NCAAW: 3 bold predictions, starring 2 superb sophomores

Before all the women’s college basketball fun officially begins on Monday, Nov. 3, let’s have some fun with three bold player-based predictions for the season ahead:

Mikayla Blakes will lead the nation in scoring—with at least 30 points per game

I teased this prediction in The Feed and, to be honest, suggesting that Mikayla Blakes will lead the nation is scoring is not that bold. As Josh Felton already wrote, she seems poised to vault into true superstardom. So, let’s up the ante: The Vanderbilt sophomore guard not only will lead the nation in scoring, but she also will put up more than 30 points per game.

Blakes finished last season ranked No. 8 in scoring in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, with her 23.3 points per game just under two less per game than leading scorer Ta’Niya Latson’s 25.2. With Latson going from a green light in Tallahassee to a stacked South Carolina team, her production is bound to decrease, opening the way for Blakes to become the nation’s scoring queen—and then some.

Last season, Blakes dropped a pair 50-plus balls, scoring 53 in a win at Florida before netting 55 in an overtime victory at Auburn. She’s already authored 40-piece in the Commodores’ exhibition win at Memphis.

Not unlike Latson, Blakes is a resilient scorer who is not simply dependent on her jump shot falling because of how she attacks the basket and gets to the line. Last season, she made the eighth-most free throws in the nation with 193, averaging almost six made freebies per game as she shot 88.5 percent from the line. That accuracy from the stripe suggests she is almost sure to improve upon her 34.2 percent performance from 3, thus producing even more points. And as Josh highlighted, she’s already an excellent finisher around the rim.

That combination of volume and efficiency suggests that, while reaching at 30 points per game might not be likely, it’s certainly not outlandish.

Sarah Strong will lead the nation 3-point percentage

Here’s another bold prediction starring another superb sophomore.

Sarah Strong’s ability to connect from long range is part of what makes her such as special talent who almost absolutely epitomizes the ideal modern post player, as she is proficient in the traditional big skills of rebounding, screening, scoring around the basket and defending inside, while also capable of initiating the offense, defending on the perimeter and, yes, shooting the 3.

This year, could she be the best 3-point shooter in the nation? After hitting 38.8 percent from deep as a freshman, it’s not far fetched to think she could up her percentage into the mid-40s, which could be enough to be the nation’s most accurate shooter from deep. Because she is a big, she is more likely to take open catch-and-shoot 3s, with that less difficult diet allowing her to maintain a higher percentage than higher-volume shooters who often are forced into more challenging off-the-dribble shots.

By percentage, the nation’s best returning 3-point shooter is T’Yana Todd, who transferred to Ohio State after three seasons at Boston College. Last season, she hit 45.9 percent of her 4.6 3-point attempts per game, which was a more than 10-percent improvement on her sophomore season average. Gonzaga sophomore Allie Turner nearly matched Todd, as she made 45.7 percent of her 6.6 3s per game. Strong has the stroke to challenge them, as well as any and all other aspiring sharpshooters.

Aaliyah Chavez will be a First Team All-American

In recent seasons, freshmen have been fixtures on All-American teams, with a first year or two almost immediately establishing themselves as one of the nation’s best players. Last season, the aforementioned Strong and Blakes both received All-American recognition, with Strong making the AP Second Team and Blakes the Third Team. In 2023-24, JuJu Watkins was a First Team All-American.

This year, a freshman will again sneak on the First Team, with Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez claiming the honor. Considered the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025 at various points during the cycle, Chavez closed at No. 3, behind USC’s Jazzy Davidson and UCLA’s Sienna Betts according to ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT 100 ranking.

Chavez, however, enters a situation with the Sooners that should allow her to have an All-American-level impact. She joins a solid, experienced team where she won’t be overburdened and asked to do too much; instead, she’ll be supported by seniors Raegan Beers and Peyton Velhurst, who will provide a powerful post presence and 3-point shooting, respectively. Oklahoma also returns reliable contributors in junior forward Sahara Williams and sophomore guard Zya Vann. Yet, the Sooners will still very much benefit from Chavez’s skills, as her dynamic point guard play—from her three-level scoring potential in the halfcourt to how she can supercharge the Sooners’ transition attack—could help Oklahoma establish themselves as a real threat in the SEC.

Chavez both will be elevated by and will further elevate her team, a circumstance that could allow her to shine as not simply one the nation’s best freshmen, but as one’s the nation’s best players.