With JuJu Watkins Out, Who Are The Frontrunners for Player of the Year?

10. Jazzy Davidson, 6-1, Freshman, USC

USC certainly takes a hit by losing Watkins to injury this season, but the team outlook is not as dire as some might think, and Davidson is a big reason for optimism. The 6-foot-1 incoming freshman arrives with a mature skillset and is capable of averaging 20-plus points during her rookie campaign. 

Davidson, the 2025 ESPN Hoopgurlz No. 1 recruit, averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game during her senior season in high school. Davidson’s build will make her transition to college a smooth one; her length lends itself to many aspects of the game, including finishing around the rim on drives, post-moves against smaller guards and deflections and steals on defense. 

9. Flau’jae Johnson, 5-10, Senior, LSU 

Johnson has all the skills necessary to be one of the country’s top guards, but her place in the POY race will likely be determined by how things play out with LSU’s guard-heavy roster. The Tigers will be balancing minutes and scoring opportunities for Johnson, Mikalylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert and MiLaysia Fulwiley, which might make it difficult for Johnson to put up award-winning numbers. 

Still, her talent is undeniable. Johnson is an athletic three-level scorer who also defends at a high-level and creates fastbreak opportunities for the Tigers. Last season she averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. 

8. Olivia Miles, 5-10, Senior, TCU

Had Miles opted to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft, the 5-foot-10 guard would likely have been the No. 2 or No. 3 pick, which gives you an idea of how good she is. Instead she decided to use her final year of eligibility, transferring from Notre Dame to TCU. 

Miles was an elite guard during her time at Notre Dame, averaging 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game last season. She also became a consistent threat from beyond the arc, upping her three-point accuracy from 22.8 percent during the 2022-23 season to 40.6 percent last year. Miles became known for her creativity on offense and Magic Johnson-like passing ability. At TCU – a program that revitalized the career of Hailey Van Lith – Miles will need to improve her defense and her ability to create her own shot. Both of those skills will help her POY chances. 

7. Mikayla Blakes, 5-8, Sophomore Vanderbilt

Few players can boast the kind of rookie campaign that Blakes enjoyed in 2024-25. The 5-foot-8 freshman put up 23.3 points per game, set a freshman record with 53 points in a contest and then broke said record less than a month later with 55 points. Throughout the season she scored with ease against the SEC’s best competition, totaling 23 and 24 points in two games against Tennessee, 22 against Texas, 19 and 20 in two matchups with South Carolina and 34 against Oklahoma. Blakes is both shifty and strong, with a deep arsenal of scoring moves. She rarely puts the ball in the bucket the same way twice, something that makes her nearly impossible to guard. 

Vanderbilt added a few pieces this offseason, but the Commodores will need to do better than their 22-11 record and first-round tournament exit for Blakes to be taken seriously in the POY race.

6. Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6, Notre Dame, Junior

Notre Dame’s dynamic 5-foot-6 guard has been in the POY conversation for the last two seasons, thanks to her scoring ability and intensity on defense. Last season she averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 85.6 percent from the free-throw line. Those are insane numbers, especially when you consider the kind of talent she was surrounded by. 

Hidalgo played alongside another of the country’s top guards in Miles, a current WNBA Rookie of the Year candidate in Sonia Citron and another draft pick in Maddy Westbeld. This season the Fighting Irish look much, much different, and Hidalgo will have to carry an even heavier load in order to keep her team relevant. With Citron and Westbeld graduating, Miles transferring to TCU and several other players exiting for different programs as well, the Irish will be a rag-tag team next season. If Hidalgo can keep them competitive, her award chances increase.

5. Madison Booker, 6-1, Texas, Junior

Texas played in its first Final Four since 2003, and according to coach Vic Schaefer,  a lot of that success can be attributed to Booker. 

“Any time you can build a team around a player like Madison Booker, you’re in good shape,” Schaefer said. 

Booker was the driving force for Texas all season, running the Longhorn offense as a 6-foot-1 point forward. There’s an old-school element to her game, as Booker thrives in the midrange, which for many players is a lost art. Booker averaged 16.3 points per game last season while making just 0.7 three-pointers per game. Despite her reluctance to fire from long range, Booker can shoot from distance, making 40.3 percent of her long-range attempts last season. 

This year, I expect her to be a more willing shooter to complement the rest of her game. Booker also has excellent court vision, using her size and length to create open shots for teammates. The Longhorns beefed up their offense during the offseason, adding Breya Cunningham (Arizona), Teya Sidberry (Boston College) and freshman Aaliyah Crump, but Booker will still be at the helm of everything her team does. Plus, with more scoring options she will be able to further showcase her passing skills.

