The Associated Press has unveiled its preseason All-America women’s college basketball team, showcasing standout players such as USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers. This year’s selection notably features three sophomores, a clear indication of the rising talent in a sport that has recently experienced unprecedented fan engagement.
Both Watkins and Bueckers received unanimous recognition from a panel of 30 national media members involved in selecting the weekly AP Top 25. Bueckers, making her third appearance on the team, previously earned a spot during her sophomore season and again last year. Joining them on the prestigious list are Hannah Hidalgo from Notre Dame, Madison Booker from Texas, and Kiki Iriafen from USC, contributing to an impressive group primarily consisting of second-year players.
USC’s coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “It’s unbelievable. Those players excelled as freshmen and their teams won. They did it in multiple ways,” highlighting the promising future for women’s basketball. Watkins and Iriafen’s selection marks the first time teammates have earned All-America recognition since UConn had three honorees in the 2017-18 season. Following the announcement of Stanford’s Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer’s retirement in April, Iriafen decided to transfer, motivated by her desire to play alongside Watkins.
Gottlieb elaborated, “Kiki came because she wanted to play with JuJu, who recruited her because she wanted to play with Kiki. It’s exciting to see their personalities mesh.” This dynamic duo, along with their fellow sophomores, contributed to a significant surge in both ratings and attendance for women’s college basketball, influenced by the performances of stars like Caitlin Clark from Iowa and Angel Reese from LSU. Last season saw record attendance for NCAA tournaments, with a championship game between Iowa and undefeated South Carolina attracting an impressive viewership of 18.7 million, the highest for any basketball game in five years.
Bueckers played a crucial role in leading UConn to the Final Four, averaging an impressive 21.9 points and 5.2 rebounds before they were defeated by Iowa in a high-profile game. After facing various injuries and missing significant time during her sophomore year, Bueckers is determined that this season will be her last in college basketball.
Watkins made headlines last season as a freshman, delivering astounding performance stats with an average of 27.1 points per game, placing her just behind Clark and setting the national record for points scored by a freshman at 920. Her contributions helped the Trojans achieve their deepest NCAA Tournament run in 30 years, reaching the Elite Eight. The team is facing considerable expectations this season, starting ranked third in the preseason poll, trailing behind South Carolina and UConn.
Last year, Iriafen shone while averaging 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds at Stanford, highlighted by a remarkable career-high score of 41 points in their NCAA Tournament second-round victory against Iowa State. Hidalgo, mirroring Watkins’ brilliance, also had a phenomenal freshman year, averaging 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, helping Notre Dame secure the ACC Tournament title and reach the Sweet 16.
Booker stepped up her game significantly when Rori Harmon suffered an ACL injury in late December, taking on the starting point guard role and posting impressive stats of 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, with her performance improving even more post-injury.
This spring, Bueckers, Watkins, and Hidalgo were all honored as first-team AP All-Americans, while Booker received second-team recognition, and Iriafen earned honorable mention. The AP has been releasing preseason All-America teams since the 1994-95 season, demonstrating a longstanding tradition in recognizing talent in women’s college basketball.