From Caitlin Clark to JuJu Watkins: The 25 best players in the women's Sweet 16

Nine new players. Big jumps. And plenty of missing names from our previous ranking.

We’re down to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA tournament, and there are plenty of notable changes as we rank the 25 best players in March Madness. Nine players that made our list before the first round tipped are gone, as their teams have been eliminated. Some players who had key performances in the early rounds have made big jumps.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark remains No. 1, as has been the case all season. But UConn guard Paige Bueckers is making a push for the top spot and has moved into second place. Bueckers missed all of last season with a knee injury, and UConn lost in the Sweet 16 to Ohio State in 2023.

That ended the Huskies’ NCAA-record Final Four streak that had started in 2008. With Bueckers back at full strength, UConn could start another streak this season. But Duke, looking for the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 2013, upset Ohio State in the second round and hopes to follow the Buckeyes’ path in defeating UConn.

Four freshmen made the rankings, with three rookies in the top five.

Only one school, No. 5 seed Baylor in Region 3 in Portland, doesn’t have a player on the list. Although Bears guard Sarah Andrews was considered, Baylor’s balance made it difficult to single out one player.

ESPN’s Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel look at some of the top stars you will be seeing starting Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Albany and Portland.

Guard | 6-foot-0 | senior
Stats: 31.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.8 SPG
Previous ranking: 1

Iowa struggled with West Virginia’s defense in the second round, but that was expected. The Hawkeyes still got through to the regional semifinals, with Clark setting the Division I single-season scoring record with her 32 points Monday. She is now at 1,113 this season and 3,830 for her career. The Hawkeyes will face Colorado in the Sweet 16, the same matchup in the same round as last season. Clark had 31 points and 8 assists in beating the Buffs 87-77 in 2023. She will need a similar performance, if not more, Saturday. — Voepel

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Guard | 6-foot-0 | junior
Stats: 21.8 PPG, 2.2 SPG, 41.8% 3FG
Previous ranking: 4

Bueckers rose in the ranks of this list because, as coach Geno Auriemma argued last week, no one might be having a better postseason run in the country. Across the Big East tournament and the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Bueckers is averaging 28.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.2 steals, 2.8 blocks and just 1.6 turnovers per game, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.3%. And after her spellbinding performance against Syracuse, coach Felisha Legette-Jack called her a top-three player to ever come through Storrs. Bueckers spearheaded the Huskies’ 30th consecutive trip to the Sweet 16. If she keeps it up, she might lead them back to the Final Four. — Philippou

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Guard | 6-foot-2 | freshman
Stats: 26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.4 SPG
Previous ranking: 2

Watkins slides down a spot, partly a product of how dominant Bueckers has been recently, partly a reflection of how her efficiency has decreased in recent weeks (she has shot 45% just once this month). Still, Watkins has had a strong start to the NCAA tournament, and Monday against Kansas, she became the first freshman with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in an NCAA tournament game since Mississippi State’s LaToya Thomas in the 2000. With 861 points on the season, Watkins now holds the USC single-season scoring record and has the third-most points by a freshman in Division I history. — Philippou

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Guard | 5-foot-6 | freshman
Stats: 22.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.6 APG, 4.6 SPG
Previous ranking: 5

Hidalgo didn’t lead the Irish in scoring in either of their early-round games, but she didn’t need to. She did plenty of other things. Against Kent State in the first round, she had 14 points, 11 assists and 6 steals. Then against Ole Miss, she had 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. It will be fun watching how Hidalgo attacks a tough defensive team such as Oregon State in the regional semifinals, because she has been successful against everything that has been thrown at her thus far. — Voepel

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Forward/guard | 6-foot-1 | freshman
Stats: 16.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.1 APG
Previous ranking: 9

Booker focused more on playmaking in the Longhorns’ NCAA tournament opening rout over Drexel, getting a season-high 14 assists. Their second-round win over Alabama was more competitive, and Booker was more tuned into scoring in that game. She had 21 points on 56.3% shooting, as No. 1 seed Texas moved on to face Gonzaga. In terms of impact as a freshman, some longtime Texas watchers have compared Booker to Clarissa Davis, who in her first season helped lead the Longhorns to the national championship in 1986. — Voepel

