What’s new is a yearly question in college athletics circles. As preparations begin for the 2026-27 women’s basketball season, the newest NCAA Division I conference — the United Athletic Conference — takes center stage.

You might be asking: Doesn’t that conference already exist?

It does, but only in football. On July 1, that changes as UT Arlington, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State — the remaining WAC schools — join five ASUN programs (Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia) to form the league in other sports.

Note: West Georgia is in the third and final year of its transition to NCAA Division I.

Last year’s records:

West Georgia: 18-13 overall, 10-8 ASUN (seventh regular season)
Austin Peay: 16-12 overall, 8-10 ASUN (eighth regular season)
Central Arkansas: 20-10 overall, 13-5 ASUN (tied for second regular season)
Eastern Kentucky: 24-7 overall, 15-3 ASUN (tied for first regular season)
North Alabama: 16-13 overall, 11-7 ASUN (tied for fifth regular season)
Abilene Christian: 24-11 overall, 13-5 WAC (second regular season)
Tarleton State: 14-17 overall, 7-11 WAC (fifth regular season)
UT Arlington: 12-21 overall, 4-14 WAC (tied for sixth regular season)

Click the plus sign (+) to expand each team’s preview.

1. Abilene Christian+

Head coach: Julie Goodenough, 15th season at ACU (274-154 overall, seven Division I postseason appearances)

Last year: 24-11 overall, 13-5 WAC (second in regular season, WNIT Super 16)

Outlook: The Wildcats return 10 players from a team that reached the WNIT Super 16 for a second straight season and came within minutes of a regular-season title.

That group includes WAC Player of the Year Payton Hull, who averaged 18.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, and second-team All-WAC selection Erin Woodson, who averaged 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds.

ACU also gets Meredith Mayes back from a season-ending knee injury. The senior center averaged 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 68.2% from the field before the injury.

In total, ACU returns 90% of its scoring and 89% of its rebounds from last season.

Goodenough also added UIW transfer Raimi McCrary and College of Southern Idaho transfer Samara Morrow.

“We had two priorities in the portal this year,” Goodenough said during a May press conference. “We were looking for a veteran point guard to step in with Breanna Davis graduating, and Samara fits that bill.”

“After losing Meredith and Emma (Daugherty) to injuries last year, we realized we needed another experienced post player, and Raimi is exactly what we were looking for.”

ACU ranked among the nation’s best defensive teams last season, averaging 21 forced turnovers and 11 steals per game.

One major question: Can the Wildcats sustain that defensive production after associate head coach Yannick Denison departed for North Texas?

2. Austin Peay+

Head coach: Brittany Young, Sixth season (76-73 overall)

Last year: 16-12 overall, 8-10 ASUN (eighth regular season, conference tournament runner-up, WNIT first round)

Outlook: Despite an eighth-place regular-season finish, the Governors got hot in March and came within one win of the NCAA Tournament.

Leading scorer Anovia Sheals transferred to George Mason after averaging 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Young added West Georgia transfer Destiny Jones, who averaged 11.1 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field.

Austin Peay also brought in Division II transfers Tish Blackwood, Kiara Croskey and Peighton Jambor.

Croskey earned Conference Carolinas Player of the Year honors after averaging 8.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.4 steals per game.

Jim’Miyah Branton and Veronaye Charleton also return after both averaged at least 10.5 points per game last season.

The biggest question for Austin Peay is replacing the perimeter production lost with the departures of Mya Williams and JaNiah Newell, who combined for 101 made 3-pointers.

3. UT Arlington+

Head coach: Shereka Wright, Sixth season (82-62 overall)

Last year: 12-21 overall, 4-14 WAC

Outlook: The Lady Mavericks earned arguably the WAC’s best nonconference win last season, defeating Texas A&M 61-60 on Kira Reynolds’ buzzer-beater in Hawaii.

But UT Arlington struggled in league play, losing seven straight games to end the regular season.

Wright faces a major rebuild after losing 114 combined starts between graduation and portal departures.

Amiyah Reynolds, Katelyn Brinkley and Faith Carson are the only players taller than 6 feet on the roster.

New Mexico State transfer Morane Dossou averaged 5.0 points and 7.7 rebounds last season, while junior college transfer Chelsea Bishop averaged 15.3 points and shot 38% from 3-point range at Florida Southwestern State College.

UT Arlington led the WAC in 3-point percentage defense last season, holding opponents to 28.8% shooting from beyond the arc.

However, the Lady Mavericks finished last in the conference in scoring offense and made 3-pointers per game.

4. Tarleton State+

Head coach: Bill Brock, Fourth season (45-51 overall)

Last year: 14-17 overall, 7-11 WAC

Outlook: Tarleton State was hit hard by portal departures and graduations.

