FORT WORTH, Texas — Coming off a record year in terms of popularity and buzz, women’s college basketball is back with even more intrigue for the 2023-2024 season.
Defending champion LSU has reloaded behind Angel Reese for a run at back-to-back national titles, and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark returns with the NCAA scoring record in her reach.
Both stars hope to end the season cutting down the nets in Cleveland, site of the Final Four. When the two teams met last season for the NCAA championship, nearly 10 million people tuned in and set a viewership record for the sport.
No. 1 LSU returns a solid group led by Reese from last season and added stars Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow through the transfer portal, making the Tigers the favorite to repeat as champions. That feat hasn't been accomplished in women's college basketball since UConn won four straight championships from 2013-16. Five different schools have won the title in the past six NCAA tournaments.
Reese's popularity has soared since the Tigers' run last year. She already was one of the top-earning athletes in the sport, and has since signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok. Despite her increased fame, the senior forward has one goal in mind.
“What got me to where I am right now is LSU and winning a championship,” she said. “We all want it again.”
The Tigers have challenging non-conference games against No. 20 Colorado and No. 8 Virginia Tech, which reached its first Final Four last season.
Clark, last season's AP player of the year, is 810 points away behind Kelsey Plum's NCAA career record 3,527 points. Iowa's star scored 1,055 points last season.
Coach Lisa Bluder might need more out of the two-time unanimous AP preseason All-American with the graduation of Monika Czinano. Clark has already helped the Hawkeyes sell 13,000 season tickets and her deep 3-point shots make for must-see TV.
Women's basketball also gets a jolt with the return of UConn guard Paige Bueckers, who missed last season after tearing an ACL.
The No. 2 Huskies have been snake-bitten by injuries over the past two seasons and finally appear to be healthy. They saw their 14-year run of making the Final Four end last season. Coach Geno Auriemma would like to see them end their national championship drought.
The season gets underway on Nov. 6, highlighted by No. 6 South Carolina playing No. 10 Notre Dame in Paris.
Here in North Texas
The TCU women’s basketball team is looking to make a stride of its own in the Big 12 Conference this year. The team’s home opener is set for 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 against Oral Roberts University.
In a preseason press conference, new head basketball coach Mark Campbell said the team's chemistry is in a good spot.
Campbell was hired by TCU after leading Sacramento State to the NCAA Tournament.
He said he is excited for the 2023-2024 season after getting six transfer portals -- including University of Oregon standout Sedona Prince -- and being able to recruit overseas in the summer.
If Prince's name sounds familiar it’s because she was the voice that changed the landscape of the NCAA tournament -- forever. Prince went viral for showing what the NCAA women’s tournament conditions looked like compared to the men’s tournament in March 2021.
Prince -- who stands at 6’7” – will be a matchup problem for other teams. She also averages 9 points, nearly 5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, all while shooting 54.2% from the field.
Prince was recently named one of 20 players to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top center. That nomination is a first in TCU program history.
Jaden Owens, a Plano native, is another new face to TCU. The veteran point guard is back in DFW for her final year of basketball after previously playing with the Baylor Lady Bears. Owens averages 8 points, 3.3. rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
“It’s a special group,” Campbell said of his roster. “We got kids that fit our system and our culture.”
Big 12 women's basketball programs have a lot to prove this season. After decades of contending for national championships, the league hasn't sent a team to the Final Four in nearly five years -- and has only sent one in more than a decade now.
Last year was particularly humbling for the conference, with none of the Big 12's six teams escaping the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
The Big 12 only has two teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 -- No. 13 Texas and No. 19 Baylor.
Kansas is coming off a WNIT title.
Can Campbell turn TCU's program around? The team went 8-23 last season.
“I’ve learned with young people, don’t limit them,” Campbell said. “I think the sky’s the limit with this group, a really talented group that really enjoys each other.”
For a look at the TCU’s full schedule and how to purchase game tickets, click here.