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Forward | 6-foot-4 | senior
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 51.2 FG%
Previous ranking: 3

The skills that helped Brink earn her third Pac-12 defensive player of the year award were on full display in the second round against Iowa State. Her length made star Cyclones freshman post Audi Crooks completely ineffective. After scoring 40 points in the first round against Maryland, Crooks went 3-for-21 from the field with Brink, with some help from teammate Kiki Iriafen, draped all over her. The country’s top shot-blocker picked up five more against Iowa State. The challenge of guarding Crooks caused Brink to foul out, however, and her eight points equaled her second-lowest output of the season. Still the best two-way big in the country, Brink’s offense has suffered lately. The first-round win over Norfolk State was the only game in which she shot better than 50% since her monster 25-point, 24-rebound performance in the last week of the regular season against Oregon State. — Creme

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Forward | 6-foot-3 | senior
Stats: 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 59.3% FG
Previous ranking: 8

Edwards, who announced prior to the tournament that she’ll declare for the WNBA after this season, returned in top form from breaking her nose in the Big East tournament, starting the NCAA tournament with a pair of double-doubles. Even though she struggled a bit more offensively against Syracuse, Edwards’ interior defense helped the Huskies hold the Orange to just 10 paint points and win the battle on the glass. A big tournament from her would take some of the load off Bueckers’ shoulders. — Philippou

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Forward | 6-foot-3 | junior
Stats: 18.7 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG
Previous ranking: 10

Reese is one of the most reliable rebounders in Division I, and the Tigers will need that from her against UCLA. This is one of the most anticipated matchups of the Sweet 16, with so much talent on the floor for both teams. Both Rice and Middle Tennessee made LSU work for its early-round victories, in which Reese had a combined 30 points and 30 rebounds. The Tigers could use more efficient shooting from Reece on Saturday; she was a combined 7 of 24 from the field in the first two games. — Voepel

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Guard | 6-foot-3 | junior
Stats: 19.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 54.6% FG
Previous ranking: 17

Iriafen emerged as one of the early breakout stars of the tournament after her herculean 41-point, 16-rebound, 4-assist, 3-block effort in the Cardinal’s second-round overtime victory against Iowa State (where they were without Cameron Brink much of the game due to foul trouble). Iriafen became the third player to record a 40-point, 15-rebound game in women’s NCAA tournament history and solidified how, even with Brink soon departing for the WNBA, Stanford’s future remains bright with Iriafen leading the charge. — Philippou

Guard | 5-foot-10 | freshman
Stats: 12.2 PPG, 2.2 APG, 1.7 SPG
Previous ranking: NR

From the day she set foot on the court for her first collegiate game against Notre Dame in Paris, Fulwiley was the Gamecocks’ most exciting and dynamic player. Lately, she has also arguably been their best. After scoring 13 points in 13 minutes against Tennessee and 24 points in 17 minutes in the final two game of South Carolina’s SEC championship, Fulwiley was named MVP in her first SEC tournament. She’s averaging a team-high 18.5 points in two NCAA tournament games. Not surprisingly for a freshman, inconsistency plagued her for much of the season. Dawn Staley even benched Fulwiley against North Carolina in late November for not focusing enough on defense. That seems to have changed. Fulwiley has multiple steals in six games in the past month. — Creme

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Center | 6-foot-7 | senior
Stats: 13.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.6 BPG
Previous ranking: 13

South Carolina steamrolling Presbyterian in the first round was expected. Doing the exact same thing to North Carolina in the second round was a little more surprising. But it showed just how ready the Gamecocks are for this tournament. Cardoso didn’t play in the first round (sitting out a suspension for fighting in the SEC tournament final), but she had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Tar Heels. Cardoso will try to limit Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes in the Sweet 16. — Voepel

