In an era defined by portal movement, the players who stay put and lead are the ones worth watching most closely. ShotTracker Scout identifies the returners built to shape the 2026-27 season.
Every offseason, the conversation centers on who moved where. Commitments drop, rosters get rebuilt, and the portal dominates every headline. But some of the most important stories heading into 2026-27 belong to the players who stayed. Looking for the men’s side of this breakdown? We covered the top returning players in men’s college basketball for 2026-27 in a separate piece. Read it here.
Using ShotTracker Scout’s AI-driven scouting platform, we identified five returners in women’s college basketball whose production, efficiency, and fit within their programs make them must-watch names next season. These are not just players who had strong years. They are players whose decisions to return give their programs a genuine edge before the ball tips in November.
The National Player of the Year Conversation
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina | ShotTracker Season Rating: 84.7
Numbers like 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 57.1% shooting put Edwards at the top of virtually every returner list in the country. Across 40 games, she collected 115 offensive rebounds and blocked 72 shots, anchoring South Carolina’s interior with a level of dominance that opposing coaches have to build their entire defensive game plan around.
Her 57.8% conversion rate on two-point attempts tells you the quality of her looks is as high as the quantity. Returning to a South Carolina roster built with perimeter talent designed to complement her, Edwards enters the season as the most credible National Player of the Year candidate in the country and the centerpiece of what projects as another championship-caliber program.
The Big 12 Backcourt to Watch
Delaney Gibb, BYU | ShotTracker Season Rating: 82.6
Across 30 games last season, Gibb averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while knocking down 70 three-pointers and recording 65 steals. That combination of scoring volume, playmaking, and defensive activity made her BYU’s offensive catalyst and one of the most versatile guards in the Big 12.
Her assist-to-turnover ratio is the one area with the most obvious room to grow. Push that number in the right direction and the conversation around Gibb shifts from a very good Big 12 guard to one of the premier backcourt players in the conference. The tools to get there are already in place.
S’Mya Nichols, Kansas | ShotTracker Season Rating: 82.0
Nichols posted 17.4 points and 4.7 assists per game last season on 48.2% shooting, and the free-throw numbers tell the deeper story of how she generates offense. Her 287 attempts and 243 makes show a guard who attacks the paint with purpose and draws contact consistently, a skill that holds up in high-leverage moments when defenses are at their most physical.
Her 42.9% from three adds a dimension that makes her genuinely difficult to guard at any level. Kansas returns its offensive engine, its facilitator, and its closer in one player. In a Big 12 that continues to grow more competitive, that kind of returning continuity at the guard spot is something coaches across the conference will be accounting for.
Beyond the Power Conferences
Laycee Drake, St. Bonaventure | ShotTracker Season Rating: 81.5
Drake averaged 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from the field, 33.3% from three, and 82.0% from the line. For a guard to rebound at that rate while also carrying a heavy offensive load is genuinely rare, and it signals the kind of all-around impact that programs at any level would build around.
St. Bonaventure enters 2026-27 with legitimate Atlantic 10 title aspirations, and Drake is the reason. Her decision to stay gives the Bonnies a program-changing player whose production holds up against anyone in her conference and would translate well if the opportunity arose at a higher level.
The Piece That Makes South Carolina’s Offense Elite
Tessa Johnson, South Carolina | ShotTracker Season Rating: 81.5
Johnson made 90 three-pointers last season at 44.8%, numbers that rank among the most efficient perimeter shooting performances in the country at any level. She paired that with 2.5 assists per game and just 51 turnovers across 38 games, showing the kind of decision-making and ball security that perimeter shooters often sacrifice when asked to do more.
Her value to South Carolina’s offense goes beyond the three-point line. Having a player who stretches defenses to that degree is what creates the interior space that makes Edwards so dominant. Together, Johnson and Edwards give Dawn Staley one of the most difficult offensive pairings in the country to defend, and both of them are back for another run.
Retaining elite talent is as valuable as landing it. The programs that build around proven returners enter the season with something the portal cannot replicate: chemistry, continuity, and players who already know how to win in their system.
Want to see how these players fit into your scouting reports? ShotTracker Scout runs the same analysis for every player on your schedule. See what the data says at ShotTracker.
