NCAAW: The Women’s College Hoopers You Need to Be Watching Right Now (Vol. 1)

Joel Piton
11 hours ago
8 min read

March Madness is approaching and the spotlight on women’s basketball is growing brighter. A new wave of elite scorers is beginning to separate itself from the pack. Some are rising stars ready to make the leap from McDonald's All-Americans to collegiate standouts. Others are seasoned bucket-getters who have been putting it on for their university's program for years and are legitimate WNBA draft prospects. Whether it’s a short burst of consecutive explosive scoring nights or long-lasting dominance, these players have been impossible to ignore as of late, and even harder to contain. It's time to take notice.

Audi Crooks — Iowa State (C)

Height: 6'3"

Age: 21

Draft Projection: N/A

Stats: 25.9 PPG - 7.7 RPG - 1.6 APG - 67.1 FG%

A dominant force we saw overwhelm competition at the high school level, Audi Crooks has somehow taken things up a notch in college. A projected lottery pick in the 2027 class, Crooks stands 6-foot-3, 225 lbs and is simply a nightmare to guard. Her strength and touch allow her to force her way to the rim at will, turning post touches into automatic points. Sitting atop the NCAA field-goal percentage leaderboard last year, Crooks has been even more outrageous this season—averaging around 26 points and 7 boards while shooting an absurd 67 percent from the field. With another full season of college basketball still ahead of her, the ceiling remains incredibly high.

The next step in her evolution is range: she’s shown capability in the midrange, but stretching the floor would make her nearly impossible to scheme against. That said, Crooks hasn’t needed a jumper yet—no one has been able to contain her in the paint, and her dominance in the paint has even drawn criticism. At just 21 years old, Crooks continues to shatter Iowa State records, and whether people like it or not, she’s carving out a place in the history books.

Azzi Fudd — UConn (SG)

Height: 5'11"

Age: 23

Draft Projection: Top 3

Stats: 17.1 PPG - 2.7 RPG - 3.0 APG - 48.7 FG%

I’ve been watching Azzi Fudd since her high school days, and her journey has been nothing short of remarkable. After overcoming two torn ACLs, Fudd returned sharper, stronger, and more polished—and last year played a key role in helping UConn capture yet another national title. She's hard to overlook. Fudd is a hustler with tight ball-handling skills, and her impact goes well beyond the box score. As consistent as they come, she’s a fluid, confident sharpshooter whose shooting splits have improved in every season she’s worn a UConn jersey.

While there’s room for her to distribute a bit more given her size and skill set, her offensive aggression consistently fuels winning basketball. This season, she’s posting career highs across the board in points, assists, rebounds, and steals—and with her developing at an insanely high rate, she could be a coach's dream offensively. It’s hard to imagine Fudd slipping past the No. 3 pick when draft night arrives.

Lauren Betts — UCLA (C)

Height: 6'7"

Age: 22

Draft Projection: Top 3

Stats: 16.4 PPG - 8.1 RPG - 2.9 APG - 56.9 FG%

At 6-foot-7, Lauren Betts is a full-on nightmare matchup—and a generational interior scorer who has been virtually unguardable at the collegiate level. A potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, Betts is the kind of player who steals your attention every time UCLA tips off. Her sheer size, timing, and touch around the rim make game-planning against her a losing battle before the opening whistle.

Betts is a nightly double-double threat and an elite rim protector, capable of swatting three shots per game on any given night.

She's a consistent lock for the field-goal percentage leaderboards with 57 percent this season, doing most of her damage where she’s most comfortable—right under the basket. What separates her even further is her feel for the game: Betts is an advanced passer for her size and has continued to sharpen her playmaking, even though she rarely needs to. The reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her claim the award again. With her size, skill, and defense, Betts carries massive WNBA upside—and the Dallas Wings could build an entire frontcourt around her presence.

Kiki Rice — UCLA (PG)

Height: 5'11"

Age: 22

Draft Projection: Top 10

Stats: 15.0 PPG - 6.5 RPG - 4.8 APG - 48.3 FG%

Alongside every dominant center is a steady point guard, and for the 21–1 UCLA Bruins, that role belongs to Kiki Rice. Surrounded by WNBA-level talent across the roster, Rice has quietly positioned herself as the next name to watch. At 5-foot-11, she’s a finishing point guard with a scorer’s mentality—more aggressive bucket-getter than traditional floor general—but she does her damage with impressive efficiency.

Rice has emerged as a reliable midrange shooter who consistently attacks the rim with force, using her size to overwhelm smaller guards. She’s shooting a career-best 49 percent from the field this season and crashing the glass at an insane rate, pulling down roughly 6.5 rebounds per game. Perhaps most encouraging is the growth in her jumper: Rice is connecting on 40 percent from beyond the arc, and if she continues to lean into that part of her game, her offensive ceiling rises even higher. Right now, she looks every bit like a lock to go inside the top 10 of this year’s upcoming draft.

Mikayla Blakes — Vanderbilt (SG)

Height: 5'8"

Age: 20

Draft Projection: N/A

Stats: 25.1 PPG - 3.9 RPG - 4.6 APG - 45.1 FG%

The 2025 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, Mikayla Blakes is—by any measure—one of the most electric prospects in women’s college basketball. In my view, she’s the most exciting guard to emerge in years. An undersized shooting guard with blazing speed, Blakes is a walking bucket who can score in rapid bursts, whether it’s pulling up from deep or creating space off the dribble. A pure shooter by nature, Blakes thrives in the midrange but has continued to sharpen her finishing ability, making her increasingly difficult to contain.

