Despite some drama and an upset loss in the semifinals after being one of the chalkier favorites in recent memory, Geno Auriemma’s Connecticut Huskies are, yet again, the strong favorites to win next year’s women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies’ +170 odds on FanDuel imply a near 40 percent probability that they can win it all next year. While Auriemma is expected to lose two key starters, Azzi Fudd and Serah Williams, he is returning much of his dominant roster that extended an undefeated streak for 54 games before falling in this year’s Final Four.
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Two teams are tied for second in FanDuel’s odds: South Carolina, this year’s runner-up and the team that knocked out the Huskies, and USC. The Trojans lost to the Gamecocks in the second round of March Madness this year, but they should have their superstar player, JuJu Watkins, back after a year out with a torn ACL.
The Gamecocks and Trojans are both at +500 odds, or an implied 16.7 percent probability. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley should be able to maintain much of her roster and will likely use the transfer portal to her advantage as well.
This year’s resounding champion, UCLA, is way down the board for next season at +5000 (50-to-1, or a less than 2 percent implied probability of winning the title), thanks to the fact that all five of their championship-game starters were seniors. In fact, every Bruin point in the championship game was scored by a senior. It will be a rebuilding year for coach Cori Close, so look for a lot of movement in the offseason — both in UCLA’s roster and in its odds.
As The Athletic’s Dan Santaromita wrote about the men’s title odds — which went live even more immediately after the men’s final than the women’s — “Posting the favorites for the following season’s champion as soon as the current season ends is a near-impossible task. So much changes during an offseason. That is especially true in college sports and even more so in recent years with the explosion of the transfer portal.”
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With the WNBA Draft on April 13 and the transfer portal open until April 20, most teams at the top could look drastically different a month from now.
Women’s 2027 NCAA Tournament title odds
Illustrating the difficulty of setting these odds before offseason movement ends is the fact that this order is totally switched up on other books. On BetMGM, Michigan is +550 over South Carolina (+600), and Texas (+600) and LSU (+800) are ahead of Vanderbilt (+900), but all three have shorter odds.
The Longhorns made it to the Final Four this year, getting ousted by UCLA 51-44, and are losing several key players to the transfer portal (Jordan Lee, Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore) and graduation (Rori Harmon, Kyla Oldacre, Teya Sidberry). But they should return key players in Madison Booker and Breya Cunningham, and bring in a top-ranked 2026 recruiting class.
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No. 2 seed Michigan made it to the Elite Eight but was beaten by Texas 77-41. The Wolverines are reportedly returning nine players with several core starters intact.
LSU should also retain a strong core, despite the loss of superstar Flau’jae Johnson to graduation and the WNBA Draft. But other key starters are expected to return, including MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams.
Vanderbilt made it to the Sweet 16 and is expected to return star Mikayla Blakes, who, along with Aubrey Galvan, make up one of the most dominant backcourt duos in the country. It will be interesting to see if their odds lengthen, depending on who they can get to replace departing players.
Duke is next at +3000 before the odds drop off to 50-to-1.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
USC Trojans, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores, Connecticut Huskies, LSU Lady Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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