What's next for UCLA, Texas? Forecasting next season for women's March Madness top seeds

We're down to the last 2 teams successful the NCAA tournament, aft the UCLA Bruins and Texas Longhorns mislaid their semifinals connected Friday.

As the tract winnows to one, and with the coaching carousel already spinning and the transportation portal open, it's ne'er excessively aboriginal to look up to adjacent season.

For the remainder of the tournament, ESPN's analysts volition beryllium breaking down however the 1- and 2-seeds had their rubric hopes dashed, and what's adjacent for each team. What subordinate departures mightiness beryllium connected the way? Who are the apical incoming recruits? What transfers mightiness acceptable connected the roster for 2025-26?

No. 1 UCLA Bruins

Record: 34-3 (15-2 successful the Big Ten)

How they were eliminated: 85-51 nonaccomplishment to UConn successful the nationalist semifinals

Right from the commencement UCLA didn't look acceptable for the infinitesimal -- oregon UConn's firepower. The Bruins turned the shot implicit 14 times successful the archetypal half, struggled to consistently get the shot to Lauren Betts and allowed 42 points to the Huskies successful the archetypal 20 minutes. Betts did arsenic overmuch arsenic she could with 26 points, but her teammates made conscionable 9 of their 34 tract extremity attempts; nary of them scored successful treble figures. UCLA was ne'er competitory aft the archetypal quarter.

Expected departures: F Janiah Barker, F Angela Dugalic

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent year: Assuming determination are nary astonishing transportation portal decisions, the Bruins volition person much returning acquisition and extent than immoderate apical squad successful the country. Not lone is Betts backmost to marque different tally astatine nationalist subordinate of the year, but some constituent guards (Kiki Rice and Elina Aarnisalo), a erstwhile All-American combo defender making her instrumentality from wounded (Charlisse Leger-Walker), aggregate wings (Londynn Jones, Gabriela Jaquez and Timea Gardiner), and a precocious schoolhouse All-American (Sienna Betts) volition beryllium portion of Cori Close's rotation.

Top incoming recruit: Sienna Betts (No. 3 per espnW)

Portal priorities: Close's backcourt is loaded, but she volition suffer immoderate size and physicality with Dugalic and Barker. Finding that volition beryllium an important portion to putting unneurotic different implicit roster.

How tin this acquisition successful the Final Four assistance UCLA adjacent year? The astir notable interest astir the Bruins heading into assemblage basketball's biggest showcase was however they would grip the infinitesimal -- and they didn't grip it well. Committing 14 first-half turnovers and scoring conscionable 28 points successful the archetypal 25 minutes is not the Bruins of their archetypal 36 games. So galore players and coaches who person been to the Final Four person said however overwhelming it tin beryllium the archetypal time, but with truthful overmuch of the halfway expected backmost adjacent season, a instrumentality travel to the Final Four is simply a existent anticipation for the Bruins. UCLA tin hole what it did incorrect this time.

No. 1 Texas Longhorns

Record: 35-4 (15-1, 2nd successful SEC)

How they were eliminated: 74-57 nonaccomplishment to South Carolina successful the nationalist semifinals

Much similar successful 2 of their erstwhile 3 meetings, Texas conscionable didn't person capable violative answers for South Carolina. Jordan Lee gave the Longhorns a bully boost with 16 points, but Madison Booker was not the aforesaid subordinate erstwhile she picked up a 3rd first-half foul. Without Booker astatine her implicit champion (2-of-7 shooting successful the 2nd half), Texas could not lucifer the Gamecocks' extent (nine antithetic players scored for SC). Consistent discourtesy was the Longhorns' 1 shortcoming this season, particularly successful the 3 losses to the Gamecocks, and it showed again successful the nationalist semifinals.

Expected departures: C Taylor Jones, G Shay Holle

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent year: Led by the instrumentality of Booker, the Longhorns are loaded for different large play successful 2026. If Rori Harmon elects to return, that makes Texas that overmuch better. Laila Phelia, who had besides transferred successful from Michigan, and Aaliyah Moore missed astir of this play with injuries and could instrumentality arsenic well. In Bryanna Preston, Lee and Justice Carlton, Vic Schaefer has a young halfway that should lone get amended arsenic sophomores successful Austin. Six-foot-two inferior Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda was playing the champion hoops of her vocation astatine the extremity of the season. Texas, who got 27 points per crippled disconnected its seat this season, could beryllium adjacent deeper adjacent year.

Top incoming recruit: G Aaliyah Crump (No. 5 per espnW)

Portal priorities: Texas needs a shooter, possibly two. Schaefer has gotten the Longhorns to the Elite Eight 4 times successful his 5 years successful Austin and has present gone to a Final Four, but the deficiency of perimeter shooting is simply a large crushed his squad came up abbreviated of a title. No squad successful the state got little retired of its 3-point shooting than Texas. Freshman Lee, who made 3-of-5 of her 3-point attempts successful the Sweet 16 against Tennessee, could beryllium that player, but the Longhorns could truly usage a seasoned who tin sound down heavy shots and has escaped reign to bash so.

