The American Conference enters 2026-27 with no shortage of questions at the top. Rice returns as the conference's regular-season defending champ and returns the reigning Player of the Year; UTSA looks to build on a Cinderella tournament run; and new coaches take over at South Florida and Memphis. Could anyone catch Rice at the top this season, or is the American setting up for a wide-open race behind the favorite?
The Big Picture
Rice went 29-6 and 17-1 in 2025-26, capturing its first American Conference regular-season title under Coach of the Year Lindsay Edmonds, before falling to UTSA in the tournament final. The Owls bring back a lot of talent from that run, including senior guard Victoria Flores, the 2026 Player of the Year, along with All-Defensive guard Hailey Adams and Sixth Player of the Year Louann Battiston, so Rice has about as clear a path back to the top of the league as you'll find. Their path wasn't unchallenged last year, though. Sixth-seeded UTSA caught fire in Birmingham, beating South Florida, East Carolina, and top-seeded Rice, 54-40, to become the first team in league tournament history to knock off all three top seeds, punching the program's first NCAA ticket since 2009 before falling to UConn in the first round, and thus ending Rice's hope of an NCAA tournament after their fantastic season.
Coaching change is the other big storyline this offseason. Jose Fernandez, longtime head coach at South Florida, is now the head coach of the WNBA's Dallas Wings, and South Florida hired Kristy Curry. Curry has been on the sideline for 27 years and amassed 554 career wins, including a national title appearance at Purdue in the 2000-01 season. She was one of the most accomplished hires anywhere in the country this season and has work to do. Memphis also moved on from head coach Alex Simmons and hired Hana Haden away from Georgia Southern, where she had just won 2026 Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors after leading the Eagles to their first regular-season conference title in 25 seasons.
Amid all the coaching turnover, the top of last year's standings lost a ton of production too. Rice graduates Most Improved Player and Third Team All-Conference Shelby Hayes, along with First Team All-Conference member Dominique Ennis; East Carolina graduates Newcomer of the Year and co-Defensive Player of the Year Kennedy Fauntleroy; North Texas loses record-setting rebounder and co-Defensive Player of the Year Megan Nestor; UTSA loses tournament Most Outstanding Player Cheyenne Rowe, and Tulane loses reigning Freshman of the Year Mecailin Marshall. Several lower-tier programs underwent the most dramatic rebuilds in the country through the transfer portal, catapulting the conference into a season of intrigue.
Skim Milkey's Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Rice
2 - Tulsa
3 - South Florida
4 - UTSA
5 - Temple
6 - Memphis
7 - North Texas
8 - East Carolina
9 - Tulane
10 - Charlotte
11 - UAB
12 - Florida Atlantic
13 - Wichita State
Skim Milkey's Preseason All-Conference Team
Jayla Hearp, G, East Carolina
Janiah Suprius, F, Florida Atlantic
Daejah Richmond, G, Memphis
Tamya Smith, F, Memphis
Amourie Porter, G, South Florida
Hailey Adams, G, Rice
Louann Battiston, G, Rice
Victoria Flores, G, Rice
Stefanie Ingram, G, South Florida
Kaylah Turner, G, Temple
Saniyah Craig, F, Temple
Kanija Daniel, G, Tulane
Dora Toman, G, Tulsa
Mady Cartwright, G, Tulsa
Hailey Jackson, G, UAB
Rice
Record: 29-6, 17-1 American (1st, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Lindsay Edmonds, 6th season, 102-60
Rice sitting at the top of this list doesn't need much explaining. The Owls authored the best season in the program's recent history in 2025-26, going 29-6 and 17-1, both school records for wins and conference wins in a season, to capture their first American Conference regular-season championship before falling to UTSA in the tournament final. Edmonds, the 2026 Conference Coach of the Year, has built this program to sustain, and they return most of the engine that produced their success last season. Despite some losses to graduation, senior guard Flores, the 2026 American Player of the Year, is the main returning piece and averaged 12.2 points per game last season.
