Even with an expanded NCAA tournament for the 2026-27 women's college basketball season, winning a conference is still important. That is especially true for the nonpower leagues, where an automatic bid remains the goal -- and often the only way for teams to earn a March Madness trip.
That might seem a long way off, but the competition for those spots begins as soon as the season tips off Nov. 1.
So what does the landscape look like? The return of the Pac-12 returns the total number of conferences back to 32 -- and will provide an intriguing race this season. And the Western Athletic Conference has reformed as the United Athletic Conference, with many former members scattering to other leagues.
In some conferences, the player of the year races will be just as fun. Sarah Strong is a massive favorite in the Big East, and Riley Weiss (Columbia) and Kaety L'Amoreaux (Fairfield) are mid-major players to watch trying to repeat their individual accolades. JuJu Watkins' return to USC adds more flavor to an already loaded talent pool in the Big Ten.
With the start to the regular season nearly here, ESPN predicts the champions and top players in every conference.
Note: Stats are from 2025-26 season unless otherwise noted.
Jump to a conference:
A-10 | American | ACC | America East | ASUN | Big 12 | Big East | Big Sky | Big South | Big Ten | Big West | C-USA | CAA | Horizon League | Ivy League | Metro | MAC | MEAC | Mountain West | MVC | NEC | OVC | Pac-12 | Patriot League | SEC | Southern | Southland | Summit League | Sun Belt | SWAC | UAC | WCC
America East Conference
Predicted champion: Binghamton Bearcats
Last season, the Bearcats produced their first winning record since 2020 and finished third in the America East. Led by a pair of seniors -- Bella Pucci and Kendall Bennett -- who have spent their entire careers at Binghamton, the Bearcats are looking for their first trip to the NCAA tournament.
Player of the Year: Kendall Bennett, 6-2, Sr., F, Binghamton Bearcats
A second-team all-conference selection a year ago, Bennett led the league with 61.0% shooting from the field while averaging 14.0 points and 10.1 rebounds. Her 1.3 blocks per game also earned Bennett a spot on the America East all-defensive team.
American Conference
Predicted champion: South Florida Bulls
The biggest offseason news in the conference was Kristy Curry's move from Alabama to South Florida to take over as head coach of the Bulls. She brings with her 554 wins and 14 NCAA tournament appearances in 28 seasons. She takes over a program that remained among the conference's best even after the departure of Jose Fernandez to coach the Dallas Wings after the 2025 season.
Player of the Year: Victoria Flores, 5-7, Sr., G, Rice Owls
Since transferring from TCU two years ago, Flores has been a catalyst for the Owls. Her American Conference player-of-the-year season (12.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG) led Rice to the conference regular-season title with a 17-1 record. Flores will try to be the American's first repeat winner since Katie Lou Samuelson did it for UConn in 2017 and 2018.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Predicted champion: Duke Blue Devils
After consecutive Elite Eight trips the Blue Devils appear on the cusp of fully breaking through nationally. They have already done that in the ACC with a sweep of the regular-season and tournament titles a year ago. This might be the best team Kara Lawson has had in Durham: Toby Fournier ranks among the best post players in the country and has a cast of veterans around her.
Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6, Sr., G, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This year will mark the conclusion of perhaps the best career in the history of Notre Dame basketball. Hidalgo is already the program's leader in steals and will pass Arike Ogunbowale early this season to become the all-time scorer in school history. Her 25.3 points were good for third in the country last season, and for the second time in her career she led the nation in steals (5.6 SPG). Hidalgo could be the best two-player in the country.
ASUN Conference
Predicted champion: Jacksonville Dolphins
After presiding over one of the most successful seasons in Dolphins' history, coach Special Jennings, who starred as a point guard at Xavier from 2007-11, was rewarded with a long-term contract. Now she will be trying to guide Jacksonville to its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2017-19.