4. Ta’Niya Latson, 5-8, South Carolina, Senior

Latson has been putting up POY numbers for the past three seasons, but since Florida State hasn’t been a title contender, she hasn’t gotten the recognition she deserves. Transferring to South Carolina changes that. 

As a freshman, Latson had zero trouble adjusting to college basketball, putting up 21.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, earning her National Freshman of the Year honors. Few players have been as consistently dominant as Latson, who increased those numbers to 25.2, 4.6, 4.6 and 2.2 last season. Her scoring rate led the country, as the 5-foot-8 guard can convert from anywhere on the court. She is particularly effective off the dribble, where she uses a quick first step to blow by defenders. From there, her high IQ takes over, and Latson can facilitate, score in the midrange, or – despite being undersized – find ways to finish through contact.

At South Carolina, Latson will be in a much different situation than she was at Florida State. The Gamecocks have some serious depth, which means Latson likely won’t lead the country in scoring, but her POY candidacy will get a boost since she will be playing on a title contending team for the first time.

3. Azzi Fudd, 5-11, UConn, Senior

Fudd truly came into her own during UConn’s title run and was able to showcase her skills as a complete player. Injuries have hampered her career, but even when playing sparingly, Fudd became known as an elite shooter — even Steph Curry says he’s jealous of her shot. But the 2025 Final Four MOP has always had more than just her three-point shooting, and now she’s finally getting to show off those skills. 

Fudd can create off the bounce, finish in the midrange or at the rim. She is also a skilled defender who has a knack for anticipating plays and getting in passing lanes. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 13.6 points, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season, but what’s even more impressive are her shooting percentages. Fudd made 47.4 percent of her attempts from the floor, 43.6 percent of her three-pointers and 91.7 percent of her free-throw attempts. Reaching the elusive 50/40/90 mark this season is certainly a possibility. 

Fudd was also at her best against the steepest competition, scoring 28 points in a February win over South Carolina and then dominating both UCLA and South Carolina in the Final Four. She had 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting against UCLA and 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals against South Carolina in the title game. That performance further proved that Fudd is much more than just a shooter, as she only hit one three-pointer. 

2. Sarah Strong, 6-2, UConn, Sophomore

It may not happen in 2026, but Strong will win a Player of the Year award before her time in college is done. The 6-foot-2 forward has one of the most well-rounded skillsets I’ve seen in women’s college basketball, and she’s still scratching the surface of her potential. As UConn made its run to the 2025 national title, Strong was often the team’s best player, and that  speaks volumes when you consider she was playing alongside Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Fudd, the Final Four MVP. Strong’s stats alone are eye-popping: As a freshman she averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, and she shot 58.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. Against South Carolina in the title game, Strong had arguably her best performance of the year, finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals while making 10 of her 15 shot attempts. Strong’s versatility means that she finds ways to impact every moment she spends on the court. 

The soon-to-be sophomore’s POY campaign could be hampered simply because of where she plays. There’s a lot of talent on the UConn roster – including another POY candidate in Fudd, who will be a senior, and an elite scoring post in Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams – so Strong’s numbers may not be as high as others on this list. She also may end up splitting votes with someone like Fudd, especially if there is debate regarding which player is more important to UConn’s success.

1. Lauren Betts, 6-7, UCLA, Senior

Betts secured some hardware last season, taking home the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award thanks to her rim protection and the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year award for her all-round play. She was also a finalist for the POY award alongside Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Bueckers (UConn) and eventual winner Watkins (USC). 

Betts will once again be in position to win college basketball’s ultimate award thanks to her ability to impact the game on both sides of the court and her importance to UCLA, a team that could once again compete for a title. The 6-foot-7 senior averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.7 assists while shooting 64.8% from the field – the fifth-best mark in the country. Betts became a better passer as the season went on, something that should continue into her senior campaign. Betts is also working on increasing her range, which would be a nice complement to her low-block play. 

With Watkins out this season, Betts becomes the immediate front-runner for the POY award. During UCLA’s Final Four run last season, she was routinely the best player on the floor, anchoring her team’s offense and defense. And even in UCLA’s 85-51 blowout loss to UConn, Betts was the only player the Huskies couldn’t shut down as she finished with 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting. The one thing that could impact the senior’s shot at the POY award is playing time. Betts averaged 30 minutes a game last season, but UCLA coach Cori Close has said she wants her star center to play less and take fewer shots in order to create a more balanced offensive attack.