5 Women's NCAA tournament players to watch who aren't JuJu Watkins
Alona Yadav | Mar 17, 2025, 22:39 IST
( Image credit : Agencies )
JuJu Watkins has dominated women's college basketball this season, showcasing her talent with a standout performance against UCLA. Other players like Mikayla Blakes, Paige Bueckers, Ta'Niya Latson, Harmoni Turner, and Hailey Van Lith have been pivotal for their teams, delivering exceptional contributions and setting records.
JuJu Watkins has established herself as a dominant force in women's college basketball, capable of taking over games in spectacular fashion. USC's coach Lindsay Gottlieb described one of Watkins' performances against UCLA as "otherworldly," after she scored or assisted on all but eight of USC's 24 fourth-quarter points and recorded five blocks in the final period.
But Watkins isn't the only player who can create nightmares for opponents in the NCAA Tournament. Here are five other standout players who deserve attention:
If you like spotting rising stars, Mikayla Blakes should be on your radar. The freshman phenom set the NCAA's freshman single-game scoring record with 55 points against Auburn, just two weeks after scoring 53 against Florida. Averaging 23.2 points per game, Blakes ranks seventh nationally in scoring.
Her clutch performances have been pivotal for Vanderbilt, including a last-second putback that gave the Commodores a 71-70 win over Tennessee, snapping an eight-game losing streak against their rivals. Blakes later tormented Tennessee again in the SEC tournament, scoring a game-high 24 points as Vanderbilt beat the Volunteers twice in a season for the first time.
Bueckers might be the most complete player in college basketball today. She can score, create for teammates, and defend at an elite level, always reading the game expertly and adapting to whatever role UConn needs.
Her ball security is unmatched, leading the country with a 3.90 assist-to-turnover ratio. This efficiency means Bueckers rarely beats herself, forcing opponents to find creative ways to counter her well-rounded game.
Latson's scoring ability is virtually guaranteed, as she leads the nation with 24.9 points per game. She's been held under double figures just twice in 47 games, with one of those occasions coming in a game where she played only 11 minutes due to injury.
What makes Latson particularly dangerous is her all-around impact. Beyond scoring, she distributes 4.7 assists per game and disrupts opponents with 2.2 steals per game. She's also recorded 13 blocks this season, making her a threat on both ends of the court.
The Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year finalist is having a March to remember, averaging just over 31 points per game this month. Turner's 44-point performance against Princeton broke her own Harvard single-game scoring record and helped the Crimson advance to the Ivy Madness title game.
Turner continued her impressive play in the championship, scoring a game-high 24 points and taking a crucial offensive foul late in Harvard's 74-71 win over Columbia. The victory secured Harvard's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007.
After facing criticism for her performance at LSU last year, Van Lith has flourished at TCU, reminding observers why she was once considered one of college basketball's premier players. She's averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting a career-best 46% from the field.
Van Lith has also significantly improved her playmaking, averaging 5.3 assists per game—1.5 assists better than her previous career high. This dramatic improvement in distribution makes her an even more complete offensive threat.
But Watkins isn't the only player who can create nightmares for opponents in the NCAA Tournament. Here are five other standout players who deserve attention:
Mikayla Blakes , Vanderbilt
Her clutch performances have been pivotal for Vanderbilt, including a last-second putback that gave the Commodores a 71-70 win over Tennessee, snapping an eight-game losing streak against their rivals. Blakes later tormented Tennessee again in the SEC tournament, scoring a game-high 24 points as Vanderbilt beat the Volunteers twice in a season for the first time.
Paige Bueckers , UConn
Her ball security is unmatched, leading the country with a 3.90 assist-to-turnover ratio. This efficiency means Bueckers rarely beats herself, forcing opponents to find creative ways to counter her well-rounded game.
Ta'Niya Latson , Florida State
What makes Latson particularly dangerous is her all-around impact. Beyond scoring, she distributes 4.7 assists per game and disrupts opponents with 2.2 steals per game. She's also recorded 13 blocks this season, making her a threat on both ends of the court.
Harmoni Turner , Harvard
Turner continued her impressive play in the championship, scoring a game-high 24 points and taking a crucial offensive foul late in Harvard's 74-71 win over Columbia. The victory secured Harvard's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007.
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Van Lith has also significantly improved her playmaking, averaging 5.3 assists per game—1.5 assists better than her previous career high. This dramatic improvement in distribution makes her an even more complete offensive threat.