Player of the Year: Tatum Brown, 5-6, Soph., G, Jacksonville Dolphins
Much of the Dolphins' potential success will hinge on reigning ASUN freshman of the year Brown taking the next step. She averaged 10.0 points per game, made 36.7% of her 3-pointers and led the conference in steals with 2.3 per game.
Atlantic 10 Conference
Predicted champion: Saint Joseph's Hawks
After four consecutive 20-win seasons, the Hawks might be ready to get to the top of the A-10. Saint Joseph's hasn't won a regular-season title since 2003. If the Hawks do it, 5-foot-9 senior guard Gabby Casey (15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG), last season's A-10 most improved player, will lead the way.
Player of the Year: Katie Donovan, 5-11, Sr., G, Davidson Wildcats
One of the best shooters in the country at 45.8% on 3-pointers a year ago, Donovan should get more opportunity to build on her 12.1 points per game with the departure of leading scorer Charlise Dunn.
Big East Conference
Predicted champion: UConn Huskies
The last time the Huskies lost a Big East game was Feb. 21, 2023. That's 70 straight wins. The streak should reach 91 games at the conclusion of the conference tournament in March. The fun part will be watching the development of 5-foot-9 freshman Jovana Popovic and sophomore Blanca Quinonez.
Player of the Year: Sarah Strong, 6-2, Jr., F, UConn Huskies
This might be the surest preseason player of the year prediction this season. Strong doesn't even have any teammates likely to challenge her. Villanova's Jasmine Bascoe will get some attention, but Strong remains the conference's best scorer, passer and defender. As long as she remains healthy, Strong will win this award in a landslide.
Big Sky Conference
Predicted champion: Idaho Vandals
Arthur Moreira, the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history, went international with his team, too, and it led to the best season in Vandals' history. Five players from overseas remain, but it's Maple Valley, Washington, native Hope Hassmann (14.2 PPG) who led Idaho in scoring and is back for her senior season.
Player of the Year: Taylee Chirrick, 5-11, Jr., G, Montana State Bobcats
Last season Chirrick became the first player in Big Sky history to win player and defensive player of the year in the same season. Already the conference's reigning top defender, Chirrick upped her scoring average from 6.8 points per game to 17.8 and also became one of the league's best rebounders.
Big South Conference
Predicted champion: Radford Highlanders
The Highlanders were one game short of High Point in the regular season and then lost to the Panthers in the Big South championship game. Now they return three of their top four scorers to become the favorite to grab the top spot for the first time since 2019.
Player of the Year: Georgia Simonsen, 6-1, Soph., F, Radford Highlanders
Simonsen's 11.4 points per game and 40.0% shooting from 3-point range earned her Big South freshman of the year honors. She was even better in the postseason, averaging 13.2 points as the Highlanders reached the conference tournament championship game and the second round of the WNIT.
Big 12 Conference
Predicted champion: TCU Horned Frogs
Mark Campbell has established a formula that has worked brilliantly: remake the team in the transfer portal and keep winning big. The Horned Frogs have swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles each of the last two years and reached the Elite Eight each time. The new group going for three in a row will be led by Lara Somfai (Stanford), Lanie Grant (North Carolina) and Jadyn Wooten (Oklahoma State).
Player of the Year: Audi Crooks, 6-3, Sr., C, Oklahoma State Cowgirls
A three-time first-team all-conference choice, Crooks still hasn't won Big 12 player of the year. Now she is the favorite, but in a different uniform after transferring from Iowa State. Ranking second in the country in scoring a season ago at 25.8 points per game, Crooks will lead an entirely remade Cowgirls team that also includes Florida transfer Liv McGill and her 22.5 points per game.
Big Ten Conference
Predicted champion: USC Trojans
The Big Ten is deep, and with the newly expanded 76-team field could have as many as 13 NCAA tournament teams. But the battle at the top with USC, Michigan and Iowa will be the most entertaining storyline. The Trojans struggled last year without JuJu Watkins, but with a healthy superstar surrounded by young talent, the Trojans are the favorite.
