The 2023-24 guide to Big East women's basketball
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The Big East conference boasts a flurry of teams that are expected to make waves in this year's NCAA women's tournament.
Yes, but: They all have to play each other first. Here are the breakdowns of the Big East women's basketball squads as they get ready for conference play.
Butler Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are looking to build on last season's progress, returning three starters for their second season with head coach and former Purdue standout Austin Parkinson.
Context: Last season's 11-19 record doesn't sound like much until you look at the season before, when Butler finished just 1-27.
Who we're watching: Lilly Stoddard.
- It's early going, but the 6-foot-4 sophomore transfer from Purdue is tied for 10th best blocker in the Big East so far.
Creighton Bluejays
Last season, the Bluejays surprised with a third-place finish in the conference.
Yes, but: They were upset by Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.
What we're watching: Creighton brings back almost all of its starters for another run at the Big East title, including star Lauren Jensen.
- The only addition to this year's squad is McKayla Miller, a highly touted prospect from Kansas.
The intrigue: Head coach Jim Flanery has turned the Bluejays into perennial contenders. They should be able to make it to their third straight NCAA tournament.
UConn Huskies
It could be a long, disappointing season for head coach Geno Auriemma and UConn.
Driving the news: Star Azzi Fudd will miss the rest of the season with ACL and medial meniscal tears in her right knee, meaning she's yet to play an injury-free season with the Huskies.
- They're already missing Jana El Alfy, out with an Achilles' injury.
Yes, but: What UConn's lacked in luck the past few seasons, it makes up for with depth and talent.
- If they can bounce back from this latest blow to team morale, the Huskies could still make a deep run in March.
DePaul Blue Demons
Legendary coach Doug Bruno's 2023 squad is still reeling from the loss of Aneesah Morrow.
Catch up fast: Morrow had led the team in almost all categories, including scoring 24.7 points per game, before bolting via the transfer portal to play for the Louisiana State University Tigers.
Zoom out: Morrow wasn't the only one to leave the North Side of Chicago. At least four other players transferred out of Bruno's program this summer.
Who we're watching: Anaya Peoples becomes the go-to scorer for this squad, which also will lean on four freshman.
Georgetown Hoyas
The Georgetown women's team began the season with the heartbreaking death of 41-year-old head coach Tasha Butts from breast cancer.
The former WNBA star player had joined Georgetown from Georgia Tech. In October, Darnell Haney was named interim head coach for the season.
What we're watching: The Hoyas have suffered losing campaigns in the Big East since 2019, and this year they begin conference play at home on Dec. 20 against Seton Hall.
- The team is 6-1 after a win last Sunday against Cal State Fullerton.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette has started this season with big wins over Illinois, Boston College and Arkansas, while winning the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
State of play: Head coach Megan Duffy and the Golden Eagles have started fast after exiting in the first round of last season's NCAA Tournament.
Who we're watching: Frannie Hottinger, Rose Nkumu, Jordan King and Liz Karlen are getting the job done early, but they will be tested when they play Creighton, Villanova and UConn.
The bottom line: Duffy has built an elite defensive team, but it will have to score more points to make the leap in Big East play.
Providence Friars
First-year head coach Erin Batth looks to turn around a program that has finished below .500 in conference play every season since the 1990s.
- The team returns most of its starters from a year ago, including rangy forward Olivia Olsen, who averaged over 10 points per game last season.
Seton Hall Pirates
The Pirates lost its top two scorers but added six transfers, including guard Micah Gray, after finishing sixth in the Big East last season.
The intrigue: Talk about longevity. Head coach Anthony Bozzella has been coaching Division I basketball for nearly a quarter century.
Yes, but: Bozzella, now in his 11th year with Seton Hall, would bolster his legacy by getting the Pirates back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.
Who we're watching: Gray has had an immediate impact, averaging 15.6 points per game.
St. John's Red Storm
With its roster gutted, the Red Storm return just one of last season's five starters.
Context: Jillian Archer is back, aided by a key rotation player from last season Unique Drake.
- Drake has stepped up in the early season to lead St. John's in scoring, followed by Archer and transfer Ber'Nyah Mayo.
What we're watching: The Red Storm found some success last season but will likely struggle to replicate it anytime soon.
- The few difference-makers it has are in the last year of eligibility, so developing the team's young roster will be key.
Villanova Wildcats
2,896 — that's the number of points the Wildcats needed to replace after losing generational talent Maddy Siegrist to the WNBA.
Why it matters: Siegrist set the school record for points and was a Naismith Player of the Year finalist in her last season with the Wildcats.
- They won 30 games and got to the Sweet 16 for only the second time in program history.
Yes, but: How does Villanova replace such a prodigious scorer?
- The Wildcats added a couple gems to the roster: Maddie Webber, a McDonald's All-American nominee, and Brynn McCurry, the 2022 NJAC Player of the Year.
- Plus, guard Lucy Olsen has stepped up big in Siegrist's absence. She's averaging 28 points and 2.7 steals to start the season.
Xavier Musketeers
There's nowhere for the Musketeers to go but up.
State of play: First-year head coach Billi Chambers, who reached the NCAA tournament with Iona, takes over for a team that went winless in conference play last season.
Who we're watching: Senior forward Nila Blackford, who's averaging a double-double in non-conference play thus far.
