​INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 5: Lenée Beaumont #5 of the Indiana Hoosiers huddles with teammates during the game during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 5, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images Part 1 of our Big Ten women’s basketball preview looks at the teams that fell in the bottom 1/3 of the Big Ten standings last season. Most of these teams perennially occupy the lower part of the standings, but not all – and it’s never absolute. What can we expect this coming season? Let’s take a look:Rutgers 9-20 (1-17 Big-10, 18th)The 2025-2026 season did not go well for head coach Coquese Washington. After losing the last 21 of 23 conference games, it was decided that Washington was not the person to lead the Scarlet Knights, and she was dismissed after four years in her six-year contract.While last year’s squad was deficient in offense and defense, their offensive production was especially bad. A huge underlying factor was that Kiyomi McMiller, a 6-3 F that had an outstanding freshman year with the Knights, had a fallout with her head coach that caused her to leave the program. That placed a huge burden on starters Nene Ndiaye, Zachara Perkins, and Imano Lester. They were forced to carry the team without much of anything in the way of support. (In fact, the team meltdown is very much a mirror image of Oregon WBB’s last season in the Pac-12. Graves is a good coach and could turn things around. Rutgers had a change in AD, and the new AD decided quickly that Washington could not do the same at Rutgers).Of those three, 6-3 Jr. F Perkins and 6-3 Gr. F Lester return to play under new coach Gary Redus II. Redus spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at LSU, and was part of the coaching staff of the 2023 national championship team.Of the ‘25-26 players that averaged 6 or less minutes per game (5 of them), only two return: 5-10 Sr. G Kennedy Brandt and 6-3 So. F Precious Gem Wheeler.The future starts now ⚔️🔥Welcome to the family, Chikae! 📰: https://t.co/CSUmoXzX9q#GoRU | #RUWBBpic.twitter.com/1xUZrZh9Uo— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) April 3, 2026Coach Redus has only signed one freshman, 5-9 G Chikae Desdunes. She was ranked No. 51 in the class of 2026, according to ESPNW. The rest of the additions to this year’s team is interesting talent off the transfer portal: Signed, Sealed, Scarlet ⚔️Welcome to The Banks Jaylah!📰: https://t.co/3qUBJ9FDbV#GoRU | #RUWBBpic.twitter.com/AMrvL04Pgz— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) April 13, 2026Jaylah Lampley is a 6-1 So. G from Mississippi State. She averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in her freshman year.B1G Homecoming 🔥 The @TwinBackCourt is officially back in the Garden State🔒 📰: https://t.co/jlBAAkggGq#GoRU | #RUWBBpic.twitter.com/HiqQjnEBlh— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@Rutgers