Favorites and contenders for NCAA women’s basketball awards

Halfway through the campaign, second-year player with Puerto Rican roots, Hannah Hidalgo, emerges as the favorite to be the Player of the Year this season.
Caitlin Clark rode like a runaway train last season, en route to winning the National Player of the Year award in women’s college basketball. By the middle of the 2024-25 season, it’s more like four locomotives converging on the station at the same time.
If you want suspense, we have it: three guards and a center whose teams are ranked in the top 10 compete to be the best individual player in the country.
A sophomore is leading the race, but she is not the one many thought would be the favorite. Hannah Hidalgofrom Notre Dame, has surpassed Ju Ju Watkinsfrom USC, who was the best rookie of the year last season.
The two sophomore stars faced off in November, and the Fighting Irish handed USC its only loss of the season, 74-61, thanks to Hidalgo’s 24 points and 8 assists, while Watkins finished with 24 and 5.
Hidalgo ranks second in Division I in scoring and steals; has scored 25 or more points in eight games for ACC-leading Notre Dame (5-0). Watkins is third in scoring, also with eight games of more than 25 points. The Trojans are 6-0 atop the Big Ten Conference in their first season in the conference.
Trying to differentiate between Hidalgo and Watkins would be fascinating in itself. But the UConn guard, Paige Bueckers (2021 national player of the year as a freshman and potential No. 1 pick in April’s WNBA draft) and UCLA center Lauren Betts (who leads the No. 1-ranked Bruins (16-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten)) are also in the race.
How do the top four compare? And who are the main candidates for best rookie, best transfer and best coach? AM850’s Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel make their picks midway through the NCAA tournament.
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Hannah Hidalgo leads Notre Dame with 24 points en route to victory over UNC
Puerto Rican Hannah Hidalgo scores an incredible basket for the Fighting Irish, who improve to 3-0 in the ACC.
Player of the Year
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Andrews: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
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Cream: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
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Philippou: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
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Voepel: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Hannah Hidalgo She is one of the most feared one-on-one perimeter defenders in the country, in addition to being among the best scorers. His performance against then-No. 3 USC in November was followed by two more gems against top-five teams: 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in an 80-70 overtime win against Texas on Dec. 5, and 29 points , 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals in a 79-68 victory over UConn on December 12.
Hidalgo, who has adjusted well to the return of point guard Olivia Miles, missed her first game at Notre Dame on Sunday for precautionary reasons after spraining her right ankle in a win over Wake Forest on Jan. 9. His absence was felt, as the Irish tied their season-low total of 67 points, but still defeated Clemson by 9.
Hidalgo has improved his shooting percentage from last season to 50.4% overall and 45.8% from behind the arc. Her accuracy from long range has led to 2.5 three-pointers per game, compared to 1.4 last year. On the season, he averages 25.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.1 steals. — Voepel
Main challengers (in order)
JuJu Watkins, USC: Watkins has been impressive as he follows up his historic freshman season. She is better shooting (44.4% field goals) and creating more plays for her teammates, and has reduced her turnovers and improved her defense (4.3 steals and blocks), making her an even better player. more complete. He is also on pace to break Clark’s all-time NCAA scoring record.
Hidalgo and Notre Dame beat Watkins and USC in November. But Watkins shined in the Trojans’ victory over Bueckers and the Huskies last month. Moments like those have a big impact on player of the year conversations. –Andrews
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Paige Bueckers scores 12 points for UConn in her return to the court
UConn star Paige Bueckers returns to the court after a two-game absence and scores 12 points in a big win over St. John’s, 71-45.
Paige Bueckers, UConn: She’s not the current favorite, but Bueckers has been remarkably impressive. He has continued to be a hallmark of efficiency, with an effective field goal percentage of 62.8%, the best of his career. The Big East Conference isn’t strong this year, but Bueckers’ biggest games came in non-conference games, including 29 points against Ole Miss and North Carolina. And in UConn’s pair of losses to USC and Notre Dame, she averaged 23.5 points on 20-of-42 shooting (though 2-of-12 on 3-pointers).