Flores isn't the only key piece back, either. Redshirt senior forward Hailey Adams, an American All-Defensive Team selection who averaged 8.3 points and 10.7 rebounds a game, returns for another year, as does senior guard Louann Battiston, the 2026 American Sixth Player of the Year, who averaged 7.0 points and 2.6 assists per game. Aniah Alexis started 34 games last year for Rice, scoring 10.0 points per game, giving them another key piece back on the roster. Myah Hazelton and Jordin Blackmon were two players who played rotational minutes last season, giving Rice six returners who played a significant role. Mylee Guinn, Layla Conley, Jill Twiehaus, Hanna Hilberth, and Pace Rickard round out the rest of the returners.
The program's losses are big, but survivable. Ennis and Hayes are both gone due to graduation and were All-Conference members. Kennedy Clifton also leaves the program after graduating. Skyla Tuthill went to Florida Atlantic via the transfer portal after redshirting, but the rest of the roster stayed intact, and they added pieces to complement the roster. Edmonds added three transfers, and they will all play an important role this season. Paige Cofer joins from Utah Tech, where she started all but one game over two seasons while averaging 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Reychel Douglas comes in from Alabama, where she played in 25 games over two seasons and is a former four-star recruit, according to ESPN. Lilly Taulelei rounds out the transfer class, having appeared in 74 games over the past three seasons between Iowa State and UMass. Rice also added a single freshman guard to the program, Kaylen Sta. Marie from Niagara Prep in Canada.
Rice's profile in 2025-26 was a complete team that could blow teams out and play lockdown defense. With the reigning Player of the Year and two other award winners back, along with some experienced transfers in the mix, I think Rice enters the season as the favorite here.
Players to watch: Victoria Flores, Hailey Adams, Louann Battiston, Aniah Alexis
Tulsa
Record: 11-7 American (4th)
Coach: Angie Nelp, 6th season, 95-61
Tulsa has quietly built one of the league's more consistent programs under Angie Nelp, and this year they should build on that consistency, as they lost only two starters from last season. The biggest graduation loss is redshirt senior forward Hannah Riddick, a first-team All-Conference selection who averaged 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season. Guard Abby Jegede, another key contributor from last season, averaged 7.2 points a game and started 25 games. She entered the transfer portal and is now at Charleston. Those two losses sting, but Tulsa is still in good shape to make a run at the top of the conference.
Senior guard Mady Cartwright, who finished fourth in the conference in scoring per game at 15.2 points per game, returns after being named to the All-American second team. Also back is sophomore guard Dora Toman, who was named to the All-Newcomer team after starting in 26 games and doing a bit of everything on the floor. Senior Jade Clack and sophomore Alisha Peavy also return, giving Tulsa four players back who started 21 or more games last season.
Nelp reloaded well around these four returning starters, as she went out and added a transfer guard. Alexa Kinas comes over from Loyola Chicago, where she averaged 9.9 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds a game. She will slide in well to replace some of the production that Tulsa lost last year. Teresa Seppala transferred from Siena last season, where she averaged 13.7 points per game over 87 games; however, she did not play last year due to a medical decision. Her presence will be felt on the floor this season. Tulsa also added freshman Hadar Cohen, a forward from Israel, as well as McKenize Jones, Camryn Schmidt, and Jaelynn Scott to the roster. These incomers, paired with experienced returners Haven Fisher, Rylee Grays, and Laura Di Stefano, give Tulsa another deep roster to utilize.
With so many experienced players back and a deep transfer and freshman class, Tulsa still looks like they could be the top challenger to Rice in the conference, even with the tough loss of Riddick and Jegede.
Players to watch: Mady Cartwright, Dora Toman, Teresa Seppala, Alexa Kinas
South Florida
Record: 20-12, 13-5 American (3rd)
Coach: Kristy Curry, 1st season, 0-0 (28th overall, 554-322 career)
The most intriguing team in the league is South Florida, which enters a new era under one of the most accomplished coaching hires in mid-major women's basketball. The Bulls went 20-12 and 13-5 under interim coach Michele Woods-Baxter in 2025-26 after longtime coach Jose Fernandez departed. USF then hired Kristy Curry, who went 245-173 over 13 seasons at Alabama and has been very successful at each stop in her career. The catch is that Curry inherits only four returners, as USF was very senior-laden last year with four players starting 23 or more games. Fifth-year guard Stefanie Ingram returns, who led the team with 5.7 assists per game while adding 9.9 points and earning third-team All-Conference honors. Also back are Fatou Diakite, Lana Vukcevic, and Lee Teichman, though all three played limited roles in 2025-26.
