NCAAW: What to expect in women’s college basketball in 2025

2024 saw the continued ascendance of women’s college basketball. What’s in store for 2025? Swish Appeal’s staff writers share what we hope to see in 2025:

Harmoni Turner gets her flowers—and a spot in March Madness

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Harvard’s Harmoni Turner is having one of those seasons that little girls dream about when shooting hoops in their driveway. Let me be clear: She’s been in her own lane in the Ivy League. However, Harvard’s success as a group is finally keeping pace with Turner, where in years past it’s struggled to match her strides. In Turner’s first three seasons, the Crimson couldn’t break past the top three of the Ivy League, depriving the superstar of a March Madness debut. This year, Turner is leaving no stone unturned.

Harvard is roaring at 11-1. Turner is stuffing stat sheets nightly, boasting a 21-point, five-rebound and four-assist average. She’s a ball hawk on the defensive end of the floor, anchoring the 14th-best scoring defense in the country with 3.6 steals a night. She exploded for 41 points against Massachusetts rival Boston College in November— undoubtedly a career night, but don’t be shocked if she can replicate (or improve upon) such a performance in conference play.

There’s no doubt that Turner could be the star of a Power 5 program, but she’s not worried about the glory. The Texas native is proud to be blossoming in Cambridge. That’s important. Blank checks from big schools are pretty, but money comes and goes. Turner’s hoop legacy at the most prestigious school in the States will last forever. And if you don’t think WNBA executives are watching the Crimson, you’re the one that needs to catch up. Harmoni Turner deserves her flowers, and a March Madness berth too. — Beckett Harrison

A competitive start for the new-look Big Ten

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Let’s face it: It’s going to take a little while for everyone to get used to the NCAA’s recent conference realignment. Once based exclusively in the Midwest, the Big Ten now spans from sea to shining sea, with the ingestion of former Pac-12 schools Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC raising the number of programs in the conference to 18.

It helps that most of the newcomers are pretty good. Even Big Ten purists must admit that UCLA (currently ranked No. 1 in the country by the Associated Press) and USC (currently ranked No. 4) have been extremely impressive thus far, and with conference play now officially underway, the Big Ten is in for night after night of high-quality basketball.

This will ideally culminate in an exciting and competitive Big Ten conference tournament, which will be held from March 5 through March 9 of next year. There will surely be a buzz in Gainbridge Fieldhouse as many fans get to see young stars like JuJu Watkins and Lauren Betts in person for the first time, and the idea of a first-year team winning a conference championship should stoke the fires of competitiveness among the Big Ten’s original programs. — Eric Nemchock

Syla Swords awards season

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Michigan freshman Syla Swords has been excellent in non-conference play, but with a new and improved Big Ten coming, it will be interesting to see how she adapts. The Canadian Olympian was the youngest person to ever represent Canada when she played in Paris. That experience has helped her lead Michigan to a 10-3 start this season. Swords did recently suffer a non-contact leg injury, causing her to miss the Wolverines’ loss to USC. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and she’ll be back on the court for the Maize and Blue soon.

In 2025, I hope the young Canadian continues to thrive. She could end up winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, among other awards. — Chelsea Leite

Bring on March Madness!

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We can discuss conference tournaments and rising stars, but let’s keep the main thing the main thing. March Madness is what it all leads up to, and I hope 2025 can rival the theatrics of 2024.

The brackets, buzzer beaters, Cinderellas and titans clashing are what make this iteration of basketball unique to all others. On paper, we have some great potential matchups. South Carolina is still a top team, UConn’s Paige Bueckers is a superstar and LA has Lauren Betts and UCLA and JuJu Watkins and USC ready to win the national title.

If some of these storylines are on full display on the biggest collegiate stage, we could see more television ratings records and, more importantly, witness some high-level basketball. — Edwin Garcia

The Dawn of a dynasty

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Yes, it’s fun to make proclamations about parity, envisioning all the teams that could make noise in March. Yet, it’s dominance that defines the history of the sport. And in 2025, South Carolina can cement their dominance and, in turn, further establish Dawn Staley’s program as the sport’s definitional standard, without quibbles or qualifications.

After the Gamecocks’ 43-game winning streak was snapped, their reign at the top of the sport was pronounced done. Since then, they’ve reeled off six-straight double-digit wins, including two over opponents ranked in the top 10 at the time of the matchup. Their combination of defense and depth is again proving deadly. South Carolina’s relented less than an average of 53 points per game since losing to UCLA, overwhelming opponents with a smart, swarming defense. And while other coaches might struggle to optimize a roster full of star-studded recruits, Staley remains a master at maximizing talent, with 10 Gamecocks averaging at least 15 minutes per game and all 10 capable of leading the team in scoring in a given contest.

South Carolina can become the first back-to-back national champions since 2016 (when UConn captured it’s fourth-straight crown), reminding that, in a sport that loves to celebrate individuals stars, it’s teams that win titles. — Cat Ariail