CAL GOLDEN BEARS

Last season: 19-15, 7-11 (tied for eighth in the Pac-12; reached the second round of the WBIT)

Coach: Charmin Smith, sixth season, 56-80.

Season opener: Monday vs. Saint Mary’s, 6 p.m.

Projected starters: Senior forward Marta Suarez (11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds), senior guard Ioanna Krimili (13 points, 2.3 assists), center Ugonne Onyiah (7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds), senior guard Kayla Williams (6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds), graduate senior forward Natalia Ackerman (12.0 points, 8.9 rebounds)

Key reserves: Senior forward Claudia Langarita (2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds), sophomore guard Gisella Maul (2.3 points, 1.1 assists), sophomore guard Lulu Twidale (6.3 points, 1.4 rebounds), senior guard Jayda Noble (3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds)

Strengths: Cal’s front line of Suarez, Onyiah and Cal Poly transfer Ackerman give the Golden Bears a wealth of experience in its first foray into the loaded ACC. Suarez and Onyiah combined for more than 12 rebounds per game. Leading scorer Krimili returns, and Ackerman – who hails from Watsonville – averaged 2.1 blocks per game and was an all-Big West selection.

Weaknesses: Cal’s lack of proven wings outside of Ackerman could be an issue in the ACC. Freshman Kamryn Mafua and senior reserve Claudia Langarita are the only other listed forwards on the roster. Kayla Williams, who averaged just 6.6 points per game, and Texas transfer Gisella Maul will both need to be steady contributors in an unsettled backcourt.

Outlook: Smith enjoyed her first winning season at Cal and led the program to the postseason for the first time since 2019, but the Golden Bears will be hard-pressed to repeat that in their new conference. Nonleague matchups with tournament teams in powerhouse Gonzaga, as well as Alabama and Auburn from the SEC, will test Cal before the start of ACC play.

— Joseph Dycus

SAINT MARY’S GAELS

Last season: 13-18, 6-10 (sixth in the West Coast Conference).

Coach: Jeff Cammon, second season, 13-18

Season opener: Monday at Cal, 6 p.m.

Projected starters: Sophomore guard Zeryhia Aokuso (12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds), redshirt sophomore guard Maia Jones (6.9 points, 1.5 rebounds), senior guard Kennedy Johnson (14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds), junior forward Melesungu Afeaki (1.0 points, 1.4 rebounds), junior forward Abigail Shoff (7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds)

Key reserves: Redshirt junior guard Addi Wedin (6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds), sophomore guard Ella Wedin (2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds), junior guard Mali Ennis (8.2 points, 6.8 rebounds),

Strengths: The Gaels’ group of returning players is headlined by Aokuso, last year’s WCC Freshman of the Year, and Jones, an WCC All-Freshman Team selection. Cammon brought in several potential impact transfers along with Aokuso and Jones, a list that’s headlined by Jonson, Afeaki and Shoff.

Weaknesses: While Saint Mary’s brought in a lot of talent, it lost several players to the transfer portal as well, a list that includes Tayla Dalton (Gonzaga), Makena Mastora (Pepperdine) and Ruby Vlahov (Santa Barbara). Aokuso is also not expected to play until early December due to offseason knee surgery.

Outlook: Saint Mary’s was picked to finish eighth in the WCC’s preseason poll, but that number might be higher if Aokuso was healthy. The Gaels need their transfers to produce and their freshmen and sophomores to step up while Aokuso is sidelined.

— Justice delos Santos

SANTA CLARA BRONCOS

Last season: 25-9, 12-4 (second in the West Coast Conference).

Coach: Michael Floyd, first season, 0-0.

Season opener: Monday vs. UC Riverside, 6 p.m.

Projected starters: Senior forward Olivia Pollerd (14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds), senior forward Irena Korolenko (8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds), senior guard Hannah Rapp (4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds), senior guard Kaya Ingram (10.5 points, 3.1 assists), senior guard Mia Curtis (6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds)

Key reserves: Senior guard Malia Latu (1.8 points), junior forward Georgia Grigoropoulou (1.7 points, 1.6 rebounds), junior forward Alana Goodchild (1.7 points), sophomore guard Maddie Naro (1.4 points)

Strengths: Former coach Bill Carr brought in plenty of talent through the transfer portal before resigning to take a job at UC San Diego as a general manager. Olivia Pollerd returns after averaging almost 15 points per game. Kaya Ingram led Cornell in scoring, Mia Curtis was an all-Ivy League selection at Dartmouth, and Australian forward Alana Goodchild was a reliable reserve for Northwestern. Hannah Rapp was a regular starter for Saint Mary’s as a junior last season.

