ACC Women’s Basketball 2025-26: Duke Dominates, Notre Dame Struggles
The ACC women’s basketball conference has always been a powerhouse in NCAA tournaments. Year after year, multiple teams head to March Madness, showing off some of the best talent and coaching in the game.
This season, the conference is seeing major shifts in both rosters and coaching staffs. Even so, it still looks like a tough league to beat. New faces, new coaches, and fresh storylines are already giving fans something to talk about.
So, what’s actually in store for the ACC women’s basketball conference this year?
ACC Women’s Basketball: A Legacy of Excellence
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The ACC has sent at least eight teams to March Madness in each of the last seven seasons—more than any other league. That kind of consistency really cements the conference’s reputation as one of the sport’s best.
But this offseason, things are different. There have been big changes in both roster makeup and star power.
Roster Changes and Transfers
Last year, the ACC returned 14 of its 20 all-conference selections. This time around, just eight of 25 all-conference picks are back.
The drop is partly because the NCAA’s COVID bonus eligibility is over, and partly because of transfers. Olivia Miles left Notre Dame for TCU, and Ta’Niya Latson went from Florida State to South Carolina.
Oluchi Okananwa, last season’s ACC Tournament MVP, transferred from Duke to Maryland. It’s a lot of movement, honestly.
Still, the ACC continues to attract top talent and coaching. Nine of ESPN’s top 30 recruits for 2025 are joining the conference this year.
There are also two new coaches: Karen Blair at Georgia Tech and Adia Barnes at SMU. Both have some heavy lifting ahead.
Power Shifts in the ACC
For years, Notre Dame and Louisville dominated the ACC. Between 2014 and 2024, those two played for nine of the 11 ACC Tournament titles.
Notre Dame took six of those championships, and Louisville grabbed one in 2018. Both teams also made six trips to the Final Four during that stretch.
But things started changing in 2020. The league’s original programs began to reclaim the spotlight.
Emerging Contenders
N.C. State has now captured three straight ACC titles. Virginia Tech won one and made the Final Four in 2023.
The Wolfpack played for the title in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, Courtney Banghart at North Carolina and Kara Lawson at Duke have been quietly building their own contenders.
Last March, all three Research Triangle teams—Duke, N.C. State, and North Carolina—hosted opening weekend March Madness games as top 16 seeds. They all reached the Sweet 16, something that hadn’t happened since 2007.
Preseason Favorites and Key Players
Duke, N.C. State, and North Carolina top the ACC’s preseason poll for the first time since 2001. The Wolfpack and Tar Heels are both replacing some key players, which leaves a few question marks.
Duke, though, brings back four starters from a squad that won the ACC Tournament and reached the Elite Eight. That includes ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier and three former McDonald’s All-Americans.
The Blue Devils come in as the preseason favorites and sit at No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Expectations are sky-high.
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Miami’s Rebuilding Efforts
Miami’s first year under Tricia Cullop didn’t go as planned. The team finished 14-15 and 4-14 in league play, missing the NCAA Tournament.
Cullop wasted no time in the offseason, pulling together a top-notch transfer class. Gal Raviv, who put up 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game at Quinnipiac, joins the squad.
Ra Shaya Kyle, a 6-foot-6 center with 16 double-doubles for Florida last season, is another big get. SMU’s Jessica Peterson and USF’s Vittoria Blasigh are also on board, and four freshmen ranked in ESPN’s top 100 for 2025 round out the roster.
Challenges and Opportunities for Notre Dame
This season is going to test Notre Dame. Only Hannah Hidalgo, last year’s ACC Player of the Year, returns from the previous squad.
The rest—Olivia Miles, Kate Koval, Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, and Liatu King—have either transferred or gone pro. Hidalgo and coach Niele Ivey should keep Notre Dame in March Madness, but honestly, landing a top 16 seed or making it past the first weekend might be a stretch.
Key Transfers and Newcomers
Notre Dame added transfers from Loyola Maryland, Holy Cross, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Kansas State. None quite match the firepower of the players who left.
It’s going to come down to Hidalgo’s play and Ivey’s coaching. Maybe they’ll surprise people, maybe not. We’ll see.
Players to Watch
There are a few players who could really shake things up this year. Skinner, a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American, joins Duke with sharp court vision, quickness, and a knack for creativity.
She helped Team USA win gold at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. Skinner picked Duke over Iowa, TCU, Notre Dame, and UCLA—not a bad list of options.
Impact Transfers
Phelia, who made All-Big Ten three times at Michigan, is now at Syracuse for her final college season. She averaged 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game at Michigan.
Ziegler, a standout from St. Joe’s, landed at Louisville. She brings with her averages of 17.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
Coaching Changes and Expectations
Virginia’s coach, Mox, has brought the program back to respectability after a rough four years under Tina Thompson. The on-court results, though, haven’t quite caught up to the renewed energy.
Mox is 48-46 overall and 19-35 in ACC play at Virginia. This year, she’s got All-ACC guard Kymora Johnson and transfers like LSU’s Sa’Myah Smith and USF’s Romi Levy.
If Mox can get Virginia to the NCAA Tournament, that would be a big deal for the program. Here’s hoping.
Upcoming Key Games
- LSU at Duke: Dec. 4, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN – Duke gets a real gut check here. If they’re serious about chasing the title, this is the night to prove it.
- North Carolina at N.C. State: Feb. 2, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN – You can’t skip this rivalry. It’s also N.C. State’s annual Play4Kay game, which always brings extra energy.
- Clemson at Stanford: March 1, 2 p.m. ET, The CW – They met in last season’s ACC Tournament, and this rematch could shake up the March Madness seeding picture.
Want more details and updates? The full article’s over at SBNation.