There was a full 14 hours between the end of the WNBA season in Game 7 on Saturday, Oct. 31, in San Francisco and the tip-off of the women's college basketball season in Rome, Italy, on Nov. 1. Hope you enjoyed your offseason, women's hoops fans. The 2026-27 college season got off to a high-scoring start, with Notre Dame beating Villanova 99-75 at the Eternal City Tip-Off behind Hannah Hidalgo's 32 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three assists.
Most other top players will start their seasons on Monday, including JuJu Watkins, who returns to the USC lineup after missing all of last season recovering from an ACL tear. Watkins will make her debut against UNLV at 4 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and streaming on Paramount+.
There are many talented players in Division I, but we compiled a list of the top players to keep an eye on. Without giving away spoilers, here are CBS Sports' top 10 women's college basketball players ahead of the 2026-27 season. Despite a shaky start last season while facing some tough opponents, Duke turned things around and won both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles before making it to the Elite Eight.
Fournier was the key component to this success as the team's leader in scoring, rebounding and blocks. After not starting any games as a freshman and still winning ACC rookie of the year, the 6-foot-2 forward thrived as a starter last season with 17.3 points on 52.5% shooting from the field, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Fournier demonstrates her power and athleticism with her ability to finish at the rim.
In fact, her two-handed dunk has become a signature move for her during pre-game warmups. However, she also has great footwork and her high motor makes her dangerous in transition. Her 6-foot-5 wingspan and basketball IQ also make her a threat on defense.
She does it all‼️Toby Fournier impacts winning on both ends. 23 PTS | 11 REB | 2 BLK | 1 STL | 1 AST | 10-16 FG pic.twitter.com/zLUDnF39b5 The Wolverines are fresh off a historic 28–7 overall season and a trip to the Elite Eight with Olson as their leading scorer and rebounder. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 18.9 points per game as a sophomore while shooting 46.8% as a crafty and versatile scorer. Her body control, even mid-air, allows her to finish even if she gets bumped by a defender.
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