward, scored 12.4 points and grabbed 7.9 rebounds. Brooklyn Stewart, a sophomore forward, scored 6.6 points, Caya Smith, a junior forward, scored 4.3 points, and Keziah Lofton, a sophomore guard, scored 4.0 points. Emma Tolan and Daffa Cissoko, both sophomores, are also returning.
The Sooners keep Chavez and Williams, as good a returning duo as any in the league, and Jennie Baranczyk has rebuilt the frontcourt with two fifth-year transfers. Speiser and Parks arrive from Big 12 programs, so the Sooners have guards who have played in a power league, and Stewart and Lofton played regular minutes as freshmen. The Sooners lose their top rebounder and two of their top guards, so the new group has to gel quickly. I put Oklahoma behind LSU because the depth is less proven, and ahead of Kentucky. After all, Chavez gives them a guard who can create without help. If Sa’Myah Smith and Ozzy-Momodu rebound at Beers’ level, Oklahoma can finish higher than fifth. If they do not, the Sooners will have to win with guard play and tempo, which is harder against SEC size.
Players to watch: Aaliyah Chavez, Sahara Williams, Sa’Myah Smith, Jordan Speiser
Kentucky
Record: 25-11, 8-8 SEC (6th, tie, NCAA Sweet 16)
Coach: Kenny Brooks, 3rd season, 48-19 (25th overall, 565-223)
Kentucky made the Sweet 16 with a veteran lineup, and nearly all of it is gone except the best player. The Wildcats went 25-11 and tied for sixth in the SEC at 8-8. They beat Arkansas 94-64 and Georgia 76-61 in the SEC tournament, and South Carolina beat them 87-64 in the quarterfinals. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat James Madison 71-56 and West Virginia 74-73, and Texas beat them 76-54 in the Sweet 16.
Four seniors who carried the offense are gone. Tonie Morgan, a senior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 assists, Teonni Key, a senior forward, averaged 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds, Amelia Hassett, a senior forward, averaged 10.5 points, and Jordan Obi, a senior forward, averaged 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Kaelyn Carroll left for Washington, and Lexi Blue left for Northwestern.
Kentucky brought in eight newcomers from across the country. Me’Arah O’Neal, a junior forward from Florida, scored 13.6 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds, and Diana Collins, a senior guard from Alabama, scored 8.4 points. Ayanna Patterson, a redshirt junior forward from UConn, scored 1.7 points, and Jemma Amoore, a junior guard from IU Indy, scored 1.3 points. Ajša Sivka, a 6-foot-4 Slovenian guard and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, adds depth. Emily McDonald, Savvy Swords, and Maddyn Greenway are the freshmen.
Four players are returning, and Clara Strack matters most. Strack, a senior center, was a first-team All-SEC selection and an All-Defensive Team member, and she scored 16.9 points and grabbed 10.1 rebounds. Asia Boone, a senior guard, scored 10.1 points and handed out 2.3 assists, and Gabby Brooks, a senior guard, scored 0.8 points. Dominika Paurová, a redshirt sophomore guard, is also returning after missing her first two seasons at Kentucky with a lower leg injury, and she scored 5.5 points at Oregon State in 2023-24.
Strack is the best returning big in the conference, and that gives Kenny Brooks a floor few rebuilding rosters have. The backcourt is the issue, because Morgan ran everything and Collins and Boone have to replace her playmaking while O’Neal gives Strack a second option in the paint. The freshmen will play a role this season, and Maddyn Greenway might get the reins to the offense quickly. Kentucky returns only four players, and the newcomers include several who have not played much at this level. Brooks won 23 games in his first season in Lexington and 25 in his second, so I trust him to find a spot in the rotation. If O’Neal and Collins produce as they did at their old schools, Kentucky is a top-four team, and if the new guards struggle, Strack will be carrying too much. That spread is why sixth is the right middle ground.
Players to watch: Clara Strack, Me’Arah O’Neal, Maddyn Greenway, Asia Boone
Ole Miss
Record: 24-12, 8-8 SEC (6th, tie, NCAA second round)
Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin, 9th season, 149-107 (14th overall, 243-170)
Ole Miss lost the SEC Newcomer of the Year and almost everyone around her, so this is a full rebuild. The Rebels went 24-12, tied for sixth in the SEC, and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They beat Auburn 73-57 and Vanderbilt 89-78 in the SEC tournament, and Texas beat them 85-68 in the semifinals. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Gonzaga 81-66, and Minnesota beat them 65-63 in the second round.
