NFL free agency begins March 9 with the legal negotiating window, but the action has already started. The Jets and Titans made the first big move of the offseason last week, with New York sending edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to Tennessee for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. The Texans and Browns followed Monday, with Houston sending offensive tackle Tytus Howard to the Browns for a fifth-round pick. And the Lions made a surprising move later on Monday, trading running David Montgomery to the Texans for guard Juice Scruggs and two draft picks.

ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder is grading the biggest signings and trades of the offseason, putting each deal into perspective for teams and players. To determine each grade, Walder is evaluating moves based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, compensation, player value/age, and the context of a team’s short- and long-term outlooks. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we it’s a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team’s chance to win the Super Bowl, this season or in the future?

Follow along as Walder evaluates and grades each move, with the most recent grades at the top. Let’s start with the Montgomery deal.

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Top 50 free agents | Best free agent fits

Jump to a notable deal:
Montgomery-Scruggs | Howard
Johnson-Sweat

Texans get: RB David Montgomery
Lions get: G Juice Scruggs, 2026 fourth-round draft pick, 2027 seventh-round pick

Texans grade: D
Lions grade: A

At some point this offseason, the Texans needed to add a running back to team up with second-year man Woody Marks. They opted to do that early by acquiring Montgomery. Houston’s running game was abysmal in 2025, ranking 31st in EPA per designed carry. Their running back play wasn’t ideal, but the biggest culprit of that poor performance was an offensive line that ranked 32nd in run block win rate. Though Marks averaged only 3.6 yards per carry, he still recorded 31 rush yards over expected, another sign that the offensive line was the problem.

In Montgomery, the Texans acquire a reliable veteran who recorded 125 rush yards over expected with Detroit in 2025, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But his role has steadily decreased in recent years with the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs. In the 14 games Montgomery played in 2023, he was featured on 48% of snaps and carried the ball 219 games. By 2025, those numbers dropped to 37% and 158, respectively, despite playing in 17 games. Montgomery’s receiving work was also limited because of Gibbs — as his 24 receptions last season where nowhere close to the 54 he once caught with the Bears in 2020.

Montgomery’s contract is reasonable: He’ll cost Houston $6 million in cash this year (and $9 million non-guaranteed next year) if left untouched. But that does not mean this was a smart acquisition. An aging (29 years old in June), early-down back whose prior team had been phasing out is not worth spending real resources on. It surprises me that Detroit was able to lure a four-seven swap here since they could have found comparable expected production for far less.

Scruggs is a reclamation project throw-in for Detroit. The 2023 second-round pick has bounced around the interior of Houston’s offensive line. At guard, he has been in the 24th and 26th percentiles in pass block win rate and run block win rate, respectively. The results at center in 2024 were even worse, as he was third percentile in both metrics. Scruggs has one year left on his rookie deal, but the draft picks should be more than enough here for the Lions. They can use that capital to find another running back to complement Gibbs late in the draft or find a low-cost veteran in free agency. It’s as easy a win as the Lions will find all offseason.

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Browns get: OT Tytus Howard
Texans get: 2026 fifth-round pick

Browns grade: D+
Texans grade: A-

One starting offensive lineman down, four more to go for the Browns. In acquiring Howard, an offensive tackle who has occasionally kicked inside to guard in his seven NFL seasons, Cleveland starts the massive rebuild of its offensive line. But was it worth it? I have a hard time seeing how.

With six offensive line free agents, the Browns are going to look significantly different in the trenches in 2026, and they’re right to jump on this right away. There’s a good chance the Browns will have a young, developing player at quarterback — be it Shedeur Sanders or someone else — and it’s critical to keep that player upright.

Howard’s exact role is unknown due to his flexibility and how the Browns’ address their other holes upfront, but right tackle seems like the safest bet since it’s where he has most frequently played.

