USC tops with JuJu Watkins return

The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament concluded in Phoenix, with UCLA defeating South Carolina to win the national championship. The Bruins have six seniors and will be revamping their roster for next season.

There is still a lot that needs to be resolved in women’s college basketball before we can truly know who will be the best team next season. Several transfers available in the portal this week (from Audi Crooks to Kymora Johnson) could dramatically change the team’s outlook. Some openings in the coaching carousel also need to be addressed.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate or project.

Without any actual data to be released, USA TODAY Sports projects USC to be the No. 1 overall seed in the 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament. The reason is simple. Because JuJu Watkins is back and will be teaming up with a stellar lineup that includes Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith, and Saniyah Hall.

UW will also look to earn a top seed as long as Sarah Strong is around, Michigan returns a star-studded trio of sophomores, and South Carolina is also inevitable.

As we look ahead to the 2027 NCAA Tournament, it’s important to remember that the number of at-large bids will drop by one. That’s because the Pac-12 has been reborn with former members Washington and Oregon, Mountain West refugees, Texas and Gonzaga. Therefore, there are 32 automatic bids determined by the conference champion and 36 at-large bids.

Here’s a pretty early look at what the 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament standings will look like.

vegas 1

Los Angeles, California

1 U.S.C.
16 University of California, Irvine / Loyola Marymount
8 Baylor
9 Tennessee

Norman, Oklahoma

5 Ohio State University
12 Green Bay
4 Oklahoma
13 Arkansas

Iowa City, Iowa

6BYU
11 Virginia Tech / Florida
3 iowa
14 Montana

Austin, Texas

7 University of California Los Angeles
10 rice
2 texas
15 Central Arkansas

philadelphia 2

Storrs, Connecticut

1 Yukon
16 Eastern Shore, Maryland
8 washington
9 Colombia

Raleigh, North Carolina

5 Maryland
12 Davidson
4 NC state
13 Vermont

Nashville, Tennessee

6 Nebraska
11 UCF/USF
3 Vanderbilt
14 Eastern Kentucky

Durham, North Carolina

7 Gonzaga
10 Texas A&M
2 duke
15 Navy

las vegas 3

Ann Arbor, Michigan

1 Michigan
16 Southern Indiana
8 Syracuse
9 Oklahoma

Fort Worth, Texas

chapel hill, north carolina

6 Arizona
11 Oregon
3 North Carolina
14 Campbell

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

7 Minnesota
10 Clemson
2LSU
15 McNeese

philadelphia 4

columbia south carolina

1 South Carolina
16 ETSU / Alabama A&M
8 Villanova
9 virginia

South Bend, Indiana

5 Kentucky
12 North Dakota
4 Notre Dame Cathedral
13 Ball condition

Morgantown, West Virginia

6 Michigan State
11 Belmont
3 West Virginia
14 Radford

Louisville, Kentucky

7 Colorado
10 Fairfield
2 Louisville
15 Farley Dickinson

Last 4 ins: Florida, USF, UCF, Virginia Tech

First 4 out: Seton Hall, Indiana, Mississippi, California

US - NEA

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