Sporting News First Team All-Americans
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
6-0, Sr. G
Key stats: 31.9 ppg, 8.9 apg, 7.3 rpg, 5.2 3pg
Defining game: 49 points, 13 assists, 9-of-18 3-point shooting in 106-89 win over Michigan.
Overview: One year ago, Clark swept the national player of the year awards and led Iowa to the brink of a national title. She seemed to take that as a challenge to do even better in her senior season. She leads the NCAA in points and assists per game. She set attendance records at arenas across the country. She broke Kelsey Plum’s career scoring record – and then Lynette Woodard’s, and then Pete Maravich’s. So no matter what happens in the NCAA Tournament, the results are in: Clark has produced one of the most transcendent seasons in the history of women’s college basketball.
JuJu Watkins, USC
6-2, Fr. G
Key stats: 27.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 spg
Defining game: 51 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals in 67-58 win against Stanford.
Overview: One of the top recruits of the class of 2023, Watkins decided to stay close to home with USC. Already her decision is paying off for the Trojans, who won their conference tournament for the first time since 2014 behind their native star. Watkins is second only to Caitlin Clark in scoring, and she already owns a host of USC records, including: most 30-point games in a single season (13), most points in a single game (51) and most points as a freshman (810 and counting). Don’t let Clark’s historic year overshadow Watkins’ all-time great freshman season.
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
5-6, Fr. G
Key stats: 23.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.5 apg, 4.6 spg
Defining game: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists in 82-67 win against UConn.
Overview: Hidalgo announced herself on the international stage, dropping 31 points in her NCAA debut – which came in Paris, in a game against powerhouse South Carolina. The Irish played the entire season without star guard Olivia Miles, who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered at the end of the 2022-23 season. But Hidalgo stepped in seamlessly, sitting in the top three in the nation in scoring and first in steals. And when Miles and Hidalgo team up next year, watch out world.
Cameron Brink, Stanford
6-4, Sr. F
Key stats: 17.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg
Defining game: 25 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists in 67-63 win against Oregon State.
Overview: On a deep Cardinal team, Brink averages just 25.6 minutes per game – but she makes full use of every one. With a solid case for best two-way player in the country, Brink leads her team in rebounds, steals and blocks per game – and she’s second in points and rebounds. Plus, she has 19 double-doubles, so her Pac-12 player of the year and defensive player of the year awards should come as no surprise – and neither should her status as a soon-to-be WNBA draft lottery pick.
Liz Kitley, Virginia Tech
6-6, Gr. C
Key stats: 22.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 55.6% FG
Defining game: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 76.5% FG in 61-56 win against Duke.
Overview: After Kitley helped lead the Hokies to the Final Four in 2023, she returned for a fifth year under head coach Kenny Brooks looking to run it back. She won the ACC player of the year award for the third consecutive season, joining Alana Beard and Alyssa Thomas as the only players to do so. The knee injury she sustained during the final game of the regular season underlined her importance to her team, which suffered a blowout loss to Notre Dame in the ACC tournament in her absence.
Sporting News Second-Team All-Americans
Angel Reese, LSU
6-3, Sr. F
Paige Bueckers, UConn
6-0, Jr. G
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
6-7, Sr. C
Raegan Beers, Oregon State
6-4, So. F
Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
5-10, Gr. G
Sporting News Third-Team All-Americans
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
6-6, Sr. C
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse
5-5, Gr. G
Alissa Pili, Utah
6-2, Sr. F
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
6-3, Sr. F
Madison Booker, Texas
6-1, Fr. F
Last edited:
