How bash you amended upon being the best? South Carolina's Aliyah Boston has that task this 2022-23 women's assemblage hoops season, and determination is small uncertainty she relishes the challenge. Save the nonaccomplishment to Kentucky successful the SEC tourney final, beauteous overmuch everything went the Gamecocks' mode successful 2021-22. Boston earned a immense postulation of awards, and present she and the defending nationalist champion Gamecocks person a accidental to bash it each implicit again.
What astir the remainder of the country's apical endowment this season? It's plentiful, arsenic you volition spot with not conscionable the players who made our 2022-23 preseason ESPN apical 25 rankings, but the ones we were forced to permission off.
The players present scope from super-seniors backmost for a 5th play and who are apt to interruption schoolhouse records (or adhd to ones they person already broken) to standout sophomores who made an interaction successful their archetypal season. Some of these players person transferred to caller schools this season, portion others are finishing their assemblage careers arsenic programme legends.
ESPN's Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and M.A. Voepel voted to compile our rankings, taking into information past season's performances and what mightiness beryllium expected of these players this season. We volition revisit the database again passim this season, and changes are inevitable. Maybe immoderate large ones.
1. Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Forward | 6-foot-5 | senior
2021-22 stats: 16.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.4 BPG
The reigning nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth heads into her elder twelvemonth aft 30 doubles-doubles past season, including an SEC-record 27 successful a row. She was besides nationalist antiaircraft subordinate of the twelvemonth and has 257 vocation blocks, 2nd successful programme past to lone WNBA prima A'ja Wilson. Boston present volition effort to replicate a nationalist title play for her and the Gamecocks. She hasn't publically stated yet that she volition bypass her super-senior year, but if she does, Boston is the overwhelming favourite to beryllium the WNBA's No. 1 draught prime successful April 2023. -- Voepel
2. Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Guard | 6-foot-0 | junior
2020-21 stats: 27.0 PPG, 8.0 APG, 45.2% FG
Even with 2 years of eligibility remaining, it's hard to ideate Clark accomplishing immoderate much individually. She led the state successful scoring arsenic some a freshman and a sophomore and past twelvemonth became the archetypal subordinate to apical the federation successful some scoring and assists successful the aforesaid season. She has unlimited shooting scope and astonishing tribunal vision, but NCAA tourney occurrence is the 1 happening that has truthful acold eluded Clark. The level of greatness she reaches this season, and her chances of overtaking Boston for nationalist subordinate of the year, mightiness remainder with however the Hawkeyes fare beyond the Big Ten. -- Creme
3. Haley Jones, Stanford
Guard | 6-foot-1 | senior
2021-22 stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.7 APG
Jones has dazzled since arriving to The Farm successful 2019. But this play we'll spot her presume a relation she hasn't had to bash excessively overmuch during her assemblage career: constituent guard. Thanks to the graduation of Anna Wilson and the Hull twins, this is genuinely Jones' squad present successful what she has said volition beryllium her last play astatine Stanford. For the Cardinal to triumph their 2nd NCAA rubric successful 3 years and 4th overall, Jones volition person to enactment unneurotic different All-American-caliber season, 1 successful which she reminds onlookers wherefore she was the 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. -- Philippou
4. Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Guard/forward | 6-foot-1 | senior
2021-22 stats: 20.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.0 APG
Joens is our highest-ranked super-senior, and goes into her 5th play already holding the programme scoring grounds (2,369 points). She is 129 rebounds distant from becoming Iowa State's all-time person successful that class arsenic well. Joens is Iowa State's archetypal preseason Associated Press All-American, and she's besides preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. A two-time victor of the Cheryl Miller Award arsenic the nation's apical tiny forward, she hopes to pb the Cyclones to their archetypal Big 12 regular-season rubric since 2000. Voepel
5. Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Forward | 6-foot-6 | senior
2021-22 stats: 18.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG
The reigning ACC Player of the Year was pugnacious capable for opposing defenses to guard. But present that Virginia Tech adds aggregate talented players alongside her -- Taylor Soule from Boston College and Ashley Owusu from Maryland -- things mightiness lone further unfastened up for Kitley to get to enactment down low. Kitley says she has spent the offseason expanding her game, from a 3-pointer to adding a entity hook to her container of go-to moves. For the Hokies to capitalize disconnected what manager Kenny Brooks said is his astir talented radical yet, he'll request Kitley to pb the complaint successful a stacked ACC. -- Philippou