The Texans lost nine players to the portal along with Gia Adams, Kyriana Jones and Jakoriah Long to graduation.

Brock added transfers Rose Boisnel, Brooklyn King, Olivia Medford and Lucia Navarro, along with junior college additions Lesline Penge and Stephany Goncalves.

At 6-foot-5, Penge adds significant size after the departures of Shadasia Brackens and Elodie Lutbert.

Goncalves arrives with international experience after representing Brazil at the U15 and U18 levels.

Tarleton State went 2-1 in overtime games last season and finished 6-10 in games decided by 10 points or fewer.

5. North Alabama+

Head coach: Anna Nimz, First season

Last year: 17-14 overall, 11-7 ASUN

Outlook: Nimz takes over after a successful six-year run at Northwestern State that included a 2025 WNIT appearance.

She inherits a North Alabama team coming off its highest win total since the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season.

The Lions added six portal transfers, including former Northwestern State player Joceline Geara.

UIW transfer Brynn Lusby is the most notable newcomer after averaging 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

6. West Georgia+

Head coach: Joanna Reitz, Fifth season (60-50 overall)

Last year: 18-13 overall, 10-8 ASUN

Outlook: West Georgia’s second year of Division I transition featured plenty of drama.

The Wolves played in the nation’s longest game last season, a four-overtime loss to North Alabama.

Reitz lost three of her top four scorers, including Asia Donald and Destiny Jones.

Division III transfer Meghan Gentile arrives after averaging 20.1 points per game at New Jersey City University.

Sydne Tolbert returns after averaging 14.7 points while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range.

West Georgia led the ASUN in scoring offense at 73 points per game but ranked 10th in scoring defense.

7. Central Arkansas+

Head coach: Tony Kemper, Fourth season at UCA

Last year: 21-11 overall, 13-5 ASUN

Outlook: Kemper has guided Central Arkansas to back-to-back ASUN championship game appearances and consecutive WNIT berths.

The Sugar Bears lost graduate standouts Shae Littleford and Bree Stephens but retained much of their core.

Cheyanne Kemp averaged 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds last season, while Jenna Cook led the team with 52 made 3-pointers.

Arkansas Tech transfer Logan Young arrives after averaging 16.6 points per game at the Division II level.

Central Arkansas ranked among the nation’s leaders in scoring defense and made 3-pointers last season.

8. Eastern Kentucky+

Head coach: Greg Todd, Sixth season at EKU

Last year: 25-9 overall, 15-3 ASUN

Outlook: Eastern Kentucky enters the UAC after another strong season that ended with a second-round WBIT appearance.

Liz Freihofer returns after earning first-team All-ASUN honors and averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Kenleigh Woods also returns after making the ASUN All-Freshman Team.

Todd added Division II transfer Elyse Autrey along with frontcourt size in Michelle Ugawah and Nicole Fritea.

EKU ranked second nationally in 3-point percentage defense and third in scoring offense last season.

Storylines

Who had the worst portal hit?

Who had the best portal haul?

— Darth Dad (@UTAFan) June 7, 2026

Thanks for the question. Tarleton State, UT Arlington, and North Alabama took the biggest portal hits in both the number of entries and the quality of those entries. It should be noted that North Alabama did go through a coaching change this offseason, with Anna Nimz coming over from Northwestern State. 

In terms of who did the best with their incoming class, time will tell. But I’ll give my top five most intriguing portal watches from the UAC (listed in no particular order). 

1. Meghan Gentile (West Georgia): Can the Division III transfer take her scoring punch to the highest level of college basketball? 

2. Logan Young (Central Arkansas): Will Young follow in the footsteps of fellow GAC transfer Aspen Thornton and have similar success at the Division I level? 

3 and 4. Stephany Goncalves (Tarleton State) and Chelsea Bishop (UT Arlington): How will the junior college transfers make the jump to Division I and a possible starring role? 

5. Samara Morrow (ACU): Can the junior college transfer step in and replace the veteran Breanna Davis as the Wildcats’ starting point guard? 

What prevails in the battle between good 3-point shooting teams and quality 3-point defensive teams? 

The UAC will have four teams in the national top-50 for made 3-pointers per game from last season (ACU, West Georgia, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky). They’ll also have five teams in the top 70 in 3-point percentage defense (UT Arlington, EKU, West Georgia, North Alabama, and Central Arkansas). Who wins in the battle between offense and defense when the calendar turns to March? 

Do the teams with the most returners finish at the top or the ones that have had to go to the portal heavily?

ACU, Eastern Kentucky and Central Arkansas return the most talent from their rosters of a season ago. Will they be the teams at the top at season’s end or will it be Tarleton State, UT Arlington, West Georgia or North Alabama who had to really hit the portal?