Watkins vs. Betts and 30 other conference player of the year battle predictions
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Charlie Creme, ESPN.com
The transfer portal has shuffled rosters across women’s college basketball. Players change teams two or sometimes three times in a career. Coaches are constantly re-recruiting their own players and hitting the road for new ones. So where are the country’s best players as we prepare to tip off the 2024-25 season?
Fourteen conference player of the year winners from a year ago are back with teams they won the award with in 2024. Many graduated, and some of those moved onto the WNBA, but only three transferred in the offseason to another school — Temira Poindexter (Tulsa to Kansas State), Sarah Te-Biasu (VCU to Maryland) and Caitlin Weimar (Boston University to NC State).
Some of the player of the year races look like foregone conclusions. There don’t appear to be true challengers to UConn‘s Paige Bueckers in the Big East or Gonzaga‘s Yvonne Ejim in the WCC. But other races, such as in the ACC and SEC, will be worth watching every step of the way.
This rundown will help get things started. Let’s take a look at the top candidates for player of the year in every conference and their top competition.
Jump to a conference:
A-10 | AAC | ACC | America East | ASUN | Big 12 | Big East | Big Sky | Big South | Big Ten | Big West | C-USA | CAA | Horizon League | Ivy League | MAAC | MAC | MEAC | Mountain West | MVC | NEC | OVC | Patriot League | SEC | Southern | Southland | Summit League | Sun Belt | SWAC | WAC | WCC
America East Conference
Kayla Cooper, 6-0, G, Albany Great Danes
Maine’s Adrianna Smith would have been the front-runner, but she will miss the season with a knee injury suffered in a recent practice. For her part, Cooper has been one of America East’s best players for the past two seasons and was second in the conference in scoring at 15.2 points per game a year ago.
Top competition: Anna Olson, 6-1, F, Vermont Catamounts: 11.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.0 BPG
American Athletic Conference
Romi Levy, 6-3, F, South Florida Bulls
In her first year at South Florida after leaving Auburn, Levy was thrust into a big role with the Bulls when Sammie Puisis went down with an injury one game into the season. A role player for the Tigers for two years, Levy stepped into a starring role and led South Florida in scoring (14.7 PPG) and 3-point shooting (34.6%).
Top competition: Tommisha Lampkin, 6-2, F, North Texas Mean Green: 15.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 61.4% FG
ACC
Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6, G, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Already a highly regarded recruit, Hidalgo exceeded already lofty expectations as a freshman. With Olivia Miles out with an injury, considerable responsibility was placed on Hidalgo — and she delivered. Hidalgo led the Irish to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and a spot in the Sweet 16. She finished second in the ACC in scoring at 22.6 PPG and led the country in steals with 4.6 per game.
Top competition: Ta’Niya Latson, 5-8, G, Florida State Seminoles: 21.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 43.8% FG
ASUN Conference
Emani Jefferson, 5-6, G, Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
The trophy case for Jefferson became quite full last spring. Not only did she lead the Eagles to their seventh straight ASUN regular-season title but she was also named the conference player of the year, defensive player of the year and newcomer of the year. After transferring from Memphis, she took her game to another level, averaging 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals.
Top competition: Edyn Battle, 6-1, F, Jacksonville Dolphins: 20.3 PPG, 2.5 APG, 33.3% 3FG
Atlantic 10 Conference
Addie Budnik, 6-2, F, Richmond Spiders
Already with plenty of hardware after winning last year’s defensive player of the year and the A-10 tournament MVP, Budnik gets the edge in what should be a competitive and wide-open player of the year race. She was third on the Spiders with 11.9 points per game and led the conference in blocks at 2.5 per contest.
Top competition: Talya Brugler, 6-1, F, Saint Joseph’s Hawks: 15.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 54.1% FG
Big East Conference
Paige Bueckers, 5-11, G, UConn Huskies
Three Final Four appearances and the 2021 national player of the year award showcase just how good Bueckers has been at UConn. But last year stands out, with Bueckers often playing power forward on the injury-depleted Huskies and ranking in the top 10 in the Big East in scoring (22.2 PPG), assists (3.9 APG), steals (2.3 SPG), blocked shots (1.4 BPG), field goal percentage (53.4%), free throw percentage (83.4%) and 3-point percentage (41.8%).
