The 2025-26 Ivy women’s basketball season tips off Friday, so it’s time for Ivy Hoops Online’s preseason poll – not to be confused with the Ivy League-released media preseason poll. Here’s how our contributors collectively predict the league will shake out, with select observations from some of them:
1. Princeton (2024-25: 21-8, 12-2 Ivy)
Steve Silverman: Princeton’s lineup this season is the dream Tigers fans have been waiting for. Guard Madison St. Rose returns for her senior season as the leading candidate to win Ivy Player of the Year. The Fantastic Four — Skye Belker, Ashley Chea, Fadima Tall and Olivia Hutcherson — are back and will be upperclassmen. The only weakness is size. Coach Carla Berube lost four players from last year’s squad at 6-foot-3 or taller. That leaves senior co-captain Taylor Charles at 6-foot-2 as the tallest player on the roster. It won’t matter. This is the year Princeton brings glory to the Ivy League and advances to the Sweet 16.
Rob Browne: If Madison St. Rose returns as strong as she started last year, the experienced Tigers have a good chance to return to the top of the conference and a spot in the top 25.
2. Columbia (2024-25: 24-7, 13-1 Ivy)
Richard Kent: Trust in coach Megan Griffith.
3. Harvard (2024-25: 24-5, 11-3 Ivy)
SS: How do you replace Harmoni Turner, last season’s Ivy League Player of the Year? You don’t, and for that reason, I think Harvard will take a step back this season. The Crimson do have a lot of talented players returning in senior forward Katie Krupa, senior guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello and junior forward Abigail Wright. All three will have to be consistent scorers this year for the Crimson to have a chance to contend for an Ivy title. Look for a possible breakout season from sophomore guard/forward Hana Belibi. Last year, Harvard went 3-3 in its six contests against Princeton and Columbia. I think they’ll struggle to net one win against the Lions and Tigers this season.
RB: It wasn’t easy for Harvard to get its first Ivy tournament championship, and it will be equally challenging to sustain that level of excellence. To prove that culture doesn’t graduate, the Crimson aim to have similar or better results from its pressure defense. On the other side, the roster will look to work together to cover the loss of 34 points and almost 10 rebounds a game from the graduation of Turner and Elena Rodriguez.
4. Penn (2024-25: 15-13, 6-8 Ivy)
SS: I keep waiting for someone to reach up from the lower echelon of the Ivy League to snatch the No. 4 spot from Penn, but I don’t think it will be this year. The Quakers have guard Mataya Gayle and sophomore forward Katie Collins anchoring the lineup. Both are former Ivy league Rookies of the Year. Look for senior guard Simone Sawyer to make a jump this year.
RK: It’s key that 2023-24 two-time Rookie of the Week guard Ese Ogbevire is back after missing all last season with injury.
5. Brown (2024-25: 12-15, 6-8 Ivy)
SS: This team has the talent to be in the top four, but for reasons that are hard to put a finger on, this program just hasn’t lived up to its potential in recent years. But, man, if things do come together this season, watch out. Guard Grace Arnolie is a very able quarterback and she should be very impactful in her senior campaign if she can stay healthy. An X-factor is senior forward Alyssa Moreland. She flashed brilliance at times last year. Can she bring that difference-making ability to the court on a consistent basis?
6. Cornell (7-20, 3-11 Ivy)
SS: Like Brown, this team has a lot of talent on the roster. The problem is, so many other teams in the Ivy League have even better talent. But the gap may be closing in year two of the Emily Garner era in Ithaca. Forward Emily Pape is back for her senior campaign and should be a contender for All-Ivy honors. Sophomore guard Paige Engels will be a sophomore this year. She displayed tremendous potential as a freshman. Can she take the next step? To me, the X-factor is junior guard Azareya Kilgoe. If she can become a double-digit scorer, the Big Red could make big noise.
RB: Cornell and Dartmouth continue their rebuilds, with both hopefully picking up the pace in 2025-2026.
7. Dartmouth (8-19, 2-12 Ivy)
SS: Head coach Linda Cimino has made steady progress in her first two years at the helm. That will continue in year three with junior guard Nina Minicozzi emerging as a star and senior forward Clare Meyer protecting the rim.
8. Yale (4-23, 3-11 Ivy)
RB: The Bulldogs, which steadily went from the conference’s No. 3 team in 2021-22 to seventh last year, have little room for error if head coach Dalila Eshe is to remain in charge in New Haven after going 12-42 (.222) the past two seasons.
SS: Like Cornell, even with improvement, it will be hard for this team to advance in the standings given the depth of quality in the League. And losing Mackenzie Egger, Yale’s top scorer a year ago, to graduation, doesn’t help the cause. I sense there may be some talent lurking in the freshman class, but I don’t think that will be enough for the Bulldogs to escape the cellar in a very competitive Ivy League.