Caitlin Clark still atop ESPN’s updated top 25 women’s college basketball players
Just like the last time we did this exercise right after Christmas Day, Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark is still ESPN’s No. 1 player in its updated list of women’s college basketball’s top 25 players.
And really, who else could it be?
Clark has been magical again during the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season. It feels like she’s a lock to sweep the National Player of the Year awards once more a little bit later this spring.
Clark is averaging a career-best and nation-leading 32.2 points per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 39.5% from 3-point range. The West Des Moines product is also averaging 8.7 assists per game, which also leads the country. Clark has six triple-doubles this season and is averaging 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest.
It’s been a memorable season with Clark passing Kelsey Plum for the NCAA women’s career scoring record and keeping the Hawkeyes as one of the nation’s top teams. Her offensive numbers are a bit higher in Big Ten play: 33.2 PPG and 9.3 APG. She has 503 3-point field goals at Iowa, a career-high 156 of them coming this season. A second season of national player of the year honors seems solidified. – Michael Voepel, ESPN.
Clark at No. 1 is no surprise. It’s the name at No. 2 that might shock some folks that are just now plugging back into women’s college basketball as the NCAA Tournament approaches.
USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins checks in as the No. 2 player in women’s college basketball per ESPN.
Watkins, who ranks second in Division I scoring behind Clark, is the front-runner for national freshman of the year. Watkins’ 12 games of 30 or more points are tied with Clark for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. It’s also a USC single-season record for any class. Watkins has scored 20 or more points eight times against ranked opponents. Her recent 18-of-18 free throw performance was the most makes without a miss ever in a Pac-12 game. – Voepel, ESPN.
The rest of the top 10 is comprised by Stanford forward Cameron Brink at No. 3, UConn guard Paige Bueckers at No. 4, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo at No. 5, Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley at No. 6, Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore at No. 7, UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards at No. 8, UCLA center Lauren Betts at No. 9 and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso at No. 10.
Sixth-ranked Iowa closes its regular season on Sunday with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in attendance beforehand as the Hawkeyes play host to No. 2 Ohio State at noon.
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