The West Virginia University women’s basketball team appeared in ESPN’s preseason top 25 Wednesday afternoon at No. 25.
The Mountaineers return one starter from an historic run a season ago. Redshirt senior guard Gia Cooke led the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game, and helped guide the team to host its first NCAA tournament regional for the first time in 24 years.
Head coach Mark Kellog brought in a slew of transfers in the offseason with skills on both ends of the floor as the Mountaineers look to make another postseason run.
The backcourt was reloaded with George Mason senior transfer guards Kennedy Harris and Zahirah Walton along with sophomore Duquesne transfer Alexis Bordas. Walton averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season, while Harris averaged 14.1 points and 2.3 assists per game. Bordas led Duquesne in scoring at 15.5 ppg as a freshman.
Kellog bolstered the front court through the transfer portal, starting with Marquette transfer Skylar Forbes. The senior forward scored 1,075 career points and pulled down 446 career rebounds in three seasons at Marquette. She 15.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season.
Senior Khyala Ngodu comes to Morgantown after three seasons at UCF. She averaged 7.9 points and 6,2 rebounds during her three seasons in Orlando. Last season, she averaged 10.8 points and seven rebounds, along with 1.3 blocks per game.
ESPN Women's College Basketball 2026-27 Preseason Top 25
1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. USC
4. Duke
5. Michigan
6. Louisville
7. Iowa
8. LSU
9. Texas
10. North Carolina
11. Vanderbilt
12. Washington
13. UCLA
14. Notre Dame
15. Kentucky
16. Minnesota
17. Ohio State
18. Maryland
19. TCU
20. Illinois
21. Oklahoma State
22. Arizona State
23. Oklahoma
24. Ole Miss
25. West Virginia
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