Women’s college basketball has received some of the most attention it has gotten in years, and a lot of it is thanks to some talented players and teams who’ve been crucial in bringing life to fans old and new. Caitlin Clark set the NCAA scoring record and challenged Steph Curry to a 3-point contest, meanwhile, the South Carolina Gamecocks completed their perfect season, winning the NCAAW championship without losing a single game all season, that was only this season.
This is the last time we’ll see star players Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Angel Reese, as they’ve all declared for the WNBA Draft this year. Fortunately, the seniors weren’t the only ones in the spotlight this season. The Tournament was a chance to find some of the talents sitting on benches and others that slipped under the radar, so here are three players to keep an eye on for next season:
JuJu Watkins
The USC Trojans starting freshman, JuJu Watkins has established herself in the college basketball scene as a must-watch player for the coming season. She set the NCAAW single-season scoring record with 920 points, breaking the 898-point record set by Tina Hutchinson way back in 1984. Her freshman stats make it clear just how big of a role she plays for USC, averaging 27 points and 7 rebounds per game, all while shooting 40% from the field, while was only 5% under Clark’s percentage this season.
However, her impact has been huge beyond the stats, as teammates have talked about her work ethic and ability to perform in all kinds of circumstances, with teammates commenting, “Her ability to take over a game…that’s what separates her from other players.” A mamba mentality will continue to draw attention from fans and scouts alike, so seeing how JuJu continues to develop and the role she might play in the growing popularity of women’s college basketball will be exciting.
Paige Bueckers
Joining UConn in 2020, Bueckers started on a team with no seniors and, as a result, she took up an immediate leadership role as the team’s starting point guard. In that season, she led the team to a 28-2 record, set a freshman record for assists (168), won every single national Player of the Year award she’d been nominated for (4), and was the first freshman to win the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation’s top point guard.
A devastating knee injury early last season forced her to redshirt the 2022-23 season. However, this season she made a return to that same form we remember from her freshman year, averaging 22 points and 4 assists per game and shooting 53% from the field. A close loss to Iowa in the Final Four of this year’s tournament hasn’t discouraged head coach Geno Auriemma, who stands by Buekers as the best player in America. Although it is a controversial take, she’s one of the only players to rival Caitlin Clark’s stats this year, and with Clark out of the picture for their final season, it’s not a bad setup for Bueckers’ last chance at a national championship.
Tessa Johnson
Tessa Johnson’s performance for South Carolina in the championship game against Iowa made a mockery of her season average of six points and one assist per game. In that final against Iowa, Johnson put up a career-high 19 points, draining three 3-pointers and shooting 7 for 11 from the field. She showed up not only for the points but grabbed herself an assist and a steal while on the floor, making her a massive part of the team’s 13-point victory to secure an unbeaten season.
While Cardoso, the team’s center, had a huge impact on the game, dominating the backboards with 17 rebounds, it felt like Tessa Johnson’s performance was the nail in the coffin for Iowa. Alongside her fellow freshman Fulwiley, the team’s two freshmen came off the bench totaling 28 points and 8 rebounds, a massive performance against a team that hasn’t used their bench much during the season. Johnson isn’t quite as electric as the other players on this list, but being able to perform under pressure like she did could mean big things for her future at South Carolina.
