Ranking the top 25 women's NCAA basketball players midway through 2025-26

UConn sophomore Sarah Strong topped ESPN's preseason ranking of the 25 best players in women's college basketball for 2025-26. She hasn't budged since. The rest of the list? That has changed a lot.

Nine players make their debut on this midseason update. Freshmen weren't considered for the preseason list, but two have earned spots now. Competition is intense, is why some players dropped from the rankings.

South Carolina leads the way with three players in our top 25, while UConn, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA have two each. The SEC is the top conference, with 13 players appearing on the midseason list.

Things could look different again when we rank the players near the end of the regular season. But for now, here's the breakdown of the top 25 players in the nation.

1. Sarah Strong, UConn

Forward | 6-foot-2 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: 1

2025-26 stats: 18.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 60.8% FG

Pick any statistical category and Strong has elite numbers in it. If she has a weakness, 1 years of college basketball has yet to expose it. She is a dominant force with a fully formed skill set, yet she plays with a subtlety in which nothing is forced. Strong's smooth 3-point shooting, soft touch in the lane and passing ability get most of the attention, but she is also the top-rated defensive player in the country, according to Her Hoop Stats. Entering the season as the favorite for player of the year, Strong has somehow managed to exceed expectations and widen the gap between her and the rest of the players on this list. The best player on the best team, she will be hard to unseat from the top spot. -- Charlie Creme

2. Madison Booker, Texas

Forward | 6-1 | Junior

Preseason ranking: 4 TK

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.0 APG

Booker, the reigning SEC player of the year, is averaging career highs in scoring, rebounding, steals (2.6) and field goal percentage (51.8). The only area in which she has slipped is 3-point shooting: She's currently at 24.4% (10 of 41). When it comes to the mid-range game and getting to the rim, however, Booker is top notch. She's also a strong playmaker for others, an 85.2% career free throw shooter and a crucial part of Texas' defense. -- Michael Voepel

3. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

Guard | 5-8 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: 9

2025-26 stats: 24.9 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.6 SPG

Blakes hasn't had any 50-point games yet, but the sophomore guard -- who had two as a freshman -- is averaging more points at a higher shooting percentage than she did a season ago (46.3%). And her legend continues to grow. Blakes' 15 fourth-quarter points (out of a total of 32) helped Vanderbilt beat LSU earlier this month, the program's first win over a top-five team in 17 years. The Commodores' 17-0 start is their best since the 1992-93 season, when they went to the Final Four. So much of that is thanks to Blakes, who ranks third in the country in scoring and is tied for 11th in steals. -- Creme

4. Azzi Fudd, UConn

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 8

2025-26 stats: 17.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.9 APG

Fudd shot 43.6% from 3-point range last season, and she has been even better from behind the arc this season, at 48.2% (53 of 110). Like Strong, Fudd could put up even bigger numbers if the Huskies weren't so balanced. The senior guard led the way in UConn's only close game so far this season, scoring 31 points in a 72-69 win over Michigan in November. But as much as she is known as a sharpshooter, her defense is also a strength. She's one of the favorites to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. -- Voepel

5. Olivia Miles, TCU

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 6

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 7.3 APG

Miles could have gone to the WNBA or finished her college career at Notre Dame last season. Instead, she found the perfect program for her skill set. Excelling in transition and in the pick and roll around which TCU builds its offense, Miles remains perhaps the most creative passer in the college game. She is ninth in the nation in assists and has four triple-doubles on the season. No one else in the country has more than one. Miles' scoring has taken another jump, too, with career highs in points per game and shooting percentage. -- Creme

6. Lauren Betts, UCLA

Center | 6-7 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 2

2025-26 stats: 16.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.2 BPG

Betts didn't play as well offensively as she would have liked in November, scoring in single digits in three games against ranked teams. That included eight points in the Bruins' lone loss, 76-65 to Texas on Nov. 26. But that's in the rearview mirror; she has recorded double-doubles in six of UCLA's last eight games. Her 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks in Jan. 11's 83-61 victory at Nebraska showed how much she can impact a game. -- Voepel

7. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

Guard | 5-6 | Junior

Preseason ranking: 3

2025-26 stats: 25.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 5.9 SPG

Ranked second in the country in scoring, Hidalgo is on pace to be the only player in Division I to average more than 20 points per game in each of the last three seasons. She has taken on even more responsibility this season, after the departures of Notre Dame's other four starters, and continues to flourish. Taking more shots per game than a year ago, she is shooting at a higher percentage (48.9%), all while continuing to be a menace on defense. She had the rare points-assists-steals triple-double against Bellarmine, and leads the country in the last category, with nearly two more per game than the next player. -- Creme

8. Audi Crooks, Iowa State

Center | 6-3 | Junior

Preseason ranking: 10

2025-26 stats: 27.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 68.8% FG

Crooks leads Division I in scoring average and is second in field goal percentage. She has three games of 40 or more points this season, including a school-record 47 against Indiana. Her lowest-scoring game, 17 points, came in Wednesday's 68-62 loss at Colorado, Iowa State's fourth defeat in a row. The Cyclones are now leaning on Crooks more than ever since two other starters, Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson, are sidelined by injuries. -- Voepel

9. Joyce Edwards, South Carolina

Forward | 6-3 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: 11

2025-26 stats: 20.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 60.6% FG

Many great players have had their biggest improvement between their freshman and sophomore years. Edwards is no exception. Last year as a steady freshman she led a balanced South Carolina attack. This year she is its dominant force. Edwards is on pace to be the first Gamecocks player to finish the season averaging more than 20 points per game since A'ja Wilson in 2018. Not only is she scoring at a high level, she's highly efficient with her shot selection and elite finishing skills. Her shooting percentage is 12th best in the country. -- Creme

10. Rori Harmon, Texas

Guard | 5-6 | Senior

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 8.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 7.4 APG

Harmon leads the Longhorns in assists and steals (2.9) and for the most part has been very reliable in keeping them on track in playing their crushing defensive style. Third in the SEC in assists per game, she became Texas' career leader in that category earlier this season. But she is coming off her roughest outing of the season, as she was benched in the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' only loss, Jan. 11 at LSU. We'll see how that motivates her. -- Voepel

11. Khamil Pierre, NC State

Forward | 6-2 | Junior

Preseason ranking: 22

2025-26 stats: 15.2 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 52.9% FG

Few players can start a fast break with a defensive rebound and just as effectively finish at the rim at the other end of the floor like Pierre. In an inconsistent first half of the season for the Wolfpack, Pierre has been steady. She has scored in double figures in all but two games and leads NC State in scoring. Her average points per game is down from last season at Vanderbilt (20.4 PPG), but her shooting efficiency is up and she's even more dominant on the boards, leading the ACC in rebounding. -- Creme

12. Flau'jae Johnson, LSU

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 5

2025-26 stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG

The Tigers' nonconference schedule was so weak, it's only now in SEC play that we're really seeing an accurate measure of how good they are. Johnson leads the team in scoring, and her current overall (51.0) and 3-point (44.8) shooting percentages are career bests. After the Tigers lost their first two SEC games, Johnson had a season-high 25 points to get them back on the winning track vs. Georgia. -- Voepel

13. Raegan Beers, Oklahoma

Center | 6-4 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 13

2025-26 stats: 17.1 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 57.8% FG

Whether at Oregon State in 2023-24 or Oklahoma for the past two seasons, Beers has been one of the nation's most consistently productive post players. She's averaging just over 17 points this year just like she did in the previous two, but is rebounding even better. So many of her defensive rebounds start the Sooners' potent fast breaks. It has also led to more double-doubles -- her 13 on the season were tied for most in the country entering Wednesday. -- Creme

14. Mikaylah Williams, LSU

Guard | 6-0 | Junior

Preseason ranking: 12

2025-26 stats: 13.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG

Flau'jae Johnson is ranked a little higher, but you could make the case that Williams has been the Tigers' MVP so far. It speaks to how crucial both veteran guards are to LSU's success. Williams had 20 points to lead the way in the Tigers' biggest win so far, 70-65 over Texas on Jan. 11. She is their top 3-point shooter, hitting 45.2% (28 of 62) from behind the arc. -- Voepel

15. Olivia Olson, Michigan

Guard | 6-1 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 17.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 47.7%FG