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Forward | 6-foot-3 | graduate
Stats: 20.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 65.7% FG
Previous ranking: 18

The Hoosiers have Holmes to thank for avoiding a second straight second-round upset at home. She scored 20 of her 29 points in the second half in Indiana’s comeback win over Oklahoma. As consistent a post player as basketball has seen during her five years in Bloomington, Holmes has averaged at least 17.8 points per game since her sophomore year and has never shot below 60% in a season. She also picked up a Big Ten defensive player of the year award last year and might have had a conference player of the year award or two had her career not overlapped with Iowa’s Clark. — Creme

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Guard | 6-foot-1 | junior
Stats: 17.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Previous ranking: NR

Citron had one of her best games of the season in the first round, tying her career high with 29 points against Kent State. Coach Niele Ivey said Citron really helped settle down the Irish when they were struggling a little early in the NCAA opener. Then, against Ole Miss in the second round, Citron had her first double-double of the season (17 points, 10 rebounds). Notre Dame has looked like a championship contender during its 10-game winning streak, and Citron has been key in that. — Voepel

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Center | 6-foot-7 | sophomore
Stats: 14.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.0 RPG
Previous ranking: 12

Betts missed the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener against UC Irvine (foot) but showed just how critical she is to their success in a tough second-round matchup against Creighton, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds and helping UCLA stay in the game early when Creighton was hitting shots and took the lead. Betts’ upcoming matchup against LSU’s Reese will be must-see TV; the sophomore will need to be transcendent on both ends to knock off the defending national champs and get UCLA one step closer to its first NCAA Final Four. — Philippou

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Forward | 5-foot-11 | junior
Stats: 2.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 44.2% FG
Previous ranking: NR

If Iriafen isn’t the breakout star of the NCAA tournament so far, then it’s Richardson. The second-team all-ACC selection is at least the biggest individual surprise. After averaging 11.5 points per game in the regular season, Richardson has scored 26.5 PPG on 21-for-36 shooting in Duke’s two wins. She also added seven rebounds in each game, another number that far exceeded her regular season average. In both games, the Blue Devils erased double-figure deficits. Richardson scored 12 second-half points against Richmond and 16 after halftime in the upset of Ohio State. — Creme

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Guard | 6-foot-1 | junior
Stats: 16.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Previous ranking: 15

A year ago, Morrow was watching the NCAA tournament after her sophomore season at DePaul. This year, she is right in the thick of things trying to help LSU win its second national championship. Morrow was a big boost for the Tigers in the early rounds, with a combined 34 points and 20 rebounds. She could be one of the X factors against UCLA in the Sweet 16. — Voepel

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Forward | 6-foot-1 | senior
Stats: 19.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 60.5% FG
Previous ranking: 25

The best mid-major player in the country this season, Ejim is second only to Brink in Her Hoop Stats’ player efficiency rating. No player has made more 2-point field goals, and Ejim has now scored in double figures in 39 consecutive games dating to last season. As much as 3-point shooting was a big part of the Bulldogs’ success this season and in the win over Utah in the second round, Ejim was still crucial in the post, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against the Utes. Her ability to excel as a scorer and passer (2.3 APG) in either the high or low post gives the Gonzaga offense the versatility that places it second in the country in points per 100 possessions. — Creme

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Forward | 6-foot-4 | sophomore
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 66.3% FG
Previous ranking: 23

Raegan Beers has played only 47 minutes across Oregon State’s first two NCAA tournament games: against Eastern Washington, she hurt her ankle at the end of the third quarter and didn’t return, while against Nebraska, she dealt with foul trouble (the Beavers managed to pull away when she was on the bench). That Oregon State could win without her is a confidence-booster for Scott Rueck, although they’ll need her to dominate against Notre Dame, where she should have a matchup advantage down low. — Philippou

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Guard/forward | 6-foot-0 | senior
Stats: 14.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 37.1% 3FG
Previous ranking: NR

