Hindsight is everything in college basketball. Yes, it’s clear now that Oregon women’s basketball likely did not have enough shooting to win multiple NCAA Tournament games. Yes, size was an issue for the Ducks all season long, despite head coach Kelly Graves’ wishes for his team to get out and run in transition. 

Still, the rearview-mirror view of the 2025-26 Oregon women’s basketball team is a positive one. Three postseason wins is a solid year for most programs, especially one with two sophomores looking to ascend into the elite group of players nationwide. 

With Katie Fiso and Ehis Etute in Graves’ future plans, next season is a whole lot easier to prepare for, as both took massive steps in their second collegiate year. 

“They’re going to be one of the most productive duos in the country coming back,” Graves said after the season on the Danny and Justin show. “I think the one thing that they did by playing a couple of games in the NCAA Tournament, they got a lot of time in studio, in terms of people watching and talking about them. There’s going to be a buzz around this team next year. Not many teams can say they’re returning four starters off an NCAA Tournament.”

Still, for Oregon to truly take the next step into the Big Ten’s elite, Oregon must prioritize shooting, athleticism, perimeter defense and toughness — four pillars of any successful team — in the portal.

Shooting is a good place for the Ducks to start, and it is one of the few places that Fiso can take the next step in as an offensive player. Mia Jacobs and Sofia Bell were Oregon’s only high-volume 3-point shooting starters this season, and neither were as consistently reliable as Graves would like. Fiso took just 43 shots from range last season, and an ideal portal guard would be able to space the floor while taking some of Fiso’s ball-handling responsibilities. 

Size is another factor that Oregon will absolutely have to address, especially with the graduation of Jacobs and Sarah Rambus transferring. Having a true center who can match up with players like UCLA’s Lauren Betts or an athletic forward who could counter some of Texas’ Madison Booker’s size would be ideal, but height on the wings must be factored in as well. 

“There’s nothing she can’t do,” Graves said of Booker after the Longhorns eliminated Oregon from the NCAA Tournament. “We just don’t have anybody physically that can match up with her. If we take Ehis off any of the inside kids, then we’re in big trouble there. It’s just a tough matchup, and she had a great night.” 

The great players will always get theirs, but having multiple options for the type of athlete that Graves can counter with is essential.

Of course, retaining Fiso and Etute — which Oregon seems likely to do at this point in the offseason — is essential for any of these portal additions to be fully realized, but growth from some of Oregon’s secondary players will be essential as well. As nice as it would be for any team to be able to retool solely by the portal, the Ducks will likely have just three open scholarship spots to add players and will need players like Avary Cain to become more consistent contributors next season.