Last season, Connecticut beat up on everybody else in the Big East, winning its conference games by an average of 39.1 points.

But after graduating four starters -- including the 2001-02 national player of the year -- from its 39-0 NCAA championship team, the Huskies would appear to have a few weaknesses this season.

Notre Dame, the 2001 national champion, just might be the team to knock off perennial powerhouse UConn, which has won 23 Big East regular-season and tournament championships.

CONTENDERS
Connecticut
It's not easy to come off of a perfect season, to replace the national player of the year or four starters who combined for 61 percent (53.4 points) of the Huskies' offense and 25.5 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game.

And if anyone's feeling the pressure, it has to be junior Diana Taurasi. UConn is still a very talented team, but how far they go this season depends on Taurasi, who was the team's second-leading scorer last season with 14.5 points per game. That number is bound to go up this season.

Taurasi's teammates must play a little bit higher level this season. Jessica Moore has to show she has serious post game, and Maria Conlon and Ashley Battle need to have breakout seasons. They all got a decent amount of playing time last year, each averaging at least 16.7 minutes, and now is the time to step it up and show us what they learned playing behind four of the top six picks in April's WNBA draft.

While UConn doesn't have a single senior on its roster, a top-notch recruiting class will be counted on to make an immediate impact. If Ann Strother starts alongside Taurasi, that makes for a big backcourt. Gillian Goring's absence hurts. The Huskies were really counting on the 6-foot-7 post from Trinidad, but she failed to qualify academically.

Most likely, teams are licking their chops to get a shot at UConn this season. But don't be fooled. Coach Geno Auriemma is ready.

Notre Dame
Last season's team was young, but coach Muffet McGraw, one of the top coaches in the country, got a lot out of them as the Irish went 20-10 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before getting eliminated by Tennessee.

This team will revolve around senior guard Alicia Ratay and sophomore Jacqueline Batteast.

Ratay, a key player in Notre Dame's 2001 NCAA championship run, is one of the nation's best long-range shooters, has excellent passing skills and is quicker than people think. The 2001-02 All-Big East first-team member is a brilliant player with an incredible work ethic.

Batteast was one of several Irish underclassmen who got some quality minutes last season, and the South Bend native made the most of them, starting 22 games to average 13.8 points, a team-high 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. She also notched 11 double-doubles en route to being named the Big East Rookie of the Year.

Last season's freshman accounted for more than 45 percent of the team's scoring and rebounding last season, and forwards Katy Flecky and Teresa Borton must continue to grow their games in their sophomore campaigns.

Le'Tania Severe, the starting point guard, and Jeneka Joyce must establish Notre Dame's backcourt early on. The Irish need to bolster their offensive firepower. Last season, Notre Dame averaged 65.4 points per game, its lowest output in 20 seasons. Ratay and Batteast were the only players in double figures.

ALSO OF NOTE
Villanova: If there's a third team to watch in the conference, it's the Wildcats. They've reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for two consecutive years (losing to OU last season) and went 12-4 in league play last season.

Trish Juhline, a great 3-point shooter, leads the way. The first Villanova women's player to earn first-team all-conference honors since 1994-95, the senior guard averaged a team-high 13.6 points. Juhline also averaged 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists and went 61-for-156 from beyond the arc.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage.