Games, they are back. We, as well, are so very very back.

Today is the start of the 2025-26 season, and immediately we will be treated with some great matchups (hello, Baylor-Duke). There's plenty to watch for this season, and I've already written about two of the major storylines that I will be checking in on: What USC is going to look like without JuJu Watkins and if UConn can be the first repeat champion in nearly a decade. But, what other storylines will rise to the top?

Here are five more of those storylines I'm locked into for the upcoming season. I am not calling them the most important narratives in the country, they are just fascinating to me specifically and believe they are worth highlighting.

So, let's kick off the regular season with some more teams and players to focus on:

Is it a Clear Top Two?


The opening AP Poll lists UConn and South Carolina as No. 1 and No. 2. The Huskies and Gamecocks earned all 31 of the first-place votes (UConn 27, South Carolina 4), nobody placed UConn lower than second and 35 points separated South Carolina from third-place UCLA.

Recent history also suggests that these two programs have been, generally, a notch above, as both the last two national champions and the championship matchup of two of the last four finals (2022, 2025). So, is that going to stay the narrative for the whole season, or will some other team(s) break through to feel like a true threat?

The teams rounding out the Top 5 all likely feel like they should be in that conversation. No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 LSU all return superstar-caliber lead players, have all found plenty of recent success, but only the Tigers in 2023 have found a way to finish it off with a title.

LSU and Texas have to deal with this comparison all season long thanks to SEC play, while the Bruins will be compared from afar in the heat of their schedule. UCLA has National Player of the Year Lauren Betts, star point guard Kiki Rice and key starters Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalič all back for another run. They're joined by five-star forward Sienna Betts and Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens, one of the best scorers in the country. All the pieces of the core are there for a true title push after getting embarrassed by the Huskies in the Final Four last season.

For the Longhorns, still searching for their first national title since 1986, it's going to depend on further development from Madison Booker. The junior forward is a terrific two-way player who has shown the capability to hit threes (40.3% last season) if Texas ever decides it wants to shoot them. It's a veteran Texas roster, including fifth-year guard Rori Harmon, but the Longhorns had four chances to prove they were on a similar level to the Gamecocks last season:

  • January 12, 67-50 loss
  • February 9, 66-62 win
  • March 9, 64-45 loss
  • April 4, 74-57 loss

Three defeats by 17+, and one win at home by four. The victory is substantial, but it's sandwiched between lopsided losses, including when it mattered most in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Does Texas have enough to close the gap this season?

The MiLaysia Fulwiley Fit


LSU's roster is a storyline all on its own for me. MiLaysia Fulwiley's exit from South Carolina to the in-conference rival is already exciting considering how much potential the guard feels she still has to show. But will she still be showing it off the bench?

Kim Mulkey has switched the starting lineups around for the two exhibition games, with Flau'jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval remaining consistent in both games. For game one, Fulwiley came off the bench for Jada Richard, who was joined by East Carolina transfer Amiya Joyner. In the second exhibition, Fulwiley replaced Richard and freshman ZaKiyah Johnson came in for Joyner.

It is likely to be a fluid situation, but it would be a surprise if Fulwiley left South Carolina to come off the bench on another roster. Regardless, what will her averages look like in a new place after playing her role (11.7 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG last season) instead of fully taking over under Dawn Staley?

This is a remarkably talented roster on the whole, and I love the addition of Koval, who gives them a high-potential forward option after years of Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow wreaking havoc on the inside. The superstar guards will be what potentially pushes this team over the edge though, and Fulwiley's growth could be the catalyst to getting back into true national title talks again.

Michigan's Rising Sophomores


Last year's freshman class had a whole laundry list of players that made an immediate impact, but I'm not sure there were any teams that were carried as much, and by as many first-year players as Michigan was last season.

The Wolverines had five true freshman on the roster last year, all of which will be back for another season. Three of those players — Mila Holloway, Olivia Olson and Syla Swords — started every game they played in and looked anything like a group that lacked experience.

