Wake Forest women's basketball is entering its fifth season with Megan Gebbia as the head coach, and while it hasn't been pretty thus far for the Deacons, there is plenty to be excited about for this upcoming season that could signal that the times are changing.

Last season, Wake started 9-0, the first time they started that well since the 2008-09 season. Despite their early success, an 8-game skid in the middle of the season threw them off target, leading to an ACC tournament berth that was ended early by California. They finished 15th in the ACC and showed improvement from the previous season, but they didn't end the season the way they wanted.

After several seasons of disappointment and struggles in an extremely good basketball conference, there is plenty of promise for this season that was not present in previous seasons. Although Wake only registered 4 ACC wins last season, it was a steady improvement from the previous two seasons. With a solid number of returners and a good mix of transfers, there is plenty of potential for Wake to take a big leap this year.

This new-look team has a lot to play for, and not many expectations on their head. Judging from what we heard at ACC Tipoff, the Deacons are hungry for change and are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Let's see the factors that will have a huge role in how their season plays out.

Returning and New Players

Wake has a great mix of both new players coming in from high school or the transfer portal and returning players who are primed for improvement. Freshman Oshauna Holland will provide plenty of offense, as she scored a historic number of points during her time in high school. In addition, the Deacons acquired several vital players in the portal, such as guards Breauna Ware and Ramiyah Ware, who will provide both scoring and veteran presence.

On the other side, many returning players will also be important for this year's team. The most influential of the bunch is senior Mary Carter, as she was the Deacons' second-leading scorer last season with 11 points per game. In addition, junior guard Aurora Sørbye will also be key to the team's success, providing great passing and efficiency to their offense. Lastly, returning sophomores, such as Opal Bird and Grace Galbavy, will be primed for bigger roles after playing in many games as freshmen last season.

Opponents on the Docket

The Deacons have already checked off the first three games on their schedule, with all resulting in wins. They have been able to do this through having multiple different scoring options as well as stellar defense, as they have held every opponent to below 60 points thus far. The rest of their non-conference schedule includes matchups against solid Power 4 opponents such as Arizona State, Arkansas, and Auburn. It is important that Wake wins some of these games not only to build up their resume, but to gain some confidence as they enter the ACC games on their schedule.

Wake faces several tough opponents in their ACC play, the toughest including road games against UNC and Notre Dame, as well as home games against Duke and Louisville. All of those opponents are ranked entering the season, and they will pose big challenges for the Demon Deacons. However, as Coach Gebbia explained at ACC Tipoff, the more important games will be the games against the teams in the middle of the standings, such as Virginia or California. Expect these games to go more of Wake Forest's way this season.

Predictions

Overall, I think it's pretty clear that Wake has significantly improved their squad and that there is a different attitude around the team this season. While I don't expect them to ascend to the top of the ACC, I do expect them to show significant improvement from last season. I believe a middle-of-the-table finish from them should be the expectation after back-to-back seasons finishing towards the bottom of the ACC. In addition, I believe an NCAA tournament berth should be a goal they shoot for.