You’ve probably seen the highlight reels or caught a snippet of a post-game presser and thought you had the Georgia Lady Bulldogs all figured out. It’s easy to look at a middle-of-the-pack SEC ranking and assume this is a program just treading water. Honestly? That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re only looking at the wins and losses from the last few weeks, you’re basically missing the entire story of a massive rebuild happening in Athens right now.
The University of Georgia women’s basketball program is currently in a "pressure cooker" phase. Head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson—known to everyone as Coach Abe—is trying to blend a defensive-first culture with a roster that’s incredibly young. We’re talking about a rotation where sophomores aren’t just contributing; they are the engine.
The Sophomores are Taking Over Stegeman
Most people assume a team needs veteran leadership to survive the SEC gauntlet. While having a fifth-year player like Aicha Ndour (the 6-foot-6 center from Senegal) helps, the real identity of this team is found in the "Super Sophs."
Take Dani Carnegie, for example.
She’s a 5-9 guard who transferred in from Georgia Tech, and she hasn't just fit in; she’s basically taken over the scoring load. Averaging around 17.5 points per game, Carnegie is one of the most electric scorers in the conference. She’s got that "it" factor where she can create her own shot when the shot clock is winding down and everyone else is panicked.
Then you have Trinity Turner and Mia Woolfolk. These two were SEC All-Freshman selections for a reason. Turner is a 5-6 spark plug who facilitates the offense, while Woolfolk provides a physical presence in the paint that belies her age. Watching them, you sorta realize that Georgia isn't playing for today as much as they are building a monster for 2027.
Why the 15-3 Start (and the Recent Slide) Matters
Georgia started the 2025-2026 season on an absolute tear. They went 14-0 in non-conference play.
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14-0.
They beat Georgia Tech, they handled Florida State on the road, and they looked invincible. But then, the SEC schedule hit like a ton of bricks. Losses to Ole Miss, LSU, and South Carolina proved that while the Lady Bulldogs are good, they aren't quite "Final Four" ready yet.
The gap between a top-40 team and a top-5 team in women's college basketball is still a canyon. Georgia is currently sitting at 1-3 in conference play (as of mid-January 2026), but they’re losing to the giants of the sport. It’s a reality check, sure, but it’s not a collapse.
The "Coach Abe" Defensive Blueprint
If you’ve ever watched a Katie Abrahamson-Henderson team, you know the vibe. It’s relentless. It’s annoying. It’s "get in your jersey and stay there for 40 minutes" defense.
Currently, Georgia ranks in the top 20 nationally for scoring defense, holding opponents to roughly 55.7 points per game. That’s the "Abe Way." She’s done it at Albany, she did it at UCF, and she’s doing it here.
The strategy is simple:
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- Force turnovers (they average nearly 10 steals a game).
- Own the glass (Vera Ojenuwa and Zhen Craft are key here).
- Limit three-point attempts.
But here’s the nuance people miss: defense like this is exhausting. When you play that hard on one end, your shooting percentages sometimes dip on the other. Georgia is shooting about 45% from the floor, which is solid, but they struggle when they can't get out in transition. If an opponent can slow the game down and make it a half-court battle, the Lady Bulldogs get into trouble.
What Really Happened With the 2025 Recruiting Class
There was a lot of noise about Georgia’s recruiting, and for good reason. They landed a top-20 class, headlined by players like Zhen Craft and Aubrey Beckham.
Craft is a 6-2 forward who is already seeing meaningful minutes as a freshman. She’s a defensive specialist who can rebound and shoot within the perimeter. Beckham, a local product from Hebron Christian Academy, is the point guard of the future.
The "wrong" take here is that these freshmen should be carrying the team. In reality, Coach Abe is slow-rolling their development. She’s letting the sophomores lead so the freshmen can learn the system without the crushing pressure of being the #1 option. It’s a smart move, even if fans are clamoring to see more of the new stars.
The Shadow of Andy Landers
You can’t talk about University of Georgia women’s basketball without mentioning Andy Landers. He’s the guy who built the house. 2,000 wins, Hall of Fame, the whole deal.
For years after he retired, the program felt like it was searching for its soul. Coach Abe—who actually played for Landers back in the 80s—is the first coach who seems to truly understand the DNA of Lady Bulldog basketball. She isn't trying to be Landers, but she is trying to bring back that era's toughness.
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Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Season
If you’re following the Lady Bulldogs, don’t get discouraged by the SEC record just yet. Here is what to actually look for:
Watch the Turnover Margin
When Georgia finishes a game with fewer than 12 turnovers, they almost always win. Their aggressive defense creates chaos, but they sometimes get caught up in that chaos themselves.
The Stegeman Advantage
Georgia is 9-1 at home this year. Stegeman Coliseum has become a legitimate fortress again. If you’re betting on or following this team, look at their home splits. They play with a different level of energy in front of the Athens crowd.
March Madness Outlook
Despite the 1-3 SEC start, their NET ranking remains high because of that 14-0 non-conference run. They are firmly on the "bubble-to-lock" line for the NCAA Tournament. To secure a high seed, they need to steal a win against a ranked opponent like Kentucky or Oklahoma in February.
Key Players to Track
- Dani Carnegie: Can she maintain her 17+ PPG against elite SEC defenders?
- Trinity Turner: Her assist-to-turnover ratio is the most important stat on the box score.
- Zhen Craft: Watch her minutes. As the season progresses, expect her to take more of the "enforcer" role in the paint.
The bottom line? The University of Georgia women’s basketball team is essentially a year ahead of schedule. They are young, they are fast, and they are incredibly frustrating to play against. If you’re jumping off the bandwagon because of a few losses to top-10 teams, you’re going to regret it when this group is making a deep run in the tournament next year.
To stay updated on the Lady Bulldogs, keep an eye on the official SEC standings and the mid-week injury reports, as depth is the only thing that could truly derail this upward trajectory. Look for the rematch against Ole Miss on January 18th to be the ultimate litmus test for how much this young squad has learned from their early-season stumbles.