How long did it take for me to realize I underrated Michigan? One game. Swords scoring 27 points and 12 rebounds to very nearly upset South Carolina in her debut was remarkable. Olson and Holloway didn't shine there, but they did plenty as the season went on, and Olson (16.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG) ultimately earned Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

This guard trio is so, so much fun already. Holloway is a natural facilitator and continued to get better as a scorer, while Swords and Olson both feel like they have true takeover abilities as they develop. Michigan is going to be fun this season, if not yet a true contender. But why are they worth watching already? Nearly this entire roster could return next season if it wanted to, there's only two seniors on it.

Kim Barnes Arico feels like she's on the cusp of creating a monster, and it will be worth watching more of that develop before it potentially reaches full form in 26-27.

The Olivia Miles Transfer


TCU was quite a story last season. Two seasons removed from winning eight total games, the Horned Frogs exploded for 34 wins, including a thriller over Notre Dame to get to the Elite Eight. Hailey Van Lith's addition ignited this roster, and it was a true juggernaut for much of the season.

Was it lightning in a bottle, or can TCU sustain this?

Regardless of the answer, it won't be for a lack of trying. The Horned Frogs have six new faces from the transfer portal, with the largest get being Olivia Miles from Notre Dame. Miles was, in many ways, back to her old self after missing a season due to injury. She filled the stat sheet last year (15.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.8 APG) and was a much, much improved deep shooter (22.8% in 22-23 to 40.6% in 24-25). She shared the backcourt with another high-volume guard in Hannah Hidalgo, and will now take on primary responsibilites as the Van Lith replacement.

She won't be alone in keeping TCU at the same level. Clara Silva showed flashes of excellence in a limited role at Kentucky, and both Marta Suárez (12.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG) and Veronica Sheffey (11.5 PPG, 2.9 APG) were plenty productive at Cal and San Diego State, respectively.

The main core — both Madison Conner and Sedona Prince are also gone — is being replaced, but TCU brought in major talent to keep the ball rolling. Will it work?

And on the other end, what are we to make of Notre Dame? Miles and Koval are two significant exits for the program, and the transfer in, while intriguing, are lacking as much punch as what left. Vanderbilt's Iyana Moore (12.4 PPG, 2.7 APG) is the most exciting of the bunch, but what will she produce next to a star like Hidalgo?

Hidalgo (23.8 PPG, 3.7 SPG) may be good enough to keep the Irish at a similar level, and five-star forward Leah Macy could shine quickly in her first season to help the cause as well.

These two teams met in the Sweet 16 last year, and despite being the higher seed, TCU kind of stunned me when it was able to take down the Irish. Now thanks to a massive transfer, their fates will be intertwined all season.

The Middle of the Big Ten


Perhaps this is a biased selection because of my Big Ten ties, but what this conference has failed to deliver at the top end of the sport can be forgiven thanks to how much chaos it often creates in its middle section, especially now with 18 teams in the fray.

Kim Doss wrote about what the top section of the Big Ten may look like this season, and Maryland's potential battle at the top with UCLA is fascinating on its own. But, moving past those two Top 10 AP teams (UCLA 3rd, Maryland 10th), the AP selected, or mentioned, nine more Big Ten teams after that:

  • Michigan - 13th
  • USC - 18th
  • Iowa - 21st
  • Michigan State - 23rd
  • Washington - 26th in votes
  • Ohio State - 27th in votes
  • Minnesota - 30th in votes
  • Illinois - 35th in votes
  • Nebraska - 36th in votes

More than half of an 18-team conference is mentioned in this poll. The SEC beats the Big Ten with eight teams ranked, but this war that is about to ensue between a lot of the teams listed above is going to be a true delight to watch unfold.

The Big Ten has largely been a fast-paced, high-offense conference over the past few seasons, and many of these teams feature rosters that feel more on the rise than the other way around. There's also a team like Minnesota that feels right at the peak of its abilities for the season.

All of these teams are likely to make the NCAA Tournament, and I wouldn't count out an Indiana, Oregon or even a Wisconsin making things interesting and getting added into this mix. The Big Ten may be behind the SEC at-large, but it's always a delight when any of the teams listed above go at it. Considering that includes nearly two-thirds of the teams, I'd recommend watching a lot of Big Ten women's basketball.