The transfer portal departures were extensive; along with the graduations, USF saw 11 players leave: six in the transfer portal and five who graduated. When all was said and done, USF was looking at a roster of just four players. Curry answered with a portal haul that included guards Hannah Kohn (Clemson), Savannah Curry (Temple), Kate Novik (DePaul), Gabby Kennerly (Mount St. Mary's) and Amourie Porter (Winthrop), plus forwards Kendall Puryear (Purdue) and Mallory Collier (NC State), along with freshmen Serenity Hardy and Lisandra Vetesina.
This is a near-total rebuild, and chemistry across an almost entirely new team is the obvious risk. But between Curry's pedigree, a roster full of high-major transfers, and the potential impact of the newcomers, USF has one of the league's higher ceilings. This team could win the conference and make a bit of national noise if it all comes together quickly.
Players to watch: Stefanie Ingram, Kendall Puryear, Hannah Kohn, Mallory Collier
UTSA
Record: 18-16, 9-9 American (6th, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Karen Aston, 6th season, 82-78 (19th overall, 367-224 career)
The Roadrunners authored the league's best story of 2025-26. A middle-of-the-pack 9-9 team in the regular season, UTSA caught fire as the #6 seed in the conference tournament, winning four games in four days to claim the program's first conference tournament title and its first NCAA berth since 2009. UTSA became the first team in league tournament history to beat all three of the top seeds, and allowed just 46.5 points per game across the run. They ended their season by falling 90-52 to eventual national runner-up UConn in the first round.
Karen Aston, a veteran of head-coaching stops at Texas and Charlotte, has established a defensive identity that travels. The problem for 2026-27 is personnel, as they suffer a few key losses. They lose tournament Most Outstanding Player Cheyenne Rowe, a second-team All-Conference and All-Defensive forward who led the team at 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, as well as senior guard Ereauna Hardaway, who started 31 games and was the only other double-digit scorer on the team. Guard Jayda Holiman also departed via the portal to East Carolina, forward Emilia Dannebauer transferred to UAB, and Siena Guttadauro moved on to Weber State.
Idara Udo, Damara Allen, Mia Hammonds, and Adriana Robles all return for this upcoming season and played big roles last season. Udo averaged 7.5 rebounds per game; Allen was the fourth-leading scorer; Hammonds and Allen each started in over half the games last season. Maya Linton returns this season after sitting out in 2025-26 and was a 26-game starter the year prior. Taylor Ross and Sema Udo both redshirted last season and will provide value, and Sanaa Bean returns after playing a deep bench role last season. Aston brought in transfers Kierra Merchant (Houston), Bhret Clay (Air Force), Praise Egharevba (Oklahoma State) and Emily Hunter (TCU) to rebuild around them. They also added a three-player freshman class with guards Jana Ros and Rihyana Kinsey and forward Amaya McDonald.
Aston has shown she can win with defense and timely offense even in a rebuilding year, and the Roadrunners proved they can beat anyone in the league last season. A step back in the standings is possible given the departures of their two leading scorers, but writing off a Karen Aston team would be a mistake.
Players to watch: Idara Udo, Damara Allen, Kierra Merchant, Emily Hunter
Temple
Record: 15-17, 8-10 American (7th)
Coach: Diane Richardson, 5th season, 66-58 (9th overall, 146-124)
Temple slipped a bit last season to 15-17 and 8-10 in conference, which was a step back from its 2024 regular-season co-championship, but Richardson remains one of the more established coaches in the league, with a 146-124 career head-coaching record across stops at Towson and Temple. They also have the good fortune of returning a solid core of players and bringing in power conference transfers to slide in next to them.
Kaylah Turner, a second-team All-Conference guard, led the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game, anchors the returning core, and gives Temple a proven scorer to build around. Saniyah Craig was part of the All-Newcomer Team after transferring in from Jacksonville and averaged 10.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Tristen Taylor is another returning starter, averaging 9.8 points per game. Ariana Meriedly and Khloe Miller are also back after being depth players this past year. That trio gives Temple real returning experience to build around, and the only meaningful losses, Jaleesa Molina, Drew Alexander, and Savannah Curry, all had starting experience too. In total, Temple saw seven players leave via the portal but suffered no graduation losses.
