With 2026-27 roster posted on the website, the Aggie WBB coaching staff is preparing for summer practice - the first time the entire team will be together. With the unexpected departure - at least from outside the building - of Ryann Bennett via the transfer portal, the 2026-27 Aggies will be a very different team than most of us anticipated as last season ended. Now, there are two vacant backcourt positions in what might well be a rebuilding year.

The 2026-27 Aggies will have 1 senior, 3 juniors, 4 sophomores and 5 freshmen on the roster. Only 1 has averaged double figures for a season, and none have averaged more than 4 rebounds a game. The projected starting lineup includes 1 sophomore and a freshman in the post. And the Ags are moving into a more challenging conference.

The Aggies have talent, but it’s largely unproven. With just 2 returning starters, there are opportunities - and needs - for new faces to step up. Gone are players who accounted for 60% of last year’s minutes, grabbed 58% of the rebounds and scored 65% of the points. I expect watching a “work in progress” squad evolve throughout the season will be, by turns, exhilarating and frustrating. Last season might have been the best coaching job ever by Jen Gross and her staff. Extending UCD’s string of 20+ win season could top that.

All that being said, what might the starting lineup and bench look like for UCD’s initial Mountain West season? Tomorrow, I’ll post best guesses for starting roles. The following day, I’ll profile what will hopefully become a more impactful bench than the Aggies had last season.