These 10 players will determine how far women's teams like UConn and Tennessee go in March

Which players person the imaginable to catapult their respective programs to league championships and heavy NCAA tourney runs this 2022-23 women's assemblage hoops season?

We've ranked the under-the-radar, up-and-coming players who person the imaginable to person breakout seasons. Players expected to beryllium connected our upcoming apical 25 subordinate rankings were not considered for the list, which was finalized with input from ESPN's M.A. Voepel and Charlie Creme. And transfers who mightiness beryllium connected the verge of breakout seasons connected their caller teams -- Kylee Watson, Taylor Jones, Taylor Soule, for illustration -- were already included connected our top 30 interaction transfers.

The 10 players beneath are imaginable X factors successful however acold their teams mightiness spell this March oregon April. They are a premix of players expecting much playing clip with teammates having departed, experienced starters whose value mightiness often spell underappreciated, and players hoping to fulfill a request for their squad oregon adhd a caller magnitude to it. And by the season's end, possibly immoderate featured present volition marque an quality connected our ranking of the apical 25 players successful the country, which volition beryllium updated passim the season.

Rankings were determined by a premix of what a standout play from each subordinate would mean to their respective squad and preseason expectations for each program.

1. Aaliyah Edwards, 6-3, F, Jr., UConn Huskies

2021-22 stats: 7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 52.1 FG%, 24.9 MPG

As an upperclassman connected a squad reasonably abbreviated connected collegiate playing experience, and particularly successful the aftermath of 2020-21 nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth Paige Bueckers' season-ending ACL injury, Edwards has small prime but to person a breakout twelvemonth if the Huskies privation to instrumentality to a grounds 15th consecutive Final Four. Guards Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme volition beryllium tasked for holding down things successful the backcourt with Bueckers out, but it's been a infinitesimal since UConn has had an imposing station presence. Behind Edwards' trademark tenacity and the accidental granted with chap station astatine Olivia Nelson-Ododa's graduation, present is arsenic bully a clip arsenic immoderate for Edwards to instrumentality the leap truthful galore envisioned for her since she archetypal arrived successful Storrs.

2. Olivia Cochran, 6-3, F, Jr., Louisville Cardinals

2021-22 stats: 8.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 51.4 FG%, 22.3 MPG

Jeff Walz's squad volition person a caller look aft the departures of 3 starters from past play (Kianna Smith, Chelsie Hall and Emily Engstler) and an influx of transfers. As 1 of 2 returners to the starting 5 alongside prima Hailey Van Lith, Cochran volition beryllium looked upon to beryllium much productive consistently for the Cardinals arsenic they question to instrumentality to a 2nd consecutive Final Four. She had immoderate large moments successful the NCAA tournament, but tin Cochran some acceptable the code defensively wrong and germinate into a bigger violative menace arsenic a junior? Cochran told reporters she focused this offseason connected getting successful the champion signifier of her beingness and connected expanding her versatility, arsenic she'll beryllium playing much of the 4 this year.

3. Hannah Jump, 6-0, G, Sr., Stanford Cardinal

2021-22 stats: 9.2 PPG, 39.7 3FG%, 23.6 MPG

With the graduation of Lexie Hull, Lacie Hull and Anna Wilson, positive the transportation of Jana Van Gytenbeek, the Cardinal are looking to regenerate northbound of 45% of their 3-point shooting from past season, erstwhile Stanford precocious to back-to-back Final Fours earlier falling to UConn successful the nationalist semifinal. That means 3-point ace Jump -- who has changeable 39.7% oregon amended from 3 each of her archetypal 3 seasons successful Palo Alto -- volition beryllium expected to beryllium adjacent much of a go-to shooter for the Cardinal. Jump's playing clip has grown each twelvemonth successful the programme -- from 10.5 minutes per crippled arsenic a freshman to 16.0 to 23.6 this past year, erstwhile she besides garnered 13 starts. Especially arsenic 1 of the team's 4 elder leaders, manager Tara VanDerveer volition inquire Jump to marque the leap arsenic a accordant violative menace alongside stars Haley Jones, a chap senior, and Cameron Brink.

4. Shyanne Sellers, 6-2, G, So., Maryland Terrapins

2021-22 stats: 7.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, 41.6 FG%, 26.5 MPG

People are already expecting Diamond Miller to bash large things aft a slew of players transferred from Maryland this offseason. Add this reigning Big Ten sixth subordinate of the twelvemonth and all-conference freshman to the list. With 5 of the Terps' 7 regular contributors gone from past play (either to the WNBA oregon to the transportation portal), Sellers mightiness person to instrumentality connected an outsized relation arsenic a sophomore with truthful galore caller faces successful College Park. Not lone bash incoming transfers basal the accidental of being hit-or-miss, but Sellers showed tremendous imaginable passim her freshman season, playing the third-most minutes connected the squad and starting 10 games. Additionally, she stands retired with her versatility arsenic a large defender and sizeable maturation connected the antiaircraft end, wherever she led Maryland with 56 steals.

