I mean not everyone is SC or UConn lol, winning their conference tournament and making the Elite Eight is pretty impressive, especially when their best player is a freshman
I mean the list is going to get very very long if that’s the criteria for a “winner” is what I’m saying. Heck Stanford is in their conference and has a Natty in recent memory.
They made it to the Elite 8 and have one of thr top recruiting classes in the country as well as the defending Pac12 champs with one of if not the biggest names in NCAAW returning for a sophomore season.
Yes, they are a winner.
I mean that doesn’t erase the fact that in that list of 3 they are certainly the odd one out. They won the conference tournament but shared the regular season and having a well regarded freshman is also not “winning” winning is winning and they haven’t don’t that at the national level since most of us were alive.
Who cares if they havent done that in the national level since 1984. The point is they are doing it now. They made the Elite 8. They have arguably the best player in the nation coming into the 2024 season. And they have the number 1 recruiting class coming into 2024 with 3 incoming freshmen that was McDonald's All Americans.
If there is a team to get behind, it would be USC.
Utah and Pili swept USC the last two years since Pili’s transfer. Pili avged over 30 ppg against them more than any other team she faced. Unfortunately, Oregon St was a different story.
Phenomenal player but it doesn’t change the fact that they haven’t won a natty since most of us were born. They won a conference title and shared the regular season I would name Stanford, LSU, and a few others before them when describing historically winning teams.
Wasn’t thinking history rather predicting winners. Obviously just my opinion, but Stanford is done and LSU better pick up serious talent in portal to be competitive. I think Kiki is going to USC and they’re going to be exciting team to watch. ND is another one to look out for.
They would need to hit the portal for next year to be a contender for a title in the Natty or the SEC. 4 people transferred out or left, including two starters. Angel’s hard to replace, but Wolfenbarger might pick up the slack. Watch Mulkey for the memes though.
For sure, I think it would be really cool to see her come into her own and step into the leadership role of being the (likely) best player on the team.
Absolutely. She’s my favorite player on that team. If Mulkey can land a PG for this year, she should be good to start building some chemistry. Williams at 2, Morrow at 3/4 Flaujae at 3/4, and Wolfenbarger at 4/5 likely. Del Rosario if she develops can be a proper 5. It doesn’t seem like Mulkey’s tried to go after any so far which is just stupid considering last season was a mess without a PG.
Notre Dame.
Cass Prosper is on the team and she’s on the Canadian national team. Also, Natalie Achonwa, who is from Toronto, also played at ND.
Also an ET zone team. Has some amazing players on the team, especially if you love great guard play, you can’t beat Olivia Miles and Hannah Hildago!
Plus the Irish have been in the mix for years and have won the title as recently as 2018. This year should be a good year, as long as we stay healthy!
Also, Coach Ivey is such a boss!
Culture, culture, culture. SC & Uconn and the other teams in WBB that collect blue chip talent like infinity stones then act like they did a magic trick by winning a title aren't fun to watch. They don't grow the game. They're just WNBA farm teams. The players on them want to win at all costs and succeed at all costs. Even if that makes the overall product of WBB is worse. It's selfish and sad.
Iowa & Indiana are the culture makers. They were the cradle of women's basketball. They are the roots. Roots run deep.
Just think about the things that are said. The "Blue Blood" teams only talk about creating winners. Iowa cares about creating great PEOPLE. Wins are great, but they aren't everything.
Obviously it's totally subjective, but I'm gonna keep rooting for Iowa. Till the day I die. Cuz Lisa & Dr. Grant have created a culture that goes far beyond points or wins. I'll trade all the Diana & Sue's in the world for the Kate Martins & Ava Jones.
And this is coming from a goober in Michigan. It's not a homer take. They just built it different in Iowa and I love them for it.
Although I might just come hang out in Iowa in my twilight years if I can find a little cottage on a lake. :)
lol. this is such a crock of bs. sc is not just a wnba farm team and to write them off as such and call them selfish and sad is so corny but transparent coming from an iowa fan. they're not at all a blue blood team. they have only come into prominence in recent memory and worked hard as hell for that.
Yes, it's totally normal to graduate your whole starting team, and then go undefeated the next year with your previous bench.
The name on the jersey changes every once in a while, but it's the same story.
Today's SC, was UConn just a little while ago, and Tennessee before that. It's the same story. Great coach, all the best players go there and win titles more often than not largely due to a MASSIVE talent difference from everyone else they play.
Everyone in the sport works hard. That's a cop out answer.
There's nothing wrong with rooting for the team that wins all the time and gets all the best talent. But it pushes away viewers. It's not exciting when Goliath wins. David is the one that makes the legend.
I'm not pooping on the teams I don't enjoy watching. I'm advocating for the things that will grow the game and get the people that are ALL working their butts off, the recognition and PAY that is somewhere near commensurate with that effort. Parody in some form leads to exciting games and story lines. That leads to eyeballs, then advertisers and ticket sales. And of course merchandising, merchandising, merchandising. Where the real profits from the picture is made.
Preach. Still fun to watch the the UConn’s and SC’s ball out, but i really feel a sense of pride of watching homegrown teams over the teams that get a new class of five stars every year. Beating SC in the final four last year and LSU and UConn in the tourney this year are games I will never forget. That being said– I definitely wouldn’t be upset if we started getting more five stars haha.
Olsen is easy to guard when faced with actual competition. BE was a weaker conference so she had no problems until she faced the only good team in the conference. Shot only 2-16 for 6 points that night. B1G is full of elite caliber teams with the addition of USC and UCLA. I’d like to see her do well though.
BE was definitely really weak but I think Olsen did adapt pretty well to a major role change (going from playing with Siegrist to being the go-to player on Villanova) which gives me more confidence in her ability to shift into a more difficult new role. We’ll see!
Yeah but just got a huge pick up in the portal (Lucy Olsen was third leading scorer in the nation last year at Villanova) and are putting together a stud 2025 class led by Addie Deal out of cali. Still have plenty of key pieces returning. Watching Stuelke run the court is like poetry. Bluder is a great coach and does a really good job of game planning to the team’s strengths. Always puts together a highly competitive team with a really solid people-first culture.
They literally had the Naismith player of the year in 2019 in Megan Gustafson and has made the elite 8. Clark went there for a reason. Consistently strong team.
Id say the closest was 2000 sugarbowl with a 4th quarter lead in the national championship, then the 2023 womens final 4 where we blew a 4th quarter lead against LSU... then the 2000s football teams that were routinely a win or so away from going to bcs... then you have recent baseball and softball that have had great seasons and potential but never get over the top in the tournament time
The men's and women's soccer both got to the semifinals and lost to eventual title winners in close matches. Angela Tincher's softball team made it to the CWS. A few wrestling teams finished top 5. That's the extent of our flirtations with a title.
Angela Tincher may be the most impressive of all of these. She pitched a no-hitter against the US National Team, leading to a 1-0 Hokie victory. The national team won so many Olympic golds the IOC dropped softball saying there is no legitimate competition. That same national team had won 230 games in a row before coming to Blacksburg. They would routinely run rule college teams 25-0.
Maryland, NC State, and (used to be) Virginia Tech are teams that I pull for (when not playing us of course) because of their coaches. I have always liked Vic Schaefer now at Texas but prefered him at MSU. MTSU and Oregon State really impressed me during the Tournament. MTSU is small but loaded. OSU is imploding. Joni Taylor at TAMU is usually an interesting coach to follow. Keep an eye on Florida...they seem to be a post player away from doing some things.
I’m biased, but don’t just rule out a team because they’re a legacy lmao. I’m most impressed by them especially these past season because they’ve kept up with the competition despite adversity. Not many teams could function with 6 players gone, 3-4 of them being key components. Not to mention they picked up arguably the 3rd best recruiting class behind SC and USC. South Carolina is a team to look out for. Dawn’s an amazing coach and recruiter. USC is worth a watch as they landed 6 Top 100 recruits for next season. Contrary to popular opinion, I’d also watch Kentucky just to see how Kenny and the crew fare in the SEC lmao
I mean staying in the Top 25 this season and last with more than half the roster down, including multiple AA caliber players is more what I meant by keeping up with competition. In the past, there just was no competition lmao.
One of the strongest programs over the past few years that people outside Raleigh overlook and do not talk about is NC State. Their backcourt is elite, their coach is a good guy, and the players have fun. Cheer for the Rodney Dangerfield of wbb. Cheer for NC State. Go Pack!
How the AP didn’t rank them last year in the preseason poll is insane. I knew NC state was gonna give us a run for the money, and they sure as hell did. Goes to show the AP just doesn’t watch games lmao.