Top competition: Lauren Jensen, 5-10, G, Creighton Bluejays: 17.4 PPG, 3.1 APG, 3.7 RPG, 90.7% FT
Big Sky Conference
Sophie Glancey, 6-2, F, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Scoring the second-most points in a season in program history, Glancey led Northern Arizona to its most wins (21) since 2006. She also led the Big Sky in field goal percentage (53.4%) and blocked shots (1.3 BPG).
Top competition: Dani Bartch, 6-2, Montana Lady Griz: 8.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 45.5% FG
Big South Conference
Ashley Hawkins, 5-5, G, Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs:
In her first year at Gardner-Webb, Hawkins led the team in scoring (15.7 PPG), assists (5.6 APG), field goal percentage (42.2%) and free throw percentage (77.9%) and was voted Big South newcomer of the year. She’s also the league’s top returner in points and assists.
Top competition: Adriana Shipp-Davis, 5-11, F, Radford Highlanders: 9.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 35.3% FG at Longwood
Big 12 Conference
Ayoka Lee, 6-6, C, Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State has been picked as the preseason favorite in the Big 12 for the first time. The biggest reason? Lee decided to stick around for a fifth season. Already a four-time first-team all-conference selection, Lee is the first player in Wildcats history with two seasons with more than 500 points, 200 rebounds and 75 blocks. Last season she averaged 19.7 points and was sixth in the country with 61.9% shooting from the field.
Top competition: Audi Crooks, 6-3, C, Iowa State Cyclones: 19.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 57.7 FG%
Big Ten Conference
JuJu Watkins, 6-2, G, USC Trojans
The list of accolades is already long, and Watkins has played only one season. She set the NCAA’s scoring record for a freshman; she had more 30-point games than any other Trojan ever; and her 42 points against Colorado was a single-game USC record. Her 27.1 points per game ranked second in the country to Caitlin Clark, and she also led the Trojans in assists (3.3 APG) and steals (2.3 SPG). Cameron Brink beat out Watkins for Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2023-24, but the sophomore will likely be the favorite in the Big Ten for the next three years.
Top competition: Lauren Betts, 6-7, C, UCLA Bruins: 13.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 61.0% FG
Big West Conference
Deja Lee, 5-9, G, UC Irvine Anteaters
Last year’s conference player of the year and the MVP of the Big West tournament, Lee led the Anteaters to their first title in 29 years. Her school-record 82 steals led a defense that ranked 14th in the country in points allowed (55.7 PPG). She led the team with 13.9 points per game and averaged 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Top competition: Lily Wahinekapu, 5-7, G, Hawaii Rainbow Wahine: 11.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, 34.8% 3FG
Coastal Athletic Association
Taryn Barbot, 5-10, G, Charleston Cougars
As the CAA’s rookie of the year, Barbot helped the Cougars go from nine wins to 20 and the second round of the WNIT, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2014. Her scoring (14.6 PPG), field goal percentage (36.1%) and steals (2.1 SPG) were all in top 10 in the conference.
Top competition: Jordyn Dorsey, 5-9, G, NC A&T Aggies: 12.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.4 APG
Conference USA
Anastasiia Boldyreva, 6-6, G, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Ranking fifth in the nation with 2.9 blocks per game, she was the CUSA defensive player of the year in 2023-24. Boldyreva also scored 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while making 61.0% of her field goal attempts. Boldyreva nearly doubled her point production from her sophomore to junior seasons and has made 29 of 62 3-pointers in her career.
Top competition: Mya Kone, 6-0, G, Florida International Panthers: 11.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG
Horizon League
Colbi Maples, 5-8, G, Cleveland State Vikings
Cleveland State is the preseason favorite to win the Horizon for the first time, and the Vikings might have the three best players in the league. Maples, who was player of the year last season, leads the way again. She averaged 16.6 points and 4.0 assists and took over after preseason favorite and 2023 winner Destiny Leo went down with a knee injury in the sixth game. Mickayla Perdue was the Horizon’s newcomer of the year after scoring 17.3 points, good for second in the league.
