[ad_1]
In the latest top-10 showdown in women’s college basketball, UConn and Notre Dame renewed their storied rivalry in South Bend on Thursday. The No. 2-ranked Huskies entered with a perfect 8-0 record, but they had no answer for Hannah Hidalgo, who led the No. 8-ranked Fighting Irish to a 79-68 win.
Hidalgo went off for 29 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, and showed why she’s on track to be a future lottery pick. That won’t be until 2027, however, as she’s just a sophomore. As for the 2025 WNBA Draft, there were a number of top prospects in action, which is why multiple pro teams had scouts in attendance, per Maggie Vanoni.
After an exciting contest, let’s check in on the likes of Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron with a little mid-December stock watch.
Paige Bueckers: Steady
To be fair to Bueckers, there’s really no way for her stock to rise at this point. She’s widely regarded as a generational talent and is the projected No. 1 overall pick. Barring a surprise decision to return to school — she still has one year of eligibility remaining — she’ll be playing for the Dallas Wings next season.
Her performance on Thursday certainly wasn’t the best we’ve ever seen from her, but it was a very solid one in difficult circumstances. She finished with 25 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals on 11 of 20 from the field while facing immense defensive pressure.
Bueckers has faced criticism at times for being too passive, and her approach is something she’s made a point to work on this season. It showed in this game, as she took 20 shots, eight more than any other teammate. In fact, she was probably a bit over-aggressive early on, when she forced a few drives into traffic.
The only real negative for Bueckers in this one is that she missed all four of her 3-point attempts. She’s a career 42.4% shooter from behind the arc, though, and there are no concerns about her outside shot.
Likewise, there was nothing from this game that would cast any doubt on Bueckers’ status as the best player in this class.
Olivia Miles: Rising
Heading into the season, there were some questions about Miles, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
First and foremost, everyone wanted to see how she would fare coming off a major injury, especially as a dynamic guard that relies on athleticism. Skill wise, Miles needed to show improvements as a shooter after really struggling early in her collegiate career. Perhaps the biggest of all, of course, is whether she’ll declare for the draft this year or use her extra year of eligibility to return to school for a sixth year.
Miles is yet to make an official announcement about the draft status, but she’s passing the other tests with flying colors. She has been excellent for the Fighting Irish this season, most notably from behind the 3-point line, where she’s shooting a career-high 46.2% on 4.3 attempts per game.
Thursday’s outing was yet another example of why Miles’ stock is rising. She took a bit of a back seat to Hidalgo, but in doing so proved she doesn’t need the ball in her hands to be successful. Her final line: 16 points, four rebounds and three assists on 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 4 from behind the arc. Miles also showed her toughness by coming back from an early ankle sprain to play the remainder of the game.
If Miles does declare for the draft, it would not be crazy to see her go No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks, who desperately need a point guard.
Sonia Citron: Steady
Everyone has Citron projected as a first-round pick next spring, but her potential range is from the back-end of the lottery to the final pick of the opening round. It just depends on whether teams are looking for a versatile, pro-ready player or a prospect with more upside. Citron is the former.
Notre Dame’s win was a perfect example of Citron’s value. She played 37 minutes and finished with just seven points, two assists, two steals and a block on 2 of 5 from the field, but she was one of the most important players on the floor.
Citron didn’t get many looks on Thursday — overall she’s slid into a lesser role with Miles’ return — but the threat she provides as a shooter helps open the floor for Hidalgo and Miles. Her work as a secondary playmaker and connector who doesn’t make mistakes also cannot be overlooked. She could have had more than two assists, and one of the ones she did have was a high-level pass.
Defensively, Citron is often responsible for the other team’s best perimeter player, and that was no different this time as she shadowed Bueckers all around the court. Bueckers ultimately got her numbers, but Citron made her work extremely hard for them, which is all you can ask against an elite player.
Citron is a winner who makes the Fighting Irish better and will do the same for whichever WNBA team drafts her, but how much her complementary skills will be valued in the draft remains to be seen.
[ad_2]
Source link