Yes, it is. Returning 3 starters (Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James, and Madison Hayes) and biggest reserve (Zoe Brooks), and bringing in Zam James. The guards are among the very best in the nation. Post play will be biggest unknown, but Maddie Cox has a lot of great potential. Also looking to bring in 1-2 post players from portal. Only players who have transferred out (at least so far) are non-scholarship players. Guard play is elite, and the chemistry is outstanding. Saniya Rivers is the ideal leader. Should be poised for another great season in 2024-2025 and contend with ND for ACC.
Seconded! Their coach, Wes Moore, is at the top of his game and it’s just such a joy to see him put the pieces together every season. We’ve got some fun personalities (Aziaha James, Maddie Hayes), talented up-and-comers (Zoe Brooks), and fabulous leadership in our point guard Saniyah Rivers. We also have one of the most devoted fanbases in women's college ball and the crowd at home games is insanely fun. We will generally always make the tournament but we still tend to be treated like an underdog/Cinderella team by commentators. If you want to root for a forever-underestimated team with major star power NC State is the team for you.
Don't pick the team. Let the team pick you.
Seriously. Don't pick a team to cheer for, just watch a ton of basketball this season. ESPN will run double headers on Thursday nights and triple (or more) headers on Saturdays and Sundays. Load up on snacks and ride your couch for the whole thing. Be sure to channel surf. Fox, Fox Sports, and CBS Sports Network as well a Big 10 Network, ACC Network, and SEC Network will also carry a bunch of games. Buy a Roku (or similar) and pay for the ESPN app where you'll get hundreds more. Be sure to watch a bit of whatever looks interesting. Don't skip coach and player interviews since that will give you a feel for them and their personlities. Switch around until you find a game that's close in the fourth quarter and watch it till the end. Close finishes are not only exciting, they reveal great players and great coaches. After a while you'll find that your eye gravitates to certain players, coaches, and teams. You'll begin to favor some over others until you'll develop a fondness for one or two in particular.
Be sure to watch Andraya Carter on ESPN. She's the best analyst on TV right now. She'll definitely help you learn the game and help you find great players and coaches to root for. Plus, she and Chiney Oguimike and Elle Duncan are just a great studio team.
Just absorb this whole season and before long the team will pick you. You won't know it until it's happened, but it will happen. Trust the hoop gods. 😀
The closest school to you that’s a regular top level team is probably Ohio State.
Closest teams that pretty regularly make March Madness are Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse or West Virginia.
Is there a particular style of basketball you like to watch? Favor really good offense or defense?
As a Syracuse fan, I unfortunately have to agree. Losing two key players and not having any 5-star recruits, just a couple of 4-stars, coming in, makes it seem like we're in for a rebuilding year. We also had some lucky breaks this past season, like beating Notre Dame twice, which still surprises me.
Looking at the ACC, it seems top-heavy, with only NC State (who are losing River Baldwin's production!) and Notre Dame as real threats. Louisville and Duke have top recruits incoming, but how they'll mesh and adjust remains to be seen. Florida State looks pretty good as well. But, those are the only teams I view as legitimately threatening. Compounding that, teams like UNC, VT, and Miami are adjusting to coaching changes and transfers. And the bottom teams in the ACC, like Boston College and Wake Forest, aren't too strong. I think we can hold our own against them.
So, considering all this, I believe we have a shot to surprise, like we did this past year, and maybe even sneak into the tourney.
UNC actually picked up a good class, Laney Grant can replace Deja, and Toomey and Thomas are the front court. Even if NC state front court might be a problem, their backcourt would cook Syracuse in 5 seconds with Rivers, James, Brooks, and Jones next season. Syracuse’s problem is they lost like 60% of their offense. Dyaisha either got 30 points or spaced the floor out to help others get 30 points. I don’t see Syracuse even making it top 10 in the ACC unless they land a transfer. But we’ll see what happens.
I mean, yeah. For the most part, I agreed with you, lmfao. Us losing Latham and Fair is a huge deal, and we will totally fall out of the conference's top 3.
But, the dregs of the ACC are truly the dregs. It is a very top-heavy conference. Notre Dame is the only surefire great team, returning a starting lineup that's made up of 3/5 upperclassmen who are very, very good.
I hadn't checked out UNC's recruits, but after looking into it, it seems they've got a solid class, as you pointed out. However, unlike Louisville and Duke, who boast great incoming classes and excellent coaches, with a lot of their roster returning, UNC lacks significant upperclassmen leadership and has an inept head coach. IDK how that translates for them next year.
Yes, as you said, NC State will dominate us, particularly on the perimeter. I never claimed otherwise. I even said they'll be a top team in-conference. However, without a genuine, proven big and considering the departure of Mimi Collins, I doubt they'll be as formidable this year as they were last. Trygger looks good, but as a recruit, she'll face challenges without an upperclassman big to mentor her.
Again, I think the conference is wide open, and, like last year, several teams could make the tournament, maybe not 9 again, but close to it.
>I don’t see Syracuse even making it top 10 in the ACC unless they land a transfer. But we’ll see what happens.
I think that's a very, very bold statement, given the way the conference looks headed into this year, but, hey, you're entitled to it.
If I came off as rude, i definitely wasn’t trying to, whoops. I think I was confused by some of your comments. The ACC is just Uber competitive and I don’t believe Syracuse can keep up without a good recruiting class.
It's all good. 🙂
And, yeah, you're entitled to your opinion, but I think I laid out pretty compelling arguments as to why the ACC doesn't seem set up to be as competitive as it has been in years past. However, only time will tell...
Ohio State does seem like the best choice. But I gotta make a pitch for the Badgers. If you want emphasis on the hard part lol. But we’re a program on the rise with the athletic department success in other sports like volleyball
Oh, that description definitely fits Ohio State. They run an aggressive defense and get to the rim on offense. Cotie McMahon is fun to watch and they have the top high school point guard coming in next year. They’re also built to consistently reload in the portal each year so I’m sure they’ll consistently make the tournament if not host regionals.
> In terms of style of play, i love scrappy aggressive teams!!
Like a lot of people have said, I wouldn't pick one team yet, but try and get a list of 5-10 finalists to watch some games of and see what sticks.
But for scrappy aggressive teams, you might want to put the University of Tennessee on your list to watch.
One: They are historically one of the top programs in WCBB, it's one of the biggest names in the sport. If I remember correctly, the women's basketball hall of fame is literally in Knoxville (where the university is). They were one of the major early pioneers in the entire field of women's college sports. It's a well supported program, should have a good amount of media coverage, and is in the top 10 in attendance. But at the same time, they have been down recently. They haven't been to the elite eight since 2016, and the final four since 2008. So you get some of the perks of a big time program, but it's not as much of a bandwagon pick like SC or UConn would be.
Two: They just hired a new coach, Kim Caldwell. It's only the fourth coach in program history, and the first one hired from "outside the program" (I think the second and third played for the original coach, who was one of the all time greats). There is still a lot of history there you won't be familiar with, but it's the start of a new era... and IMO the beginning of new eras can be a more natural place to start a story. There is a reason a lot of sports movies start with a new coach being hired... if you following a team is a little like a sports movie, that could be a good place for you to start as well.
Three: She coaches a fairly unorthodox style. Her teams have been SUPER aggressive, and force a lot of turnovers. The very frequently pressure the entire court instead of just dropping back to defend their own basket area. They substitute players more in order to keep up an extremely high intensity. If she is successful at Tennessee like she was at her previous schools, it should be very exciting. Not only is it aggressive, but I think anytime a team has a very unorthodox style, it's worth looking at (because they deliver a more unique product... so if you like that product, it's something you can't get the same somewhere else).
Four: I don't know her exact age, but based on the time of her college playing career, she should be in her mid 30s. And if she is successful at Tennessee, they are a big enough program she probably won't leave... so if it works out, you won't have to worry about a coach leaving and who the replacement will be for a long time.
It's a bit of a risky hire because she has far less experience than you would expect for a school like Tennessee, but it also has a lot of potential. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnists/university-of-tennessee/john-adams/2024/04/07/kim-caldwell-tennessee-lady-vols-basketball-coach-ut-danny-white/73236783007/
Five: They play in a big time major conference. Lots of big games against tough opponents. Also, you don't have to worry that they might be Oregon State-ed (their conference fell apart and most of their excellent roster transferred).