The Rebels lost their star and their frontcourt. Cotie McMahon, a senior forward, the SEC Newcomer of the Year, and a first-team All-SEC selection, averaged 19.5 points and 5.1 rebounds, Christeen Iwuala, a senior forward, averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, and Latasha Lattimore, a senior forward, averaged 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. Sira Thienou, a sophomore guard, went to Auburn, and Tianna Thompson, a sophomore guard, went to Baylor.
Ten newcomers join the team, and the best one comes from inside the league. Talaysia Cooper, a fifth-year guard from Tennessee, scored 16.0 points and handed out 3.6 assists, and Jaida Civil, a sophomore guard, also came from Tennessee. Jada Richard, a sophomore guard, arrived from LSU. Doneelah Washington, a junior forward from Illinois State, scored 16.7 points and grabbed 8.6 rebounds, and Jade Tillman, a senior guard from UMBC, scored 15.3 points. Maya Anderson, Knisha Godfrey, Emily Howard, Rachael Okokoh, and Charleen Hudson round out the class.
Only two players are returning for Ole Miss. Lauren Jacobs, a sophomore guard, scored 2.5 points, and Desrae Kyles, a junior center, scored 1.0 point.
Yolett McPhee-McCuin has built this team in the portal, and the pieces fit better than you may expect at first glance. Cooper was a second-team All-SEC selection at Tennessee and can create her own shot, which the Rebels lacked once McMahon left. Washington and Tillman both scored in double figures against mid-major competition, and Washington’s rebounding matters after the losses of Iwuala and Lattimore. These two will need to step up and prove they can consistently contribute against SEC competition. Cooper and Civil have played SEC minutes, so the league will not be new to everyone. The concern is time, because a lineup with two returners needs weeks to settle in. A team with this much talent and so little shared SEC experience belongs in seventh, and I would not be shocked by a top-four finish or a finish outside the top 10.
Players to watch: Talaysia Cooper, Doneelah Washington, Jade Tillman, Jaida Civil
Tennessee
Record: 16-14, 8-8 SEC (6th, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Kim Caldwell, 3rd season, 40-24 (11th overall, 257-55)
Tennessee has no returning players, which makes this the most complete roster turnover in the conference. The Lady Vols went 16-14 and tied for sixth in the SEC at 8-8. Alabama beat them 76-64 in the second round of the SEC tournament, and NC State beat them 76-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The entire roster turned over. Talaysia Cooper, a junior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, averaged 16.0 points and went to Ole Miss, Janiah Barker, a senior forward, averaged 14.3 points and 6.6 rebounds, and Zee Spearman, a senior forward, averaged 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. Mia Pauldo, a freshman guard and member of the All-Freshman Team, went to Rutgers, Jaida Civil, a freshman guard, went to Ole Miss, and Kaniya Boyd, a sophomore guard, went to Texas A&M.
Fifteen newcomers fill the roster, and the scoring is established. Naomi White, a junior guard from Northern Arizona, scored 20.5 points, and Avery Mills, a junior guard from Liberty, scored 15.8 points but is out for the year after surgery to repair a torn ACL. Kennedy Fauntleroy, a fifth-year guard from East Carolina, scored 13.7 points and handed out 4.8 assists, while Fatmata Janneh, a senior forward from Texas A&M, scored 11.4 points and grabbed 9.7 rebounds. Kaylene Smikle, Rylie Theuerkauf, Jada Eads, Riley Makalusky, Harissoum Coulibaly, Zhen Craft, Harper Peterson, Shaelyn Steele, Aaliyah Moore, Gabby Minus, and Irene Oboavwoduo complete the group.
Tennessee has no returning players. Every member of the 15-player roster is new to the program.
Kim Caldwell won 24 games in her first season in Knoxville and 16 in her second, and now she has to start over with a roster she built in a single offseason. White put up big numbers at a smaller program, and Fauntleroy and Theuerkauf have proven themselves against better competition. Mills is out for the year, which costs the Lady Vols one of their established scorers. Janneh and Coulibaly have both played in this league, and Janneh is the SEC-tested rebounder the roster needs. The risk is chemistry, because no player has a game of experience with the others, and that makes the non-conference schedule the most important stretch of the year. Everyone will be watching how the players respond in tough moments this season. Eighth is a fair spot for this much talent with no track record together, and if the guards share the ball and the scoring translates, I could see the Lady Vols finishing a little higher.