Howard ranked in the 24th percentile in pass block win rate at tackle and the 31st percentile in run block win rate at tackle last season. He was also below average in both in 2024. That hasn’t always been the case — Howard ranked in the top 10 overall in pass block win rate at tackle in 2021 and 2022. But we’re several seasons removed from that, and he scored poorly in run blocking in each of those seasons.

So the Browns are likely getting a below-average starter. And he isn’t cheap. Howard was slated to make $17.5 million in 2026 (the final year of his deal) but is now signing a three-year, $63 million extension. While the details of that extension will matter quite a bit, Howard will be receiving hefty compensation from Cleveland.

The Browns sat at less than $1 million under the 2026 cap prior to this deal, per OverTheCap.com, though their cap obligations lighten quite a bit in 2027. But is this where they want to spend their resources, dealing a fifth-round pick to pay what might be an over-market deal for a below-average starter? That’s not how I’d want to kick off the offseason.

This continues a recent pattern of offensive line turnover for the Texans, but I don’t mind this move for them. Houston needs better blocking, both to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud and generate a running game to support him. It was last in the NFL (32nd) in run block win rate, 30th in pass block win rate and 26th in yards gained before contact on running back rushes last season.

Howard played both right tackle and left guard for the Texans, who have plenty of open spots along the offensive line, with both Ed Ingram and Trent Brown set to be free agents. They’ll need to add offensive line help at some point and must set aside money to pay edge rusher Will Anderson Jr — and probably Stroud, too. So getting a fifth-round pick to not pay Howard seems like good business.

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Jets get: DT T’Vondre Sweat
Titans get: Edge Jermaine Johnson

Jets grade: A-
Titans grade: C-

For all their faults, the Jets came out of last year’s trade deadline with two of the very best deals in that period. While hardly on the same scale, they kicked off the 2026 trade season with another shrewd move in swapping out Johnson for Sweat in a one-for-one swap.

The last of the Jets’ three 2022 first-round picks, Johnson put together one decent sack season in 2023, with 7.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl nod. That came while playing for current Titans head coach Robert Saleh, which I assume is a critical factor in why this deal was made.

But Johnson managed only 5.5 sacks over his other three seasons in New York, though he played just three games in 2024 due to an Achilles injury. Advanced pass-rushing metrics have not been kind to Johnson in his four-year career. His career pass rush win rate is only 8.4% (8.9% last season), while the average for a starting edge in that span is 15.6%.

Sweat, a 2024 second-round pick, has been a solid starting nose tackle for Tennessee. He should help the Jets’ run defense and provide some pass rush from the nose. While his 6.5% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle is below average for the position, it’s not bad considering where he lines up. He’ll join a Jets interior group that includes Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs.

As for Johnson, the Titans need help at edge. But that need doesn’t make it worth the cost.

Johnson is playing on his fifth-year option and will cost Tennessee $13.4 million, per OverTheCap. By contrast, Sweat has two years left on his rookie deal and will cost the Jets just $1.6 and $2.1 million in each of those years, respectively. Sweat is also younger and, in my view, has a better chance to be a plus contributor than Johnson. That makes this deal well worth it for New York, especially considering the Jets will get a player with another year of team control for less money.

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.

Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”

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Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.

“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”

Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.

“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”

The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.

“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.

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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”

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With the regular season complete in the Power 4 conferences, Champ Week has arrived. Conference tournament titles will be decided in the next two weeks, and leagues will be handing out awards over that same period.

Player of the year in some conferences will be easy choices — UConn‘s Sarah Strong in the Big East and Richmond‘s Maggie Doogan in the Atlantic 10 look like locks — while other races are close calls, such as in the ACC and Summit League.

The same goes with projecting champions in each conference. In some cases, the No. 1 seeds will be clear favorites. In others it might be the hottest team or a potential Cinderella.

But what is the fun in waiting to find out? Let’s make some predictions on both conference champs and players of the year to whet the appetite for March.