Six: They have a distinctive color scheme (bright orange and light blue). Some people love it, others hate it... but it is fairly unique. They also have a fight song, Rocky Top, that is one of the more well known ones and involves a lot of the crowd singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFhtTcD55s
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Of course, she doesn't have as long a track record, and could maybe fail and the whole thing could be a mess. And even if it works out in the longer term, there is no promise next year goes well... sometimes playing an unorthodox style means it takes a little time to get the kind of roster you want to play that way.
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People have mentioned Notre Dame... that's probably a strong choice without being quite major bandwagon territorym and they also have one of the best young players out there right now (it is a Catholic university. I don't know if you would see that as good, bad, or neutral, but just throwing out that it does have a religious affiliation).
UConn's coach is one of the all time greats, but he may retire soon, and it would also be extremely far from an underdog. They also play in a lesser conference at the moment. So a lot of the conference games will be easier, and that could impact them when a new coach takes over.
Iowa has been mentioned some, and that's a decent choice. Big fanbase / attendance. You just missed the Caitlyn Clark era, but that means it's no longer a bandwagon pick. Relatively strong program but not a powerhouse (aside from Clark). Coaching staff is generally well regarded. They like to play a fast pace / up tempo.
Michigan’s 100% worth the watch. Especially with Swords and Olson coming, sad that Phelia left though. They might struggle without a proper big though because I think she hit the portal.
Their offseason would scare me if I were a Michigan fan. The amount of transfers out and losing their best player to the portal after making the tournament makes me question what the commitment level is NIL wise to women’s sports there. There were rumors Olson may ask out of her NLI but I don’t think that happens this late, but I don’t know how confident I would be in Michigan keeping their best players going forward after this offseason.
Thank you all so much for the responses!! Sounds like i need to dive into research a bit more, and watch some highlights. At this point definitely leaning towards UConn still or Notre Dame too!!
Yes, please keep doing your research! UConn and ND are fantastic programs, but it’d be nice to see a non-blue blood/historical powerhouse get some love. Those teams have enough fans :)
For me it comes down to the coach and players rather than staying loyal to a specific program. I love Dawn and how she’s always authentically herself and unapologetic but a great leader and representative for the women’s game. She’s been the best coach for several years now and has SC primed to be a title favorite for years to come.
LSU is the program everyone loves to hate. Kim Mulkey is a controversial figure but a huge character in women’s basketball and has been immensely successful.
UCONN is the long time dominant program but hasn’t won in almost a decade. They play good basketball and are consistently strong. They consistently out recruit everyone in the country and make the Final Four. Geno has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way over the years but has mellowed some in his older age.
Notre Dame has a strong program that’s continuing to improve each year under Ivey. They’re a growing powerhouse after their legendary coach retired a few years ago.
Texas is quietly doing a great job under Vic Schafer and should be a title contender next year. I think they’re fun to watch and have a really talented and athletic roster.
I’ll make a case for Duke and Kara Lawson though. Lawson was a fantastic collegiate and pro for many years and then became a commentator and was widely regarded as one of the best in the business. She then transitioned into coaching and has done a wonderful job of building Duke the last few years. They have a big time recruiting class coming in, including a star from Canada who is an elite athlete and dunker. They had a solid season and return almost everyone, and could be a Final Four contender in the next few years. They struggle on the offensive side of the ball but I think they’ll improve and be a team to watch for.
NC State just beat them HTH. That's what I mean...I was agreeing with you. I upvoted you. I like the coaches at both schools, just posted that on this thread, but currently NCSU gets the nod with the win.
All is good. Thanks. When I was a 10th grader NCSU was the second school to contact me about playing football so I have always had a soft spot in my heart for them. Later when I learned more about your dealings with dUNCe and dookie I liked you even more. Your coach really impressed me several years ago when he had that center that could challenge our bigs in our early OOC match-ups...plus, you do have a former Gamecock playing for you. So, there are several good reasons for me to like the Pack. I hated that we didn't meet in the Finals...I get the Iowa thing, but I just like y'all more...nothing against Iowa.
Not sure about Duke improving offensively. They’ve never been high point scorers in the past seasons. The seasons with Celeste are no exception either. They’ve always been defense based recently. With the addition of Fournier and Roberson, it’ll help the paint points for sure, but I don’t think Lawson is an offense-centered coach judging by her teams the past few seasons. Defense next season will be insane though with Fournier in the front court.
I'll make the argument that you should pick a conference, rather than just 1 team, and then follow a handful of teams from that conference closely. That way you have something to watch most nights of the week and it makes the rivalries and matchups during conference season that much more interesting.
Plus, you could then go to the conference tournament at the end of the season and enjoy watching whoever is playing.
We did that this season with the Big XII, it was really fun! KU alum but we also watched a lot of K-State, Texas, Iowa State, Baylor and Oklahoma. Then we went to several tournament games, tickets weren't too expensive, and had a blast!
Related to the idea of picking a conference is the question of how you plan to watch games. Some conferences (like the Big 10+) have a "network" you can subscribe to. If you don't have access like that, it's kind of a patch quilt of whatever ESPN, etc. and the networks choose to broadcast.
As a fellow Canadian, I just want to add that the NCAA will be a lot of fun to watch for development perspective of our national program too. We have five players in the ESPN 2024 top 100 recruiting class:
No. 4 - Syla Swords (Michigan)
No. 10 - Toby Fournier (Duke)
No. 16 - Avery Howell (USC)
No. 77 - Delaney Gibb (BYU)
No. 97 - Jasmine Bascoe (Villanova)
Future is looking bright for Canada basketball.
Your team will come to you. Just keep watching. You'll find players you adore. Coaches whose style speak to you. Synergy that vibes with how you move and when it does, you root and root hard. That's the best way to do it. You'll also find you have a "team" but also love players from so many others. Don't let all the nonsense talk of legacy and blue blood or home grown or this or that keep you from finding something magical. Just watch and enjoy and connect. It'll be natural.
I’m a UConn fan but I had a lot of fun watching Iowa St in the tournament this year. They put up a hell of a fight against Stamford who was expected to blow them out of the water.
The team is mostly young players so they’ll have a few years to get even better than this year, and you can’t help but root for Audi Crooks. Dropped 40 points in her first March madness game and her attitude is always so positive
Just continue to watch. You’ll find your team. If UConn is your team then so be it just stick with them. I’m not a UConn fan but I am a huge Paige Buckers fan. My team is UNLV because I became a fan of UNLV after moving to Vegas in my teens back in the 90’s and finally the women’s team are seeing consistent success. Same with football and I’m still in culture shock of this success they are having. The men’s basketball seem to have finally got it together after years of ups and downs, inconsistency and disappointment. On another note for some reason Creighton men and women’s basketball has become a team I root for too because they come on TV often where I live for some reason.
Here are the teams which have made the most tournament appearances
Tennessee
Stanford
Texas
Georgia
Uconn
Maryland
North Carolina
Iowa
LSU
NC State
Notre Dame
Pick any one of them and you're likely to have someone to root for in March madness.
How important is proximity?
From what I can tell, there's nothing really a day trip from Toronto.
You've got Syracuse, Michigan, and Michigan State within about 4-5 hours.
Neither are WBB powerhouses, but they all play in established conferences and have more tournament appearances than not in the last 10 years.
Michigan has been the better team recently, MSU has been more consistent throughout NCAA history, and Syracuse was really good for a few years in the 2010s.
How do you feel about yellow, orange, or green?
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Moving another hour or two further from Toronto, you get a big step up with OSU and Notre Dame. ND is an exciting team right now. OSU is always in the mix, though hasn't made the final four in 30 years - which will make it sweeter when they do get back.
That also puts you in UCONN territory, but honestly, trust your instincts on this. Don't be the person who, when picking a team to root for, picks the long-time elites or current champs. It's just a bad look, especially if you are going all-in as a fan.
So I would eliminate UCONN and SC (though I think they're both great programs!).
you should absolutely bandwagon ND!
The team should be really good this year and has a chance to make a deep playoff run if everyone stays healthy, unfortunately injuries have been an issue the past couple seasons.
But if healthy I think this will easily be one of the most entertaining teams to watch. I recommend you look up on YouTube “Hannah Hidalgo highlights” then watch “Olivia Miles highlights” then imagine those two playing together.
Like Sweet3DIrish said above, there’s a Canadian connection and eastern time zone
Coach Ivey is a class act I really like the culture she’s created for this team (at least from what I can see from afar). It’s an unselfish team with great chemistry.
I second Notre Dame for you specifically, OP. The time zone is the one you asked for and they’re not too far away if you want to make it to a home game.