5. Sara Puckett, 6-2, So., G/F, Tennessee Lady Vols

2021-22 stats: 6.4 PPG, 43.4 FG%, 3.5 RPG, 21.2 MPG

The anticipation surrounding the Lady Vols -- who not lone instrumentality Jordan Horston and Tamari Key but volition incorporated a big of big-time transfers, including Rickea Jackson -- hasn't been this precocious successful years. But if Kellie Harper's squad wants to contend with reigning nationalist champion South Carolina successful the SEC, and aboriginal connected beforehand past the Sweet 16 for the archetypal clip since 2016, it would greatly assistance if they person a shooter who tin deed from the perimeter. Enter Puckett, who showed she tin sound down large shots successful large moments by hitting the go-ahead 3 to enactment Tennessee up implicit Belmont successful the 2nd circular of the NCAA Tournament with little than 20 seconds remaining. Puckett volition request to amended her freshman-season accuracy from 3 (29.9%) if she wants to genuinely presume that role, but contempt her younker she already seems to person the assurance of her teammates and Harper.

6. Alyssa Ustby, 6-1, G, Jr., North Carolina Tar Heels

2021-22 stats: 12.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 44.5 FG%, 31.8 MPG

Headlined by rising prima Deja Kelly but besides Ustby, the Tar Heels instrumentality 85% of their scoring from past year, the second-best people successful the ACC. Ustby -- a second-team All-ACC prime who has started astir games since she got to Chapel Hill -- was the Tar Heels' second-best scorer portion besides starring the squad successful some rebounds and steals arsenic a sophomore. North Carolina is expected to beryllium a contender successful the ACC, with fans remembering however they gave eventual champion South Carolina the toughest changeable it took successful the NCAA tourney (a 69-61 loss). That was the storied program's archetypal Sweet 16 quality since 2015, but for Courtney Banghart's radical to support moving successful the close direction, the Tar Heels request much players different than Kelly to assistance it along.

7. Lauren Ware, 6-5, F, Jr., Arizona Wildcats

2021-22 stats: 5.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 21.7 MPG

Ware's sophomore play with the Wildcats was bumpy, successful ample portion due to the fact that she suffered a dislocated kneecap successful aboriginal December that caused her to miss implicit a period of gameplay. She started each but 1 crippled she appeared successful 2021-22, making her 1 of 3 returning starters for Arizona alongside Cate Reese and Shaina Pellington, but admitted astatine the clip it was hard physically and mentally to instrumentality from injury. Given the players Adia Barnes has surrounding her, Ware doesn't person to singlehandedly clasp things down successful the post, but with a steadfast play successful which she's capable to found herself much regularly wrong and usage her tallness to her vantage -- astatine 6-5 she's the tallest subordinate connected the squad -- Ware could assistance Arizona find much occurrence some successful the Pac-12 and NCAA tourney pursuing a disappointing 2021-22.

8. Gabbie Marshall, G, 5-9, Sr., Iowa Hawkeyes

2021-22 stats: 6.8 PPG, 39.3 3FG%, 1.7 SPG, 31.7 MPG

Iowa has the luxury of returning each 5 starters from the erstwhile 2 seasons, a radical headlined by Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano. So wherever does Marshall travel in? Any unit she tin alleviate from Clark needing to nutrient from the backcourt would beryllium helpful, and she could beryllium a large recipient of Clark's dimes disconnected her overgarment penetration. Marshall has been a beardown 3-point shooter since arriving to Iowa, but if she tin get person to her clip from her sophomore play (47.1% connected 4.0 3-point attempts per game), past Iowa mightiness truly beryllium cooking. For Iowa to beforehand to its archetypal Final Four since 1993, though, the squad volition request to play amended defense; Marshall tin assistance spearhead that effort, arsenic she hA0073x led the squad successful steals each of the past 2 seasons.

9. Camille Hobby, 6-3, F, Sr., NC State Wolfpack

2021-22 stats: 5.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 47.7 FG%, 12.2 MPG

Elissa Cunane, 1 of the astir decorated players successful Wolfpack history, is gone, arsenic good arsenic 3 different starters from past year's Elite Eight squad (Raina Perez, Kai Crutchfield and Kayla Jones). But this could beryllium Hobby's clip to radiance aft she spent the erstwhile 3 years waiting successful the wings down Cunane's brilliance. NC State fans are speedy to constituent to Hobby's sole vocation start, erstwhile she much than capably enactment up a career-high 19 points connected 9-for-14 shooting against Virginia Tech successful January 2021, arsenic impervious she's acceptable for this moment. "I expect large things from her," NC State manager Wes Moore said of Hobby astatine ACC media day. "Camille tin people the shot and she's a competitor. She's going to enactment hard, and she's proven herself ... I've got assurance successful her."

10. Liz Scott, 6-2, F, Sr., Oklahoma Sooners

2021-22 stats: 6.6 PPG, 47.6 FG%, 4.5 RPG, 15.1 MPG

With Taylor Robertson, Madi Williams and Ana Llanusa backmost successful the fold, the Sooners could readily physique upon past year's palmy run nether past first-year caput manager Jennie Baranczyk. One subordinate extracurricular the evident who could assistance them instrumentality that adjacent measurement is Scott, who started 24 of 33 games arsenic a inferior and boasted back-to-back games past play erstwhile she deed a game-winning changeable against apical 10 teams. She volition request to guarantee she stays retired of foul trouble, which was a occupation astatine times past season, but if Scott manages to enactment connected the floor, assistance the Sooners connected the solid and beryllium much impactful inside, Oklahoma's discourtesy volition beryllium much divers and each the much threatening.