ESPN ranks top 50 college women
South Carolina leads the initial list with five players, while ESPN notes the ranking relies heavily on past performance due to the early stage of the season.
By Marco Kapoor ·
ESPN released its first ranking of the top 50 players in women's college basketball on Thursday, November 5.
South Carolina holds the largest representation on the list with five players. UConn, LSU, and Maryland each have three players ranked. The list includes several former national player of the year winners, such as JuJu Watkins from USC and Sarah Strong from UConn.
The ranking process prioritizes historical data over current season results. Because the 2026-27 season has just begun, few games have been played. ESPN staff members, including Charlie Creme, Michael Voepel, and Alexa Philippou, based their assessments on players' previous college careers. This approach also accounts for athletes who missed last season due to injuries.
All players in the top 10 have committed to a single program. None are transfer students. The publication expects all ten of these athletes to enter the WNBA in the coming years. Freshmen were excluded from this initial list, though they may appear in future updates as the season progresses.
Addi Mack of Maryland opened her ranking discussion with a notable performance. She scored 35 points and recorded six assists in a game against South Carolina. That total ranks as the fourth highest by any player against an AP No. 1 opponent in the last 25 seasons. Mack previously earned All-Big Ten freshman honors.
Sahara Williams of Oklahoma is listed at No. 47. The 5-foot-11 forward has started every game for the Sooners for three seasons. Her career averages include 11.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. ESPN predicts she will become a stronger scoring threat from deep this year.
Tilda Trygger, ranked No. 46 for Washington, brings a specific skill set from NC State. Standing at 6-foot-6, she can alter shots near the basket and shoot from the perimeter. She attempted 62 three-pointers last season and made 33.8 percent of them. The Huskies have improved over the last two seasons, and ESPN suggests Trygger could help them reach the top 15.
The next update to this ranking will occur later in the season. The list is expected to change significantly as more games are played. Current rankings reflect pre-season expectations and historical performance rather than current form.