6. Cameron Brink, Stanford
Forward | 6-foot-4 | junior
2021-22 stats: 13.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG
Jones doesn't person to enarthrosis the load for Stanford wholly connected her own: She tin besides crook to Brink, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Brink has said she spent clip connected her 3-point shooting this offseason aft conscionable 61 attempts from heavy crossed her archetypal 2 years astatine Stanford -- meaning it's not wholly unrealistic for manager Tara VanDerveer to perchance spell with a jumbo lineup with Brink astatine the 3. Most critically for Brink, though, is uncovering ways to enactment connected the floor: She is reasonably foul-prone, causing her to mean less than 22 minutes per crippled arsenic a sophomore. -- Philippou
7. Angel Reese, LSU
F | 6-foot-3| sophomore
2021-22 stats: 17.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 49.9% FG
Having lived up to the imaginable that comes with being the No. 2 enlistee successful the state with a superb 2nd play astatine Maryland, Reese decided to permission the Big Ten for the SEC and becomes the Tigers' caller centerpiece. She was 1 of conscionable 2 players to gain first-team All-Big Ten and marque the conference's all-defensive team, and the lone 1 to mean a double-double. With LSU replacing two-thirds of its backcourt and Reese trying to grow her game, she mightiness spot much clip connected the perimeter this season. -- Creme
8. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
G| 5-foot-10 | sophomore
2021-22 stats: 13.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 7.4 APG
While it feels similar Miles inactive hasn't approached her afloat potential, she has already blossomed into 1 of the nation's apical constituent guards. Perhaps the astir dynamic passer successful the country, Miles finished 2nd to Clark successful assists per crippled and was named first-team All-ACC arsenic a freshman. With her magnitude and speed, Miles thrives successful modulation arsenic some a distributor and finisher. If offseason enactment helped amended her 3-point shooting (27.0%), Miles has first-team All-American potential. -- Creme
9. Hailey Van Lith, Louisville
Guard | 5-foot-7 | junior
2021-22 stats: 14.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.2 APG
Van Lith heated up successful ACC play past year, and past truly showed her worldly successful the postseason arsenic the Cardinals made the program's 4th Final Four appearance. She scored 20 points oregon much successful Louisville's archetypal 4 NCAA tourney games and was the Wichita Regional's Most Outstanding Player. Van Lith besides has the occurrence that manager Jeff Walz likes to spot successful his players, which showed connected tribunal and successful immoderate comic media moments -- specified arsenic erstwhile she jokingly chided Jimmy Fallon for picking against Louisville. -- Voepel
10. Rori Harmon, Texas
Guard | 5-foot-6 | sophomore
2021-22 stats: 11.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.0 APG
Harmon announced herself connected the nationalist signifier past play with her show successful the Big 12 tournament, wherever she was named Most Outstanding Player. She past helped the Longhorns beforehand to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. She had 180 assists to 80 turnovers and led the squad successful steals with 86. She mightiness beryllium a much effectual 3-point shooter this season, and is already a beardown on-ball defender. Although she's lone a sophomore, Texas needs her to determination into a enactment relation close away. -- Voepel
11. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
G | 5-foot-10 | senior
2021-22 stats: 19.7 PPG, 4.2 APG, 50.4% FG
Perhaps this volition beryllium the play that Sheldon nary longer qualifies arsenic 1 of the astir overlooked players successful the country. She led an injury-riddled Ohio State squad to a astonishing stock of the Big Ten regular-season rubric and has been remarkably accordant and reliable. Sheldon has fallen abbreviated of double-figure scoring conscionable 5 times successful the past 2 years and has emerged arsenic the Big Ten's champion two-way guard. She was sixth successful the league successful scoring, led each Big Ten guards successful tract extremity percent and is the lone returner from the all-defensive team. -- Creme
12. Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
Forward | 6-foot-1 | senior
2021-22 stats: 25.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 49.3% FG
One of the country's apical scorers each of the past 2 years, Siegrist -- the reigning Big East Player of the Year -- helped Villanova go the archetypal squad successful 9 seasons to bushed UConn successful league play. She aboriginal guided the Wildcats to the 2nd circular of the NCAA tourney for conscionable the 2nd clip successful astir 20 years, wherever they kept things adjacent against Michigan overmuch of the way. Siegrist could go the archetypal subordinate to repetition arsenic Big East Player of the Year since Skylar Diggins-Smith successful 2012 and 2013, though she'll person to set to the nonaccomplishment of 2 starters from past season's squad. -- Philippou
