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Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Player 2026-2027 Rankings

Heading into 2026-27, many returners should dominate their conferences again. Joyce Edwards and Sarah Strong both top the list while also leading the two most accomplished programs of the decade. Mikayla Blakes looks to build on last year’s scoring mastery, while Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker aim to lead their big-time programs to the promised land. Perhaps the biggest story of all, though, is the return of star USC guard Juju Watkins and what she can bring. There are a lot of interesting storylines heading into this year, and it is interesting to see how this top 10 will shake out once this season gets going. So without further ado, here is my top ten players in women’s college basketball for 2026-27.

Honorable Mention

Jasmine Bascoe 

School: Villanova Wildcats

Position: Guard

I don’t think Jasmine Bascoe gets the kind of coverage nationally that she deserves. She is the kind of offensive talent that can carry a team’s scoring and overall playmaking duties herself.

She led the Big East in both scoring and assists and is one of the most exciting players to watch. She did both of these things, so I’m excited to see what Bascoe does in year 3.

Villanova will most likely be fighting for a top-2 finish in the Big East, and a lot of it will flow through Bascoe.

Clara Strack 

School: Kentucky Wildcats

Position: Forward

Since making her way to Lexington two years ago after spending her freshman year at Virginia Tech, Clara Strack has developed into a legit two-way star for the Wildcats.

The elite rim protection and overall defensive mastery are as good as anyone in the country, and it’s why she has been named to the SEC All-Defensive Team back-to-back seasons.

She averaged a double-double last year and surely will do that again while being in the SEC DPOY talks.

Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Player Rankings

10. Toby Fournier

School: Duke Blue Devils

Position: Forward

Starting out the Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Players 2026-2027 Rankings list is Toby Fournier

Duke’s program has taken a real leap forward over the past 2 years under Kara Lawson, and while the change in culture and coaching deserves a lot of love, you have to look at star forward Toby Fournier.

Fournier is a unique player who can dominate a game on both ends. She is a special athlete and an evolving player who will come into this season a different and better version than she was last year.

The uptick in three-point shooting added another element to her game, and I would be shocked if she is not getting DPOY shouts come season’s end.

9. Olivia Olson

School: Michigan Wolverines

Position: Guard

Another really disruptive defender and elite two-way player on this list is Olivia Olson. I think Michigan’s collection of guards could aid them into a late tourney run when the time comes, and Junior Olivia Olson is at the forefront of that.

Olson can fill it up on all three levels, and even though she struggled shooting the three last year, I think she gets her percentage back closer to what it was in her freshman year. I love the way Olson uses her size against smaller defenders, and she is really deceptively strong.

I think Olson finishes the year at 20 PPG on a Michigan team that should be at the top of the Big 10.

8. Audi Crooks

School: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Position: Forward

A lot of the players on this list, specifically the bigs, get a point up for being great defenders and, to some degree, being the “anchor” of their team’s defense. While I don’t think being a high-level defender is the end-all, be-all for star players, especially guards, I do think there is a baseline for what is needed.

Audi Crooks does not always reach that line, and if she did, she would probably be close to the top 3 of this list. Either way, she is physically dominant in the paint, and there are very few answers at this level for what she does. There is something demoralizing in sports for knowing something is coming and still having very little chance at stopping it.

The touch around the rim and high-level technical ability should not be underestimated, and she is almost a lock for 25+ PPG this year.

7. Jaloni Cambridge

School: Ohio State Buckeyes

Position: Guard

I think having someone as good as Jaloni Cambridge at 7 speaks volumes about how much talent is in the sport right now. Cambridge has a legit shot at being someone in national player of the year talks for Ohio State.

Not many players in college basketball know how to get into the paint like Cambridge, and she is lightning fast. She does a great job of dictating the pace the game is played with her passing and overall game IQ.

The three-point is a work in progress, but if that comes, then you better watch out if you got to face off against her.