Player of the Year: JuJu Watkins, 6-2, Sr., G, USC Trojans
Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge and Michigan's Olivia Olson will provide some competition, but it is easy to remember just how good Watkins was before her knee injury when she swept every major national player of the year award. If USC wins the conference, Watkins will be a virtual lock to win Big Ten player of the year for the second time.
JUJU IS BACK 🔥 JuJu Watkins is back on the floor for USC in its first exhibition game of the season ✌️ https://t.co/eYY3XVVoGX
— espnW (@espnW) October 25, 2026
Big West Conference
Predicted champion: UC San Diego Tritons
Just six years ago the Tritons were a Division II program. Now they are the two-time Big West tournament champion and are coming off a regular-season title. Heidi VanDerveer has already turned UC San Diego into the elite program in the conference.
Player of the Year: Erin Condron, 6-4, Sr., F, UC San Diego Tritons
Some of that Triton success has been because of Condron's improvement. She averaged 2.7 points per game two years ago as a freshman. Then she exploded last season, finishing in the top 10 in the Big West in scoring, rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage.
Coastal Athletic Association
Predicted champion: Monmouth Hawks
Coming off just their second 20-win season in 15 years, the Hawks are looking to build on that momentum for their first regular-season championship of any kind since 1988. Third-year head coach Cait Wetmore will lean heavily into returning veterans Gigi Gamble and Divine Dibula to get that done.
Player of the Year: Gigi Gamble, 5-5, Sr., G, Monmouth Hawks
Gamble flourished in her first year in Division I, averaging 15.2 points per game and being named first-team all-conference. She was particularly good at the end of last season. Over the Hawks' final five games, Gamble averaged 23.0 points, including a 41-point outburst against Towson.
Conference USA
Predicted champion: Missouri State Lady Bears
The Bears had a good ending to their first year in CUSA, when they scored a season-high 85 points to beat SFA in the tournament championship game. Now Missouri State is the favorite to win the regular-season title. In an oddity of the transfer portal era, coach Beth Cunningham welcomes back seven players, including all-league players Kaemyn Bekemeier, Lainie Douglas and Maiesha Washington.
Player of the Year: Kaemyn Bekemeier, 5-9, Sr., G, Missouri State Lady Bears
The move to CUSA from the MVC was especially good for Bekemeier, whose scoring average jumped from 11.5 to 17.4 points per game, which included a 22-point performance in the conference tournament title game. She also pulled down 8.2 rebounds per game, the second most in the country for a player 5-9 or shorter, and set the program record for minutes played.
Horizon League
Predicted champion: Green Bay Phoenix
The Phoenix's dominance in the Horizon has returned. After going four straight seasons without a conference title, Green Bay has won three of the last four regular-season championships and the last three Horizon League tournaments. More than half the scoring output from a year ago is gone, but veterans Meghan Schultz and Maddy Skorupski are back, and the Phoenix added in-conference transfer Jorey Buwalda, who averaged 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds at Milwaukee a year ago.
Player of the Year: Meghan Schultz, 6-4, Jr., C, Green Bay Phoenix
After a slow start to her career, Schultz broke out last season, averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. As a full-time starter for the first time, the 6-4 junior was also second in the Horizon with a 55.9% shooting percentage.
Ivy League
Predicted champion: Princeton Tigers
Carla Berube is off to coach Northwestern, but she left the roster well stocked for her assistant of six years, Lauren Gosselin, who takes over on the bench for the Tigers. Four starters -- Fadima Tall, Skye Belker, Olivia Hutcherson and Ashley Chea -- are back for their final seasons. They have already been a part of two Ivy League regular-season and tournament titles.