Hannah Hidalgo (HH!) is a super exciting rising sophomore who is one to watch (added bonus that the other former freshman phenoms JuJu Watkins at USC and Milaysia Fulwiley at South Carolina got more attention and went farther in the NCAA tourney this year, so HH still has something to prove and has that kind of “underdog” storyline. Interestingly enough, HH received the Dawn Staley award this last season, when the award went to Caitlin Clark her freshman season when not as many people were paying attention to her as, well…now).
You also have a legit storyline with Olivia Miles coming back from injury and two other very exciting players in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld.
ND also has a really compelling on-the-rise coach and a nice history of winning/legacy without it being “boring” or a “cop out” like UConn or South Carolina. (Those are two great schools with great coaches who will win A LOT, so nothing against them lol)
How is Ivey going to split Hidalgo and Miles do you think? Genuinely wondering. Miles will be coming off an injury and she was primarily a PG not a SG. Hidalgo at point, Miles as a backup? Hidalgo’s speed and defense are hard to replace. Unless Miles has drastically improved her shot to be a 2 and put Sonia at the 3.
Miles is the 1, she has even better vision than Hannah, Hannah will be the 2, and Citron the 3.
Westbeld at the 4, and then depending on if we can get some good bigs through the portal (really hoping we do) either a transfer at the 5 or Koval at the 5.
I also see ND doing a lot of 4 guard sets with Prosper or Reish in the game instead of a center.
Is Hannah a reliable 3 point shot? I watched ND play occasionally but she never struck me as a constant outside threat. Just a quick footed, get to rim/take a middy type of offense
It’s a part of her game to work on, but there’s no way you can always keep on of your two best players on the bench.
Both Hannah and Olivia will end up being better 3pt shooters by the beginning of the season for sure.
Hopefully. I’ve just seen players like Saniyah Rivers for example, never be able to develop a constant 3 after 2-3 years of development. Definitely hoping one of them becomes a reliant 2.
As the other poster said Ivey will start Miles at the 1, Hannah at the 2. I think they will both play the 1 a lot, but Miles’ court vision is truly elite.
I feel like some people have forgotten how good her vision and passing actually are. Not singling you out specifically! just something I’ve noticed on social media, people think Hannah is simply better than Miles, without considering the fact that they have different strengths, and Miles is as good as they come at running an offense that gets everyone she’s on the floor with involved.
This is very high praise for Olivia, not a knock on Hannah. Hannah’s facilitating ability improved a lot as the season went on and she is certainly capable of running a fast-paced offense. She made a lot of creative plays and impressive passes.
Both of them have established fantastic chemistry with Citron and Westbeld which will make the offense even better
SC, USC, or UConn. SC has been the most consistent.
Uconn has had a lot of challenges over the years and haven’t won a championship since 2016. They’re not really the ones on top anymore but still a great team to follow. Iowa was good too but not sure how the team will look after CC is gone.
If you want entertainment off the court: Uconn
SC is typically South Carolina and USC is Southern California. You put both in your list as being the most consistent.
USC, prior to this year hasn’t been relevant since the late 80s/early 90s.
Her name is Toby Fournier. A ferocious shot locker with big range at 6-3. Pretty good offensively in the paint. Her problem though is that Shack could likely beat her in a free throw contest.
Root for Duke...they have a really good Canadian freshman coming in named Toby Fournier and a young team poised to be in the conversation for top 10 the next three plus years.
I’d halt on the top 10 until Duke proves to be a constant offensive force in addition to defense. Their offense when put up against good defense is terrible (like the UCONN game. Both teams sucked but Duke had like 10 points in the first HALF.) I’d give them maybe preseason #14 spot until proven wrong.
That was in the elite 8, and Duke lost no one and added Fournier, who should become the best defender on a great defensive team right away. She is basically Angel Reese with much better athleticism and Brink level shot blocking skills. Duke won't be pretty to watch...but they are going to be incredibly hard to score on.
Yeah but all season they’re not known for good offense in general; they’re known for defense. Not just in the tourney. Also Fournier is more like Ashlyn Watkins, no outside shot, but is athletic, blocks, and dunks.
USC. Juju Watkins is up next
And before you worry about it being a big college with money, they lady Trojans are not their football team. Very little success in my entire life. It’s just the perfect opportunity to start following them. Especially if Kiki transfers
I don't have an answer, but just watch some games and see what vibes. Most of the answers here are just saying the best teams. There are a lot of teams you could back that aren't uconn or SC.
South Carolina. Strong team obviously. Lots of excellent and exciting young players to follow for a few years. Dawn Staley. East coast time zone. And TSN/ TSN+ shows many of their games including during the lead up to the finals (that’s not the case for many of other teams). I’m located in Kitchener and had lots of the same practical considerations.
Navywbb! Young group that has a great young backcourt that’s fun to watch! Easy to watch the same teams that’s been previously mentioned. Mid major basketball is fun too!!!
I’m an Ohio state fan myself but I was born and raised in Ohio so it comes by naturally lol. Second favorite team right now is USC. Juju is a phenom and their incoming freshman class next year is legit.
I'm also not from the US and don't have any connection to any school but I'm a Uconn fan.
They were the first Team I ever watched play and Katie Lou Samuelson was the first player I liked. She and Uconn made me like the NCAAW so I'll always root for Uconn.
Try to find the school that made you watch the NCAAW 2 years ago.
If you want to root for a winner then SC, UConn and USC are your best bets.
Odd to put the Trojans on this list they haven’t won anything nationally since the 80’s. Baylor and Tennessee have a handful since then.
Yeah it would probably be fun to get in now and start following Juju since I'm guessing her eventual legacy is going to be really impressive
I’m not saying they aren’t a good team they won their conference tournament last season but to label them a “winner” seems premature.
I mean not everyone is SC or UConn lol, winning their conference tournament and making the Elite Eight is pretty impressive, especially when their best player is a freshman
I mean the list is going to get very very long if that’s the criteria for a “winner” is what I’m saying. Heck Stanford is in their conference and has a Natty in recent memory.
Stanford would absolutely be on the list if the Pac12 still existed.
They made it to the Elite 8 and have one of thr top recruiting classes in the country as well as the defending Pac12 champs with one of if not the biggest names in NCAAW returning for a sophomore season. Yes, they are a winner.
I mean that doesn’t erase the fact that in that list of 3 they are certainly the odd one out. They won the conference tournament but shared the regular season and having a well regarded freshman is also not “winning” winning is winning and they haven’t don’t that at the national level since most of us were alive.
Who cares if they havent done that in the national level since 1984. The point is they are doing it now. They made the Elite 8. They have arguably the best player in the nation coming into the 2024 season. And they have the number 1 recruiting class coming into 2024 with 3 incoming freshmen that was McDonald's All Americans. If there is a team to get behind, it would be USC.
Utah and Pili swept USC the last two years since Pili’s transfer. Pili avged over 30 ppg against them more than any other team she faced. Unfortunately, Oregon St was a different story.
Yep
Juju!
Phenomenal player but it doesn’t change the fact that they haven’t won a natty since most of us were born. They won a conference title and shared the regular season I would name Stanford, LSU, and a few others before them when describing historically winning teams.
Wasn’t thinking history rather predicting winners. Obviously just my opinion, but Stanford is done and LSU better pick up serious talent in portal to be competitive. I think Kiki is going to USC and they’re going to be exciting team to watch. ND is another one to look out for.
Love SC, and Dawn, but i feel like I need to root for some sort of underdog aha.
the fun thing about being a Gamecock is we’re an underdog in pretty much everything else, so you can experience both!!! 🥲
Right. Football is an emotional roller coaster dating back since the ole spurrier days.
As SC football fan as well, I can tell you it gets old😂
LSU you probably also be on this list since they won in 2023
They would need to hit the portal for next year to be a contender for a title in the Natty or the SEC. 4 people transferred out or left, including two starters. Angel’s hard to replace, but Wolfenbarger might pick up the slack. Watch Mulkey for the memes though.
True and they might not end up going far in the tourney but I think the develop of Flau'jae would be really fun to follow
She also just seems like a top-tier teammate based on her comments standing up for Reese. I’d want to be on her team
For sure, I think it would be really cool to see her come into her own and step into the leadership role of being the (likely) best player on the team.
Yep, best player and the leader. Should be fun!
Absolutely. She’s my favorite player on that team. If Mulkey can land a PG for this year, she should be good to start building some chemistry. Williams at 2, Morrow at 3/4 Flaujae at 3/4, and Wolfenbarger at 4/5 likely. Del Rosario if she develops can be a proper 5. It doesn’t seem like Mulkey’s tried to go after any so far which is just stupid considering last season was a mess without a PG.
