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Who will win Player of the Year in women's college basketball? Here are 5 candidates

eden laase
Contributing writer
·5 min read

The college basketball season is just two weeks old, but there have already been award-worthy performances. Here are five players who are making strong cases for the Player of the Year Award:

Bueckers already has one Naismith Player of the Year award to her name after an impressive freshman campaign in 2020-21. Injuries hampered her next few seasons, but Bueckers is back, and her early numbers are better than they were when she won the award. She’s averaging 21.3 points, 4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3 steals per game. Bueckers is also shooting 65% from the field — a sublime mark for a guard — and 50% from 3-point range.

No. 2 UConn passed its first test of the season on Friday with a 69-58 win over No. 14 North Carolina, and Bueckers was the catalyst. She had 29 points, showcasing her ability to score at three levels, and was nearly automatic in the midrange. Plus, Bueckers has the ball in her hands a lot, and through three games she has just one turnover.

One of the country’s most prolific scorers, Watkins reached the 1,000-point milestone on Friday, doing it in 38 games. That’s tied for the fourth-fewest games in DI history and two games faster than reigning POY, Caitlin Clark. Her scoring numbers are down from 27.1 points per game last season to 21.5 this season, but that’s because the Trojans have a slew of new weapons, like Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen. The slight dip in scoring only shows that Watkins is playing within her team's offense, something that’s shown through her 4.8 assists per game.

Her POY campaign will also be helped by her defensive prowess. At 6-foot-2, Watkins is a guard with size, meaning she can defend multiple positions. Through four games for USC, she’s averaging 3.8 steals and 3 blocks per game — significant increases on her 2.3 steals, 1.6 blocks and 3.3 assists per game in 2023-24.

Everything UCLA does this season will go through Betts. The 6-7 center was a crucial piece to the Bruins’ attack last season, and she's proven even more vital so far this year. Betts is averaging a double-double with 22 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, with her scoring in particular taking a jump from the 2023-24 campaign. Betts averaged 14.9 points per game last season, but more important than her increased production is the way she’s doing it. Betts has improved her range and can knock down a free-throw line jumper with ease and efficiency — she’s shooting 79.5% from the field — while also improving her footwork. She has the ability to spin both ways in the paint, and has multiple counter moves to work around defenders.

Betts is also a much-improved passer this season, which is crucial as she draws multiple defenders. She’s showcasing an ability to find open shooters and is averaging 3.7 assists per game.

Miles missed last season with a torn ACL, but now she’s healthy and reminding the country what it missed in her absence. In her first game of the season, Miles recorded a triple-double — the fourth of her career — with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals in a 105-61 win over Mercyhurst. Miles has continued her production through Notre Dame’s first four games, averaging 17.7 points, 7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.

Miles has also answered any questions about how she would play alongside sophomore Hannah Hidalgo, who had a breakout season as a freshman in Miles’ absence. The duo is excelling for Notre Dame, with Hidalgo taking on a bigger scoring role and Miles running the offense. The one knock for Miles right now is the fact that Notre Dame has yet to be tested, but there is plenty of season left for that. For now, the guard is setting a precedent for the kind of production we can expect as the season progresses.

The defending champion Gamecocks are the most balanced team in the country with 10 players averaging 15 minutes of court time per game. It’s hard to pinpoint the team’s most impactful player, but Kitts has emerged as their early POY candidate. She’s leading the way in points and rebounds with 19 and 12 per game. Kitts has also been efficient shooting the ball, making 62.5% of her attempts from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line.

Kitts did miss her team’s biggest test of the season, a 71-57 win over No. 7 NC State, due to an academic policy issue, but she will be challenged throughout the rest of non-conference play with games against No. 5 UCLA, No. 8 Iowa State and No. 14 Duke before SEC competition begins.

Right now, Kitts looks like South Carolina’s POY candidate, but guard Te-Hina Paopao could also make a run for the award. She’s averaging 15 points and 4 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. As SC keeps winning, someone will emerge as a real contender.