Bueckers missed two games due to a sprained knee before returning Tuesday of this week and scoring 12 points in the win over St. John’s. She is now just 6 points away from reaching 2,000 for her career and is on pace to reach that threshold faster than any player in UConn history. — Philippou
Lauren Betts, UCLA: The junior center has transformed the Bruins from a Sweet 16-level program to the No. 1 team in the country. Dependable and consistent, Betts has scored in double figures in every game this season. Even his minor 11-point performance was accompanied by 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in UCLA’s signature win over South Carolina. Cori Close runs the Bruins’ offense through Betts, and she has rewarded her coach as the sixth most efficient player in the country, according to HerHoopsStats.com. The 6-foot-9 Betts also anchors a defense that ranks second nationally in opponent field goal percentage. — Believe me
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2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Mixtape: Stars to Watch
Watch this season’s NCAA women’s basketball stars – Paige Bueckers, Flau’jae Johnson, JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker – in this retro VHS mixtape as they dominate the court.
Rookie of the Year
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Andrews: Sarah Strong, UConn
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Cream: Sarah Strong, UConn
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Philippou: Sarah Strong, UConn
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Voepel: Sarah Strong, UConn
Sarah Strong She was the highest-rated prospect when she signed with UConn and has still managed to exceed expectations in Storrs, leading to comparisons to Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore in less than 20 games of his college career. What stands out the most is his sense of the game on both ends and his versatility. His 3-point shooting (35%) and passing (3.6 assists per game) give him shooting guard qualities. Her 17.2 points per game (on 57% shooting from the field!) are second-best on the team behind Bueckers, and Strong’s 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game lead the Huskies in every category. . She has already proven to be Geno Auriemma’s most talented frontcourt player in years.
Strong and Bueckers are one of the best duos in the country, and the freshman is UConn’s next big superstar and is already one of the best players in the country. — Philippou
All-Freshman Team
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Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, escort
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Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State, shooting guard
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Joyce Edwards, South Carolina, forward
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Sarah Strong, UConn, forward
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Syla Swords, Michigan, escort
Coach of the Year
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Andrews: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
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Cream: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
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Philippou: Cori Close, UCLA
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Voepel: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s victories over UConn and USC are two great examples of the level of basketball that the Niele Ivey has achieved this season. The Irish not only beat these high-caliber opponents, but they won both games by double digits. Their offense has been nearly indefensible, with the No. 3 Fighting Irish shooting 43.8% from three-point range, which is the best mark in the ACC and the nation. Much of that goes back to Ivey’s development of Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, who make up what is arguably the best back line in college basketball.
There were expectations surrounding Notre Dame before the season, but what Ivey has built now has cemented the Fighting Irish in the national title conversation. –Andrews
Top challenger: Cori Close, UCLA
UCLA has been a pretty consistent presence in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for years. But that appears to be about to change with this season’s Bruins, who remain undefeated and are the best team in his tenure. Cori Close in Westwood. UCLA has been the nation’s No. 1 team since crushing South Carolina in late November, and Close has guided the emergence of stars like Lauren Betts, a surefire first-team All-America star, and Kiki Rice, who is playing the best basketball of his career. Through recruiting (including internationally) and work in the transfer portal, Close has built a roster that has very few flaws and is playing like it could be the team that takes hold in Tampa. — Philippou
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky, shooting guard Raegan Beers, Oklahoma, winger Kiki Iriafen, USC, forward Hailey Van Lith, TCU, shooting guard Liatu King, Notre Dame, forward Top transfer: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky This is the most competitive category of all these awards. The selection takes it Georgia Amoore by a narrow margin because of her play as a point guard and what she has meant to the transition at Kentucky. His move to Lexington along with his former Virginia Tech coach, Kenny Brooks, has resurrected the program. And she is doing it without the level of help that the other candidates have. Iriafen plays with JuJu Watkins; Beers and King joined experienced teams in Oklahoma and Notre Dame, respectively; Van Lith has teamed with Sedona Prince at TCU. But Amoore is one of 11 new players for Kentucky, which went a combined 24-38 the past two seasons, finishing 12th and 14th in the SEC. The Wildcats are now 15-1 and 4-0 in conference play (their best start in the SEC since 2012-13), with Amoore as their leading scorer and undisputed leader. She also ranks second in the country in assists per game. — Believe me Our top four picks for National Player of the Year make first-team All-America, but who gets fifth place? It was a very close race between Aneesah Morrow from LSU, who leads Division I in double-doubles with 16, and Ta’Niya Latson from Florida State, who is the country’s leading scorer with 27.7 points per game. Morrow, a fourth-year player, got the nod. Lauren Betts, UCLA, center Paige Bueckers, UConn, guard Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame, shooting guard Aneesah Morrow, LSU, forward JuJu Watkins, USC, shooting guardAll-Transfer Team
All-America Team