How does Texas instrumentality the adjacent step? The Longhorns returned to being a top-tier programme arsenic soon arsenic Schaefer arrived and past deed different level successful the past 2 seasons with Booker. Reaching the Final Four was progress, but if Texas is going to triumph a title successful the adjacent mates of years, the semifinal nonaccomplishment to South Carolina illustrated its biggest need: Booker needs much help. The Longhorns request much shooters, and conscionable 1 different reliable scorer volition marque a important difference. When Booker went retired with foul occupation successful the archetypal fractional and past struggled to commencement the 3rd quarter, the discourtesy conscionable didn't look the same. Booker's talent, a large defence and violative rebounding marque up a winning look -- but it mightiness not beryllium capable to make a championship. -- Charlie Creme

No. 1 USC Trojans

Record: 31-4 (17-1 Big Ten, first)

How they were eliminated: 78-64 loss to UConn successful the Elite Eight

The Trojans acquitted themselves good with a bully commencement and a third-quarter comeback against UConn, but without JuJu Watkins and against the nation's astir businesslike and prolific offense, they were ever warring an uphill battle. Rayah Marshall scored a season-high 23 points successful her last assemblage game, but a pugnacious 3-for-15 shooting nighttime from Kiki Iriafen and a combined 55 points from UConn's Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong near the Trojans 1 crippled abbreviated of the Final Four with a nonaccomplishment to the Huskies for the 2nd consecutive year.

Expected departures: F Kiki Iriafen, F Rayah Marshall, G Talia von Oelhoffen

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent season: Everything astir adjacent play is predicated connected JuJu Watkins' wellness and return. If she tin beryllium backmost by January, USC is simply a Final Four contender erstwhile again. With Watkins backmost oregon not, the No. 1-ranked recruiting people of a twelvemonth agone volition person to play much salient roles. Kennedy Smith volition pb the charge, but guards Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel are apt starters arsenic well. Coached Lindsay Gottlieb leaned connected that trio heavy successful the NCAA tournament, and that acquisition should wage dividends. Malia Samuels' relation could besides grow arsenic a junior.

Top incoming recruit: G Jasmine Davidson (No. 3 per espnW)

Portal priorities: Gottlieb volition beryllium looking for a seasoned scorer and immoderate interior defense. Those are the holes near down by Iriafen and Marshall, and filling them volition beryllium indispensable with oregon without Watkins. Another shooter to brace with Howell is besides a need, and that takes connected adjacent much value if Watkins doesn't return.

What if Watkins does not instrumentality adjacent season? It's a anticipation -- everyone heals and rehabs differently. How USC would navigate an full play without its prima volition beryllium connected whom Gottlieb is capable to enlistee from the portal. Without Iriafen oregon Watkins, the young Trojans volition request immoderate scoring help, but the triumph implicit Kansas State and the competitiveness against UConn illustrated that Smith, Howell and Heckel are a coagulated instauration to support USC successful the Big Ten mix. -- Charlie Creme

No. 2 TCU Horned Frogs

Record: 34-4 (16-2 successful Big 12, first)

How they were eliminated: 58-47 nonaccomplishment to Texas successful the Elite Eight

The Horned Frogs ran into a buzz saw of a Texas defense. Their usually fluid discourtesy was disrupted for 40 minutes, scoring 30 points beneath their mean against the Longhorns, shooting conscionable 26.7% from the tract and turning the shot implicit 21 times. Despite struggles from TCU's veterans -- Sedona Prince fouled retired with 6:32 near successful the game, portion Hailey Van Lith (17 points, 3-of-15 shooting) and Madison Conner (nine points, 4-of-11 shooting) went acold -- TCU was inactive wrong 53-47 with 2:05 remaining. But successful the end, Texas' defence was capable to adjacent the doorway connected the champion play successful Horned Frogs history.

Expected departures: G Hailey Van Lith, C Sedona Prince, G Agnes Emma-Nnopu, G Madison Conner

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent year: Donovyn Hunter and Taylor Bigby. Both transfers with eligibility remaining, Hunter and Bigby combined to mean 12.1 points per crippled -- little than what Conner, TCU's third-leading scorer, produced (14.1 PPG). Hunter should instrumentality implicit afloat clip astatine constituent guard. Bigby, erstwhile a top-30 enlistee of Campbell's erstwhile helium was an adjunct astatine Oregon, besides volition person to instrumentality connected a larger role.

Top incoming recruit: F Clara Bielefeld (Germany)

Portal priorities: This TCU team, the astir palmy successful programme history, was built mostly connected seasoned transfers, astir of whom person present exhausted their eligibility. And without immoderate top-100 recruits heading to Fort Worth, expect Campbell to deed the portal hard again. He'll request virtually everyone -- bigs, playmakers, shooters. The Horned Frogs didn't person overmuch extent this season, and present the apical 4 scorers, who accounted for 58.6% of TCU's points, are gone. The acquisition of Van Lith, Prince and Conner, each of whom began their assemblage careers successful 2020, was however Campbell executed his crippled plan. To support that momentum, helium volition person to find different radical of veterans to plug the roster's galore holes.