America East Conference

Predicted champion: Vermont Catamounts

After battling Binghamton all season, Vermont pulled away over the final two weeks. That included a win over the Bearcats on Feb. 12 in Burlington. That’s where the rematch will take place should the two meet again in the conference tournament title game.

Player of the Year: Adrianna Smith, 6-0, senior, F, Maine Black Bears

The 2023 America East Player of the Year will leave Maine as one of the program’s most productive players of all time. She led the conference in scoring twice and in rebounding three times. This season Smith pulled off the rare triple, topping the America East in scoring, rebounds and assists.

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American Conference

Predicted champion: Rice Owls

The Owls don’t have a player in the top 10 in the American in scoring or assists but cruised to the regular-season championship. They did it with defense, leading the nation in opponent 3-point rate. Hailey Adams was one of the conference’s best shot blockers and Victoria Flores was among the leaders in steals.

Player of the Year: Kennedy Fauntleroy, 5-7, senior, G, East Carolina Pirates

After a Big East Freshman of the Year season at Georgetown in 2023, Fauntleroy struggled in one season each at Oklahoma State and Arizona State before regaining her form at East Carolina. She reached career highs in points and assists and is leading the American in steals.

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ASUN Conference

Predicted champion: Jacksonville Dolphins

After losing to Eastern Kentucky by 19 points in late January, Jacksonville has been chasing the Colonels. But now the Dolphins are the hotter team and will get to sleep in their own beds during an ASUN tournament played at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.

Player of the Year: Priscilla Williams, 6-2, senior, G, Jacksonville Dolphins

The well-traveled and once highly recruited Williams found a home at Jacksonville the last two seasons. After stops at Syracuse, South Florida and Oregon, in her final collegiate season Williams led the ASUN in rebounding and ranked second in scoring.

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Atlantic 10 Conference

Predicted champion: Richmond Spiders

Rhode Island was the A-10 front-runner most of the way, but preseason favorite Richmond beat the Rams by 26 points in the second-to-last game of the regular season. The Spiders are the league’s best shooting team, have the best player in Maggie Doogan and will be playing the conference tournament in nearby Henrico, Virginia.

Player of the Year: Maggie Doogan, 6-2, senior, F, Richmond Spiders

Although her team hasn’t been as good as a year ago, Doogan has been better than her 2025 A-10 Player of the Year campaign. She won the scoring title going away and finished in the conference’s top five in seven major statistical categories. Not coincidentally, Doogan’s career corresponded with the best four-year run in program history.

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Atlantic Coast Conference

Predicted champion: Duke Blue Devils

The recent loss at Clemson notwithstanding, Duke has been the ACC’s best team since conference play began. Core players Toby Fournier, Taina Mair, Ashlon Jackson and Delaney Thomas were a big part of the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament title a year ago. Duke was only one point better than Louisville in their one regular-season meeting, and the Blue Devils showed vulnerability against the Tigers, but they still should head to Duluth, Georgia, as the favorite.

Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6, junior, G, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Fournier has been outstanding in lifting Duke to the top of the conference, but Hidalgo’s excellence is just too difficult to overcome. She remains arguably the best two-way player in the country, leading the country in steals and topping the ACC in scoring by a wide margin.

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Big 12 Conference

Predicted champion: TCU Horned Frogs

Mark Campbell has changed the program entirely with his up-tempo, pick-and-roll offense. With different personnel the results have been much the same: consecutive first-place Big 12 regular-season finishes. Last year Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince led the way. This year it’s Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez, and the Horned Frogs will be the favorite to also repeat as tournament champs.

Player of the Year: Olivia Miles, 5-10, senior, G, TCU Horned Frogs

After leaving Notre Dame and delaying her departure for the WNBA, Miles immediately looked at home in Fort Worth. With her court vision and improved deep shooting, she was the perfect point guard for Campbell’s system. She hit career highs in scoring and field goal percentage.