Top competition: Destiny Leo, 5-10, G, Cleveland State Vikings: 20.7 PPG, 52.1% FG in six games in 2023-24; 17.9 PPG, 2.0 APG, 38.6 3PT% in 2022-23
Ivy League
Madison St. Rose, 5-10, G, Princeton Tigers
One of the highest-rated recruits in Princeton history, Rose spent two years contributing to a pair of Ivy League championship teams but deferred to Kaitlyn Chen. With Chen now at UConn, the Tigers — going for a seventh consecutive Ivy League title — are now St. Rose’s team. Her scoring averaged jumped six points to 14.8 last season, and she made 34.0% of her 3-point attempts.
Top competition: Harmoni Turner, 5-10, G, Harvard Crimson: 19.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.3 APG
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Ny’Ceara Pryor, 5-3, G, Sacred Heart Pioneers
Two years into her career, Pryor already has two player of the year awards. Those came in the NEC. With Sacred Heart’s move to the MAAC, she will try to pile up the numbers there like she did a year ago. Pryor set the Pioneers’ scoring record and led the NEC in points (18.7 PPG), assists (4.5 APG), steals (3.2 SPG, fourth in the country) and field goal percentage (46.4%).
Top competition: Janelle Brown, 15-6, F, Fairfield Stags: 14.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.4 SPG, 45.1& 3FG
Mid-American Conference
Chellia Watson, 5-8, G, Buffalo Bulls
Playing for her third school in three seasons (also Cincinnati and USC Upstate), Watson led the MAC in scoring (23.2 PPG) by nearly five points per game. That number was also good for fourth in the country behind only Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins and Lucy Olsen (then of Villanova). Given the green light like Dyaisha Fair used to get at Buffalo, Watson also helped the Bulls to a seven-win turnaround last season.
Top competition: Ally Becki, 5-8, G, Ball State Cardinals: 13.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 35.1& 3FG
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Diamond Johnson, 5-5, G, Norfolk State Spartans
Johnson averaged more points (20.3 PPG) than anyone else in the MEAC a season ago, but her tally of 23 games wasn’t enough to qualify her for the scoring title. That honor went to teammate Kierra Wheeler, who also won player of the year. With a full season, expect Johnson — who also would have led the conference in steals (3.9 SPG) — to overtake her teammate for the award.
Top competition: Kierra Wheeler, 6-1, F, Norfolk State Spartans: 17.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 50.0% FG
Missouri Valley Conference
Katie Dinnebier, 5-8, G, Drake Bulldogs
Until Dinnebier’s dominant season a year ago, the Bulldogs hadn’t won the MVC regular-season championship since 2019. Dinnebier, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, finished 2023-24 third in the conference in scoring (18.1 PPG) and first in assists (6.9 APG), while shooting 85.7% from the free throw line and 41.6% from the 3-point line.
Top competition: Katelyn Young, 6-1, F, Murray State Racers: 19.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 51.2% FG
Mountain West Conference
Emma Ronsiek, 6-2, F, Colorado State Rams
After four successful years at Creighton, Ronsiek is finishing her career in the Mountain West, trying to help the Rams end UNLV’s three-year run atop the conference. Ronsiek never averaged below 11.6 points per game as a Bluejay and was twice an All-Big East first-team selection. She reached a career-high 16.8 PPG last season and shot 33.1% from 3-point range.
Top competition: Allyson Fertig, 6-4, C, Wyoming Cowgirls: 14.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 60.4% FG
Northeast Conference
Teneisia Brown, 6-2, F, Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
The only returning first-team All-NEC player, Brown was second in the conference in field goal percentage (49.2%) and rebounding (9.4 RPG) in league games.
Top competition: Belle Lanpher, 5-5, G, Central Connecticut State Blue Devils: 12.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.7 APG
Ohio Valley Conference
Macy McGlone, 6-3, F, Eastern Illinois Panthers
Since her arrival from Milwaukee two years ago, McGlone has dominated for the Panthers, leading them to consecutive second-place OVC finishes, their best back-to-back seasons since 2013 and 2014. McGlone is the reigning player and defensive player of the year one season after winning newcomer of the year. She averaged 17.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 2023-24 and ranked second in the country with 26 double-doubles.