They added a solid portal haul with Timya Grice (Arizona State) and Shayla Smith (Penn State) as the headliners but also were able to grab Taliyah Logwood, a 14.5-point-per-game scorer at Texas Southern last year, and Myla Benton, a 16.8-point-per-game scorer at Gulf Coast State College. Alongside these four transfers, they also add a two-player freshman class with Mariah Cross and LaBrea Carter, a pair of guards.
With Richardson's coaching experience and the proven production from Turner and Craig, Temple has a stable enough floor. Add in the production the transfers have shown in the past, and you're looking at a pretty solid team 1-7. The supporting cast around them is thinner than I'd like to see, but if any of the other returners or freshmen can stand out this season, it's going to be a good year at Temple. This team could contend for the American crown with the right circumstances.
Players to watch: Kaylah Turner, Saniyah Craig, Taliyah Logwood, Shayla Smith
Memphis
Record: 10-21, 4-14 American (13th)
Coach: Hana Haden, 1st season, 0-0 (11th overall, 224-91)
Memphis endured a difficult 2025-26 season, and the program moved on from Alex Simmons this offseason. In March 2026, athletic director Ed Scott hired Hana Haden away from Georgia Southern, where she had just been named 2026 Sun Belt Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a 23-8 record and their first regular-season conference title in 25 seasons, despite being picked to finish tenth in the preseason poll. Haden, who also coached at Division II Georgia Southwestern State and Moberly Area Community College, carries a 224-91 record across 10 seasons as a head coach into her new job as Memphis' 14th coach.
The Tigers do have a solid foundation to build on, led by the return of Daejah Richmond, who paced Memphis with 13.5 points, 3.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game and earned both All-Defensive and All-Newcomer honors. Richmond, now a senior, was the engine of nearly everything Memphis did, though she had help. Also returning is Tamya Smith, who started 27 games and scored 12.1 points per game. The Tigers return their two leading scorers and also bring back guard Jordan Hunter, who started in 14 games last year, and post Bailey Gilmore, who was in a deep reserve role last season.
Memphis had only four returning players, so the staff dove deep into the transfer portal to fill out the roster. They signed seven transfer-portal players from various levels across the country. Cincinnati transfer Destiny Thomas and Southeast Missouri's Ainaya Williams form a potent post duo down low. At the same time, Tierney Kelsey arrives as a proven scorer, having averaged 15.6 points a game at Indiana State. They also brought in Seda Gabrielyan (New Mexico State), Lily Melton (Columbia State Community College), Anjanae Richardson (Norfolk State), and Khyra Garrett (National Park College). Aubrey Hampton is the lone freshman in the class.
You can never bet against Haden, as all she has done is win everywhere she has gone. This team will likely be better than anyone thinks coming into the season, and I fully expect them to outperform where I have them right now. Memphis is in good hands, although it might be a year before they challenge for a top-four spot in the conference.
Players to watch: Daejah Richmond, Tamya Smith, Tierney Kelsey
North Texas
Record: 19-14, 11-7 American (5th)
Coach: Jason Burton, 4th season, 67-32 (13th overall, 257-136 career)
North Texas finished 11-7 in league play and reached the tournament semifinals, where the fifth-seeded Mean Green pushed top-seeded Rice before falling 71-67. The season was defined by one of the nation's premier rebounders having a fantastic season. Forward Megan Nestor was named co-Defensive Player of the Year, made first-team All-Conference, and completed the regular season as the league's only player averaging a double-double. She broke both the North Texas and American single-season rebounding records.
Nestor's departure as a graduated senior leaves a massive void. The Mean Green also lose junior guard Aysia Proctor to Purdue via the transfer portal, a second-team All-Conference pick who averaged 14.1 points per game and shot 39.3 percent from three. Mekhia Chase, Jazzy Owens-Barnett, Tionna Lidge, and Andi Schissler also left the program and played big roles last season. In all, North Texas lost five of their top six point scorers and only returned four players from last year's roster.
That leaves Burton, who has kept North Texas competitive throughout his tenure, rebuilding around a smaller group of returners: sophomore guard Chania Price, who started the final 22 games and averaged 7.6 points during conference play; guard Cherie Spencer, who scored 5.3 points per game as a true freshman; and returners Shelby Thornton and Allison Rickman. Burton reloaded around them with six transfers: guards Kendall Mosley (San Diego State), Kalysta Martin (Texas Tech), KaMyra Barber (Hutchinson Community College) and Reza Po (East Texas A&M), along with forwards Taylor Rietveld (Chipola College) and Otaifo Esenabhalu (Longwood). Burton also brings in a trio of freshmen with Kyndal Graham, Arianna Johnson and Bralyah Miller.