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Big East Conference

Predicted champion: UConn Huskies

The 66-game winning streak against Big East opponents doesn’t seem likely to end at Mohegan Sun in the Big East tournament. UConn has beaten conference competition this season by an average of more than 40 points per game.

Player of the Year: Sarah Strong, 6-2, sophomore, F, UConn Huskies

UConn’s dominance starts with its overwhelming talent advantage over the rest of the conference, and that talent starts with Strong, the favorite to win national player of the year as well. She led the league in scoring, steals and field goal percentage and ranks in the top five of four other major categories, all while averaging fewer than 25 minutes per Big East game.

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Big Sky Conference

Predicted champion: Montana State Bobcats

The regular season was a two-team race between the Bobcats and Idaho. Montana State beat the Vandals by 30 points in the first meeting before losing the second in overtime. The Bobcats were also good enough to beat UNLV and Colorado in nonconference play.

Player of the Year: Taylee Chirrick, 5-11, sophomore, G, Montana State Bobcats

After winning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, Chirrick went to another level in her second season. Only Hannah Hidalgo averages more steals per game nationally. Chirrick has tripled her point production from a year ago, which saved the Montana State attack that lost the top three scorers from last season’s 30-win team.

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Big South Conference

Predicted champion: High Point Panthers

After winning the league regular-season and tournament titles a year ago, the Panthers are one step away from another sweep. That would put High Point, with the stingiest defense in the Big South, into the NCAA tournament for the third time since 2021.

Player of the Year: Macy Spencer, 5-8, junior, G, High Point Panthers

Panthers coach Chelsea Banbury brought in two significant transfers in the offseason — Lexi Fleming from Bowling Green and Macy Spencer from UNLV. Fleming, who was a two-time all-MAC selection, had the better résumé, but when she went down with a knee injury four games into the season, Spencer became High Point’s top option. She delivered, leading the conference in scoring while making more than 38% of her 3-pointers.

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Big Ten Conference

Predicted champion: UCLA Bruins

The Big Ten is deep and might have as many as 12 NCAA tournament teams. Yet none of them could touch the Bruins, whose road to the regular-season championship was never challenged. They won their Big Ten games by an average of more than 25 points. Losing the Big Ten tournament championship to USC Trojans a year ago still stings, and this veteran group will have that top of mind when they get to Indianapolis.

Player of the Year: Lauren Betts, 6-7, senior, C, UCLA Bruins

The most dominant player on the most dominant team must be the front-runner — even if her numbers aren’t as good as her junior season after the additions of Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker to balance the offense. Ohio State‘s Jaloni Cambridge will provide a challenge, but Betts remains the Big Ten’s most intimidating force on both ends of the court.

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Big West Conference

Predicted champion: UC Irvine Anteaters

This will be a wide-open race with four different teams having held the lead at one point in the season. The Anteaters have the highest NET ranking in the conference and have the best player among the contenders in Hunter Hernandez.

Player of the Year: Hannah Wickstrom, 5-10, sophomore, G, UC Riverside Highlanders

It’s not often the Player of the Year comes from a team in the bottom half of the conference standings, but Wickstrom has been that good. She is averaging nearly six points per game more in Big West games than her nearest competitor in the league.

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Coastal Athletic Association

Predicted champion: Charleston Cougars

After winning 25 games for the first time in program history, the Cougars capped a successful three-year run with their first championship of any kind by capturing the CAA regular-season title. Charleston led wire-to-wire with the conference’s best offense and will be heavy favorites to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time.

Player of the Year: Taryn Barbot, 5-10, junior, G, Charleston Cougars

That offense is led by Barbot, who is in line to win her second Player of the Year award in a row. She led the CAA in assists and averaged more than 19 points per game, nearly two points more than a year ago.

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Conference USA

Predicted Champion: Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters

After losing their first conference game, the Lady Techsters went on a tear and never looked back. They had the CUSA title clinched with two weeks left in the regular season. The top offense in CUSA, Louisiana Tech is led by sophomore guard Paris Bradley but does it with balance. Four starters average double figures.