Player of the Year: Riley Weiss, 5-10, Sr., G, Columbia Lions
A pure scorer and fearless shooter, Weiss is the heavy favorite to become just the third player this century to win consecutive Ivy League player of the year honors, joining Princeton's Bella Alarie (three in a row, 2018-20) and Niveen Rasheed (2012-13). Weiss led the Ivy in scoring (20.1 PPG) and 3-point percentage (37.8%) last season and helped Columbia reach its only two NCAA tournaments in 2024 and 2025 and a WBIT title last spring.
Metro Conference
Predicted champion: Fairfield Stags
The Stags have won the last three conference championships, both regular season and tournament, and along the way have gone 58-2 in the Metro. Carly Thibault-DuDonis has created a mid-major powerhouse, and Fairfield should dominate the league once again.
Player of the Year: Kaety L'Amoreaux, 5-6, Sr., G, Fairfield Stags
All three of her seasons with Fairfield have ended with L'Amoreaux receiving a postseason honor. Last year it was player of the year after leading the Metro in scoring (17.3 PPG) and finishing second in assists (4.3 APG). Her primary competition to a repeat is teammate Meghan Andersen, who has twice been first-team all-conference and was the league's rookie of the year in 2024.
Mid-American Conference
Predicted champion: Miami (Ohio) RedHawks
Miami and Ball State battled all season for MAC supremacy a year ago and will likely do the same in 2027. The RedHawks delivered when it mattered most by winning the MAC tournament and reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. If Miami can repeat, 6-1 senior Amber Tretter (14.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG) will be leading the way.
Player of the Year: Tessa Towers, 6-5, Gr., F, Ball State Cardinals
After playing little in two years at Wisconsin and serving as a role player in her first season in Muncie, Towers blossomed last season. She finished in the top 10 in the MAC in scoring (14.7 PPG), rebounding (8.4 RPG) and field goal percentage (54.8%) and earned first-team all-conference.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Howard Bison
After losing to Norfolk State three straight years in the MEAC title game, the Bison got their revenge to reach their first NCAA tournament since 2022. Now Howard is the favorite with the Spartans chasing. That title capped off the best season in school history with 26 wins. The No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament was also the program's best.
Player of the Year: Zoe Stewart, 5-10, Sr., G, Howard Bison
It took three stops (Murray State and Missouri State), but Stewart has found a home with Howard and will try to follow in the footsteps of last year's teammate Zennia Thomas (transferred to Rutgers) in winning player of the year and leading the Bison to a conference championship. Stewart led the MEAC in field goal percentage (43.2%) and was one of its best 3-point shooters (35.9%).
Missouri Valley Conference
Predicted champion: Murray State Racers
The Racers have lived up to their nickname, finishing as the second highest scoring team in the country in 2025 and ranking fifth last year. All that scoring turned into the winningest two seasons in program history. The three players most responsible -- Halli Poock (22.5 PPG), Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (17.4 PPG) and Haven Ford (17.1 PPG) -- are all back as seniors.
Player of the Year: Halli Poock, 5-6, Sr., G, Murray State Racers
Not only did Poock lead the conference in scoring, she was fourth in assists (4.3 APG). Poock's 788 points set a single-season school record. She is the centerpiece of what makes Murray State's transition game go, but her chief competition to a repeat as player of the year might be Currie-Jelks.
Mountain West Conference
Predicted champion: UNLV Lady Rebels
Lindy La Rocque is reloading again in Las Vegas. After a three-year run of MWC regular-season titles, the Lady Rebels finished third last season. The conference might have four new teams -- Grand Canyon, Hawai'i, UC Davis and UTEP -- but there should be familiarity at the top. La Rocque brings back her top two scorers -- Meadow Roland and Jasmyn Lott -- and welcomes a late transfer addition in Marley Washenitz from Arizona State.
Player of the Year: Meadow Roland, 6-2, Jr., F, UNLV Lady Rebels
Roland has gone from MWC freshman and sixth player of the year to first-team all-MWC. The next step seems logical: win player of the year. She averaged 15 points and 9.5 rebounds as a sophomore and led the league in blocks (1.8 BPG), while making the all-defensive team.
