2026 Women’s college basketball championship odds, predictions: UConn opens season as favorites

The 2025-26 college basketball season is back. Women’s college hoops has gotten deeper each year and the anticipation for this season is off the charts.

Four teams will start their season in Paris for the Oui Play Paris 2025, a sign that the college game is entering a new era of exposure across the globe, and four teams will end their season in Phoenix, which will host the Final Four in 2026.

Which college basketball team ends their season with a win is the important question to answer and based on the betting odds entering the season, the inner circle is small.

Five teams have better than 10/1 odds to win the 2026 national championship, but two enter the campaign well ahead of the rest of the field.

2026 Women’s College Basketball Championship Odds

Team	Odds
Connecticut	+250
South Carolina	+290
UCLA	+425
Texas	+800
LSU	+900
USC	11/1
Notre Dame	20/1
Tennessee	25/1
Duke	30/1
Oklahoma	30/1

Connecticut (+250)

It’s only right that the Huskies are at the top of the odds board considering they rank No. 1 in both the AP and coaches polls. The last time we saw this team, they were celebrating a 23-point win in the national championship game against a South Carolina team that had only lost three games all season.

It’s tough to replace a great player like Paige Bueckers, but UConn returns the two leading scorers in that game, Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, and they added Serah Williams from Wisconsin in the transfer portal. This team is loaded with talent and is the clear favorite to repeat.

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South Carolina (+290)

The end of the season for the Gamecocks took some of the shine off their dominant campaign, but head coach Dawn Staley will have her team ready to compete as she always does.

South Carolina is the only other team to receive votes as the best team in the AP and coaches polls and Bart Torvik’s rankings peg them as the No. 1 team entering the season.

They lost two of their top four scorers, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao, but return leading scorer Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts. Plus, they added Ta’Niya Latson from Florida State via the transfer portal.

It would surprise no one if South Carolina was right back in the championship game this season.

UCLA and Texas round out the top four teams on the odds board, which tracks as they are the last two Final Four teams from last season, but LSU may be the team to watch.

The Tigers added Fulwiley via the transfer portal to hopefully play alongside star guard Flau’Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. If those three players can gel, they would be a tough group to stop.

Outside of LSU in 2023, the national champion in women’s college hoops is typically on everyone’s radar. Torvik’s projections has the Tigers right in the mix with the rest of the top teams from last season and I like their odds at +900 entering the season.

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Why Trust New York Post Betting

Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.