Player of the Year: Rhema Collins, 6-2, junior, G, Florida International Panthers

After transferring from Ole Miss, Collins helped take the Panthers from sixth place to second in CUSA. She heads to the final week of the regular season as a top-three scorer, rebounder, field goal shooter and shot blocker in the conference.

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Horizon League

Predicted champion: Green Bay Phoenix

The Phoenix led the Horizon wire-to-wire on the way to their third regular-season title in four years and will be the heavy favorite to win their third consecutive tournament championship. Sharing the ball remains the cornerstone of the program, and Green Bay is fifth in the country in assist rate.

Player of the Year: Jenna Guyer, 6-2, senior, C, Green Bay Phoenix

It took four years for Guyer to become a starter, and she made the most of it. The most accurate 3-point shooter in the conference, Guyer was also top five in scoring and top 10 in rebounding. Before this season, Guyer had not averaged more than 6.9 points per game. This year she missed scoring in double figures only twice and was averaging nearly 15 points per game entering the weekend.

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Ivy League

Predicted champion: Princeton Tigers

Unless third-place Harvard has something to say about it, the Tigers and Columbia seem destined to play for the Ivy Madness championship. If they do, the Lions will be trying to beat Princeton for a third time this season. That seems unlikely for teams so evenly matched.

Player of the Year: Riley Weiss, 5-10, Jr., G, Columbia Lions

A pure scorer and fearless shooter, Weiss had some of her biggest games of the season against Columbia’s best competition. She averaged 27.3 points in games against Kansas State, South Dakota State and North Carolina. But it was the 23 points in that second meeting against Princeton late in the season that should clinch this award.

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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Predicted champion: Fairfield Stags

The Stags have won 64 of their last 66 games against MAAC opponents, which includes winning the last two conference tournaments. One of the two losses this season was to Quinnipiac, which Fairfield avenged on Valentine’s Day and might have to do again to win the tournament again.

Player of the Year: Kaety L’Amoreaux, 5-6, junior, G, Fairfield Stags

This is a two-player race between teammates. L’Amoreaux, who is the MAAC’s leader in scoring and assists, should beat out Meghan Andersen, the league’s top 3-point shooter and preseason favorite.

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Mid-American Conference

Predicted champion: Miami (OH) RedHawks

Miami and Ball State have battled for MAC supremacy most of the season, but the Redhawks won both meetings by a combined 24 points. Tamar Singer had 25 points and eight steals in their most recent meeting. She could be the key again for Miami getting back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.

Player of the Year: Sisi Eleko, 6-2, senior, F, Eastern Michigan Eagles

Incredibly consistent, Eleko is close to averaging a double-double for the third straight season. She scored in double figures in every game this season and ranks in the top three in the MAC in scoring and rebounding for the second year in a row.

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Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Predicted champion: Howard Bison

Norfolk State has won the last three MEAC tournaments, all over Howard in the finals, and it might again come down to the Bison, who have the league’s best offense, and the Spartans, the MEAC’s top defensive team. But Norfolk State no longer has its core group or coach Larry Vickers, so this might be an opportunity for Howard to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022.

Player of the Year: Zennia Thomas, 6-2, senior, F, Howard Bison

After leaving Kentucky two years into her college career, Thomas has found a home at Howard and blossomed in her final season. She went from a third-team All-MEAC player a year ago to the conference’s best scorer and rebounder.

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Missouri Valley Conference

Predicted champion: Murray State Racers

Last year Murray State ranked second in the country in scoring. This year it is 10th but has had a more successful season. The Racers pulled away from the pack in the MVC and will win the regular-season crown for the second straight year going away.

Player of the Year: Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, 6-2, junior, F, Murray State Racers

The Racers have been so dominant because they might have the two best players in the conference. Junior guard Halli Poock leads the conference in scoring and Currie-Jelks, who spent the last two seasons at Indiana, is right behind her. She is also second in rebounds and field goal percentage and is among the national leaders in double-doubles.