Welcome to the list, McKenzie Forbes! The Pac-12 tournament championship game — where the Harvard transfer paced the Trojans in scoring with 26 points on an off night from Watkins to secure tournament MOP — might have been her national coming-out party. But Forbes picked up where she left off, stringing together the first three-game stretch of her career in which she has scored at least 20 points per contest. She’s shooting 9-for-20 (45%) on 3-pointers during the NCAA tournament; if she can keep that up and give USC another top scoring threat alongside Watkins, the Trojans could be headed to Cleveland. — Philippou

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20. Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina Gamecocks

Guard | 5-foot-9 | senior
Stats: 11.2 PPG, 2.7 APG, 79 3-pointers
Previous ranking: 21

Paopao had a combined 26 points and nine assists in the Gamecocks’ early-round demolitions of Presbyterian and North Carolina. Her 3-point shooting ability just gets more important from here on out for South Carolina. Against Indiana in the Sweet 16, Paopao will face a Hoosiers team that was been able to limit some of the top perimeter scorers in the Big Ten. Her ability to stretch the Hoosiers’ defense is important. — Voepel

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Guard | 5-foot-11 | sophomore
Stats: 13.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.5 APG
Previous ranking: NR

Rice leads the Bruins in assists this season. But for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, she was their best scorer, combining for 44 points in a comfortable win over California Baptist and a nerve-wracking victory over Creighton. Rice is a do-everything player for UCLA, and has the chance to be a real difference-maker against LSU in the Sweet 16. She and the Bruins are eager for another chance at the regional semifinals after struggling in that round last season against South Carolina. — Voepel

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Guard | 5-foot-7 | graduate
Stats: 12.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 2.2 SPG
Previous ranking: NR

The statistics have never been staggering for Sherrod, but her importance to the Buffaloes is immeasurable. She has presided as the point guard over the most successful two-year run for the program since the mid-1990s. Sherrod’s game is built on speed and relentless effort. There might not be a faster player with the ball in her hand, and in both Colorado wins in the NCAA tournament, Sherrod ran down Drake and Kansas State fast breaks as a defender to prevent easy points. Her 3-point shooting (23.9%) is a weakness, but her playmaking skills are why it will be Sherrod with the ball in any crucial moment late in the game for the Buffs. — Creme

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Guard | 5-foot-9 | junior
Stats: 16.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.9 APG
Previous ranking: NR

One of the most improved players in the country, James has been the catalyst to NC State making it back to the Sweet 16. She led the way in scoring in the wins over Chattanooga and Tennessee. Her 22 points against the Lady Vols sparked an offensive resurgence of the Wolfpack, who hit 70 points for the first time since the ACC tournament quarterfinals. James averaged just 6.8 points per game coming off the bench a year ago and then opened some eyes, scoring 18 in an upset of UConn in the second game of the season. That she exceeded all expectations is the biggest reason NC State, picked to finished eighth in the ACC, did so as well. — Creme

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Guard | 5-foot-10 | sophomore
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Previous ranking: NR

Johnson has been a consistent offensive spark for the Tigers, scoring in double figures in every game but one since Dec. 12. That includes a combined 35 points on 57.9% shooting in the NCAA tournament early-round games. Johnson hasn’t made a lot of 3-pointers this season — 32 — but is enough of a threat behind the arc that the defense can’t just ignore her out there. — Voepel

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Forward | 6-foot-3 | junior
Stats: 14.2 PPG, 8.9 APG, 37.3% 3FG
Previous ranking: NR

Rounding out Notre Dame’s portion of the list is the third member of the Irish’s Big Three. Down to six healthy scholarship players, Notre Dame continues to thrive almost solely because of Westbeld, Hidalgo and Citron. Westbeld has the most postseason experience of the group, averaging 14.1 points in eight NCAA tournament games in her career. She is the Irish’s third-leading scorer, top rebounder and most accurate 3-point shooter. The shooting has really come on of late. Westbeld has made 9 of 20 3-point attempts in the ACC and NCAA tournament. — Creme