What are the adjacent steps successful the maturation of the program? The adjacent fewer weeks volition beryllium critical. Campbell volition beryllium challenged to enactment unneurotic a roster talented capable to duplicate a Big 12 regular play rubric and league tourney crown, positive a Sweet 16 appearance. The operation of Van Lith and Prince -- and however efficaciously they ran the pick-and-roll -- was a unsocial collaboration. But the transportation portal tin assistance there, and Campbell has a proven way grounds of attracting players endowment from different programs. How good helium does successful this rhythm volition find the contiguous aboriginal of the Horned Frogs. -- Charlie Creme

No. 2 Duke Blue Devils

Record: 29-8, 14-4 ACC (third, won ACC tourney title)

How they were eliminated: 54-50 loss to South Carolina successful the Elite Eight

Expected departures: G Reigan Richardson

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent year: F Toby Fournier, G Ashlon Jackson, G Oluchi Okananwa, F Delaney Thomas, G Jadyn Donovan, G Vanessa de Jesus.

Top incoming recruit: PG Emilee Skinner (No. 7 per espnW apical 100)

Portal priorities: There truly shouldn't beryllium immoderate large holes to capable connected this squad if the Blue Devils bring backmost everyone expected to return. That said, adjacent with the Blue Devils bringing successful a apical constituent defender recruit, if determination is simply a seasoned transportation astatine that position, manager Kara Lawson mightiness see adding her. The cardinal for immoderate transportation addition: She indispensable play defence astatine a precise precocious level and get up and down the court.

Can the Blue Devils interruption done to the Final Four adjacent year? It's apt Duke volition participate adjacent play arsenic a preseason top-five squad and the ACC favorite. The Blue Devils came precise adjacent to a Final Four berth this twelvemonth acknowledgment to their quality to stifle opponents with their energetic antiaircraft style. If anything, they should beryllium adjacent amended astatine that adjacent play arsenic their heavy sophomore people moves to their inferior years and ACC Freshman of the Year Fournier returns with a play of acquisition nether her belt.

Duke is astir apt not your cupful of beverage if you similar high-scoring games; Lawson's Blue Devils are precise antithetic from the Final Four teams of 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006 nether manager Gail Goestenkors. But the benignant Duke plays present has proved effective, and Lawson is surely acceptable to scope a Final Four of her own. -- Michael Voepel

No. 2 NC State Wolfpack

Record: 28-7 overall, 16-2 ACC (tied for first)

How they were eliminated: 80-73 loss to No. 3 effect LSU successful the Sweet 16

The Tigers were the little seed, but they felt similar the favourite successful this game: They were healthier than successful caller weeks (with defender Flau'Jae Johnson backmost from injury) and had defeated the Wolfpack successful November. Both teams person had NCAA tourney success; NC State made the Final Four past play and LSU the Elite Eight (the Tigers won an NCAA rubric successful 2023), and some had a batch of acquisition backmost for 2024-25. But LSU elder guardant Aneesah Morrow (30 points, 19 rebounds) was the biggest X origin Friday. NC State, a guard-led team, couldn't halt Morrow, who led Division I successful rebounding and double-doubles this season.

Expected departures: G Aziaha James, G Saniya Rivers, G Madison Hayes

Key contributors expected backmost adjacent year: Although the Wolfpack suffer plentifulness astatine guard, Zoe Brooks and Zamareya Jones should marque manager Wes Moore consciousness beauteous bully astir his perimeter play again. And station players Tilda Trygger (6-foot-6) and Lorena Awou (6-5), some freshmen this season, instrumentality size positive much experience. Forward Maddie Cox, who volition beryllium a inferior adjacent season, had her champion crippled of the play Friday -- 8 points and 7 rebounds -- a confidence-builder for adjacent season.

Top incoming recruit: G Destiny "Ky'She" Lunan (No. 60 per espnW)

Portal priorities: Adding acquisition astatine defender and much station play. James led the Wolfpack successful points, Hayes led them successful rebounds and River successful assists. That trio has meant truthful overmuch to NC State with their accumulation and leadership. If determination was an Achilles' bottommost this play for the Wolfpack, it was a request for amended station play. That wounded them successful Friday's loss.

Can NC State support up its Sweet 16 momentum? No substance wherever they've been picked to decorativeness successful the ACC the past respective years, the Wolfpack nether Moore typically enactment things unneurotic and go a beardown squad successful the postseason. They person made it to the NCAA determination semifinals successful six of the past 7 seasons. Next season, they'll person to bash it without the standout guards who've meant truthful overmuch to the program. -- Voepel