13. Azzi Fudd, UConn
Guard | 5-foot-11 | sophomore
2021-22 stats: 12.1 PPG, 45.7% FG, 43.0% 3FG
Fudd's collegiate vocation started disconnected with a spot of a whimper owed to a ft wounded that kept her retired 11 games and impacted her mobility adjacent aft she returned. Now overmuch healthier, Fudd says she feels similar the subordinate she ever knew herself to be, and that assurance has travel done connected the tribunal successful signifier frankincense far. UConn manager Geno Auriemma has indicated that, with 2020-21 subordinate of the twelvemonth Paige Bueckers sidelined each play with an ACL injury, Fudd is the 1 who has superstar imaginable to measurement up and support the Huskies applicable successful the nationalist rubric conversation, and support their streak of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances alive. -- Philippou
14. Aneesah Morrow, DePaul
Forward | 6-foot-1 | sophomore
2021-22 stats: 21.9 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.7 SPG
Morrow impressed past season, comfortably averaging a double-double (21.9 PPG, 13.8 RPG) down a physicality and tenacity that didn't marque her look similar a 6-1 freshman. She enters the 2022-23 play aft being selected to the Associated Press' preseason All-America squad alongside the likes of Boston, Clark, Jones, Joens and Kitley. Now arsenic a sophomore, but with DePaul's 3 different apical scorers from past play gone, Morrow volition person to transportation a larger load arsenic the Blue Demons, who conscionable snuck into the 2022 NCAA tournament, look to enactment applicable successful the Big East. -- Philippou
15. Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Guard | 6-foot-2 | senior
2021-22 stats: 16.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 4.0 APG
Horston particularly roseate to the juncture versus ranked opponents past season, averaging 20.7 points and 10.7 rebounds against Top 25 foes. She was good connected her mode to her champion play yet astatine Tennessee erstwhile she was injured making a hustle play. She suffered a fractured dislocation of her near elbow erstwhile diving for a escaped shot connected Feb. 17 against Alabama and did not instrumentality to enactment past season. Fortunately for the Lady Vols, this play Horston has a accidental to prime up wherever she near off. -- Voepel
16. Ashley Owusu, Virginia Tech
G | 6-foot-0 | senior
2021-22 stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.7 APG
The alteration successful scenery and instrumentality person to location could beryllium conscionable what Owusu needed. After a superb sophomore twelvemonth that saw Owusu gain third-team All-American honors, inconsistency crept into Owusu's game, and she didn't ever look similar the aforesaid subordinate past play astatine Maryland. Even successful a "down" twelvemonth she was the second-leading scorer connected a Sweet 16 squad and made second-team All-Big Ten. As almighty with the shot arsenic immoderate defender successful the country, Owusu tin seemingly ever get her ain changeable successful the lane and is an elite finisher. -- Creme
17. Grace Berger, Indiana
Guard | 6-foot-0 | senior
2021-22 stats: 16.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.3 APG
The super-senior has been a immense portion of the Hoosiers' ascent to nationalist prominence, including their Elite Eight quality successful 2021. She hasn't changeable the 3-pointer a lot, having made 37 successful her Indiana career, but is simply a precise reliable midrange shooter who besides has a batch of spot finishing astatine the rim. Berger is simply a consistently productive rebounder and playmaker for the Hoosiers, who volition contend for the Big Ten rubric this season. -- Voepel
18. Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
F | 6-foot-2 | senior
2021-22 stats: 20.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 41.0% FG
Those 20.3 PPG led the SEC earlier Jackson decided to permission Mississippi State successful January. She's not apt to duplicate that benignant of violative accumulation successful Knoxville with truthful galore different prime players astir her, but that mightiness besides mean a much businesslike Jackson. Her elite midrange scoring talents and quality to make her ain changeable are precisely what the past fewer Tennessee teams person been missing -- and wherefore expectations person soared this season. -- Creme
19. Madi Williams, Oklahoma
Forward | 6-foot-0 | senior
2021-22 stats: 18.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.6 APG
Williams has been first-team All-Big 12 the past 2 seasons and enters her super-senior play hoping to assistance the Sooners contend for the league title. Her crippled is simply a large acceptable for the up-tempo violative benignant of manager Jennie Baranczyk, present successful her 2nd play guiding Oklahoma. Williams, an fantabulous slasher, made much 3-pointers (41) past play than her archetypal 3 years combined and relished being the go-to subordinate astatine crunch time. -- Voepel
20. Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Guard | 5-foot-9 | senior
2021-22 stats: 10.7 PPG, 1.7 APG
Cooke's scoring numbers and tract extremity and 3-point percentages each saw vocation lows successful 2021-22, but the Gamecocks inactive managed to asseverate themselves arsenic the wire-to-wire No. 1 squad successful the state and triumph the program's 2nd nationalist title. With constituent defender Destanni Henderson, who had a career-best show successful the nationalist rubric game, present successful the pros, Cooke volition beryllium tasked with stepping up arsenic a accordant unit successful South Carolina's backcourt, which would assistance instrumentality immoderate unit disconnected Boston successful the paint. With Boston, Cooke and Brea Beal -- who are each three-year starters for South Carolina -- present seniors, this is apt the past accidental this star-studded radical has to triumph different rubric earlier immoderate if not each determination on. -- Philippou
21. Diamond Miller, Maryland
G | 6-foot-3 | senior
2020-21 stats: 13.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.8 APG
Injuries marred Miller's inferior play and constricted her to conscionable 22 games. Her wide accumulation dipped from her sophomore twelvemonth (17.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG), but by season's extremity Miller had rounded into form. She scored a combined 48 points successful the Terps' 2 NCAA tourney wins, carrying them to their 2nd consecutive Sweet 16. Miller, whose size and spot marque her an highly hard one-on-one matchup, is the lone Maryland seasoned to stay from the offseason postulation of graduations and transfers. A wholly steadfast Miller volition articulation Clark and Sheldon arsenic the champion guards successful the Big Ten. -- Creme
22. Aijha Blackwell, Baylor
Guard/forward | 5-foot-11 | senior
2021-22 stats: 15.4 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 1.7 APG
After 3 seasons astatine Missouri, Blackwell transferred to Baylor. She should beryllium an contiguous high-impact subordinate successful Waco, Texas, particularly considering the Bears mislaid NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo to the WNBA draft. Preparing for the pro level is 1 of the things Blackwell hopes to execute playing for erstwhile WNBA manager Nicki Collen astatine Baylor. Blackwell was 2nd to DePaul's Morrow successful Division I rebounding mean past season, which volition assistance the Bears. Also look for her to grow her perimeter skills this season. -- Voepel
23. Deja Kelly, North Carolina
Guard | 5-foot-8 | junior
2020-21 stats: 16.5 PPG, 2.6 APG
The Tar Heels person a batch of momentum coming disconnected past season's coagulated run, and overmuch of that has to bash with the standout play of Kelly. Helping her and the remainder of the squad retired is that they instrumentality 85% of their scoring accumulation from past season. Kelly has indicated she'll beryllium playing much constituent defender this season, and has worked connected her consistency from 3 arsenic well. For UNC to instrumentality the adjacent measurement and beforehand past the Sweet 16 for the archetypal clip since 2014, Kelly volition request to beryllium a superstar for the Tar Heels, making the adjacent leap successful her improvement conscionable arsenic she did from her freshman to sophomore year. -- Philippou
24. Lexi Donarski, Iowa State
Guard | 6-foot-0 | junior
2021-22 stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 APG
She was 2nd for Iowa State successful some scoring and 3-pointers down Joens past season. Donarski besides did thing nary different Cyclone ever has: She won the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year award. It's often not casual for guards to get that grant successful immoderate league, arsenic it often goes to forwards and centers. But Donarski earned it with hustle and committedness to shutting down whomever she was guarding. Last twelvemonth successful Big 12 play, the hostile she chiefly defended was held to 30% shooting. -- Voepel
25. Monika Czinano, Iowa
Forward/center | 6-foot-3 | senior
2021-22 stats: 21.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 67.9 FG%
Czinano led Division I successful tract extremity percent past play and besides changeable 84.3% from the foul line. The super-senior had 16 games past play successful which she changeable astatine slightest 70% from the field, including 75.6% successful the Big Ten tourney won by the Hawkeyes. A first-team All-Big Ten selection, she changeable beneath 50% successful conscionable 1 crippled each season. One of teammate Clark's superior targets for assists, Czinano volition effort to assistance the Hawkeyes repetition their Big Ten regular-season and tourney titles. -- Voepel
Also receiving votes: Aaliyah Edwards, UConn; Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana; Tamari Key, Tennessee; Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State Cougars; Taylor Mikesell, Ohio State Buckeyes; Alexis Morris, LSU; Charisma Osborne, UCLA Bruins; Cate Reese, Arizona Wildcats; Taylor Robertson, Oklahoma
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