Northeast Conference
Predicted champion: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Stephanie Gaitley is one of the best mid-major coaches of all time. Last season marked an eighth regular-season championship with her fifth school. The last two have come at FDU, and if she is to do it for a third straight year it will come without program anchor Ava Renninger, who transferred to Towson. But starters Leah Crosby and Rebecca Osei-Owusu return.
Player of the Year: Brooke Paquette, 5-8, Sr., G, Stonehill Skyhawks
The second-leading scorer in the NEC a year ago at 14.9 points per game, Paquette became the third Skyhawk to be named All-NEC first team. She would be their first player of the year. Paquette's chances get better the more she can get to the free throw line, where her 90.2% ranked ninth best in the country.
Ohio Valley Conference
Predicted champion: Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
The Eagles have been in Division I for just four years and have won over 20 games in three of them. This might be the team with the most opportunity. Four starters return, headlined by 6-2 Chloe Gannon, who finished in the top 10 in the OVC in rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks a year ago. She averaged 13.3 points per game as Southern Indiana's second-leading scorer.
Player of the Year: Kiyoko Proctor, 5-6, Soph., G, SIU Edwardsville Cougars
The Cougars' 16 wins were the most for the program in eight years and Proctor was the biggest difference-maker. The OVC's reigning freshman of the year, she led SIUE in scoring (13.4 PPG) and led the conference's best defense with 1.3 steals per game.
Patriot League
Predicted champion: Navy Midshipmen
The team went 1-29 in 2022-23. Last year? The Mids won the regular-season championship. Coach Tim Taylor has put it all back together. The one piece left is to win the conference tournament and get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013.
Player of the Year: Zanai Barnett-Gay, 5-8, Sr., G, Navy Mids
The trophy closet is already plenty full for Barnett-Gay. She was last season's player of the year after averaging 16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals, and was the defensive player of the year in 2025 and 2026. All three of her seasons in Annapolis have ended with her on the first-team all-conference team.
Pac-12 Conference
Predicted champion: Gonzaga Bulldogs
For the first time in three years, the Zags failed to win the regular-season title in the WCC, but now they are the favorites in the newly reformed Pac-12. Gonzaga still went to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in the past nine tournaments and has all five starters back, led by Lauren Whittaker and Allie Turner.
Player of the Year: Lauren Whittaker, 6-3, Jr., F, Gonzaga Bulldogs
After averaging a double-double (19.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG), Whitaker was named the WCC player of the year one season after winning the conference's top freshman honor. Just halfway through her career, Whitaker has a chance to be one of the all-time greats at Gonzaga.
Southeastern Conference
Predicted champion: South Carolina Gamecocks
Point guard is the only question on a mega-talented South Carolina roster. Joyce Edwards is back as a junior and her scoring average trajectory is better than A'ja Wilson's was after two seasons in Columbia. Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins return after missing last season, and Tessa Johnson and Agot Makeer will anchor the backcourt.
Player of the Year: Mikayla Blakes, 5-8, Jr., G, Vanderbilt Commodores
While she led the nation at 27.0 points per game, Blakes averaged 30.1 PPG in SEC games. Her shooting, defense and passing all got a little better from her freshman to sophomore seasons, and now Blakes is on the short list of best players in the country.
Southern Conference
Predicted champion: Wofford Terriers
The Terriers shared the regular-season crown last season, the second such title in Jimmy Garrity's 10 seasons as coach. But they have never been to the NCAA tournament. With three starters back, this could be the year to break through.
Player of the Year: Gabby Mundy, 5-6, Soph., G, Wofford Terriers
Mundy is one of those starters and might go from the SoCon's best freshman to the SoCon's best player in one season. She was the league's top scorer in conference games and finished in the top six in assists and steals. But a 38.1% clip on 3-pointers is the difference-maker.