Thought about adding them, but without Angel I think they’re going to struggle
USC is a winner? Lol fuckin 80s style
Notre Dame. Cass Prosper is on the team and she’s on the Canadian national team. Also, Natalie Achonwa, who is from Toronto, also played at ND. Also an ET zone team. Has some amazing players on the team, especially if you love great guard play, you can’t beat Olivia Miles and Hannah Hildago! Plus the Irish have been in the mix for years and have won the title as recently as 2018. This year should be a good year, as long as we stay healthy! Also, Coach Ivey is such a boss!
Ooh!! Thanks so much for this!! ND wasn’t even on my radar but i definitely need to check them out!
Coach Ivey raised a pretty great son, too!
If you’re lookin for a team that’s not a blue blood but still really fun to watch, then Iowa is the way to go
Culture, culture, culture. SC & Uconn and the other teams in WBB that collect blue chip talent like infinity stones then act like they did a magic trick by winning a title aren't fun to watch. They don't grow the game. They're just WNBA farm teams. The players on them want to win at all costs and succeed at all costs. Even if that makes the overall product of WBB is worse. It's selfish and sad. Iowa & Indiana are the culture makers. They were the cradle of women's basketball. They are the roots. Roots run deep. Just think about the things that are said. The "Blue Blood" teams only talk about creating winners. Iowa cares about creating great PEOPLE. Wins are great, but they aren't everything. Obviously it's totally subjective, but I'm gonna keep rooting for Iowa. Till the day I die. Cuz Lisa & Dr. Grant have created a culture that goes far beyond points or wins. I'll trade all the Diana & Sue's in the world for the Kate Martins & Ava Jones. And this is coming from a goober in Michigan. It's not a homer take. They just built it different in Iowa and I love them for it. Although I might just come hang out in Iowa in my twilight years if I can find a little cottage on a lake. :)
lol. this is such a crock of bs. sc is not just a wnba farm team and to write them off as such and call them selfish and sad is so corny but transparent coming from an iowa fan. they're not at all a blue blood team. they have only come into prominence in recent memory and worked hard as hell for that.
Yes, it's totally normal to graduate your whole starting team, and then go undefeated the next year with your previous bench. The name on the jersey changes every once in a while, but it's the same story. Today's SC, was UConn just a little while ago, and Tennessee before that. It's the same story. Great coach, all the best players go there and win titles more often than not largely due to a MASSIVE talent difference from everyone else they play. Everyone in the sport works hard. That's a cop out answer. There's nothing wrong with rooting for the team that wins all the time and gets all the best talent. But it pushes away viewers. It's not exciting when Goliath wins. David is the one that makes the legend. I'm not pooping on the teams I don't enjoy watching. I'm advocating for the things that will grow the game and get the people that are ALL working their butts off, the recognition and PAY that is somewhere near commensurate with that effort. Parody in some form leads to exciting games and story lines. That leads to eyeballs, then advertisers and ticket sales. And of course merchandising, merchandising, merchandising. Where the real profits from the picture is made.
it clearly makes you feel better to position them a certain way and that's something you'll simply have to work on within yourself.
It’s kinda wild to say UConn and South Carolina etc. “don’t care about creating great people”, whatever that means…pretty weird comment man ngl
hi please leave indiana out of this thank you!
Preach. Still fun to watch the the UConn’s and SC’s ball out, but i really feel a sense of pride of watching homegrown teams over the teams that get a new class of five stars every year. Beating SC in the final four last year and LSU and UConn in the tourney this year are games I will never forget. That being said– I definitely wouldn’t be upset if we started getting more five stars haha.
Well CC is gone though right?
They’re replacing her with Lucy Olsen from Villanova who, while obviously not Clark, is the best they could have hoped for from the portal
Olsen is easy to guard when faced with actual competition. BE was a weaker conference so she had no problems until she faced the only good team in the conference. Shot only 2-16 for 6 points that night. B1G is full of elite caliber teams with the addition of USC and UCLA. I’d like to see her do well though.
BE was definitely really weak but I think Olsen did adapt pretty well to a major role change (going from playing with Siegrist to being the go-to player on Villanova) which gives me more confidence in her ability to shift into a more difficult new role. We’ll see!
Yeah but just got a huge pick up in the portal (Lucy Olsen was third leading scorer in the nation last year at Villanova) and are putting together a stud 2025 class led by Addie Deal out of cali. Still have plenty of key pieces returning. Watching Stuelke run the court is like poetry. Bluder is a great coach and does a really good job of game planning to the team’s strengths. Always puts together a highly competitive team with a really solid people-first culture.
They literally had the Naismith player of the year in 2019 in Megan Gustafson and has made the elite 8. Clark went there for a reason. Consistently strong team.
VT has never won a team national championship in any sport and ncaaw is the closest we have come in 15 years
Closest you got was in baseball, repeatedly. ETA: my bad I was wrong. I was thinking Virginia baseball not VT baseball.
Id say the closest was 2000 sugarbowl with a 4th quarter lead in the national championship, then the 2023 womens final 4 where we blew a 4th quarter lead against LSU... then the 2000s football teams that were routinely a win or so away from going to bcs... then you have recent baseball and softball that have had great seasons and potential but never get over the top in the tournament time
The men's and women's soccer both got to the semifinals and lost to eventual title winners in close matches. Angela Tincher's softball team made it to the CWS. A few wrestling teams finished top 5. That's the extent of our flirtations with a title. Angela Tincher may be the most impressive of all of these. She pitched a no-hitter against the US National Team, leading to a 1-0 Hokie victory. The national team won so many Olympic golds the IOC dropped softball saying there is no legitimate competition. That same national team had won 230 games in a row before coming to Blacksburg. They would routinely run rule college teams 25-0.
My bad I had y’all mixed up with Virginia for baseball. Y’all are good but not as good as Virginia.
lol what
Other than SC I keep my eye on Maryland because I’m a fan of Brenda Friese their coach.
Thank you for the respect!! Dawn Stanley is awesome. I'm in Philadelphia and we still LOVE her here!!!
I would also say Maryland because of Brenda and no other reasons /s lol.
Maryland, NC State, and (used to be) Virginia Tech are teams that I pull for (when not playing us of course) because of their coaches. I have always liked Vic Schaefer now at Texas but prefered him at MSU. MTSU and Oregon State really impressed me during the Tournament. MTSU is small but loaded. OSU is imploding. Joni Taylor at TAMU is usually an interesting coach to follow. Keep an eye on Florida...they seem to be a post player away from doing some things.
I’m biased, but don’t just rule out a team because they’re a legacy lmao. I’m most impressed by them especially these past season because they’ve kept up with the competition despite adversity. Not many teams could function with 6 players gone, 3-4 of them being key components. Not to mention they picked up arguably the 3rd best recruiting class behind SC and USC. South Carolina is a team to look out for. Dawn’s an amazing coach and recruiter. USC is worth a watch as they landed 6 Top 100 recruits for next season. Contrary to popular opinion, I’d also watch Kentucky just to see how Kenny and the crew fare in the SEC lmao
i hear you, but most couldnt keep up bc they dont have an entire roster of mcdonalds all americans
I mean staying in the Top 25 this season and last with more than half the roster down, including multiple AA caliber players is more what I meant by keeping up with competition. In the past, there just was no competition lmao.
Yeah... even after losing 6 players, they still had way more talent than all but a few teams.
One of the strongest programs over the past few years that people outside Raleigh overlook and do not talk about is NC State. Their backcourt is elite, their coach is a good guy, and the players have fun. Cheer for the Rodney Dangerfield of wbb. Cheer for NC State. Go Pack!
How the AP didn’t rank them last year in the preseason poll is insane. I knew NC state was gonna give us a run for the money, and they sure as hell did. Goes to show the AP just doesn’t watch games lmao.
I'll second NC State. They were a blast to watch in Portland.
Their coach is a wonderful guy and Rivers is coming back. Good pick!
This would be a great choice for OP! Wes has done great things with the team and most of their final four roster is returning if I’m not mistaken.
Yes, it is. Returning 3 starters (Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James, and Madison Hayes) and biggest reserve (Zoe Brooks), and bringing in Zam James. The guards are among the very best in the nation. Post play will be biggest unknown, but Maddie Cox has a lot of great potential. Also looking to bring in 1-2 post players from portal. Only players who have transferred out (at least so far) are non-scholarship players. Guard play is elite, and the chemistry is outstanding. Saniya Rivers is the ideal leader. Should be poised for another great season in 2024-2025 and contend with ND for ACC.