6. Mikayla Blakes

School: Vanderbilt Commodores

Position: Guard

Vanderbilt has turned their program around in the past few years, and I think this is the year this team pushes for a final 4 bid. Star guard Mikayla Blakes led the country in scoring last year and returns to Nashville.

She averaged 27 a game and is one of the most dynamic players in the sport. A true three-level scorer who lives in the paint. She plays through contact as well as any guard, and it’s her insistence on getting to the rim that is why she takes so many free throws.

She has a real argument for being the best shot creator in the country, and averaging 27 is super special. I am interested to see what Blakes does as an encore in her Junior season.

5. Hannah Hidalgo

School: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Position: Guard

I’ve talked about a lot of the elite defenders on this list, but I don’t think anyone does it quite the way Hannah Hidalgo does. I don’t think anyone weaponizes defense the way Hidalgo does, and she is able to turn that defense into offense at a high level.

When you get someone that has elite speed, special hands/ defensive instincts, and relentless on-ball pressure, you get Hannah Hidalgo, who averages over 5 and a half steals per game. She created so many easy points just by getting her hands on balls, and heading into her senior year, this skill should again dominate games.

With Hidalgo, though, I think there is a lot of meat left on the bone. She did not shoot the ball particularly well last year and still set career highs in scoring at 25.3 a game. That could definitely rise if she gets her jump shot down in 2026-27.

4. Madison Booker

School: Texas Longhorns

Position: Wing

The Lady Longhorns lost a lot of players from last years final 4 team, but they bring back the most important one of all in Madison Booker. I don’t know if there is anyone I enjoy watching more than Booker, and I love the assortment of weapons she possesses.

The elite mid-range ability and vision are the two things that stick out to me. She has amazing fluidity coupled with her length, and although she did not have a great game in the Texas final 4 game against UCLA, you saw last year in big moments how special she is.

I’ve seen people compare Booker to KD, not just because of the 35 in burnt orange, but because of the unique skillset she has. The ball-handling and three-level scoring is a matchup nightmare, and she enters this year in the thick of the national player of the year race.

3. Juju Watkins

Team: USC Trojans

Position: Guard

Juju Watkins and USC as a whole are going to be interesting to watch this year. Juju is obviously returning from the Torn ACL suffered in 2025, so it’s fair to temper expectations early. But at some point this year, I have no doubt you’ll see the Juju Watkins that was tabbed as a generational prospect.

The bag of moves she has and otherworldly scoring are things that you don’t see every day. There truly isn’t a hole in Watkins’s game, and if you’re asking me, this is the best prospect in the sport barring another injury.

USC has an assortment of blue-chip talent, and I think they could win it all if those pieces are able to gel.

2. Joyce Edwards

Team: USC Gamecocks

Position: Forward

The top two of this list should not be much of a surprise, as Joyce Edwards lands at my second spot. She is another one of these two-way stars on this top 10, and she will anchor another loaded Dawn Staley squad.

Outside of the fact that she doesn’t take threes, I really don’t think there is anything Joyce Edwards is not elite at. She knocks down mid-range shots well and has great vision for a forward. She handles the ball and has an outstanding understanding of how to make the right play every time. On defense, Joyce’s versatility is game-breaking as she guards 5 positions and is impactful off and on the ball.

That said, what sets her apart to me is the little things. The screens she sets and that aforementioned IQ are what make her one of the sport’s best players.

1. Sarah Strong

Team: Uconn Huskies

Position: Forward

1 shouldn’t really be a surprise either, as it’s the 2025-26 Wooden Award winner, Sarah Strong. I’ve said it before, but Sarah Strong is a generational prospect, and when she goes to the WNBA, a team will be getting a franchise-altering player.

When it comes to Strong, you are talking about a player who is close to 60% from the field while being 40% from three and living in the mid-80s at the free-throw line. She does this at 6’2 while being a versatile defensive anchor who can dominate games at that end.

I don’t feel like I need to go into depth about why she is so good, as anyone that has followed the sport over the past few years should know. But I lean UConn as my title favorite, in large part to Sarah Strong.