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Mountain West Conference

Predicted champion: San Diego State Aztecs

After breaking UNLV ‘s three-year run on the conference tournament title last March, the Aztecs snapped the Lady Rebels’ streak of four regular-season championships this season. Coach Stacie Terry-Hutson, who has won more than 20 games for four years in a row, replaced two starters by hitting the transfer portal and produced the program’s most successful MWC season since 2013.

Player of the Year: Meadow Roland, 6-2, sophomore, F, UNLV Lady Rebels

After winning MWC Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year last season, Roland took her game to another level. UNLV didn’t have the regular season it wanted, but Roland might have exceeded expectations as one of the league’s best scorers and rebounders and its top rim protector.

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Northeast Conference

Predicted champion: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

Stephanie Gaitley is one of the best mid-major coaches of all time and has worked her magic at FDU. The Knights are bearing down on a second consecutive unbeaten league season. Sophomore guard Ava Renninger, the NEC’s assist leader, has been the backbone of that dominance.

Player of the Year: Kadidia Toure, 6-3, senior, F, Long Island University Sharks

Toure never averaged more than 5.7 points per game in three seasons at James Madison and Arizona State, but she blossomed with the Sharks. She leads the NEC in scoring and rebounding by significant margins with a week left in the regular season, and she helped Long Island to its best season in 14 years.

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Ohio Valley Conference

Predicted champion: Western Illinois Leathernecks

Picked to finish second, the Leathernecks have been the front-runner in the OVC all season. And that came after one of the best mid-major players in the country, Raegan McCowan, went down with an elbow injury 10 games into the season. She might return for the stretch run, giving the Leathernecks a big boost in the tournament.

Player of the Year: Mia Nicastro, 6-2, senior, F, Western Illinois Leathernecks

Nicastro is the biggest reason why Western Illinois was able to survive the loss of McCowan. She led the conference in scoring, improving her scoring average by nearly 10 points per game. She ranked among the league leaders in rebounds and field goal percentage as well.

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Patriot League

Predicted champion: Navy Mids

Three seasons ago Navy won one game. Now the Mids are the Patriot League regular-season champs for the first time since 2014. Offense led the way for the Mids, who led the conference in points and assists. The No. 1 seed in the conference tournament also means Navy will host every game it plays, and the Mids went 3-1 in the regular season against Army and Holy Cross, their chief competition.

Player of the Year: Zanai Barnett-Gay, 5-8, junior, G, Navy Mids

The turnaround in Annapolis has coincided with the arrival of Barnett-Gay. She led the Patriot in scoring and assists this season and has led the conference in steals all three years of her career.

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Southeastern Conference

Predicted Champion: South Carolina Gamecocks

The SEC tournament has been South Carolina’s domain under Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have won it nine times, including the last three. The growth of Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson and the leadership of Raven Johnson have helped this version of the Gamecocks overcome two significant preseason injuries and remain the top team in the country’s best conference.

Player of the Year: Mikayla Blakes, 5-8, sophomore, G, Vanderbilt Commodores

The top scorer in the country and on the short list for national player of the year, Blakes’ output is even better in SEC games and is the chief reason the Commodores are closing in on their best season in nearly 25 years.

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Southern Conference

Predicted champion: Chattanooga Mocs

After replacing Shawn Poppie when he left for Clemson, it took Deandra Schirmer just two seasons to get the Lady Mocs back atop the SoCon. They have done it as the best shooting team in the conference and with just one senior playing a significant role.

Player of the Year: Caia Elisaldez, 5-5, junior, G, Chattanooga Mocs

Much of that shooting comes via the passing of Elisaldez. In the last two seasons she has produced some of the best assist numbers in school history. Along the way, Elisaldez leads the SoCon in scoring and minutes this season.

