Top teams rely on freshmen stars
The top freshmen are changing the game and rewriting history
As the regular season of NCAA Women’s Basketball winds down and teams make their final pushes towards the March Madness tournament, 5wins is taking a look at the three freshmen who have arguably made the biggest impacts on women’s college hoops this season and ask the question: how far can their teams go?
Juju Watkins
The Southern California freshman can’t stop breaking records. Watkin’s record-setting 51 points in a win at Stanford remains the most points scored by any Division I player in a game this season. She also set the USC single-season 30-point game record with 12, surpassing Trojan great Cheryl Miller. The freshman guard has spent all season sneaking past defenders and putting her teammates in positions to score. USC has hovered around No. 11 in the AP poll with big wins against Ohio State, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon State, and Colorado but also has losses to UCLA, Stanford, Colorado, and two to Utah. If USC is hot, there is a real chance they will make a run toward the Elite Eight.
Hannah Hidalgo
Hannah Hidalgo has tremendously impacted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this season. Hidalgo’s efforts have buoyed a team that lost so much talent to injury this season. She ranks second nationwide in total steals, adding 23.7 points per game and 5.5 assists per game. These numbers are good enough to make her first in the ACC in scoring and steals. The Fighting Irish have wins over Tennessee and UConn and losses to Syracuse, UNC, Louisville, and NC State. Barring injuries, Notre Dame could cause some trouble and look to make a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Mikaylah Williams
LSU’s Mikaylah Williams has been making a splash in SEC hoops since the start of the season. In her first conference game, Williams scored just 11 points but scored a season-high 42 points in a win against Kent State on November 14. She currently averages 15 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. LSU is a team with lots of talent and large aspirations, but it struggled with team chemistry with the addition of Hailey Van Lith and a highly-rated group of freshmen. As the season progresses, the team is gelling more. Of course, the hope for the Tigers is to peak at the right time and defend last year’s National Championship.