Michigan has been one of the surprise teams of the first half of the season, led by its sophomore class -- particularly Olson. In a 39-point win over Notre Dame in mid-November, the game that made the country take notice, Olson had 20 points. She followed up with a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) in a 3-point loss to UConn, the Huskies' closest game this season, and the game that established the Wolverines as a possible Final Four contender. Olson led Michigan in scoring on her way to the Big Ten co-freshman of the year award last season, and is once more an awards front-runner this campaign. -- Creme

16. Jazzy Davidson, USC

Guard | 6-1 | Freshman

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 16.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.6 APG

One of the two freshmen to make this list, Davidson is also vying for the national freshman of the year award. She leads the Trojans in scoring, rebounding and blocks (2.6), and is tied for the lead in steals (1.8). At 10-6, USC is having a challenging season after back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances, but Davidson is excelling. -- Voepel

17. Clara Strack, Kentucky

Center | 6-5 | Junior

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 16.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.9 BPG

Last year Strack may have been the country's most improved player, and that momentum has carried into her junior season. She is the focal point of the Wildcats' offense, and her one-foot turnaround jumper is one of the most recognizable shots in the game. As the SEC's second-leading shot blocker and fifth-leading rebounder, Strack can dominate inside but also be an occasional threat to step behind the 3-point line. -- Creme

18. Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma

Guard | 5-10 | Freshman

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.2 APG

Like USC's Davidson, Chavez has now had a chance to prove herself in college, and is challenging for the national freshman of the year award. She is the top freshman -- and tied for fourth overall -- in scoring in the SEC. She's 10th in the league in assists. She leads Oklahoma in both those categories, as well as in 3-pointers (49). The Sooners have lost their last two games, but Chavez gives them a lot to look forward to as she navigates the difficult SEC for the first time. -- Voepel

19. Kiki Rice, UCLA

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 17

2025-26 stats: 15.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.4 APG

In the era of the transfer portal, Rice is a rarity -- a player who has started all four years at one school. She has become the face of the Bruins in the most successful run in program history, and is also on pace to have her best season. Being able to share point guard duties with Charlisse Leger-Walker has helped Rice score more, and do it more efficiently. If the Bruins are to make a return trip to the Final Four, it will be on the back of Rice's leadership. -- Creme

20. Liv McGill, Florida

Guard | 5-9 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 23.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.5 APG

McGill is second in the SEC in scoring and tied for sixth in steals (3.2). She has scored 30 or more points four times this season -- including a career-best 38 against Chattanooga in November -- and also has four games with 9 or more assists. She was on the SEC's all-freshman team last season when she averaged 16.5 PPG. Florida is currently winless in the SEC, but McGill's performances still stand out. -- Voepel

21. Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss

Forward | 6-0 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 23

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 49.6% FG

For three seasons in Columbus, Ohio, McMahon's talents seemed like the perfect fit for Ohio State's style. But Ole Miss and McMahon may be an even better pairing. Still physical, but less reckless than she was early in her career, McMahon is having her best season in Oxford -- and that comes after consecutive All-Big Ten selections in 2024 and 2025. Her scoring, field goal percentage and assists (2.4 APG) are career bests, and she's been even better to start SEC play, averaging 21.5 points. -- Creme

22. Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina

Guard | 5-8 | Senior

Preseason ranking: 7

2025-26 stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.9 APG

Latson spent her first three seasons at Florida State, leading Division I in scoring last season at 25.2 PPG. She wanted a bigger stage and a chance to win an NCAA title, and South Carolina provides both. Her scoring average was expected to potentially drop on a team with more offensive threats, but Latson is still one of the top guards in the SEC. She is shooting a career-best 41% from 3-point range and just returned to the Gamecocks' lineup after missing three games with an ankle sprain. -- Voepel

23. Taliah Scott, Baylor

Guard | 5-9 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 20.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.9 APG

Settling into a third team in three years did not take long for Scott. She scored 24 points in her first game with the Bears against Duke, and has been Baylor's scoring catalyst since. Scott's scoring at nearly twice the rate per game of her teammates. She's a skilled shooter from all distances, but especially good at getting to the foul line, where she makes 90.4% of her 6.9 attempts per game -- and ranks third in the country in free throws made per game. It's hard to imagine where the Bears would be had Scott not left Arkansas, and then Auburn, for Waco. -- Creme

24. Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State

Guard | 5-7 | Sophomore

Preseason ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 21.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.3 APG