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Southland Conference

Predicted champion: Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks

McNeese dominated the regular season with one of the best defenses in the country. But the Ladyjacks have the SLC’s best offense and might just be hitting their stride since the return of Ashlyn Traylor-Walker, one of the conference’s best players who missed the first 18 games of the season. That gives SFA five players scoring in double figures.

Player of the Year: Charlotte O’Keefe, 6-3, senior, F, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros

The second-leading rebounder in the country, O’Keefe also has started to score more late in the season. She’s the second-most-accurate field goal shooter and shot blocker in the SLC and shares the distinction as the league’s best two-way player with McNeese‘s Dakota Howard.

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Southwestern Athletic Conference

Predicted champion: Alabama A&M Bulldogs

Last season was the best in program history. This year was even better. The Bulldogs set a school record for conference wins and haven’t looked back after losing their SWAC opener to Mississippi Valley State in overtime. A 42-point win over second-place Alcorn State makes Alabama A&M the easy choice to be the favorite to win their first SWAC tournament.

Player of the Year: Kalia Walker, 5-5, graduate, G, Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs

A more efficient version of Walker emerged this season. She improved in nearly every statistical category and has been the catalyst behind the Bulldogs’ success for the last two seasons.

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Summit League

Predicted champion: South Dakota State Jackrabbits

North Dakota State broke the Jackrabbits’ five-year hold on the regular-season championship, but South Dakota State won the most recent matchup and seem to be the better team heading to Sioux Falls for the conference tournament, which the Jackrabbits have won three years in a row and 11 times under coach Aaron Johnston.

Player of the Year: Brooklyn Meyer, 6-2, senior, F, South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Only twice all season did someone other than Meyer or North Dakota State’s Avery Koenen win Summit League Player of the Week. This might be the closest race in the country. Meyer was the slightly better scorer, more accurate shooter and shot blocker. Koenen averaged more rebounds and led her team to the regular-season championship. The deciding factor might be the most recent meeting: Meyer had 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Koenen had 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting.

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Sun Belt Conference

Predicted champion: James Madison Dukes

The Dukes, the preseason favorite, suffered a pair of overtime losses early in the Sun Belt season and never fully recovered despite a hot finish to the regular season. JMU has one of the best players in the conference in fifth-year senior Peyton McDaniel, who probably won’t repeat as Player of the Year but is good enough to carry a team to a championship.

Player of the Year: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, 5-8, Sr., G, Marshall Thundering Herd

A solid three-year career at VCU turned into one outstanding season with Marshall. A slow start in nonconference play turned into an explosion once the SBC schedule began. Lewis-Eutsey scored 31 points in her first conference game and finished averaging over 21 points per game to lead the league. She also ranks seventh in the country in steals.

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West Coast Conference

Predicted champion: Gonzaga Bulldogs

The WCC tournament should be wide open with as many of five teams capable of leaving Las Vegas with the title. Gonzaga is the highest rated among them in the NET and had the toughest nonconference schedule. Although, despite winning the regular-season title each of the previous three seasons, the Bulldogs haven’t won the WCC tournament since 2022.

Player of the Year: Lauren Whittaker, 6-3, freshman, F, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Last year the Zags had the WCC Freshman of the Year in Allie Turner. This year they will do one better with Whittaker, who should win both Freshman and Player of the Year. Whittaker tops all freshmen nationally in double-doubles and leads the WCC in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

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Western Athletic Conference

Predicted champion: California Baptist Lancers

Abilene Christian and Southern Utah are right behind, but the Lancers have led the WAC for most of the last two months. The tournament will be highly competitive, but Cal Baptist has the most balanced offense in the conference with five players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Lauren Olsen.

Player of the Year: Payton Hull, 5-10, Jr., G, Abilene Christian Wildcats

The Wildcats have been chasing Cal Baptist all season and lost to the Lancers in their first meeting, but Hull has been the front-runner for Player of the Year from the start. The preseason pick is on the verge of repeating as the league’s scoring champ. This year, she added steals leader to the résumé as well.