Ohio State “Very Fortunate” To Bring Back Eight Players, Four Starters for 2026-27 Season
Kevin McGuff's team likes to play fast — that identity isn't going anywhere, at least if the first day of official practice ahead of the 2026-27 season was any indication.
Ohio State started its first practice of the year with a full-speed transition layup drill, showing the pace it will want to play with again this season. The tempo returns this year, but so do many faces from a season ago, as Ohio State brought back eight players and four starters from the 2025-26 team.
"We were very fortunate, obviously, to bring everybody back for the most part. We really like the kids that we've had an opportunity to recruit, so we're happy to bring them back," McGuff said Monday. "It's kind of my preference, too, as much as we can, to hang our hat on continuity. We have certainly been successful in the portal, in filling some needs. But we want the core of our team to be from people who come here and are here for multiple years. We're lucky to be able to do that. So hopefully that experience will help everyone succeed."
With those returning faces comes a harder non-conference schedule. The Buckeyes’ slate features UConn, Ole Miss, Texas and Stanford, but McGuff says that with the group that came back, he feels as if his team is well-equipped for the challenge.
"I think we've returned enough that we wanted to see where we measured up in some of the country's best programs. And we're going to get that opportunity," McGuff said. "Also, as we look all the way towards the end of the season, given the opportunity to play in the postseason, we want to give ourselves the best chance possible to get a great season. The only way you can do that is to play great competition."
The lone departure from last year’s starting lineup is guard Chance Gray, who now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks after she was selected in the second round of the 2026 WNBA draft.
Ohio State returns the guard and sister tandem of Jaloni Cambridge, who was a second-team All-American a year ago, and Kennedy Cambridge, who broke the program's single-season steals record last season. The quartet of returning starters rounds out with center Elsa Lemmila, who led the Big Ten in blocks in 2025-26, and forward Kylee Kitts.
Ava Watson, who started 16 games last season and will likely replace Gray in the starting lineup this season, is also back from last year’s bench along with wings Bryn Martin and Seini Henry and forward Ella Hobbs.
"We have eight returners, which is something that you don't see a lot," Jaloni said. "So it says a lot about the culture of this team and our relationships within our players. It says a lot. I love my teammates to death. I'm excited. It's not going to be much of a change for us with the people coming back. So just be excited for the show."
The Buckeyes also added a trio of freshmen in four-star guard Atlee Vanesko, forward Adriana Diaz and five-star center Sydney Mobley, all three of whom McGuff said "will have an impact on this season."
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