Some things never change in women's basketball. In this case, it's that some of the elite offenses in the sport remain the elite offenses in the sport. Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't room for newcomers to score a lot of buckets as well, but you also know who'll be good on that end: the UConns and South Carolinas of the world.
It should come as no surprise that both are featured below. What might come as a surprise, though, is that a Big 12 program that isn't really known for its women's basketball prowess is here as well.
Oklahoma State
No team in the nation is more interesting heading into the 2026-27 season than Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls have (once again) built basically a new team from scratch through the transfer portal, and in doing so have added two of the most intriguing offensive players in the nation.
The headline here is obviously Audi Crooks. The former Iowa State center is an elite offensive player, ranking second in the nation last year in scoring and also ranking second in the nation in field goal percentage. Her ability to get to her spot and to use her touch to get easy buckets is basically unmatched. Like...we're talking about a player who led the nation in field goals made per game while shooting 64.9 percent. Digging into Her Hoop Stats' archived data since 2009, Crooks is only the 12th player to even rank in the top five in both stats. Only Megan Gustafson and Brittney Griner have been better than Crooks (i.e., ranking first in both). She's a rare offensive talent.
And she won't be alone in Stillwater. The Cowgirls also added Liv McGill from Florida, whose 22.5 points per game last season ranked 11th in Division I. She's not nearly as efficient as Crooks, but the gravity created by Crooks and the way defenses will have to collapse on her should open up more open looks for McGill than she had in Gainesville. There are some very obvious defensive concerns with this team, but the Cowgirls are just making a bet that they can outscore everyone every night. Most of the time, they'll be right about that.
UConn
Azzi Fudd might be gone, but UConn is still UConn, which means that the Huskies should once again be one of the nation's top offenses. This has been a top-10 offense by points scored in both seasons with Sarah Strong on the roster, and overall, this has been a top-15 program in offensive rating for all 17 seasons in the Her Hoop Stats database. That won't change.
Strong is the primary option this year. Her role grew last season with Paige Bueckers gone, and now she'll take on even more responsibility with Fudd gone. Last season, Strong averaged 18.4 points per game on 58.2 percent shooting, and she's one of the best inside-out scorers in the country, a big who can get down there in the paint and score at a high level (she was third in Division I in 2-point field goal percentage) but can also pop out to the perimeter to shoot from deep, knocking down 40.4 percent of her deep looks last season.
But UConn is, as always, about more than just one player. Strong might be the key to this year's team, but the offense will succeed for multiple reasons, including that Blanca Quinonez and KK Arnold are both ready to take steps forward as scorers. This team will do what it always does: keep on chugging along as one of the nation's elite offenses.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes took an expected step back as an offense after Caitlin Clark's departure, but the 2026-27 Iowa offense should be the best we've seen in the post-Clark era. A big part of that is schematic, as the team is expected to run a four-out offense with Ava Heiden at center.
Heiden emerged as a huge weapon last season, averaging 18.0 points per game in her second season in Iowa City. She's one of the nation's best paint finishers, and by surrounding her with perimeter threats, the team should be able to put up a ton of points. That includes Georgia transfer Dani Carnegie, who averaged 17.8 points per game overall last season. Notably, her 18.9 points per game during SEC play were the fourth-most in the conference, and that ability to thrive against tough competition will be useful for the Hawkeyes.
Heiden emerged as a huge weapon last season, averaging 18.0 points per game in her second season in Iowa City. She's one of the nation's best paint finishers, and by surrounding her with perimeter threats, the team should be able to put up a ton of points. That includes Georgia transfer Dani Carnegie, who averaged 17.8 points per game overall last season. Notably, her 18.9 points per game during SEC play were the fourth-most in the conference, and that ability to thrive against tough competition will be useful for the Hawkeyes.
Chit-Chat Wright will provide 3-point shooting for the team, while the frontcourt gets a boost with freshman McKenna Woliczko. How fast she adapts to the college game will go a long way to determining how good this Iowa team can be.
LSU
It should come as no surprise that LSU is set to have one of the nation's top offenses this year, because that's just what can always be expected under Kim Mulkey. Since LSU hired her away from Baylor, LSU's worst overall finish in points per game was 29th in Mulkey's first season. Since then, the team has been top-five in the nation in scoring each season.
Losing Flau'jae Johnson to the WNBA hurts, but there's still plenty of good talent on this roster. MiLaysia Fulwiley should step into a larger role, while Iowa State transfer Jada Williams will be a huge part of the offense as well. The two will just need to figure out how to share the basketball.
Mulkey will also ask Grace Knox to play a larger role on offense. She shot 62.1 percent from the floor as a freshman on 5.5 attempts per game. Will she be able to maintain that efficiency with more scoring opportunities? If so, she gives the Tigers an interior presence that can complement the strong guard play on the roster.
South Carolina
You can't talk about good basketball teams without talking about the South Carolina Gamecocks, who have finished in the top 15 in the nation in scoring for four consecutive seasons.
Chloe Kitts will be back after missing last season with a torn ACL and will pair with Joyce Edwards in what should be one of the nation's best frontcourts. A healthy Kitts is a great third option on offense, while Edwards blossomed as South Carolina's top option last season, averaging 19.2 points per game on 57.1 percent shooting.
The big question is in the backcourt, as Raven Johnson and Ta'Niya Latson are gone to the WNBA. Maddy McDaniel will likely be asked to take on a larger role, and a lot will depend on her succeeding in that larger role. Texas transfer Jordan Lee, though, will be the most crucial player. She averaged 13.2 points per game for the Horns last season and will likely be asked to be the No. 1 perimeter threat for South Carolina this season.
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