Top competition: Anaya Brown, 6-1, F, UT Martin Skyhawks: 15.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG
Patriot League
Lex Therien, 6-1, F, Loyola Maryland Greyhounds
The best defensive rebounder in the conference, Therien averaged 10.2 total boards per game, which ranked second. She was the Patriot’s most accurate shooter (57.4 FG%) and averaged 15.5 points per game as the Greyhounds went from four league wins in 2022-23 to 10 last season.
Top competition: Ashley Sofilkanich, 6-3, F, Bucknell Bison: 12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG
SEC
Madison Booker, 6-1, G, Texas Longhorns
Give Booker the slightest of edges in what could be the most wide-open race in the country. She was the first freshman to win Big 12 Player of the Year — and did it while moving from small forward to point guard two months into the season after Rori Harmon went down with a knee injury. Booker set the Texas freshman record for assists, averaging 5.0 per game to go with her 16.5 points per game.
Top competition: Aneesah Morrow, 6-1, F, LSU Tigers: 16.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 46.4% FG
Southern Conference
Rachael Rose, 5-7, G, Wofford Terriers
Looking for her third consecutive SoCon Player of the Year, Rose will go down as one of the most prolific players in Wofford history. In just two seasons as a Terrier, she already ranks fourth on the career scoring list. Last year her 22.7 points per game was good for seventh in the country, and she led the league in assists (5.6 APG) and steals (2.2 SPG).
Top competition: Jayde Gamble, 5-6, G, UNC Greensboro Spartans: 14.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 43.7% FG
Southland Conference
Akasha Davis, 6-2, F, Lamar Cardinals
Another reigning player of the year, Davis has been a double-digit scorer since arriving at Lamar in 2021. She led the Southland in scoring (15.1 PPG) and rebounding (10.7 RPG), and her 20 double-doubles ranked seventh in the nation.
Top competition: Samora Watson, 5-6, G, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders: 17.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG in 2023-24 at Central Connecticut State
Summit League
Brooklyn Meyer, 6-2, F, South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Myah Selland, a two-time Summit Player of the Year at South Dakota State, handed over the program’s leadership role to Meyer, who has run with it. Meyer took the league’s top honor a year ago along with defensive player of the year as a sophomore. Meyer made 64.8% of her shots in league play last season and averaged 18 points per game against Summit League opponents.
Top competition: Grace Larkins, 5-9, G, South Dakota Coyotes: 16.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.8 APG, 46.4% FG
Sun Belt Conference
Peyton McDaniel, 5-6, G, James Madison Dukes
The Dukes’ leader with 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, McDaniel also led the Sun Belt in making 46.4% of her 3-pointers in conference games. She helped the Dukes win the title in their first year in the Sun Belt.
Top competition: Aislynn Hayes, 5-8, G, Marshall Thundering Herd: 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Destiny Brown, 6-1, G, Alcorn State Lady Braves
Ranking in the top 10 in the conference a year ago in points (12.6 PPG), rebounds (7.4 RPG), blocks (1.9 BPG) and field goal percentage (50.2%), Brown has been one of the SWAC’s most consistent players for the past two seasons.
Top competition: Coriah Beck, 5-1, G, Alabama A&M Bulldogs: 12.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG in 2023-24 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Western Athletic Conference
Trinity San Antonio, 5-10, G, Grand Canyon Lopes
After spending the offseason playing for the Puerto Rico national team at the Paris Olympics, San Antonio hopes to lead the Lopes to their first appearance in the NCAA tournament as a Division I program. She led Grand Canyon in scoring at 11.5 points per game last season and averaged 2.3 steals per contest.
Top competition: Avery Brittingham, 6-1, F, UT Arlington Mavericks: 13.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 44.9% FG
West Coast Conference
Yvonne Ejim, 6-1, F, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Already set to go down as one of the best players of all time at Gonzaga, Ejim elected to return to play her bonus season. If she can duplicate last year’s performance of 670 points, she will finish her career as Gonzaga’s career scoring leader. Last season she led the Zags to a 32-4 record and a Sweet 16 appearance, while winning WCC player and defensive player of the year, as well as the Becky Hammon national mid-major player of the year.
Top competition: Eleonora Villa, 5-8, G, Washington State Cougars: 12.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 43.6% FG