Players to watch: Naomi White, Kennedy Fauntleroy, Rylie Theuerkauf, Fatmata Janneh
Mississippi State
Record: 18-13, 5-11 SEC (12th, tie)
Coach: Sam Purcell, 5th season, 85-48
Mississippi State kept its two best forwards and replaced almost everyone else. The Bulldogs went 18-13, tied for 12th in the SEC, and did not play in a postseason tournament. They lost to Florida 86-68 in the first round of the SEC tournament.
Five of the top seven scorers are gone. Destiney McPhaul, a senior guard, averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists, Kharyssa Richardson, a senior forward, averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds, and Trayanna Crisp, a senior guard, averaged 8.7 points. Chandler Prater, a senior guard, averaged 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds, and freshman guard Jaylah Lampley went to Rutgers.
Mississippi State’s best newcomers are guards. Aryss Macktoon, a senior guard from La Salle, scored 14.9 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds, and Cali Smallwood, a senior guard from UAB, scored 14.1 points. Macie Phifer, a sophomore guard and forward from Middle Tennessee, scored 11.4 points and grabbed 5.8 rebounds, and Reese Beaty, a sophomore guard from Iowa State, handed out 3.3 assists. Tootie Lockett, Arianny Francisco de Oliveira, Ludovica Sammartino, Andrea Flores, Grace Ndubueze, and Lani Smallwood complete the class.
Three players are returning, and the two forwards are the core. Madison Francis, a sophomore forward who made both the All-Freshman Team and the All-Defensive Team, scored 13.2 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds, and Favour Nwaedozi, a senior forward, scored 12.2 points and grabbed 10.0 rebounds. Melissa Guillet, a sophomore guard, scored 1.2 points.
Sam Purcell’s best argument for a top-eight finish is the frontcourt of Francis and Nwaedozi, which is why Mississippi State sits ahead of teams rebuilding around transfers. Macktoon and Cali Smallwood bring scoring from La Salle and UAB, Phifer can play guard or forward, and Sammartino and Francisco de Oliveira add depth behind the two forwards. The open question is the backcourt, because a team that won five league games last season needs its new guards from the mid-major ranks to score against SEC defenses. Reese Beaty can provide some production, but she cannot be the only consistent producer. I value keeping the two best players more than a new roster with no shared minutes, and that is how I settled on ninth. A top-eight finish depends on Macktoon and Smallwood holding their numbers, and this new backcourt cannot count on it.
Players to watch: Madison Francis, Favour Nwaedozi, Aryss Macktoon, Cali Smallwood
Florida
Record: 18-15, 5-11 SEC (12th, tie)
Coach: Tammi Reiss, 1st season, 0-0 (8th overall, 138-73)
Florida lost its first-team All-SEC guard and its next two leading scorers, and the Gators did not play in a postseason tournament. They went 18-15 and tied for 12th in the SEC. They beat Mississippi State 86-68 in the first round of the SEC tournament, and Oklahoma beat them 82-64 in the second round.
The three best players are gone. Liv McGill, a sophomore guard, first-team All-SEC selection, and AP honorable mention All-American, averaged 22.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists and went to Oklahoma State, Me’Arah O’Neal, a sophomore forward, averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds and went to Kentucky, and Laila Reynolds, a junior guard, averaged 12.1 points and went to LSU. Nyadieng Yiech went to Grand Canyon, Caterina Piatti went to Virginia, and Gift Ezekiel went to Iowa State.
Kiyomi McMiller headlines a class of 12 newcomers. The junior guard from Penn State scored 21.6 points, grabbed 5.0 rebounds, and handed out 4.5 assists. Moriah Murray, a redshirt senior guard from Penn State, scored 9.4 points, and Vanessa Harris, a sophomore guard from Rhode Island, scored 10.1 points. Mallory Miller, a redshirt junior forward from Butler, scored 9.6 points. Aurora Almón, Taliyah Parker, Vivian Iwuchukwu, Skye Owen, Jordan Jones, and Ja’Niya Broome are the other veterans, and Bailey Harris and Maja Bigovic are the freshmen.
Jade Weathersby, a senior forward, is the only player returning. She scored 5.1 points and grabbed 3.5 rebounds.
