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Caitlin Clark was the biggest star in college basketball for several seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes. She parlayed that into being the top draft choice in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and her stardom reached new heights at the professional level.
However, a massive chasm was left in the women’s college game after she left, and several stars will be vying to be the biggest name in March Madness this year. The country is full of amazing talent this season, but there are only a handful of players who are ready for the spotlight in the NCAA Tournament when the lights are brightest.
7. Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
Betts has been a force for the Bruins all season on both ends of the floor. UCLA only lost two games this season, both of them to their bitter rival USC, but they avenged those losses by taking down the Trojans in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. The Bruins are the No. 1 overall seed and there might not be a team in the country playing better than they are right now. If they make a big tournament run, Betts will almost certainly be leading the charge and could steal the show this March.
6. Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
Hidalgo was the front-runner for the National Player of the Year Award for a good portion of the year until a late-season slide. She still has the capability to be the best player in the tournament, and she’ll be coming in with quite a chip on her shoulder. She is one of the best scorers in the country and should be the focal point for a Notre Dame team that is poised to make a deep run, which means she could be poised for stardom in the tournament.
5. Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU
Van Lith has something to prove this year after a lackluster performance for LSU last season. Now the star of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, she’ll be more than ready to lead her team on a deep tournament run, and to do it in electrifying fashion. Watching her play the game is just enjoyable, and she has a rematch with Louisville, her old school, potentially waiting for her in the second round of the tournament. Van Lith will be must-see TV in March Madness.
4. Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Bueckers fell on hard times at points during her college career but is still one of the best players in women’s college basketball of the last decade. She and the UConn Huskies are playing their best basketball right now, and Bueckers is leading the charge, which positions her nicely for a share of the spotlight in the Big Dance.
3. Ta’Niya Latson, G, Florida State
Ta’Niya Latson is the country’s leading scorer at 24.9 points per contest and should turn some heads in the NCAA Tournament. She and the Florida State Seminoles are just a No. 6 seed, but they could be the exact kind of Cinderella team that March Madness needs this year. If they can win in the first round, they’ll have a series of high-profile matchups looming against LSU, NC State and UCLA, which should cast quite a bit of attention on Latson and her scoring prowess.
2. Mikayla Blakes, G, Vanderbilt
Blakes is already one of the nation’s best scorers as a true freshman for the Vanderbilt Commodores. She averaged 23.2 points per game in a loaded SEC this season and proved that no moment is too big for her. Vanderbilt will have an uphill battle this March as a No. 7 seed, but if they can pull off a handful of upsets, Blakes may walk out of the tournament as a household name.
1. Juju Watkins, G, USC
Watkins is the obvious heir to the Caitlin Clark throne. She is the frontrunner for the National Player of the Year Award and is poised to lead the USC Trojans on a deep tournament run. She can do everything on the basketball court and is the most exciting player to watch in all of college basketball. If her team can avoid early upsets, she will be the talk of the tournament, undoubtedly.
