Washington WBB ranked No. 20 in way-too-early top 25

After a 22-11 season and the program's first win in the NCAA Tournament since the Kelsey Plum era, coach Tina Langley not only has a fresh contract extension in hand, but she also has the Washington Huskies headed in the right direction for the 2026-27 season.

CBS Sports' Isabel Gonzalez agrees, placing the Huskies as the No. 20 team in the nation in his way-too-early top 25 for the next season. That also puts Langley's team as the No. 7 team in what's expected to be a loaded Big Ten Conference, behind No. 3 USC, No. 5 Michigan, No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 16 UCLA, and No. 19 Maryland.

"The Huskies are coming off their best season since now-WNBA star Kelsey Plum played for the program," Gonzalez wrote. "They lost five seniors but will try to keep the momentum going with the return of their two leading scorers, Sayvia Sellers and Avery Howell. A new addition who could make an impact right away will be former NC State forward Tilda Trygger, who started all 30 games for the Wolfpack as a sophomore."

The Huskies picked up the No. 11 player in the transfer portal—per ESPN's rankings—in Trygger, who should bring a big boost to the starting lineup as both a scorer and a rebounder alongside All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree Brynn McGaughy after averaging 10.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game during her sophomore season with the Wolfpack.

Colorado State guard Brooke Carlson is also projected to be an important piece of the rotation after averaging 11.7 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Rams last season, while Oklahoma State guard Macey Huard could prove to be a reliable scorer off the bench after missing all of the 2025-26 season with a foot injury.

As the offseason rolls on, with all the talent Langley has accumulated, the Huskies should be mainstays in the rankings.