Tammi Reiss arrives with a roster built almost from scratch, and McMiller gives her a scorer who can carry the offense. Murray, Vanessa Harris, and Miller add production from the guard and wing spots, and Almón and Iwuchukwu give the team size. The question is defense, because the Gators allowed more points than they scored in league play last season, and with Weathersby as the lone holdover, Reiss has to set an identity from day one. McMiller is a proven high-volume scorer with real help around her, which most teams below the Gators cannot say, and that is enough to put Florida 10th. Reiss owns a winning record as a head coach, and if the transfers click, the top eight is within reach.
Players to watch: Kiyomi McMiller, Moriah Murray, Mallory Miller, Vanessa Harris
Missouri
Record: 17-17, 4-12 SEC (14th, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Kellie Harper, 2nd season, 17-17 (22nd overall, 410-277)
Missouri won 17 games behind a second-team All-SEC guard, and now Kellie Harper has to add depth around her. The Tigers went 17-17 and won four SEC games. Alabama beat them 65-48 in the first round of the SEC tournament. In the WBIT, Missouri beat Seton Hall 67-57, and BYU beat the Tigers 93-75 in the second round.
Three starters are gone. Shannon Dowell, a junior guard, averaged 14.9 points and 6.1 rebounds and went to California, Jordana Reisma, a senior forward, averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Chloe Sotell, a sophomore guard, averaged 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds and went to Maryland. Jayla Smith, a senior guard, also left.
Three of Missouri’s eight newcomers have played Division I basketball. Tanyuel Welch, a fifth-year guard from Arizona, scored 8.7 points and grabbed 5.2 rebounds, Nevaeh Caffey, a sophomore guard from Indiana, scored 8.5 points, and McKenzie Mathurin, a sophomore guard from Michigan, scored 3.5 points. Freshmen Natalya Hodge, Khloe Ford, Cecilie Brandimore, Jada Maples, and Ellie Muller are also in the mix.
Four players are returning, and Grace Slaughter is the leader. Slaughter, a senior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, scored 18.7 points, grabbed 6.8 rebounds, and handed out 1.8 assists, and Abbey Schreacke, a senior guard, scored 7.2 points and grabbed 3.3 rebounds. Reka Toman, a sophomore forward, scored 1.5 points, and Averi Kroenke, a fifth-year guard who handed out 3.0 assists in 2024-25, is also returning after missing last season with an injury.
Slaughter gives Kellie Harper a scorer to build around, and Schreacke is a second veteran who knows her system. Beyond those two, the roster is young, with five of the eight newcomers freshmen, and the Tigers lost four of their top five scorers, so the margin for error is small. Welch can score on the wing, Caffey can run the point, Toman adds size, and Kroenke adds guard depth. I would be watching McKenzie Mathurin, as a new environment might let her talent shine. A returning guard pair keeps a team out of the bottom four, and Welch and Caffey have scored at power-conference programs, so 11th feels about right. Harper needs some of her freshmen to contribute right away, and that is a lot to ask in the SEC. A WBIT-level season is realistic, and anything higher requires the newcomers to grow up fast.
Players to watch: Grace Slaughter, Tanyuel Welch, Nevaeh Caffey, McKenzie Mathurin
Texas A&M
Record: 14-13, 7-9 SEC (10th, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Joni Taylor, 5th season, 52-65 (12th overall, 192-140)
Texas A&M returns more players than any team in the SEC and lost its two leading scorers, and the Aggies need someone to take the shots. They went 14-13 and tied for 10th in the SEC at 7-9. Auburn beat them 50-49 in the first round of the SEC tournament, and McNeese beat them 68-48 in the WBIT.
The top two scorers are gone. Ny’Ceara Pryor, a senior guard, second-team All-SEC selection, and member of the All-Defensive Team, averaged 16.3 points and 7.0 assists and went to St. John’s. Fatmata Janneh, a junior forward, averaged 11.4 points and 9.7 rebounds and went to Tennessee. Lauren Ware, a senior forward, averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, and Lemyah Hylton, a senior guard, averaged 5.6 points.
Texas A&M added six newcomers, and the best-known one will not play this season. Essence Cody, a senior forward from Alabama, scored 11.5 points and grabbed 4.0 rebounds but will sit out the 2026-27 season. Kailyn Gilbert, a graduate guard from LSU, scored 5.6 points. Miyah Verse, a senior forward from Georgia, grabbed 3.7 rebounds, and Kaniya Boyd, a junior guard from Tennessee, scored 1.6 points. Jayda Porter and Rieyan DeSouze are the freshmen.
