Way too early 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament bracketology: USC leads field

The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament wrapped up in Phoenix with UCLA winning the national championship over South Carolina. The Bruins were powered by six seniors and will have a revamped roster for next season.

Much still needs to settle in women's college basketball before we can have a real grasp on the best teams next season. A few transfers available in the portal this week — from Audi Crooks to Kymora Johnson — could dramatically change a team's outlook. A few openings on the coaching carousel also need to be resolved.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate and project.

With no real data points to go off, USA TODAY Sports is expecting USC to be the No. 1 overall seed in the 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament. The reason is simple: JuJu Watkins will be back and she’ll be teaming up with a stacked roster that includes Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith and Saniyah Hall.

UConn is going to grab a high seed too as long as Sarah Strong is around, Michigan is bringing back its star-studded trio of sophomores and South Carolina is inevitable.

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When glancing ahead to the 2027 NCAA Tournament, it’s important to remember the number of at-large bids will decrease by one. That’s because the Pac-12 has been reincarnated with former members Washington State and Oregon State, Mountain West refugees, Texas State and Gonzaga. So, we’ll have 32 automatic bids determined by conference champions and 36 at-large bids.

Here’s a way-too-early look at what the 2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket might look like.

Las Vegas 1

Los Angeles, California

• 1 USC

• 16 UC Irvine / Loyola Marymount

• 8 Baylor

• 9 Tennessee

Norman, Oklahoma

• 5 Ohio State

• 12 Green Bay

• 4 Oklahoma

• 13 Arkansas State

Iowa City, Iowa

• 6 BYU

• 11 Virginia Tech / Florida

• 3 Iowa

• 14 Montana State

Austin, Texas

• 7 UCLA

• 10 Rice

• 2 Texas

• 15 Central Arkansas

The UCLA Bruins celebrate on the podium after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks during the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center.

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See UCLA Bruins celebrate their NCAA women's basketball championship

TheUCLA Bruinscelebrate on the podium after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks during the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Philadelphia 2

Storrs, Connecticut

• 1 UConn

• 16 Maryland Eastern Shore

• 8 Washington

• 9 Columbia

Raleigh, North Carolina

• 5 Maryland

• 12 Davidson

• 4 NC State

• 13 Vermont

Nashville, Tennessee

• 6 Nebraska

• 11 UCF / USF

• 3 Vanderbilt

• 14 Eastern Kentucky

Durham, North Carolina

• 7 Gonzaga

• 10 Texas A&M

• 2 Duke

• 15 Navy

Women’s Final Four showcases top-ranked teams going head-to-head

Las Vegas 3

Ann Arbor, Michigan

• 1 Michigan

• 16 Southern Indiana

• 8 Syracuse

• 9 Oklahoma State

Fort Worth, Texas

• 5 Ole Miss

• 12 UNLV

• 4 TCU

• 13 Louisiana Tech

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• 6 Arizona State

• 11 Oregon

• 3 North Carolina

• 14 Campbell

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• 7 Minnesota

• 10 Clemson

• 2 LSU

• 15 McNeese

Philadelphia 4

Columbia, South Carolina

• 1 South Carolina

• 16 ETSU / Alabama A&M

• 8 Villanova

• 9 Virginia

South Bend, Indiana

• 5 Kentucky

• 12 North Dakota State

• 4 Notre Dame

• 13 Ball State

Morgantown, West Virginia

• 6 Michigan State

• 11 Belmont

• 3 West Virginia

• 14 Radford

Louisville, Kentucky

• 7 Colorado

• 10 Fairfield

• 2 Louisville

• 15 Farleigh Dickinson

Last Four In:Florida, USF, UCF, Virginia Tech

First Four Out:Indiana, Mississippi State, Cal, Seton Hall

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2027 Women’s NCAA Tournament bracketology: USC on top with JuJu Watkins' return