North Texas has earned a first-team All-Conference selection in four straight seasons, a testament to Burton's ability to bring in talent continually, but replacing a record-setting rebounder and a leading scorer in the same offseason will test that ability. A middle-of-the-pack finish feels right unless the talent meshes faster than expected and a few players outperform their profiles.
Players to watch: Chania Price, Cherie Spencer, Otaifo Esenabhalu, Kalysta Martin
East Carolina
Record: 22-10, 14-4 American (2nd)
Coach: Kim McNeill, 8th season, 109-102 (11th overall, 168-140)
East Carolina produced a 22-10 season in 2025-26 and tied the school record for most wins in a season. They finished second in the American and earned a double-bye in the conference tournament. McNeill signed a contract extension in April 2026, has a 109-102 record across seven seasons at East Carolina, and is now among the winningest coaches in program history. Turn the page to the 2026-27 season, and most of the engine for that record-tying season is gone. East Carolina's five starters combined for 152 starts of a possible 160, and now four of those players are gone.
Kennedy Fauntleroy, the 2026 Newcomer of the Year and co-Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 13.7 points, 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, and is now off to Tennessee via the transfer portal. Taylor Barner, a non-starter who played 25 minutes a game, is on the move to Providence after averaging 10.6 points a game last year. Savannah Brooks and Keanna Rembert both started 30 games and exhausted their eligibility. Losing your top four scorers in one offseason is very tough to replace.
The leading returner is fifth-year guard Jayla Hearp, who averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals while starting every game. Sophomores Olivia Hilliard, Zaniah Zellous and Mildred Dibua round out the returning core. McNeill rebuilt through the portal, adding Kendall Sneed (Tulane), Jayda Holiman (UTSA), Georgia Cox (Evansville), Tuana Coskun (Bucknell) and Sara-Lee Blair (George Mason), plus a five-player freshman class with Ava Rush, Irieanna Smoot, Tristan Rickenbacker, Chelsea Dike, and Rylie Hite. With only 15.7 points per game returning, East Carolina will need multiple transfers and even some of the freshmen to impact the team this year to return to being a contender for a conference crown. How Sneed, Hearp, and Coskun flourish as a guard trio could hold the answers to how the season will go.
With only a handful of rotation pieces back and its two stars gone, East Carolina is a strong bet to regress from second. McNeill's track record and aggressive portal haul should keep the Pirates respectable, and a very strong freshman class sets them up well for the future.
Players to watch: Jayla Hearp, Zaniah Zellous, Kendall Sneed, Tuana Coskun
Tulane
Record: 11-20, 6-12 American (10th)
Coach: Ashley Langford, 3rd season, 28-33 (6th overall, 97-57 career)
The biggest story for the 2026-27 team is the loss of the player who was supposed to be the foundation of the rebuild: sophomore guard Mecailin Marshall, the 2026 Freshman of the Year, who averaged 10.5 points a game her rookie season, transferred to Colorado in April. Losing a reigning Freshman of the Year deals a big blow to a program that could have built up a team around her, as it was senior-laden last year. Now, they are starting essentially at square one, but do have some intriguing pieces in the fold for this season.
Senior guard Kanija Daniel, an All-Newcomer Team selection and the leading scorer on the team last year, returns and will look to shoulder a much bigger load this year. Jayda Brown, Sadie Shores, Shiloh Kimpson, and Madison Gordon also return, having played in depth roles last season. Four of five starters are gone, yet things don't look like they're going to come crashing down. Their returners give them a solid five-player core, but with nine players leaving the program in the transfer portal and via graduation combined, they needed to improve the roster.
Langford reloaded aggressively, signing six transfers in a class that ended up pretty solid. Aizhanique Mayo (DePaul), Khadee Hession (Georgetown), Asha Sra (Charleston Southern), Nataliyah Gray (Mississippi State), Makayla Carter (Nevada) and Edina Strausz (Davidson) gave them some high-upside players who each could earn an impact role. Two freshmen also entered the fray as Tulane signed two guards, Ja'Kyah Smith and Kennedy Simpson. Sra and Hession could be the two highest-upside players in this class, but a key theme was experience among the transfers.