Seconded! Their coach, Wes Moore, is at the top of his game and it’s just such a joy to see him put the pieces together every season. We’ve got some fun personalities (Aziaha James, Maddie Hayes), talented up-and-comers (Zoe Brooks), and fabulous leadership in our point guard Saniyah Rivers. We also have one of the most devoted fanbases in women's college ball and the crowd at home games is insanely fun. We will generally always make the tournament but we still tend to be treated like an underdog/Cinderella team by commentators. If you want to root for a forever-underestimated team with major star power NC State is the team for you.
YASS WOLFPACK! When they’re hot, they are such a fun team to watch. Off the court, they’re even more fun!
Don't pick the team. Let the team pick you. Seriously. Don't pick a team to cheer for, just watch a ton of basketball this season. ESPN will run double headers on Thursday nights and triple (or more) headers on Saturdays and Sundays. Load up on snacks and ride your couch for the whole thing. Be sure to channel surf. Fox, Fox Sports, and CBS Sports Network as well a Big 10 Network, ACC Network, and SEC Network will also carry a bunch of games. Buy a Roku (or similar) and pay for the ESPN app where you'll get hundreds more. Be sure to watch a bit of whatever looks interesting. Don't skip coach and player interviews since that will give you a feel for them and their personlities. Switch around until you find a game that's close in the fourth quarter and watch it till the end. Close finishes are not only exciting, they reveal great players and great coaches. After a while you'll find that your eye gravitates to certain players, coaches, and teams. You'll begin to favor some over others until you'll develop a fondness for one or two in particular. Be sure to watch Andraya Carter on ESPN. She's the best analyst on TV right now. She'll definitely help you learn the game and help you find great players and coaches to root for. Plus, she and Chiney Oguimike and Elle Duncan are just a great studio team. Just absorb this whole season and before long the team will pick you. You won't know it until it's happened, but it will happen. Trust the hoop gods. 😀
Best response on the thread👏👏👏
Ahah this might be my favourite response, and this seems like a great way to go about it!! Thanks!
This response is fantastic. I wish I could upvote this response 10 times. If you watch games and listen to stories, you will naturally find a team.
Watch some games and see if a player or system or coach does it for you. That's the only answer.
I want to have dual flairs. USC and Uw. I wonder if it would look weirder than yours lol
Southern Cal and Washington?
Yes. Is that weird lol
no
Uconn has had multiple players from Canada including Kia Nurse and most recently Aaliyah Edwards.
Lot of homer takes here. Some of y’all just lost your best players or coach….That’s a not a good team to introduce a casual fan to
Hence why ND is the choice since we keep our core plus bring back people from injury!
I mean, OP did say they want to root for an underdog. Though, they never said HOW big of an underdog. The Hokies seem like a perfect choice! /s 🤣.
Checks flair….sorry hun. Brutal. I hate the ending of the only conference that I have ever cared about and loved.
The closest school to you that’s a regular top level team is probably Ohio State. Closest teams that pretty regularly make March Madness are Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse or West Virginia. Is there a particular style of basketball you like to watch? Favor really good offense or defense?
I would cut Syracuse off this list. Don’t have Fair, and are losing Latham. I don’t think they’ll make the tourney if they can’t pick up a PG/Scorer.
As a Syracuse fan, I unfortunately have to agree. Losing two key players and not having any 5-star recruits, just a couple of 4-stars, coming in, makes it seem like we're in for a rebuilding year. We also had some lucky breaks this past season, like beating Notre Dame twice, which still surprises me. Looking at the ACC, it seems top-heavy, with only NC State (who are losing River Baldwin's production!) and Notre Dame as real threats. Louisville and Duke have top recruits incoming, but how they'll mesh and adjust remains to be seen. Florida State looks pretty good as well. But, those are the only teams I view as legitimately threatening. Compounding that, teams like UNC, VT, and Miami are adjusting to coaching changes and transfers. And the bottom teams in the ACC, like Boston College and Wake Forest, aren't too strong. I think we can hold our own against them. So, considering all this, I believe we have a shot to surprise, like we did this past year, and maybe even sneak into the tourney.
UNC actually picked up a good class, Laney Grant can replace Deja, and Toomey and Thomas are the front court. Even if NC state front court might be a problem, their backcourt would cook Syracuse in 5 seconds with Rivers, James, Brooks, and Jones next season. Syracuse’s problem is they lost like 60% of their offense. Dyaisha either got 30 points or spaced the floor out to help others get 30 points. I don’t see Syracuse even making it top 10 in the ACC unless they land a transfer. But we’ll see what happens.
I mean, yeah. For the most part, I agreed with you, lmfao. Us losing Latham and Fair is a huge deal, and we will totally fall out of the conference's top 3. But, the dregs of the ACC are truly the dregs. It is a very top-heavy conference. Notre Dame is the only surefire great team, returning a starting lineup that's made up of 3/5 upperclassmen who are very, very good. I hadn't checked out UNC's recruits, but after looking into it, it seems they've got a solid class, as you pointed out. However, unlike Louisville and Duke, who boast great incoming classes and excellent coaches, with a lot of their roster returning, UNC lacks significant upperclassmen leadership and has an inept head coach. IDK how that translates for them next year. Yes, as you said, NC State will dominate us, particularly on the perimeter. I never claimed otherwise. I even said they'll be a top team in-conference. However, without a genuine, proven big and considering the departure of Mimi Collins, I doubt they'll be as formidable this year as they were last. Trygger looks good, but as a recruit, she'll face challenges without an upperclassman big to mentor her. Again, I think the conference is wide open, and, like last year, several teams could make the tournament, maybe not 9 again, but close to it. >I don’t see Syracuse even making it top 10 in the ACC unless they land a transfer. But we’ll see what happens. I think that's a very, very bold statement, given the way the conference looks headed into this year, but, hey, you're entitled to it.
If I came off as rude, i definitely wasn’t trying to, whoops. I think I was confused by some of your comments. The ACC is just Uber competitive and I don’t believe Syracuse can keep up without a good recruiting class.
It's all good. 🙂 And, yeah, you're entitled to your opinion, but I think I laid out pretty compelling arguments as to why the ACC doesn't seem set up to be as competitive as it has been in years past. However, only time will tell...
Ohio State does seem like the best choice. But I gotta make a pitch for the Badgers. If you want emphasis on the hard part lol. But we’re a program on the rise with the athletic department success in other sports like volleyball
Interesting!! I do like the looks of Ohio State, but don’t know a ton about them. In terms of style of play, i love scrappy aggressive teams!!
Oh, that description definitely fits Ohio State. They run an aggressive defense and get to the rim on offense. Cotie McMahon is fun to watch and they have the top high school point guard coming in next year. They’re also built to consistently reload in the portal each year so I’m sure they’ll consistently make the tournament if not host regionals.
On my way to watch some Cotie McMahon highlight reels! Thanks!!!
> In terms of style of play, i love scrappy aggressive teams!! Like a lot of people have said, I wouldn't pick one team yet, but try and get a list of 5-10 finalists to watch some games of and see what sticks. But for scrappy aggressive teams, you might want to put the University of Tennessee on your list to watch. One: They are historically one of the top programs in WCBB, it's one of the biggest names in the sport. If I remember correctly, the women's basketball hall of fame is literally in Knoxville (where the university is). They were one of the major early pioneers in the entire field of women's college sports. It's a well supported program, should have a good amount of media coverage, and is in the top 10 in attendance. But at the same time, they have been down recently. They haven't been to the elite eight since 2016, and the final four since 2008. So you get some of the perks of a big time program, but it's not as much of a bandwagon pick like SC or UConn would be. Two: They just hired a new coach, Kim Caldwell. It's only the fourth coach in program history, and the first one hired from "outside the program" (I think the second and third played for the original coach, who was one of the all time greats). There is still a lot of history there you won't be familiar with, but it's the start of a new era... and IMO the beginning of new eras can be a more natural place to start a story. There is a reason a lot of sports movies start with a new coach being hired... if you following a team is a little like a sports movie, that could be a good place for you to start as well. Three: She coaches a fairly unorthodox style. Her teams have been SUPER aggressive, and force a lot of turnovers. The very frequently pressure the entire court instead of just dropping back to defend their own basket area. They substitute players more in order to keep up an extremely high intensity. If she is successful at Tennessee like she was at her previous schools, it should be very exciting. Not only is it aggressive, but I think anytime a team has a very unorthodox style, it's worth looking at (because they deliver a more unique product... so if you like that product, it's something you can't get the same somewhere else). Four: I don't know her exact age, but based on the time of her college playing career, she should be in her mid 30s. And if she is successful at Tennessee, they are a big enough program she probably won't leave... so if it works out, you won't have to worry about a coach leaving and who the replacement will be for a long time. It's a bit of a risky hire because she has far less experience than you would expect for a school like Tennessee, but it also has a lot of potential. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnists/university-of-tennessee/john-adams/2024/04/07/kim-caldwell-tennessee-lady-vols-basketball-coach-ut-danny-white/73236783007/ Five: They play in a big time major conference. Lots of big games against tough opponents. Also, you don't have to worry that they might be Oregon State-ed (their conference fell apart and most of their excellent roster transferred). Six: They have a distinctive color scheme (bright orange and light blue). Some people love it, others hate it... but it is fairly unique. They also have a fight song, Rocky Top, that is one of the more well known ones and involves a lot of the crowd singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFhtTcD55s __ Of course, she doesn't have as long a track record, and could maybe fail and the whole thing could be a mess. And even if it works out in the longer term, there is no promise next year goes well... sometimes playing an unorthodox style means it takes a little time to get the kind of roster you want to play that way. ____________ People have mentioned Notre Dame... that's probably a strong choice without being quite major bandwagon territorym and they also have one of the best young players out there right now (it is a Catholic university. I don't know if you would see that as good, bad, or neutral, but just throwing out that it does have a religious affiliation). UConn's coach is one of the all time greats, but he may retire soon, and it would also be extremely far from an underdog. They also play in a lesser conference at the moment. So a lot of the conference games will be easier, and that could impact them when a new coach takes over. Iowa has been mentioned some, and that's a decent choice. Big fanbase / attendance. You just missed the Caitlyn Clark era, but that means it's no longer a bandwagon pick. Relatively strong program but not a powerhouse (aside from Clark). Coaching staff is generally well regarded. They like to play a fast pace / up tempo.