She burst onto the national scene around this time last year after going viral for breaking the NCAA freshman scoring record with a 55-point performance at just 19 years old. And the scary part? She’s not even halfway through her collegiate career. If this trajectory continues, Blakes has the makings of a truly special player—and one defenses will be losing sleep over for years to come.

Hannah Hidalgo — Notre Dame (PG)

Height: 5'6"

Age: 20

Draft Projection: Top N/A

Stats: 25.3 PPG - 5.9 RPG - 5.4 APG - 48.3 FG%

At just 5-foot-6, Hannah Hidalgo plays far bigger than her frame suggests. The Notre Dame junior has already etched her name into program history, becoming the youngest player to reach 2,000 career points while continuing to climb the all-time scoring charts—across both the women’s and men’s sides. And while her scoring punch jumps off the page, reducing Hidalgo to just a bucket-getter would be missing the point entirely.

She scores at an elite rate, but her impact is truly as two-way guard. Hidalgo has earned multiple defensive honors and has led the NCAA in steals at over four per game, using relentless ball pressure, anticipation, and nonstop energy to disrupt opposing offenses. A dynamic scorer, elite defender, and unquestioned competitor, Hidalgo is already a star, and with another year of eligibility still ahead of her, her ceiling remains incredibly high.

Shay Ciezki — Indiana (PG)

Height: 5'7"

Age: 22

Draft Projection: 3rd Round

Stats: 23.6 PPG - 3.3 RPG - 2.7 APG - 54.0 FG%

One of the more underrated names on this list, Shay Ciezki is a hooper you have to see to fully appreciate. After watching her play, it’s impossible not to give her props. The Penn State transfer has quickly become the engine of Indiana’s offense, carrying the load as a dynamic combo guard who’s proven she can thrive both on and off the ball. Ciezki is pouring in roughly 23 points per game while shooting 54% from the field, and the way she gets her buckets is just as impressive as the efficiency.

Behind-the-back crossovers, deep-range threes, and fearless downhill attacks define her scoring profile. Standing at just 5-foot-7, she plays with confidence and creativity, and score at will against any matchup. Her production hasn’t gone unnoticed either: the WNBA is paying attention, and Ciezki is rapidly making the case that she belongs in the next-level conversation.

Olivia Miles — Texas Christian (PG)

Height: 5'10"

Age: 23

Draft Projection: Top 5

Stats: 19.0 PPG - 7.0 RPG - 7.0 APG - 49.7 FG%

A true floor general with superstar impact, Olivia Miles first made her mark during a standout four-year run at Notre Dame, where she led the Atlantic Coast Conference in assists three times and helped guide the Irish to a 28–6 record in 2025. Already regarded as one of the most cerebral guards in the country, Miles entered the transfer portal last spring and made a seamless transition to TCU—stepping into a more competitive environment.

Since the move, Miles has expanded her game even further, boosting her rebounding numbers and asserting herself as a threat from every angle of the floor. A walking triple-double, she blend court vision with a soft scoring touch, defensive instincts, and strong, equipped basketball IQ. She does a little bit of everything—and does it at a high level. If this pace holds, Miles has the profile of a potential top-five pick when her name is finally called.

Flau'jae Johnson — LSU (SG)

Height: 5'10"

Age: 22

Draft Projection: Top 10

Stats: 14.1 PPG - 4.2 RPG - 2.6 APG - 48.5 FG%

Known initially as a rapper with undeniable charisma, Flau’jae has fully established herself as much more with an insane crossover. While her musical talent first grabbed attention in 2017, it’s her growth on the hardwood that has quietly turned her into one of the most intriguing prospects in women’s college basketball. Now an NCAA veteran with four years of college hoops under her belt, Johnson looks every bit like a legitimate WNBA lottery pick.

At 5-foot-10, Johnson brings a physical edge on both ends of the floor. Her aggressive on-ball defense and relentless pressure helped her earn an immediate starting role at LSU, where her defense is felt far beyond the box score. Offensively, she plays downhill with force, attacking the rim without hesitation, and her pull-up jumper gives her a reliable counter against defenders who sag off. Johnson’s consistency, toughness, and two-way impact make her a problem every night—and a name the WNBA is watching closely.

Cotie McMahon — Ole Miss (SF)

Height: 5'10"

Age: 21

Draft Projection: Top 15

Stats: 19.7 PPG - 5.8 RPG - 2.7 APG - 48.5 FG%

An undersized small forward with a scorer’s mindset, Cotie McMahon has steadily evolved into one of the most dangerous wings in women’s college basketball. A score-first threat by nature, McMahon put in serious work on her jump shot this offseason, improving her three-point efficiency and adding another layer to an already aggressive offensive package—one that has her firmly projected as a lottery-level prospect.

After transferring to Ole Miss, the Ohio native is playing the best basketball of her career. What’s remained constant from Ohio to Mississippi is her fearlessness as a rim finisher. McMahon loves force her way into the paint, using strength and touch to score against virtually any position on the floor. Add in her defensive versatility and ability to switch across matchups, and McMahon profiles as a tough, physical wing built for the next level.

So who are you riding with when March Madness tips off? Which of these players do you think has the juice to lead a championship run—and which one do you want to see lacing them up in the WNBA when the time comes? Some are just scratching the surface of their collegiate careers, and others look more than ready to take that next step. Either way, these girls are real problems with the ball in their hands, and March is about to paint us a much larger picture.

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Thanks for reading!

-Joel Piton

(@jpiton7)