Ohio State women's basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: How does Cotie McMahon's transfer affect Buckeyes?

Ohio State's women's basketball team reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025, but did bid adieu to star Cotie McMahon in the offseason. OSU has added a couple of new portal standouts and is still configuring the 2025-26 squad. Here's an early rundown on the team that Ohio State figures to field in the upcoming season.

Ohio State women's basketball season preview 2025-26

Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff has a solid team assembled for 2025-26. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Starting lineup

Guard: Jaloni Cambridge

In a brilliant freshman season, the 5-foot-7 guard averaged 15.4 points, 4.5 boards and 3.9 assists per game. Cambridge also finished ninth in the Big Ten in steals with 59. She was the team's second leading scorer behind Cotie McMahon and figures to assume the mantle as the top bucket-getter for the Buckeyes in 2025-26.

Guard: Chance Gray

The 5-foot-9 Gray started for two seasons at Oregon before moving over to OSU. Gray averaged 12.0 points per game last year and shot 35% from 3-point range a year ago. Gray has 1,188 collegiate points between her schools and has 185 made 3-pointers. She's an experienced wing who will help Ohio State's chance of another NCAA Tournament run in 2025-26.

Guard: T'Yana Todd

A 6-foot guard who is transferring over from Boston College, Tood averaged 13.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season. Todd shot a whopping 46% from 3-point range, which figures to be a key element of her game with the Buckeyes. She also knocked down 89% of her free throws and appears ready to be the designated shooter on a solid OSU team.

Forward: Kylee Kitts

Kitts was a top 25 recruit in the class of 2024 and enrolled at Florida, but didn't actually play last season. She is the sister of South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts and figures to help OSU immediate. Kitts is a 6-foot-4 player who can step out and play on the wing or work with her back to the basket.

Center: Elsa Lemmila

The 6-foot-6 Finn showed flashes of promise a season ago and figures to take a bigger role this year. Last season, as a freshman, Lemmila averaged 4.1 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. She was fourth in the Big Ten in blocks despite playing just 15 minutes per game. Lemmila will need to make a substantial jump in the coming season, but there's reason to think she will.

Rotation Players

Reserve guards Kennedy Cambridge (4.8 ppg) and Ava Watson (5.3 ppg) figure to see some significant minutes off the bench. Incoming freshmen Daira Biriuk and Bryn Martin are both likely to get some significant opportunities in their debut seasons with the Buckeyes.

Impact Players

The returning backcourt of Cambridge and Gray is one of the best in the Big Ten. Ohio State will have some substantial questions along the front line. But an experienced and talented group of guards gives Ohio State a solid building block for the 2025-26 season. How well the inside players can battle will determine the season's ultimate trajectory.

What do you think of Ohio State's team for 2025-26? Share your take below in our comments section!