Southland Conference
Predicted champion: Lamar Cardinals
For three straight seasons, the Cardinals have won 17 conference games but have yet to win the conference tournament. They haven't reached the NCAA tournament since 2010. Lamar typically wins with defense but had three double-digit scorers a year ago -- Kamryn Wilson, Jacei Denley and Shaila Forman -- who all return. Coach Aqua Franklin enters this season just nine victories away from becoming the program's winningest coach.
Player of the Year: Myka Perry, 6-1, Jr., F, Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
The Ladyjacks have won the past two SLC tournaments, and Perry was one of the biggest reasons they delivered last March. The tournament MVP, Perry had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinals and then 21 points in the championship game. For the season she was fourth on the team at 11.5 points per game and is SFA's top returning scorer.
Summit League
Predicted champion: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
North Dakota State broke the Jackrabbits' five-year hold on the regular-season championship, but South Dakota State won the tournament title and earned a fourth straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Given the Jackrabbits' run of success, which also included the previous five Summit regular-season titles, it's tough to bet against them under Aaron Johnston. Finding someone to replace Brooklyn Meyer's production will be the key.
Player of the Year: Avery Koenen, 6-3, Sr., F, North Dakota State Bison
Out of those South Dakota State shadows was Koenen, who won player of the year and defensive player of the year, leading the Bison to their best season in Division I. She averaged 19.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals and edged out Meyer for the league's top honor.
Sun Belt Conference
Predicted champion: James Madison Dukes
Peyton McDaniel, one of the best players in program history, is gone, but the Dukes have three other starters back, led by Bree Robinson (11.9 PPG). Troy averaged the 13th-most points in the country a year ago (81.3 PPG) and should be JMU's top challenger.
Player of the Year: Crislyn Rose, 5-8, Sr., G, Arkansas State Red Wolves
The rare four-year player at one school, Rose was the catalyst for the second-best offense in the Sun Belt. Her 11.2 points per game were a career high, and 4.6 assists were good for second in the conference. With the other four starters now gone, Rose will have more opportunities to score even more.
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Southern Jaguars
Ninth-year coach Carlos Funchess has produced the most successful run in program history with back-to-back 20-win seasons and trips to the NCAA tournament in three of the past four years. DeMya Porter and Jocelyn Tate, two of his three top scorers, return.
Player of the Year: Indiya Bowen, 5-8, Sr., G, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
The move to Arkansas-Pine Bluff from Southeast Missouri State was a good one for Bowen. She nearly doubled her scoring average to a conference-best 14.9 points per game and became a better and more aggressive 3-point shooter.
United Athletic Conference
Predicted champion: Eastern Kentucky Colonels
With so many schools in the Eastern time zone joining what once was the Western Athletic Conference, a rebranding seemed in order, producing the new UAC. One of those teams, Eastern Kentucky, is the favorite to win the first championship. The Colonels are coming off one of their best seasons, winning 24 games and capturing the ASUN title.
Player of the Year: Liz Freihofer, 5-10, Jr., G, Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Freihofer brings her shooting talents to the UAC after being one of the ASUN's best 3-point shooters (38.4%). She was second on the Colonels with 12.3 points per game and earned first-team All-ASUN. Freihofer also was the conference's scholar athlete of the year.
West Coast Conference
Predicted champion: Loyola Marymount Lions
With Gonzaga's departure for the Pac-12, LMU, Portland and Santa Clara are left to tangle for WCC supremacy. The Lions won the regular-season title a year ago and return 6-0 senior Maya Hernandez (14.2 PPG).
Player of the Year: Maia Jones, 5-10, Gr., G, Santa Clara Broncos
After beginning her career in the WCC at St. Mary's, Jones moved to Santa Clara and became one of the league's top scorers. Her combination of being willing to shoot the 3 and an ability to get to the free throw line could push her 15.0 points per game higher this season.