With Marshall gone, Daniel becomes the clear veteran anchor, and the six-player transfer class will need to produce immediately if Tulane is going to climb out of the bottom third this season. If the returners can produce a bit more this season, and two or three of the transfers are a big hit, this team could contend to move into the top half of the conference.
Players to watch: Kanija Daniel, Jayda Brown, Asha Sra, Sadie Shores
Charlotte
Record: 14-18, 8-10 American (tied for 7th)
Coach: Tomekia Reed, 3rd season, 25-39 (9th overall, 150-93 career)
Charlotte doubled its conference win total from Tomekia Reed's first year to her second, finishing 14-18 and 8-10 and reaching the tournament quarterfinals. Reed built her reputation at Jackson State, where she went 125-54 over six seasons, winning five straight SWAC regular-season titles, three SWAC Tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament berths. Her Charlotte teams have been elite on the glass: the 49ers led the American in rebounding margin and ranked fifth nationally in offensive rebounds at 17.2 per game.
The program navigated a real scare this offseason. Reed took a medical leave of absence in April following a serious health crisis, with associate head coach LaShonda Cousin running the program in her absence. Reed has since fully recovered and resumed her head coaching duties in July, entering her third season at the helm.
On the court, Charlotte must replace three starting standouts. Princess Anderson, a third-team All-Conference pick, led the team at 15.7 points per game, and Tanajah Hayes, an All-Newcomer selection, ranked second in the league at 5.5 assists per game. Asianae Nicholson saw 30 starts and scored 6.1 points a game while leading the team in rebounding at 9.3 per contest. Charlotte also lost rotation players Daphane White, Imani Smith, Karen Nimo, Tylissa Henderson, and Caitlin Stanley, leaving them to rebuild nearly an entire roster.
Zoe Best, a 31-game starter who scored 9.2 points per game, returns as the lone full-season starter. Ja'Navia Gage is an imposing player down low and returns after starting 19 games. After these two players, little experience returns. Caroline Thiel and Taliah Cornish are the only other returning players who saw significant time. McKenzie Graves returns after playing for two minutes last year. Reed's staff brought in a wave of new faces to fill out the roster, including Alana Rouser (Florida Atlantic), Jazlyn Harris (Chipola CC), Isis Johnson-Musah (Cal), Destinee Salgado (Little Rock), Da'Brya Clark (Norfolk State), Audia Young (Xavier) and Charish Thompson (Cal Poly), who scored 14.2 per game last year in her freshman year. Charlotte also brings in a two-player freshman class with guard Mariah Sain and forward Venus Emusi.
Charlotte's identity, offensive rebounding and second-chance points, should continue under Reed. Still, the 49ers will face questions about backcourt scoring and playmaking with an almost entirely rebuilt roster around Thiel, Best and Gage. The transfers should be able to make an impact, and the season will be decided by how well their game translates.
Players to watch: Caroline Thiel, Zoe Best, Ja'Navia Gage, Charish Thompson
UAB
Record: 11-19, 4-14 American (tied for 12th)
Coach: Randy Norton, 14th season, 233-197
UAB missed the conference tournament in 2025-26 and now enters a transitional 2026-27 under Randy Norton, the league's most tenured coach, in his 14th season. The biggest loss isn't any one name walking out the door — it's the cumulative hit from transfers and graduation combined. Only seven players saw more than 10 minutes a game, and only one returned. Eleecia Carter started 21 games last season and scored 10 points a game, while no one else who played a big role returns with her. Gone are her fellow four starters and, with them, the bulk of the scoring from last year. The Blazers return Mari Miller and Ashlyn Howard, along with Carter, but those two combined for just 180 minutes across the entire season. This forced UAB to bet heavily on the portal for this upcoming season.
Norton signed seven transfers from the portal, headlined by JUCO product Hailey Jackson (Hutchinson Community College), a First-Team All-American and conference Player of the Year at the junior-college level. The class also includes Division I transfers Peyton Bradley (Louisville), Viktoria Ranisavljevic (Penn State) and Emilia Dannebauer (UTSA), plus JUCO standouts Terryauna Griffin, Serena Heeren and Ashley Garner. Freshmen Bella Harmon and Nya Burns round out the group.
