The women’s college hoops season is upon us, with the season tipping off at noon on Sunday in Rome.
The best teams at the top of college basketball haven’t changed much from last season to this one. While UCLA is the reigning champion, the Bruins are just on the outside of the top 10 teams in the AP’s preseason poll.
Instead, the South Carolina Gamecocks enter the season in the top spot, followed by the Connecticut Huskies.
It should come as no surprise that those two teams are also the co-favorites to win the national title this season.
South Carolina has been in the title game four times since 2022 and won twice. UConn has been twice and won it all two seasons ago over South Carolina.
Women’s NCAA basketball championship odds
| Team | Championship odds |
|---|---|
| South Carolina | +250 |
| Connecticut | +250 |
| USC | +450 |
| Texas | +900 |
| Michigan | 14/1 |
| LSU | 16/1 |
| Vanderbilt | 20/1 |
| UCLA | 22/1 |
| Duke | 25/1 |
| Notre Dame | 30/1 |
The real story that will define the 2026-27 season is in Los Angeles. JuJu Watkins is back on the floor for USC this season and will look to lead the Trojans to glory.
With Watkins sidelined last season, USC made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with freshman guard Jazzy Davidson leading the way.
The dynamic Duo is leading a team with the third-best odds to win a national title, and they’ve added the top-ranked high school recruit, Saniyah Hall, to a team with plenty of firepower.
Texas came the closest to knocking off UCLA during last season’s tournament, and they are the only other team with odds inside 10/1. They return All-American Madison Booker, who is coming off her best college season.
The rest of the top 10 on the odds board has plenty of talent, but they’ll all need to contend with powerhouse schools in South Carolina and UConn. Both teams have returned their top players from last season — Sarah Strong for the Huskies and Joyce Edwards for the Gamecocks — and have role players ready to step up this season.
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UConn racked up a ton of wins last season by big margins, but I’m not sure that prepares them for the elite competition that they’ll face deep in the tournament. The Gamecocks usually enter the tournament battle-tested after going through the SEC.
That could give South Carolina a slight edge when it matters. It’s a chalky pick, of course, but Dawn Staley is the best coach in the game, and she has managed to get the most out of her teams on both ends every year.
The Pick: South Carolina to win national title (+250 BetMGM)
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Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