Nine players are returning, and the group is deeper than it is productive. Janae Kent, a senior guard, scored 9.0 points and grabbed 3.0 rebounds, and Salese Blow, a senior guard, scored 6.3 points. Emerald Parker, a senior center, scored 2.3 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds, and Pien Steenbergen, a fifth-year guard, scored 2.1 points. Anita Franchini, Chaney Spencer, Vanessa Saidu, Gianna Gentry, and Ibifaa Azogu are also returning.
Joni Taylor returns nine players, the most in the SEC, but together they accounted for only about 22.5 points a game last season. That is the whole story for Texas A&M: a team that is deep, experienced, and without a go-to scorer, and the loss of Cody for the year removes the one newcomer with real scoring experience. Kent and Blow are steady guards who are not go-to scorers, Gilbert and Boyd add guard depth, Verse is a forward who has played in this league, and Parker gives the team size, even though her role was small last season. Nine players who are familiar with the league beat two rosters that keep almost nobody, which is why the Aggies sit 12th, ahead of Georgia and Alabama. Gilbert is the swing piece, since the Aggies cannot climb until someone becomes a go-to scorer, and with Cody sitting out, that someone has to come from the guards already on the roster.
Players to watch: Janae Kent, Salese Blow, Kailyn Gilbert, Miyah Verse
Georgia
Record: 22-10, 8-8 SEC (6th, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Ayla Guzzardo, 1st season, 0-0 (10th overall, 151-111)
Georgia lost a first-team All-SEC guard, nearly its entire roster, and a new head coach will start over with 11 newcomers. The Lady Bulldogs went 22-10 and tied for sixth in the SEC. They beat Kansas 68-62 and Butler 80-54 in Fort Myers, and Kentucky beat them 76-61 in the second round of the SEC tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, Virginia beat Georgia 82-73 in the first round.
Nearly every important player is gone. Dani Carnegie, a sophomore guard and first-team All-SEC selection, averaged 17.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and went to Iowa, Mia Woolfolk, a sophomore forward, averaged 13.9 points and went to Vanderbilt, and Rylie Theuerkauf, a junior guard, averaged 11.9 points and went to Tennessee. Trinity Turner, a sophomore guard, averaged 10.9 points and 4.7 assists and went to Baylor.
Eleven of Georgia’s 13 players are new, and the scoring comes from a mix of programs. Jailyn Banks, a senior guard from Belmont, scored 15.4 points and handed out 3.5 assists, while Dakota Howard, a sophomore forward from McNeese, scored 13.0 points and grabbed 6.1 rebounds. Jordana Codio, a fifth-year guard and forward from Seton Hall, scored 12.5 points, and Milan Brown, a sophomore guard from Wake Forest, scored 9.0 points. Tyreona Sibley, Nya Smith, Harmonie Ware, Jordan Thomas, Blessing Adebanjo, and Faith Wylder have all played Division I basketball, and Alanna Beckham is the lone freshman.
Two players are returning, and neither played a large role. Vera Ojenuwa, a senior forward, scored 3.0 points and grabbed 2.0 rebounds. Aubrey Beckham, a sophomore guard, scored 0.7 points.
A new coach and 11 newcomers are a lot to ask in one year, but Ayla Guzzardo has a roster with scoring at every spot. Banks, Howard, and Codio all scored in double figures, and Brown can play several positions. The weakness is size and SEC experience, since few of the newcomers have faced this level of competition and Georgia returns almost no scoring. Guzzardo arrives with nine seasons of head coaching experience, and her newcomers scored more at their last stops than Alabama’s did, which is why I have Georgia ahead of the Crimson Tide. Texas A&M stays in front because it keeps far more of its roster, and the rebuild is too complete here to place Georgia any higher. Banks and Codio carrying over their scoring is the difference between a winning season and a finish in the bottom four.
Players to watch: Jailyn Banks, Jordana Codio, Dakota Howard, Milan Brown
Alabama
Record: 24-11, 7-9 SEC (10th, tie, NCAA second round)
Coach: Pauline Love, 1st season, 0-0
Alabama made the NCAA Tournament and lost its top five scorers, so a first-year coach inherits a blank slate. The Crimson Tide went 24-11 and tied for 10th in the SEC at 7-9. They beat Harvard 80-60 and Minnesota 63-58 in the Pink Flamingo Championship, and in the SEC tournament, they beat Missouri 65-48 and Tennessee 76-64 before Texas beat them 83-60. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Rhode Island 68-55, and Louisville beat them 69-68 in the second round.