With so much turnover, chemistry and cohesion will determine how quickly UAB comes together. Norton's experience is an asset, and the transfer haul, Jackson especially, leaves the Blazers with more talent than a 12th-place finish would suggest. But integrating that many new faces is a season-long project. A jump into the tournament field is realistic if the portal class hits.
Players to watch: Hailey Jackson, Eleecia Carter, Emilia Dannebauer, Peyton Bradley
Florida Atlantic
Record: 14-18, 7-11 American (9th)
Coach: LeAnn Freeland, 2nd season, 14-18 (18th overall, 377-177)
Florida Atlantic improved to 14-18 and 7-11 in LeAnn Freeland's first season after she arrived from Division II Nova Southeastern, a jump from the program's last-place finish the year prior. Freeland now enters her second year with continued roster construction ahead. The silver lining is that they lost only one player to the transfer portal; however, they lost four players to graduation from a roster of 11.
Returning players include Grace Carstensen, Erin Rodgers, Zahira Arizmendi, Haley Walker, Madi Gewitz, and Vivian Onugha. Onugha returns after averaging 9.3 points per game and was the team's leading rebounder. The other five returners all played big roles last year, averaging 18.0 minutes per game or more, and each has starting experience. A full roster overhaul wasn’t needed here, Florida Atlantic just needed to patch some gaps and add scoring punch.
The Owls went to work in the portal, adding players to complement their returners for 2026-27. Skyla Tuthill (Rice), Mia Jordan (Northern Kentucky), and Jazzy Gipson (SMU) come into the program from other D1 programs, but their two JUCO additions are the most intriguing to me. Mani Piljevic comes in from Dodge City Community College, where she scored 13.6 points per game and was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year. At the same time, Janiah Suprius is an addition from Palm Beach State College, where she was named a NJCAA Second Team All-American after scoring 26 points per game. They are also adding a trio of talented freshmen: Jaelynn Housey, Juju Leroux, and Keke Butler.
This roster is built to score the ball and has plenty of athleticism in the backcourt. After an improved first season, Freeland will look to make the conference tournament this year. This group will look totally different on the floor, but the newcomers have solid upside.
Players to watch: Skyla Tuthill, Grace Carstensen, Mani Piljevic, Janiah Suprius
Wichita State
Record: 8-23, 5-13 American (11th)
Coach: Terry Nooner, 4th season, 28-67
Wichita State enters 2026-27 amid one of the most complete roster overhauls in the league. Nooner, in his fourth season, has finalized a 2026-27 roster where every name is new, as no one from last year's roster returns. The main reason was nine seniors on the roster and six others who hit the portal. This puts Wichita State in a unique position, as they needed to fill all 15 spots in one offseason.
The additions came primarily through the portal and JUCO ranks. Lily Ba (Louisiana), Klea Kaci (Wagner College), Clara Koulibaly (Auburn), Amaya Lacy (Frank Phillips College), Kendal Robinson (UT Arlington), Ma'Riya Vincent (Missouri), and Lili Harrison (Delaware State) are the transfer imports, although none project to be instant impact players. Nooner also brings in a fairly large freshman class, as Alexis Leyva, Aaliyah Broadus, Kaylea Lacey, Rachel Skulsky, and Mari Milton will have the chance to play early and often if they impress in the preseason.
With so little continuity, the Shockers profile as the league's clearest developmental project. Nooner will integrate an entirely new group while trying to establish an identity, and progress may be measured more in competitiveness than in early wins. Given the near-total turnover and an 8-23 baseline, another finish near the bottom of the standings is likely, with the season's value lying in building toward the future.
Players to watch: Lily Ba, Amaya Lacy, Alexis Leyva, Clara Koulibaly
American Conference Round-Up
Put together, the American Conference in 2026-27 looks like a league with a preseason favorite and a bunch of teams that can challenge it. The middle of the conference should be very competitive this year, and I don't think anyone is going to run away with the conference title by multiple games this season. The talent at the top and in the middle of the standings means the gap between first and eighth place could be smaller than it looks on paper, especially with an infusion of excellent coaches; a strong transfer class or a smooth coaching transition could vault a team several spots by March.
Editor's Note:
Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 American regular season. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 13 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of September 2nd. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of September 2nd. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
Check out the previous conference previews: America East
