Top 10 women's college basketball players to watch out for in first round of 2024 NCAA tournament ft. Caitlin Clark
A day after the men's, the NCAA Tournament is ready to go on the women's side of college basketball. The sport has had a compelling season, including the record-breaking Caitlin Clark and South Carolina's quest for a perfect run. Accordingly, the NCAA Tournament doesn't lack players to watch. Here are ten of them to keep an eye on as the NCAA Tournament opens.
Top 10 women's college basketball players to watch out for in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament
10. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Notre Dame's phenomenal freshman will make her NCAA Tournament debut. Since Hidalgo's college basketball debut, she has averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. As a No. 2 seed in South Carolina's region, Notre Dame will need big things from Hidalgo. Her debut promises to be memorable.
9. JuJu Watkins, USC
Speaking of phenomenal freshmen, JuJu Watkins will make her much-anticipated Tournament debut on Saturday. Watkins scored 27.0 ppg this season at USC in one of the most impressive freshman campaigns ever. The 6-foot-2 guard had just nine points in the Pac-12 title game. Bet she doesn't repeat that performance.
8. MacKenzie Holmes, Indiana
The outstanding Indiana forward comes in off a disappointing Big Ten Tournament. Holmes played only five minutes before a knee injury knocked her out of a loss to Michigan on March 8. The Hoosiers have fallen to a No. 4 seed and will face a 31-1 Fairfield team. The senior All-American likely has something special up her sleeve.
7. Paige Bueckers, UConn
For Bueckers, this is about returning to the NCAA Tournament. Bueckers missed last season due to injury and hasn't played in the NCAA Tournament in almost two years. In her last three games, Bueckers had 29, 27, and 27 points. She'll probably continue on that trend.
6. Cameron Brink, Stanford
Brink and Stanford seemed likely to take the No. 1 seed but fell to a No. 2 after losing the Pac-12 Tournament. Brink and the Cardinal can hang their head or show why they deserved the No. 1 seed. Brink had double-doubles in each of her last five games and is likely to have a memorable tournament.
5. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Ohio State also had No. 1 seed potential but took a tough Big Ten Tournament loss to Maryland earlier this month. Sheldon was held to 10 points in that game. For a player of her ability (18.0 ppg), that's motivational fuel for the NCAA Tournament. Sheldon likely has a big game on tap.
4. Madison Booker, Texas
Among the great freshmen looking forward to their first games, don't leave out Booker. The Texas standout is one of the nation's best all-around players (16.9 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.8 rpg). With Texas taking the final No. 1 seed, Booker and her Longhorns can make a statement with a solid NCAA Tournament start.
3. Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
There might not be a player in America who means more to her team than Jackson. Tennessee is in a dangerous spot as a No. 6 seed that looked like they would take down South Carolina in the SEC Tournament, only to lose at the buzzer. That game can either be a springboard to an impressive NCAA Tournament or the point of giving up. Jackson (19.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg) will try to make sure it's the former.
2. Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
The load on Virginia Tech's Georgia Amoore has increased. Tech's other star Elizabeth Kitley will miss the Tournament due to injury. Amoore is averaging 19.2 ppg this season but will have to carry even more of the load without Kitley. A tune-up game against Marshall will give her a chance to get acclimated to the situation.
1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Among a million reasons Iowa is a must-see is that this will be Clark's final college basketball tournament. Every game she plays is an opportunity to see something rarely or never seen before. Even a No. 1 seed vs. No. 16 seed game should be treasured.