The top five scorers are gone. Jessica Timmons, a senior guard and second-team All-SEC selection, averaged 16.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, Essence Cody, a junior forward, averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds and went to Texas A&M, and Ta’Mia Scott, a senior guard, averaged 9.5 points. Karly Weathers, a senior guard and the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, and Diana Collins, a junior guard, went to Kentucky.
The scoring in Alabama’s class of nine transfers comes from the guards. Paris Bradley, a junior guard from Louisiana Tech, scored 14.8 points and handed out 2.8 assists, and Brooke Coffey, a senior guard from Lindenwood, scored 13.5 points and grabbed 7.8 rebounds. Amirah Anderson, a sophomore guard from Boston College, scored 7.9 points, and Kylie Torrence, a sophomore forward from Cincinnati, scored 7.5 points and grabbed 6.8 rebounds. Alayna West, Caitlin Staley, Mykelle Richards, Aaliyah Roberson, and Rickell Brown fill out the class.
Four players are returning, and none of them were primary scorers. Ace Austin, a sophomore guard, scored 7.0 points and grabbed 2.7 rebounds, and Naomi Jones, a senior forward, scored 4.7 points and grabbed 4.9 rebounds. Tianna Chambers, a sophomore guard, scored 1.3 points, and Leah Brooks, a junior guard, scored 0.8 points.
Pauline Love inherits a roster with little proven scoring, and she has to find it quickly. Bradley and Coffey can score, Torrence is a rebounder who played a big role at Cincinnati, and Austin and Jones know the system, which helps in a year with this much change. The concern is that the top five scorers are gone, the returners were role players, and the newcomers are stepping up in competition. That is why I have the Crimson Tide where I do, with Auburn behind them only because Alabama has more proven scorers among its newcomers. Bradley and Coffey translating their numbers could lift the Tide well above this spot, but a new group that struggles to defend would make for a long first year.
Players to watch: Ace Austin, Paris Bradley, Brooke Coffey, Kylie Torrence
Auburn
Record: 15-17, 3-13 SEC (15th)
Coach: Larry Vickers, 2nd season, 15-17 (12th overall, 192-116)
Auburn won three league games and has a new set of guards to try to fix an offense that struggled to score. The Tigers went 15-17 and finished 15th in the SEC at 3-13. They beat Texas A&M 50-49 in the first round of the SEC tournament, and Ole Miss beat them 73-57 in the second round.
The leading scorer is gone, along with two other regulars. Harissoum Coulibaly, a freshman guard, averaged 10.4 points and went to Tennessee, Khady Leye, a sophomore forward, averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds and went to NC State, and Mya Petticord, a senior guard, averaged 7.7 points and went to Texas Tech. A’riel Jackson, a senior guard, averaged 5.9 points.
Auburn adds eight newcomers, but the one with the most SEC experience is already done for the year. Sira Thienou, a junior guard from Ole Miss, scored 9.7 points and grabbed 5.7 rebounds before tearing her ACL, and Zahara Bishop, a sophomore guard from Seton Hall, scored 8.4 points. Savannah Scott, a junior center from UCF, scored 5.0 points and grabbed 3.6 rebounds, and Jessica Peterson, a graduate forward from Miami, grabbed 6.4 rebounds. Phoenix Stotijn, Danielle Osho, Ashley Knox, and Zaniyah Williams complete the group.
Six players are returning, and the guards lead them. Kaitlyn Duhon, a graduate guard, scored 10.0 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds, and Ja’Mia Harris, a senior guard, scored 7.5 points. Quanirah Montague, a senior forward and center, scored 5.5 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds. Sania Richardson, a sophomore guard, scored 3.3 points, and Syriah Daniels and Eva Garabadian are also returning.
