Way too early 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament bracketology: USC leads field
A returning JuJu Watkins and a loaded roster put USC atop USA TODAY Sports’ early 2027 NCAA Tournament projections.
The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament wrapped up in Phoenix with UCLA winning the national championship over South Carolina. The Bruins were powered by six seniors and will have a revamped roster for next season. Much still needs to settle in women's college basketball before we can have a real grasp on the best teams next season.
A few transfers available in the portal this week — from Audi Crooks to Kymora Johnson — could dramatically change a team's outlook. A few openings on the coaching carousel also need to be resolved. But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate and project.
With no real data points to go off, USA TODAY Sports is expecting USC to be the No. 1 overall seed in the 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament. The reason is simple: JuJu Watkins will be back and she’ll be teaming up with a stacked roster that includes Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith and Saniyah Hall.
UConn is going to grab a high seed too as long as Sarah Strong is around, Michigan is bringing back its star-studded trio of sophomores and South Carolina is inevitable. When glancing ahead to the 2027 NCAA Tournament, it’s important to remember the number of at-large bids will decrease by one. That’s because the Pac-12 has been reincarnated with former members Washington State and Oregon State, Mountain West refugees, Texas State and Gonzaga.