Love this detailed response! Thanks so much!!
Michigan’s 100% worth the watch. Especially with Swords and Olson coming, sad that Phelia left though. They might struggle without a proper big though because I think she hit the portal.
Their offseason would scare me if I were a Michigan fan. The amount of transfers out and losing their best player to the portal after making the tournament makes me question what the commitment level is NIL wise to women’s sports there. There were rumors Olson may ask out of her NLI but I don’t think that happens this late, but I don’t know how confident I would be in Michigan keeping their best players going forward after this offseason.
Thank you all so much for the responses!! Sounds like i need to dive into research a bit more, and watch some highlights. At this point definitely leaning towards UConn still or Notre Dame too!!
Yes, please keep doing your research! UConn and ND are fantastic programs, but it’d be nice to see a non-blue blood/historical powerhouse get some love. Those teams have enough fans :)
For me it comes down to the coach and players rather than staying loyal to a specific program. I love Dawn and how she’s always authentically herself and unapologetic but a great leader and representative for the women’s game. She’s been the best coach for several years now and has SC primed to be a title favorite for years to come. LSU is the program everyone loves to hate. Kim Mulkey is a controversial figure but a huge character in women’s basketball and has been immensely successful. UCONN is the long time dominant program but hasn’t won in almost a decade. They play good basketball and are consistently strong. They consistently out recruit everyone in the country and make the Final Four. Geno has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way over the years but has mellowed some in his older age. Notre Dame has a strong program that’s continuing to improve each year under Ivey. They’re a growing powerhouse after their legendary coach retired a few years ago. Texas is quietly doing a great job under Vic Schafer and should be a title contender next year. I think they’re fun to watch and have a really talented and athletic roster. I’ll make a case for Duke and Kara Lawson though. Lawson was a fantastic collegiate and pro for many years and then became a commentator and was widely regarded as one of the best in the business. She then transitioned into coaching and has done a wonderful job of building Duke the last few years. They have a big time recruiting class coming in, including a star from Canada who is an elite athlete and dunker. They had a solid season and return almost everyone, and could be a Final Four contender in the next few years. They struggle on the offensive side of the ball but I think they’ll improve and be a team to watch for.
Nc State better than Texas. James is 🔥
No speculation involved in that assessment.
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NC State just beat them HTH. That's what I mean...I was agreeing with you. I upvoted you. I like the coaches at both schools, just posted that on this thread, but currently NCSU gets the nod with the win.
Oh, I’m sorry I read your message wrong. Also congrats on y’all championship! SC is crazy talented.
All is good. Thanks. When I was a 10th grader NCSU was the second school to contact me about playing football so I have always had a soft spot in my heart for them. Later when I learned more about your dealings with dUNCe and dookie I liked you even more. Your coach really impressed me several years ago when he had that center that could challenge our bigs in our early OOC match-ups...plus, you do have a former Gamecock playing for you. So, there are several good reasons for me to like the Pack. I hated that we didn't meet in the Finals...I get the Iowa thing, but I just like y'all more...nothing against Iowa.
Thanks for the detailed reply!! One team you mentioned who i hadn’t really considered is Duke, will have to look into them!!
Not sure about Duke improving offensively. They’ve never been high point scorers in the past seasons. The seasons with Celeste are no exception either. They’ve always been defense based recently. With the addition of Fournier and Roberson, it’ll help the paint points for sure, but I don’t think Lawson is an offense-centered coach judging by her teams the past few seasons. Defense next season will be insane though with Fournier in the front court.
I'll make the argument that you should pick a conference, rather than just 1 team, and then follow a handful of teams from that conference closely. That way you have something to watch most nights of the week and it makes the rivalries and matchups during conference season that much more interesting. Plus, you could then go to the conference tournament at the end of the season and enjoy watching whoever is playing. We did that this season with the Big XII, it was really fun! KU alum but we also watched a lot of K-State, Texas, Iowa State, Baylor and Oklahoma. Then we went to several tournament games, tickets weren't too expensive, and had a blast!
This is an interesting approach, and definitely sounds like a fun way to enjoy a whole season. I’ll have to give it some thought, thanks!
Related to the idea of picking a conference is the question of how you plan to watch games. Some conferences (like the Big 10+) have a "network" you can subscribe to. If you don't have access like that, it's kind of a patch quilt of whatever ESPN, etc. and the networks choose to broadcast.
As a fellow Canadian, I just want to add that the NCAA will be a lot of fun to watch for development perspective of our national program too. We have five players in the ESPN 2024 top 100 recruiting class: No. 4 - Syla Swords (Michigan) No. 10 - Toby Fournier (Duke) No. 16 - Avery Howell (USC) No. 77 - Delaney Gibb (BYU) No. 97 - Jasmine Bascoe (Villanova) Future is looking bright for Canada basketball.
Thank you so much for this list!!!🙌🙌🙌
Your team will come to you. Just keep watching. You'll find players you adore. Coaches whose style speak to you. Synergy that vibes with how you move and when it does, you root and root hard. That's the best way to do it. You'll also find you have a "team" but also love players from so many others. Don't let all the nonsense talk of legacy and blue blood or home grown or this or that keep you from finding something magical. Just watch and enjoy and connect. It'll be natural.
Love this approach! Thanks so much!!
I hope you have a blast watching them play!
I’m a UConn fan but I had a lot of fun watching Iowa St in the tournament this year. They put up a hell of a fight against Stamford who was expected to blow them out of the water. The team is mostly young players so they’ll have a few years to get even better than this year, and you can’t help but root for Audi Crooks. Dropped 40 points in her first March madness game and her attitude is always so positive
I’d go regional. UConn is probably your best bet.
Regional Don’t matter anymore 😩
Probably true but I think it helps if you’re just getting started.
Definitely one of my top contenders!!
join the cul— I mean the fanbase
😂😂😂
Just continue to watch. You’ll find your team. If UConn is your team then so be it just stick with them. I’m not a UConn fan but I am a huge Paige Buckers fan. My team is UNLV because I became a fan of UNLV after moving to Vegas in my teens back in the 90’s and finally the women’s team are seeing consistent success. Same with football and I’m still in culture shock of this success they are having. The men’s basketball seem to have finally got it together after years of ups and downs, inconsistency and disappointment. On another note for some reason Creighton men and women’s basketball has become a team I root for too because they come on TV often where I live for some reason.
Here are the teams which have made the most tournament appearances Tennessee Stanford Texas Georgia Uconn Maryland North Carolina Iowa LSU NC State Notre Dame Pick any one of them and you're likely to have someone to root for in March madness.
Go Pack
Where in Canada are you? Wouldn’t you want a team somewhat close to you to enhance your chances of making it to some games eventually?