Larry Vickers took over a team that scored 53.6 points a game in league play, so the offense is the job. Duhon and Harris give him a base of experienced guards, and Bishop has logged real minutes in power-conference basketball. Thienou’s torn ACL takes the only newcomer who has played in the SEC off the floor for the year. The frontcourt is the open question, because Scott and Peterson have not been primary options at their last stops. Vickers won 30 games at Norfolk State in 2024-25, so he knows how to build quickly, but the SEC is a different test. Auburn has more returning scorers and more power-conference transfers than the team below them, but they will need to prove they can score the ball. Several more league wins are realistic if the guards improve the offense, and a team that scored this little has no other route out of the bottom two.
Players to watch: Kaitlyn Duhon, Zahara Bishop, Savannah Scott, Ja’Mia Harris
Arkansas
Record: 12-20, 1-15 SEC (16th)
Coach: Kelsi Musick, 2nd season, 12-20 (18th overall, 328-184)
Arkansas won one league game and replaced almost everyone, and Kelsi Musick enters her second season with a mostly new roster. The Razorbacks went 12-20 and finished 16th in the SEC at 1-15. Kentucky beat them 94-64 in the first round of the SEC tournament.
The roster turned over. Taleyah Jones, a senior guard, averaged 17.1 points, Bonnie Deas, a freshman guard, averaged 10.2 points and 9.0 rebounds and went to UCLA, and Harmonie Ware, a freshman guard, averaged 7.5 points and went to Georgia. Jenna Lawrence, a junior forward, averaged 7.4 points and went to Clemson.
Arkansas has 12 newcomers, and seven of those are transfers. Jianna Morris, a senior guard from Louisiana Tech, scored 11.2 points, and Beautiful Waheed, a senior guard from St. John’s, scored 9.1 points and grabbed 3.8 rebounds. Daniah Trammell, a sophomore forward from Arizona, scored 8.0 points, and D’Asia Thomas-Harris, a senior guard and forward from Georgia Tech, scored 5.1 points. Kateri Poole, Grace McCallop, and Ayianna Johnson add depth, and Whitley Rogers, Allannah Orsby, Julija Matic, Adriana Reijnen, and Kyiah Prestridge are the freshmen.
Two players are returning for Arkansas. Emily Robinson, a senior guard, scored 7.9 points, grabbed 3.5 rebounds, and handed out 2.6 assists. Aisha Hassan, a sophomore guard who played for the Egyptian national team, is back after missing her freshman season with a knee injury.
Kelsi Musick has built a full roster of veterans and freshmen around Robinson, and Morris and Waheed give the Razorbacks two guards who scored in Conference USA and the Big East. The problem is the gap between that level and the SEC, because Arkansas lost by wide margins in league play and won just one game. Trammell is the most promising newcomer on the wing, Thomas-Harris adds size, and Poole brings guard experience. Robinson is the one returner who has been a regular scorer, and she will have to be more efficient with so many new teammates around her. Musick won 24 games at Oral Roberts in 2024-25, so she has built a winner before, and this group is more experienced than last year’s. Still, Arkansas returns only two players, and the SEC has no easy nights. I have the Razorbacks last because the climb is steep, but they should win more than one league game.
Players to watch: Jianna Morris, Beautiful Waheed, Daniah Trammell, Emily Robinson
SEC Round-Up
South Carolina is my pick, with Texas second and Vanderbilt third, and I could see any of the top four winning it. The Gamecocks have Edwards and the league’s most returning scoring; the Longhorns have Booker and a tournament title to defend; and the Commodores have Blakes, the league’s top returning scorer. LSU is fourth, and Oklahoma is fifth because Chavez and Sahara Williams are back, but both teams have to replace size. Kentucky and Ole Miss are the hardest teams to place, because Kentucky has Strack and only three other returners, while Ole Miss brought in Cooper and nine other newcomers.
The middle is crowded, and Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Florida could all finish a few spots above or below where I have them. For Kentucky, it comes down to the guards around Strack; for Ole Miss, whether the transfers mesh; for Tennessee, whether 15 newcomers become a team; for Mississippi State, whether the guards score around Francis and Nwaedozi; and for Florida, whether McMiller gets help. Missouri, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama sit in the next tier, and Auburn and Arkansas are rebuilding. Missouri is 11th because Slaughter keeps it competitive, and Texas A&M is 12th because it returns nine players. Georgia and Alabama both have new coaches and almost no returning scoring, and Georgia is ahead because its newcomers scored more at their last stops. Arkansas is last because it lost most of its roster and won one league game, and Auburn is ahead of it because Duhon and the returning guards give Larry Vickers a more stable base.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 SEC regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 16 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of November 1st. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of November 1st. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