Weaknesses: After being in charge for eight seasons, Carr abruptly stepped down on Oct. 12, leaving Floyd as the interim head coach weeks before the season starts. The Broncos will need some of their returners in addition to the transfers to make big jumps this season. Leading scorer Tess Heal transferred to Stanford, and thus the Broncos lack an established star scorer next to Pollerd.

Outlook: Santa Clara has lost five of its top six scorers from last season in addition to its longtime coach. Repeating last season’s 25-win mark is an unlikely feat. The team has a chance to rack up some wins before entering WCC play, but also faces JuJu Watkins and a star-studded USC team in mid-November.

— Joseph Dycus

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

Last season: 7-24, 2-16 (tied for 10th in Mountain West Conference).

Coach: April Phillips, third season, 13-49

Season opener: Tuesday at Xavier, 2 p.m.

Projected starters: Sophomore guard Sydni Summers (7.8 points, 2.1 assists), senior guard Amiah Simmons (15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds), sophomore guard/forward Maya Anderson (5.4 points, 2.5 rebounds), senior forward Marisa Davis-Jones (10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds), junior center Finau Tonga (5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds)

Key reserves: Jasmine Singleton (1.4 points, 3.4 assists), Nailea Nicholas (2.7 points, 2.5 rebounds), Sofia Kelemeni (5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds)

Strengths: There’s no shortage of scoring on this team with Summers, Simmons, Anderson and Davis-Jones capable of putting up double-digit point totals on any given night. Simmons, a transfer from Alabama A&M, was a 1,000-point career scorer in just two seasons. Anderson and Kelemeni are sharpshooters who can stretch the floor with any lineup.

Weaknesses: As much as the Spartans can score, their big question mark is on the defensive end. San Jose State was 220th in the nation last season in defensive rankings, surrendering 66.2 points per game.

Outlook: Despite losing star freshman guard Jyah LoVett to Arizona State, the Spartans will have a much deeper team than last season. Phillips has won just 13 games in two seasons, but the Spartans could surprise some teams in Year 3 if their defense improves.

– Nathan Canilao

STANFORD CARDINAL

Last season: 30-6, 15-3 (first in Pac-12; lost to USC in the Pac-12 Tournament final and reached Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament)

Coach: Kate Paye, first season, 0-0

Season opener: Monday vs. Le Moyne, 7 p.m.

Projected starters: Senior guard Elena Bosgana (6.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists), junior guard Tess Heal (19.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds at Santa Clara), sophomore forward Nunu Agara (5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds), senior forward Brooke Demetre (6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists), sophomore forward Mary Ashley Stevenson (9.7 points, 5.1 rebounds at Purdue)

Key reserves: Junior guard Jzaniya Harriel (3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists), sophomore guard Chloe Clardy (2.0 points, 1.2 assists, 0.9 rebounds), sophomore forward Courtney Ogden (3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists), junior guard Talana Lepolo (4.8 points, 4.1 assists, 1.9 rebounds), freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye, freshman center Kennedy Umeh

Strengths: Though the top level of the roster departed, several depth options remain. Agara and Demetre are poised to step into bigger frontcourt roles, while a mix of transfers and returnees, headlined by Santa Clara transfer Heal, will provide options in the backcourt.

Weaknesses: The Cardinal lost its top three scorers from 2023-24. Forward Kiki Iriafen (19.4 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 assists) transferred to USC for her senior season. Forward Cameron Brink (17.4 points, 11.9 points, 2.8 assists) was picked second overall in the WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Fifth-year guard Hannah Jump (10.6 points, 2.2 assists, 1.9 rebounds) exhausted her eligibility.

Outlook: Stanford will have to rely on pace and space this season after years of tossing the ball into dominant post players Brink and Iriafen. The up-tempo approach will have to work if the Cardinal are to outperform modest outside expectations. Stanford was picked to finish seventh in the ACC and starts the season unranked for the first time since 1999 after the retirement of legendary coach Tara VanDerveer.

— Christian Babcock