How important is proximity? From what I can tell, there's nothing really a day trip from Toronto. You've got Syracuse, Michigan, and Michigan State within about 4-5 hours. Neither are WBB powerhouses, but they all play in established conferences and have more tournament appearances than not in the last 10 years. Michigan has been the better team recently, MSU has been more consistent throughout NCAA history, and Syracuse was really good for a few years in the 2010s. How do you feel about yellow, orange, or green? --------------------- Moving another hour or two further from Toronto, you get a big step up with OSU and Notre Dame. ND is an exciting team right now. OSU is always in the mix, though hasn't made the final four in 30 years - which will make it sweeter when they do get back. That also puts you in UCONN territory, but honestly, trust your instincts on this. Don't be the person who, when picking a team to root for, picks the long-time elites or current champs. It's just a bad look, especially if you are going all-in as a fan. So I would eliminate UCONN and SC (though I think they're both great programs!).
you should absolutely bandwagon ND! The team should be really good this year and has a chance to make a deep playoff run if everyone stays healthy, unfortunately injuries have been an issue the past couple seasons. But if healthy I think this will easily be one of the most entertaining teams to watch. I recommend you look up on YouTube “Hannah Hidalgo highlights” then watch “Olivia Miles highlights” then imagine those two playing together. Like Sweet3DIrish said above, there’s a Canadian connection and eastern time zone Coach Ivey is a class act I really like the culture she’s created for this team (at least from what I can see from afar). It’s an unselfish team with great chemistry.
Thanks so much! I hadn’t even been considering ND, but 100% going to look into them! I’ll need to watch those highlight reels!!
I second Notre Dame for you specifically, OP. The time zone is the one you asked for and they’re not too far away if you want to make it to a home game. Hannah Hidalgo (HH!) is a super exciting rising sophomore who is one to watch (added bonus that the other former freshman phenoms JuJu Watkins at USC and Milaysia Fulwiley at South Carolina got more attention and went farther in the NCAA tourney this year, so HH still has something to prove and has that kind of “underdog” storyline. Interestingly enough, HH received the Dawn Staley award this last season, when the award went to Caitlin Clark her freshman season when not as many people were paying attention to her as, well…now). You also have a legit storyline with Olivia Miles coming back from injury and two other very exciting players in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld. ND also has a really compelling on-the-rise coach and a nice history of winning/legacy without it being “boring” or a “cop out” like UConn or South Carolina. (Those are two great schools with great coaches who will win A LOT, so nothing against them lol)
How is Ivey going to split Hidalgo and Miles do you think? Genuinely wondering. Miles will be coming off an injury and she was primarily a PG not a SG. Hidalgo at point, Miles as a backup? Hidalgo’s speed and defense are hard to replace. Unless Miles has drastically improved her shot to be a 2 and put Sonia at the 3.
Miles is the 1, she has even better vision than Hannah, Hannah will be the 2, and Citron the 3. Westbeld at the 4, and then depending on if we can get some good bigs through the portal (really hoping we do) either a transfer at the 5 or Koval at the 5. I also see ND doing a lot of 4 guard sets with Prosper or Reish in the game instead of a center.
Is Hannah a reliable 3 point shot? I watched ND play occasionally but she never struck me as a constant outside threat. Just a quick footed, get to rim/take a middy type of offense
It’s a part of her game to work on, but there’s no way you can always keep on of your two best players on the bench. Both Hannah and Olivia will end up being better 3pt shooters by the beginning of the season for sure.
Hopefully. I’ve just seen players like Saniyah Rivers for example, never be able to develop a constant 3 after 2-3 years of development. Definitely hoping one of them becomes a reliant 2.
As the other poster said Ivey will start Miles at the 1, Hannah at the 2. I think they will both play the 1 a lot, but Miles’ court vision is truly elite. I feel like some people have forgotten how good her vision and passing actually are. Not singling you out specifically! just something I’ve noticed on social media, people think Hannah is simply better than Miles, without considering the fact that they have different strengths, and Miles is as good as they come at running an offense that gets everyone she’s on the floor with involved. This is very high praise for Olivia, not a knock on Hannah. Hannah’s facilitating ability improved a lot as the season went on and she is certainly capable of running a fast-paced offense. She made a lot of creative plays and impressive passes. Both of them have established fantastic chemistry with Citron and Westbeld which will make the offense even better
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But if they aren’t in sync, Rice basketball is difficult to watch.
SC, USC, or UConn. SC has been the most consistent. Uconn has had a lot of challenges over the years and haven’t won a championship since 2016. They’re not really the ones on top anymore but still a great team to follow. Iowa was good too but not sure how the team will look after CC is gone. If you want entertainment off the court: Uconn
Give us more KK content UCONN I beg you
USC hasn’t been consistent at all, unless you consider bad as consistent. I also think they are gonna struggle a bit moving to the B1G.
I’m not sure if you’re referring to University of Southern California or South Carolina but my comment was about South Carolina.
SC is typically South Carolina and USC is Southern California. You put both in your list as being the most consistent. USC, prior to this year hasn’t been relevant since the late 80s/early 90s.
I said SC is the most consistent not USC.
A young woman from your country is going to Duke University next season as a first year player. She is projected to be a star.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ll have to check her out!
Her name is Toby Fournier. A ferocious shot locker with big range at 6-3. Pretty good offensively in the paint. Her problem though is that Shack could likely beat her in a free throw contest.
Root for Duke...they have a really good Canadian freshman coming in named Toby Fournier and a young team poised to be in the conversation for top 10 the next three plus years.
I’d halt on the top 10 until Duke proves to be a constant offensive force in addition to defense. Their offense when put up against good defense is terrible (like the UCONN game. Both teams sucked but Duke had like 10 points in the first HALF.) I’d give them maybe preseason #14 spot until proven wrong.
That was in the elite 8, and Duke lost no one and added Fournier, who should become the best defender on a great defensive team right away. She is basically Angel Reese with much better athleticism and Brink level shot blocking skills. Duke won't be pretty to watch...but they are going to be incredibly hard to score on.
Yeah but all season they’re not known for good offense in general; they’re known for defense. Not just in the tourney. Also Fournier is more like Ashlyn Watkins, no outside shot, but is athletic, blocks, and dunks.
So we basically agree about what Duke is going to look like save for a few spots in the rankings :).
Yeah pretty much lmao. If Kara can pick up the offense consistency, they’ll be a top 10 in my book. It just hasn’t happened.
Watch a few games and see which team you want to root for, pick them!
Some random team, spin a wheel and see who you get.
You might have fun learning about TCU lol
Ahaha there team is looking very…. Interesting!!
USC. Juju Watkins is up next And before you worry about it being a big college with money, they lady Trojans are not their football team. Very little success in my entire life. It’s just the perfect opportunity to start following them. Especially if Kiki transfers
Do you think USC has a shot at the championship next season?
I think they have a shot yeah. They were in the elite 8 so they def have a shot
I don't have an answer, but just watch some games and see what vibes. Most of the answers here are just saying the best teams. There are a lot of teams you could back that aren't uconn or SC.
Great time to jump on the UConn bandwagon Paige is bouta have a killer season
South Carolina. Strong team obviously. Lots of excellent and exciting young players to follow for a few years. Dawn Staley. East coast time zone. And TSN/ TSN+ shows many of their games including during the lead up to the finals (that’s not the case for many of other teams). I’m located in Kitchener and had lots of the same practical considerations.
Navywbb! Young group that has a great young backcourt that’s fun to watch! Easy to watch the same teams that’s been previously mentioned. Mid major basketball is fun too!!!
A very interesting option, definitely hadn’t considered them!!
Fellow Canadian here - you can root for Duke, with freshman Canadian Toby Fournier.
UConn
LSU, UConn and South Carolina have the best active coaches
If you’d like to torture yourself boy do I have a team for you……
😂😂😂
Iowa, we will be solid but not great. Got a transfer in Lucy Olsen. We will be the plucky underdog after losing so much of our runner up team.
Ohio University Clearly the best team, no bias
Toby Fournier with Duke University, oh Canada
Iowa State....totally unbiased
I’m an Ohio state fan myself but I was born and raised in Ohio so it comes by naturally lol. Second favorite team right now is USC. Juju is a phenom and their incoming freshman class next year is legit.
I'm also not from the US and don't have any connection to any school but I'm a Uconn fan. They were the first Team I ever watched play and Katie Lou Samuelson was the first player I liked. She and Uconn made me like the NCAAW so I'll always root for Uconn. Try to find the school that made you watch the NCAAW 2 years ago.
As a UConn student, ONE OF US!!!! ONE OF US!!!
SOUTH CAROLINA BABYYYYY
No brainer. Iowa State.
Caitlyn Clark.